So when Andrew Breitbart asked me if I’d interview Carrie about her new book, Still Standing, out November 9 from Regnery, I chuckled and thought: The liberal faithful will think this is perfect: One “fanatical homophobe” interviewing another. 

Except that they would be wrong.

In case you’ve been living under a rock this year, Carrie Prejean is the former Miss California who became an accidental lightning rod in the spring. At a glitzy pageant held April 19 at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Carrie appeared poised to be crowned Miss USA. But during the final segment of the contest, a Q&A with pageant judges, Carrie drew as her questioner the gay gossip aficionado, Perez Hilton. 

Ignoring the longstanding pageant tradition of steering clear of politically charged questions, Hilton launched this salvo: “Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?” 

Keeping her mega-watt smile picture-perfect, Carrie revealed no outward hint of concern. But inside, she writes in Still Standing, “it was as though I could feel time slowing down; as if silence was screaming in my ears…I had to break that silence with my answer – and I had to do it now…” 

“Well, I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other…” Carrie answered. “And you know what, in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman…” 

And with that, a 22-year-old lifelong athlete who works with developmentally disabled children became the global poster-child for virulent “homophobia.” Within 24 hours, a histrionic Hilton had called her a “dumb bitch,” then corrected himself, saying he wished he’d called her a “c**t.” Immediately, pundits and bloggers who use typically their media platforms to decry “hate” napalmed Carrie with every hateful invective from “bigot” to “Nazi.” One British politician even issued a televised death threat. 

I know a little about what that’s like. In late September, HarperCollins announced that it had bumped up the publication date for Sarah Palin’s memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life, to November 17. As Sarah’s collaborative writer, I suddenly became a target (the left having running out of original ways to insult the former Alaska governor herself.) 

Andrew Sullivan, who blogs at The Atlantic’s website, read my arguments in favor of traditional marriage, and summarily crowned me a “fanatical homophobe.” Others, to use Perez Hilton’s term, followed suit. 

Had Sullivan bothered to reach out for a reasoned dialogue, I might’ve shared with him that my sister Lori, an articulate, politically active lesbian on the progressive left, has had with me some pretty productive discussions on gay marriage. That for me, it’s about more than “the Bible tells me so”; it’s about the collision of the First and Fourteenth Amendments. 

I might’ve shared with Sullivan that the maid of honor at my wedding was my best friend, CM, and her longtime lesbian partner. Sure CM looked a little athletic schlepping down the aisle in her 1980’s tea-length, peach satin dress with dyed-to-match pumps. But then neither one of us walks like Carrie Prejean. 

…Who, incidentally, learned her sexy pageant walk from a gay man. 

Let’s face it ladies, nobody can work a pair of pumps like the right gay man. And it was an openly gay man named Jim (whom Carrie describes in Stilling Standing as “wonderful”) who transformed her from lanky athlete to slinky siren, and taught her not to lope across the pageant stage like a giraffe. And it was also a gay man, Keith Lewis, who courted Carrie to compete for Miss California, then Miss USA – a man Carrie thought at the time had her best interests at heart. 

See, the irony is that people like Carrie and I can be confidantes and even best friends with the gays and lesbians in our lives. We can be in mentoring relationships, like Carrie and Jim. We can collaborate on ideas, as I did with “Anlir,” a gay commenter whose ideas I often adopted when I managed World Magazine’s evangelical-focused blog. We can even be accepting of our family members’ sexuality. 

But if we dare to differ on the issue of gay marriage, then the truth about our actual relationships with gays and lesbians is ignored, liberals’ clairvoyant “insight” into our hearts and minds is substituted as fact, and our protestations are filed mockingly under the “some of my best friends” defense. 

If, on the institution of marriage, we say publicly that we believe the same thing as voters in 31 states – in every state, in fact, where gay marriage has been put on the ballot – then we become targets who must be defamed and destroyed. 

Sadly, snap judgment and name-calling would once have been uncharacteristic for Andrew Sullivan. My good friend Anita Palmer, former managing editor of Eternity, an evangelical monthly, told me she was a huge fan of Sullivan’s laser-like reasoning back when he wrote for The New Republic. 

“He was acerbic, but brilliantly logical, almost irrefutable in that succinct, British way that was just a joy to read,” Anita told me at Starbucks the other day. Her tone was wistful; she missed that Andrew Sullivan, she said. 

Carrie and I both long for the Sullivan of old – and for more people like my sister Lori – who would be willing to chuck name-calling and personal destruction in favor of reasoned, civil debate. 

*****

Lynn Vincent:  Okay, let’s just get the “sex tape” elephant out of the room. When I read about this I thought, “You know what, this isn’t really a ‘sex tape’ as we’ve come to think of sex tapes when they break in the media.”  What are your thoughts on that? 

Carrie Prejean:  Well, there is a video that is out there, and I’m not proud of it and I was very immature at the time. People can call it whatever they want to call it. But it’s definitely not a sex tape. But it’s still the worst mistake I’ve ever made. 

LV:  So I was thinking about this and I thought, “Okay, she was probably with her boyfriend and they were, you know, together and he was filming her…”

CP:  Well, let’s just get that thing taken care of. There was no one else in the room with me. I was by myself. It was for a boyfriend at the time, who I trusted and we were dating at the time. So, I think that definitely needs to get cleared up. 

LV:  So you made the tape and you shared it with this boyfriend. 

CP:  Well at the time, I guess I thought I was being a good girlfriend. 

LV:  I think in the flap copy of your book and in other places, it talks about you being a role model for young Christian women, so there will be people who say that you’re a hypocrite. What’s your response to that? 

CP:  Well, it’s definitely not something that I’m proud of, like I said. And, you know I still think that I am a role model. I think that we’re all sinners – we all make mistakes. The only perfect person is God, and I know that He forgives me….I’m forgiven for the things that I’ve done and how many of us want to share the most horrible mistake that you’ve ever made with complete strangers? Even talking about this right now with you is extremely uncomfortable. And, you know, we all make mistakes, we all do things we’re not proud of. But what matters most is who we are now and who I am now is someone that is a strong, strong person and I’m still standing. The bottom line is who I am today, and that’s a strong woman who defended traditional marriage, and that’s the only reason why we’re really even discussing this right now. 

LV:  Right. And so, in terms of a role model, I think you could say that some of the lessons we teach as role models arise from mistakes we’ve made. That’s how we get our experience. 

CP:  Right. And I think that now I can definitely teach younger girls, don’t ever do something [sexually inappropriate], even when you’re in love and you think that he’s Mr. Right and you “know” nothing will come out, because everything that you do – all the choices that you make – will affect you in the long run. Did I think when I was seventeen that…when I was twenty-two years old and in the spotlight, that the choices that I made then would come out now? No. But, that’s why young women need to learn from this. They need to really think about what they’re doing and make the right decisions and don’t ever do something that you wouldn’t want your pastor, your mother, your father, or your friends to see. Nothing is private anymore in this world, unfortunately. 

LV:  How did you feel about your opponents in this lawsuit presenting you with material that you recorded when you were a minor, in order to secure a favorable outcome for themselves in this lawsuit? 

CP:  Well, I’m not really going to be discussing anything that happened in mediation because I signed a legal agreement. It seems as if I’m the only one sticking to that agreement, and I will continue to obey that agreement. So anything that was discussed I’m not able to talk about right now. 

LV:  Well, let’s move onto your book. I was sitting in Starbucks in Del Mar enjoying it the other morning and, at the beginning, you take us right into that moment Perez Hilton asked you the question about gay marriage at the Miss USA pageant in Las Vegas. Take us to that moment. What were you thinking then? What were you feeling? 

CP:  Well, I just remember being so excited, and that I felt so proud and honored to be representing the state of California. I’d worked hard for this job and I was ready to become Miss USA. I was very confident with public speaking and being able to handle questions under pressure, and I just remember after hearing the question that I couldn’t believe that it was even being asked in a pageant. But I knew that I had to deal with it…but when I began to answer the question I felt as though so much of the hard work and dedication…that I had put into this pageant was just – it was gone…There was no way I was going to win Miss USA if I gave the answer that I gave. And it was worth it to me. It was worth it to be honest and tell the truth rather than to back down to just win Miss USA for the year…I think that was a test. It was a test and we’re all tested at some point in our lives and, you know, I think that I did pass the test. 

LV:  And, you know it was interesting last Tuesday the state of Maine became the 31st state to vote “No” on gay marriage. This time the vote was a bit different in that the state actually repealed a law allowing gay marriage. And this was in a state where voters are widely considered to be moderates and independents. So if you support traditional marriage, and people in Maine support traditional marriage, and people in the thirty other states where this issue has been put on the ballot support gay marriage, why do you think you were so viciously attacked? 

CP:  Well, for one, I think it’s because I was in a pageant…the type of setting where there’s media and there’s the entertainment industry. And I’m a pageant girl – I’m not supposed to have an opinion and I’m not supposed to be intelligent and I’m not supposed to stand up for what I believe. I’m supposed to back down to win this tiara. And when I didn’t do that, I think people were shocked. And when I continued to defend the stand I took, people became frustrated. They knew that they were not able to take me down. They knew I was going to stand by what I said and I wasn’t going to take back what I said – that it was just an honest answer. There was nothing controversial about it. And it is mind-boggling to me that we’re still even talking about this seven months later. It’s not even a controversial issue. The President of the United States agrees with me. Sarah Palin agrees with me. The majority of people in the United States and my state agree with me — that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. 

LV:  One of the things that has been personally dismaying to me is that I have had and do have great relationships with gays and lesbians. But instead of being able to sit down and have a civil discussion about the issues, about gay marriage, about domestic partnerships, about civil unions, with people who feel differently than you and I do, that it always goes into attack mode. It always goes into name-calling. So my question is, if you had a chance to sit down to coffee with some of your critics personally and it was you and them at Starbucks just talking about this issue, what would you say? 

CP:  Well, I want everybody to know that this is not a personal attack. It’s not me hating anyone. I don’t hate anyone. It was just that I was asked a question at a pageant and I had to give an honest answer. I had to be true to myself and I had to be true to the way I was raised. So I would just let them know that this is not a hateful thing against anyone. It’s just a personal opinion, and we are all entitled to our personal opinions. And we should have the right to express our personal opinions. Since when are we not able to give our own opinion when we’re asked? 

LV:  So you’re saying, you should be able to give an answer other than “world peace?” 

CP:  Exactly. You should be able to give an honest answer and not be attacked, not be called every name in the book, not be fired, and not have every single one of your boyfriends being called from your past to see if they’ll give up some dirt. 

LV:  Over the past seven months, is there anything that you would do differently if you had a chance to do it again? 

CP:  No, I really don’t have any regrets. I think that I’ve had a great support team. I’ve had people that I’ve surrounded myself with who are positive, people who give me great advice, who stand with me. You know, I’m not alone in this. My detractors would love to hear me say that I feel alone and I feel sad and I feel miserable. But you know what? I don’t. This was such a learning experience for me and I’m glad I learned these lessons at such a young age. But I’m happy now to just move on with my life. I hope that mothers and daughters and conservatives read my book and feel empowered to express their own personal beliefs and opinions… I hope that I was able to be used in a positive way to give other people encouragement. 

LV:  In your book you write about an old sports trick where you – as a basketball player, for example – you visualize sinking the shot. You said that when you were competing in the Miss USA pageant, you visualized the things you would do to win the competition. 

CP:  Yes. 

LV:  What are you visualizing going forward in your life? 

CP: Well, I always have told myself, ‘you draw the line then you live above it.’ Hopefully other young women can learn from [my experience], not only with the stance that I took in standing up for what you believe, but also that if you do have an opinion, don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid to say it and stand by it. And if people try and attack you, then so be it. Let them, let them attack you. Let them dig up things from your past. And if you’re faced with a controversy like this [tape], then admit to it. The truth will set you free. 

LV:  Now in Stilling Standing, you dish quite a bit on Keith Lewis and Shanna Moakler [both of the Miss California organization.]…You’re pretty tough on them. What will be your response to people who say you used your book to settle scores? 

CP:  The purpose of writing my book was for me to tell my side. I think that was really important. I think the media definitely got a twisted version of what really happened. So it was important for me to set the record straight. As far as Keith Lewis and Shanna Moakler, I wish them well. This was just my chance to tell my side of the story and to clear some things up. 

LV: I want to touch on the issue of your faith since it’s obviously the defining thread that runs through your life. I was interested to read in your book that at the state level, at the Miss California pageant, the judges actually praised you for talking about your faith. And then you move on to Miss USA and you have your handlers, like Moakler, telling you, “Don’t talk about God! Don’t talk about God!” What was that like for you? 

CP:  That was difficult. It was very difficult. I was dealing with people who didn’t think the same way that I did. So from the very beginning it was a challenge, but I learned to deal with it. 

LV:  One of the things that really struck me in your book was when you describe Keith Lewis really putting his hands on you and sort of sizing you up and touching your body all over to see if he thought that you were in good enough visual shape to compete. It sort of reminded me of – I don’t know – someone sizing up livestock that they were going to buy. Was that humiliating for you? 

CP:  Yes. And I think that was when I really realized the business that I was in and the industry that I was in. And it was shocking to me but, you know, I had to deal with it because I had won the [Miss California] pageant and so I just thought, “Okay, this is just what they do.” Looking back, I think this was their way of telling me, “Okay, you’re ours now and we’re going to mold you and shape you to be who we want you to be. And you will listen to us.” 

LV:  I would imagine that it was a moment where you began kind of thinking, “Oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into?” 

CP:  Right. Exactly. And that’s what I did think. 

LV:  One of the things that I noticed early in the book was where you talked about one of your early mentors counseling you to just be yourself in these pageants, Carrie. Just be yourself. And certainly you did that when Perez Hilton asked you that question. And yet on some other things, earlier in your pageant career, you sort of allowed yourself to be carried away from that early advice. You know, as though the pageant machine was sort of driving you forward. Can you talk a little bit about how you get caught up in that kind of thing and carried along? 

CP:  In my book you’ll see that I was tested twice.  The first time was when they had asked me not to talk about God anymore and [I didn’t]. It made me feel really uncomfortable… I felt this guilt inside of me knowing that I had not stood up when I could have. I could have said, “No, that’s not right,” or “I don’t agree with you.” But instead I just kind of played it off and ignored the situation. So, I definitely learned from that. 

LV:  So in, I think in a very human way, in those particular situations you were…kind of going along to get along. 

CP:  Right. My main focus was winning Miss USA. I mean, that was my main goal. I’ve always been very competitive and I was just kind of going along with this and saying to myself, “I guess this is just what you’re supposed to be doing.” But there comes a point when you have to draw the line and you have to really be who you are and not let anyone else change you. 

LV:  Young girls are going to continue to look up to you as a role model. What’s your best advice for young girls who want to follow in your footsteps and become a strong woman who stands up for what she believes in? 

CP:  That wherever you get your courage from – mine comes from my faith, my family, my supporters – always have the courage not to be intimidated. Don’t ever feel like you have to be silent for standing up for what you believe in. And that’s what’s so great about this book, Still Standing, is that people will see that I am still standing after what anybody can throw at me. They can throw whatever they want at me. They can call up my old boyfriends and ask them if they have dirt on me. They can come up with pictures of me and attack me, attack my family. That’s fine, they can do all of that, but I am still standing. And I think it infuriates some people that I am. But my advice to young women would be to just be you. Just be who you are and stand up for what you believe.

“Photo Courtesy of the Miss Universe L.P., LLP”

In a first for any U.S.-based pageant organization, the Miss Universe Organization has taken the unusual step of releasing topless photos of its outgoing Miss Universe, Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela, to Maxim for the magazine’s September issue.

As you may recall, the Miss Universe Organization (which owns and operates the Miss USA pageant) treated the “topless” photo of former Miss California Carrie Prejean’s somewhat differently:

In a statement given to the Associated Press, pageant spokesman Roger Neal explained that, “Prejean has run afoul of several sections of the 12-page contract that prospective contestants were required to sign before competing…The contract contains a clause asking participants whether they have conducted themselves ‘in accordance with the highest ethical and moral standards’ and if they’ve ever been photographed nude or partially nude.”

It is also worth noting that while Miss Prejean came under scrutiny for undergoing plastic surgery (here are some particularly vile thoughts on the subject from Keith Olbermann and company on his “Countdown” program), the current Miss Universe, Dayana Mendoza, has apparently undergone plastic surgery as well.

***
On a lighter note, do you really buy that it’s “topless” if the women are covering themselves with their arms?  It might not be “G” rated, but a distinction needs to be made…

Regnery Announces Plans to Publish De-Throned Miss California Carrie Prejean

WASHINGTON, D.C. -Regnery Publishing announced today it has signed a publishing contract with former Miss California Carrie Prejean. Her new book, Still Standing, will be released in November 2009. 

Prejean attracted national attention when she answered a question at the Miss USA Pageant defending traditional marriage.  The unprecedented personal attacks that ensued eventually culminated in Prejean being stripped of her Miss California crown. But the 22-year-old won the respect of millions for modeling something other than evening gowns and swimsuits – the courage of standing up for her convictions. 

Now she will tell her side of the story, answering such questions as what happened behind the scenes at the pageant, why she answered the Perez Hilton question as she did, what really led to her losing the Miss California crown, and how she has been forced to battle the left’s double-standard on free speech and the bias against conservatives – particularly conservative women – who stand up for their beliefs. 

Prejean is represented by Lee Hough with Alive Communications, Inc.

But In an exclusive interview with Big Hollywood, Ms. Prejean’s attorney, Charles S. LiMandri, who says that he and his client learned of the firing during a phone call from gossip site TMZ, vehemently denies those allegations.

“She greeted troops, ‘Fox and Friends,’ she was lined up for the Special Olympics this weekend. It is pure BS.”  He continued that neither the Miss California USA Pageant organization nor Miss USA owner Donald Trump had ever taken issue with the frequency of her media appearances: “They never said it was a problem.”

According to Mr. LiMandri, the real reason behind the firing was three-fold: His client’s beliefs regarding same-sex marriage, a possible book deal with his client (a deal approved by Mr. Trump), and the fact that Ms. Prejean refused to pose for Playboy Magazine or participate in a docudrama promoting same-sex marriage. 

The email below [click to enlarge], provided to Big Hollywood by Mr. LiMandri, is from Mr. Lewis to Ms. Prejean inquiring about her interest in doing a photo shoot for Playboy Magazine involving “partial nudity.”:

This second email [click to enlarge], also provided by Mr. LiMandri, is the response from Mr. LiMandri to Timothy Shields, an attorney representing Mr. Lewis:

Mr. LiMandri states that Ms. Prejean was always enthusiastic about making appearances as Miss California and representing the Miss California pageant organization and the state of California. “They are not being honest that she wasn’t cooperating,” Mr. LiMandri said.

As an example of the excitement and enthusiasm Ms. Prejean’s appearances generated, Mr. LiMandri forwarded the following email [click to enlarge] from a participant in last month’s Las Vegas Jewelers’ Convention:

Mr. LiMandri stated emphatically, “[Ms. Prejean] is being persecuted for the [same-sex marriage] answer she gave. They wanted her out of the way so that she couldn’t be standing in opposition to their same-sex marriage agenda.  And a lot of people in the gay community wanted her out. I told the Miss USA organization, she is not anti-gay, she is just pro-traditional marriage. She never wanted to be part of that fight. She got thrown into it when Perez Hilton asked her that question.“

The proposed book deal might have been another factor in Ms. Prejean’s firing. According to Mr. LiMandri, Ms. Prejean had been given permission from Donald Trump to go ahead with the deal but this may have alarmed Mr. Lewis and Pageant co-director Shanna Moakler: “Keith Lewis made a decision that he was going to fire her because Lewis did not want her wearing a crown and sash while she was doing a book deal telling the truth about him.”

Contributing writers: Alexander Marlow and John Nolte

I would like to thank Mr. Donald Trump and his organization for his support and defending me through the most challenging time of my life. I am so grateful for him, and the opportunity I’ve had to get to know him. I admire, and respect him. I wish Tami Farrell the best; I know she will do a great job.

I hope Americans watching this story unfold, take away the most important lesson I have learned through all of this: nothing is more important than standing up for what you believe in, no matter what the cost may be. I’ve done my best under the difficult circumstances to handle the vicious attacks with integrity and show respect to others, even those who don’t agree with me.

I worked in good faith to meet my responsibilities as Miss California USA. I have met every scheduled appearance, and responsibility, as recently as May 31st. I have followed the proper protocol requested of me and haven’t made any appearances or speaking engagements without the consent or approval from the Miss California USA or Miss Universe Organizations. I have not signed with any book publisher or taken on any business proposals. As of today, June 11, 2009, I have done everything possible to honor my contract.

I am proud to be an American, and blessed to have had the opportunity to exercise my freedom of speech. I am excited and looking forward to where God leads me in the future. I know He has big plans for me. I am proud to be the strong woman God has molded me to be. I will always stand for the truth, respectfully, and never back down.

Thank you and God Bless,

Carrie Prejean

[Ed. Note: There's more on this evolving story here, here, and here.]

Turns out she was Miss California, Carrie Prejean, the reigning queen of the state in which I just happen to reside. Cavuto’s producers were able to nab the beauty for an early interview. My wife and I and two of our daughters watched from the green room as Miss Prejean very respectfully stated her belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Before seeing her interview, I was unaware that her response to a question posed to her on the subject during Sunday’s Miss USA competition had quite possibly cost her the Miss USA crown.

On the plane home that evening I read a piece in Newsday about the incident and learned that it was you, Mr. Perez Hilton, who posed the question about gay marriage to Miss Prejean. Apparently, you didn’t care for her response. “That’s not the kind of woman I want to be Miss USA,” you were quoted as saying. “Miss USA should represent all Americans and, with her answer she instantly alienated millions of gays and lesbians and their friends.” You further went on to say on your video blog that had Miss California won the crown, you would have “run onstage and ripped the tiara off Prejean’s head.” You followed that demonstration of courage by calling her a few choice names that even I, a former Caporegime in the Colombo organized crime family, would be too embarrassed to put in print.

For the record, Mr. Hilton, I would like to state that I, too, believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. My wife also shares that belief and we have brought our four children up to believe the same. We have also brought them up to be tolerant of people who do not share our beliefs. In other words, we would not tolerate our children “ripping a tiara off of the head” of a person, had they been judging that contest and the winner was a lesbian. Nor would we tolerate their calling her disrespectful and shameful names. In fact, I wouldn’t even consider breaking your knee caps for disagreeing with my beliefs, Mr. Hilton, and I’m a former mobster.

Miss Prejean had every right to state her beliefs in the honest and respectful manner in which she did. She has as much right to respectfully disagree with same sex marriage as you do in advocating such a union. In my opinion, your response to a young lady who represented my home state with dignity and class brought shame to the very people in this country that you so poorly represented in your position as judge of the competition. My daughters are of college age and have brought their gay and lesbian friends into my home, where they are welcomed and treated with respect. My nephew is gay and even though we disagree on the subject of marriage, we are both die hard Yankee fans and enjoy watching the games together while downing a bowl of pasta. For the record, my nephew is a great cook. My wife and I have friends and associates who are both gay and lesbian. They have no problem what- so-ever with our belief in marriage being between a man and a woman. In other words, they tolerate our opposing beliefs.

I am quite sure that these fine people have been embarrassed by your disgraceful response to a person whose beliefs are in opposition to your own. It is you who have alienated these fine people and their friends, and not Miss Prejean, with your disgraceful display of intolerance to another person’s beliefs. We are blessed to live in a country where opposing views expressed in a respectful and civilized manner are to be tolerated. That’s the law of the land. If, in fact, Miss Prejean was deprived of an award she rightly deserved because of her honest and respectful expression of her beliefs, both you and the organizers of the Miss USA contest should be thoroughly ashamed.

Furthermore, if I were Donald Trump, rather than deciding whether Miss California will be allowed to keep her Miss USA crown, I would be holding a press conference to publicly admonish you for your disgraceful representation of a contest I owned. I am very surprised not to have heard the word’s “You’re fired,” directed at you from the Donald.

I would like to offer you the opportunity to publicly apologize to Miss Prejean and to the millions of Americans, — gay, lesbian and straight, that you have shamed with your childish behavior. It would be a good way to show all Americans that we have the right to respectfully disagree on this subject or any other and not suffer as a result. That’s an offer you should not refuse.

 –Michael Franzese

Michael Franzese was formerly a top-lieutenant in New York’s  infamous Colombo crime family, whom Fortune Magazine cited as  number #18 on its list of the “Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful  Mafia Bosses” in America. He is the author of the best-selling  books, “Blood Covenant” and “Quitting the Mob“. Franzese’s most recent book, “I’ll Make You an Offer You Can’t Refuse: Business Tips from a Former Mob Boss,” was released in April.

What, exactly, is the principle that Moakler must resign to protect?  It likely has nothing to do with the scandal over Prejean’s topless photos, since Moakler has shown far more of herself in Playboy.  No, Moakler’s concern is Prejean’s insistence on pressing a political agenda: “In the entire history of Miss USA, no reigning titleholder has so readily committed her face and voice to a more divisive or polarizing issue.” 

Carrie Prejean with Shanna Moakler

Funny – I don’t recall Prejean injecting the issue of same-sex marriage into Miss USA; the blame for that falls in the lap of celebrity judge and gay activist Perez Hilton, a man best known for decorating celebrity photographs with bodily fluids and infantile commentary.  Prejean did not cause this conflagration.  It must be clear to everybody-even Moakler-that she would have preferred to avoid the question entirely.  

It is not Prejean’s fault that she became a spokesperson on same-sex marriage.  But Moakler isn’t upset that Prejean is speaking out on the topic.  Not really.  Moakler herself has taken a very vocal position in favor of same-sex marriage.  Recently, she even posed for an advertisement with two other beauty queens, all three with mouths taped shut, presumably to make the point that somebody-it isn’t entirely clear who-is muzzling them on the subject of same-sex marriage.  

Moakler’s advertisement is ironic, even if she will never understand that.  The idea that gay-rights activists are somehow being muzzled from speaking their minds is beyond absurd.  Hilton-the other major player in this drama-has certainly been able to speak his.  He intentionally injected this issue into the pageant and, having prompted an answer he didn’t like, published a profanity-laced tirade trashing Prejean.  Yet Hilton’s post-pageant invective-delivered with all of the class and grace we’ve come to expect from Hilton-did not cause Moakler to resign.  Moakler’s children can apparently handle mom’s association with people who speak about young women in such a degrading fashion.  

What they cannot handle, it seems, is Moakler’s association with a young woman who had the temerity-the gall!-to answer a question she did not want to answer, on an issue she did not want to address, in a way consistent with the overwhelming opinion of the American people.  Had Prejean simply lied-had she simply given Moakler, Hilton, and the rest of the gay-rights lobby the answer they demanded-she might be Miss USA today.   

And that, of course, is exactly what Moakler and Hilton want.  They have not been muzzled, and there is no threat that they will be.  It is they who are looking to muzzle us, us being anybody who does not agree with their desire to impose same-sex marriage on a skeptical public.  Those who disagree must be punished.  Prejean has been.  But with Trump letting Prejean keep her Miss California title, Prejean’s public humiliation will not be fully complete in Moakler’s eyes, nor in the eyes of the other activists who simply want to shut down the debate and declare themselves the winners.  

Moakler has resigned from the Miss California organization.  I hope the people of California can somehow manage to survive without her.

All right, it’s a press conference about a beauty contest.  It’s not a world summit – it’s a beauty contest!  Should it really garner this sort of press coverage, this sort of media scrutiny, this sort of public attention? 

Well, yeah.  It should.

Aside from affording us a chance to gaze for long moments at a dazzling woman, the runner-up to the Miss U.S.A beauty contest, Miss California, Carrie Prejean; there actually was great import revealed at this morning’s Trump Trump, Donald Trump, The Donald, Trump-Trump-Ta-Trump news conference.  (I’m not sure I mentioned that it was a DONALD TRUMP news conference?) 

Don’t get me wrong, I love Trump.  For years I’ve been a fan.  Read the Art of the Deal, and he was instantly my hero.  Aggressive, independent rogue businessman with the vision and courage to think big.  No, not just big, MEGA-big.  And a total egoist.  I loved that about him as well.  The balls on that guy.  Putting his name all over everything he touched, in huge, bold letters, TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP.   What a stamp.  The name even sounds like ‘stamp’.  So it’s TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP!

Then there’s the hair.  I never could really understand what that was all about, still don’t, but I don’t give a rat’s ass how he likes to wear it, so what if it looks like it was once alive, who cares.  I just admired how the man dreamed big, put money into play and built things.  Really, really big things.

Then…he got into such huge debt, he owed so much to so many that none of the banks to whom he owed money could afford to let him go under.  He became (all right Lee Iacocca started the ball rolling with his Chrysler bailout, but really it was Trump who lifted it to an art form) the poster boy for the “too big to fail” concept.  At the time, mid-nineties, it just seemed so…American.

Jump forward a decade and a half…and Trump is now a TV star.  “You’re fired!” is a household word, a punchline at the office, (well maybe not at the office, but certainly everywhere else) and Donald trump has teamed with Australian megaproducer Mark Burnett to be one of the most successful reality-TV hosts/stars/producers in the biz.  Things keep going like this and in another twenty years he may be out of debt!  But don’t count on it.  Trump likes to run at a deficit.  Too Big To Fail suits him.  If your name gets big enough, and if you are indebted to enough people, you can write your own ticket.  Whatever you want, just name it, it’s yours.  What, they’re going to say no?  To you??  HA!!  Don’t they know who you are?  You’re Too Big To Fail!

But I digress.

Side note:  With all the media attention and glowing, adoring press coverage…we now have a President who is Too Big To Fail.   And no matter how much deeper he plunges this nation into debt, no matter how much his ‘progressive’ policies mire our economy with make work jobs, debilitating regulation, and punitive taxation…the Mainstream Media will prop him up, give him a pass, redirect the blame, exonerate him from any culpability, and frame the man as beyond fault or defect.  He will be held as pristine, he will be lifted up and placed on a marble pedestal and the world will see him as Immaculate.  He is Too Big To Fail.

But I double-digress.

Back to Miss California!   Carrie Prejean, the runner-up in the Miss USA contest may have lost her title today.  The Miss USA Beauty Pageant was pressured to strip her of her Miss California USA title for one reason and one reason only.  She was not Politically Correct. 

Carrie Prejean, when asked by snarky no-talent gay firebrand Perez Hilton what she thought of Gay Marriage, actually gave her honest, heartfelt belief that marriage was for one man and one woman.  One would have thought she had endorsed cutting up little children and barbecuing them over a slow flame.  The MSM and entertainment news have come out to universally excoriate her in hateful tones reminiscent of Genghis Kahn (and John Kerry) and have absolutely lost their minds in rabid media hysteria. You would almost have thought that her very gracious and semi-apologetic answer that night had instead been a vehement diatribe ascribing all gay people as perverts and aberrant, twisted fruits.  No, she indicated nothing of the sort.  She was a lady.  She apologized in advance if anyone was offended; and then simply stated her own personal view – a view shared by none other than our newly elected President, one Barack Hussein Obama. 

Miss Prejean will retain her beauty contest title.  But more importantly, she will retain her image as role model to millions of impressionable young girls.  She speaks of honor, strength, faith, respect, civility.  You know – all the things the Left hates.

Carrie thanked everyone for being there, the pageant, Mr. Trump, and in an emotional moment, her parents…and lastly…God.   Oh yeah – she thanked God.

Now the Left will reeaally let her have it.

Here is an excerpt from Miss Prejean statements today:

“Three weeks ago I was given a politically-charged question with a hidden personal agenda.  I answered my question honestly and sincerely from my heart.  I was very careful to articulate in saying that I did not want to offend anybody, and that this is how I was raised and that this is what I believe a marriage should be; between one man and one woman. I was given a question, asking for my opinion and I stated my honest belief.  Not only do I hold this belief, but as Mr. Trump said, the President of the United States, the Secretary of State and many Americans agree with me in this belief.  Immediately after the pageant, Judge  #8 [Perez Hilton] began a cultural firestorm in the media.  It went national as he was trying to be self-promoting and hateful.

“While I have remained silent since, I am honored to be here today to finally let my voice be heard and address the hateful attacks, despicable rumors and false allegations I have had [leveled at me] within the last three weeks.  To be standing here today on behalf of the great state of California and the greatest country in the world, is by the grace of God.  Being in the middle of a media firestorm is not something that I had planned or signed up for.  But the days since have taught me to stand up for what you believe in, regardless of the consequences, personal attacks or disagreements.

“I am a strong woman.  And because of that I am able to move forward and be the best Miss California, USA, that I can be.  I am excited to fulfill my duties and continue serving the great state of California.  Let me be clear:  I am not an activist or anything, nor do I have a personal agenda.  I was thrown into this firestorm from the time I was first asked the question onstage.  I have become an advocate for the importance of not redefining marriage, based upon my own upbringing and beliefs.  While I am not the most vocal proponent of traditional marriage, it appears from my singular response, I am the most visible.  I am proud  to be an American.  I am proud of the freedoms we enjoy because of the brave men and women serving this great country and who have served.  My grandfather served under General Patton during WWII and is someone I admire greatly.  He never spoke about the Battle of the Bulge that he participated in as a rifleman, or the honorary medals he earned because of his bravery.  But he did speak about the freedoms he fought for and he taught me to never back down and to never let anyone take those freedoms away from you.  On April 19th, on that stage, I exercised my freedom of speech.  And I was punished for doing so.  This should not happen in America.  It undermines the Constitutional rights for which my grandfather fought for.” [sic] 

Miss Prejean then went on to recount how a photographer whom she had formerly trusted had released candid shots taken at a photo shoot, that were not meant for publication, and taken unbeknownst to her, when the wind was whipping around her clothes. 

WHAT??!!  A photographer sells gotcha photos to the tabloids for profit!  In L.A.??  That is unheard of!!   (I know – young, beautiful, just starting out…and taken advantage of.  Almost never happens, right?)

The lovely, if naïve, Miss Prejean continued:

“I am excited to continue my duty as Miss California, USA.  All I want to be able to do is to tell my story, which no one can take away from me.  Not everyone may like me or agree with me…but I hope at the end of the day, everyone can respect my rights, as I respect theirs; and together we can bring back civility in our social and cultural discussions.  I am convinced, now more than ever, of the importance for standing up for your beliefs and convictions.  For everyone out there listening – do not be silenced.  Take this story of mine and apply it to your own life.  I hope I’ve inspired others to maintain compassion, civility, respect, and tolerance – while staying true to your convictions…and to never, ever, compromise your beliefs in the pursuit [of your] goals, regardless of the consequences.

“I want to share this message.  I am a representative of my generation.  Young adults and teenagers are greatly impacted by both media and culture.  And I want to encourage them to maintain their integrity and not concede their values because of what they see or hear going on around them.  It is this message that I will incorporate to my Miss California, USA duties.  As the pageant has embraced my message of recognizing and respecting diversity, think about how much better our society would be if we would just agree to disagree, and show respect.”

Wow.  I don’t think I was the only one dazzled by how sincere, honest, credible and absolutely beautiful this young woman is.  The noteworthy thing about Carrie Prejean is that her beauty has great depth to it — because it emanates from her convictions.

Carrie Prejean then graciously wrapped up, and both she and Trump fielded questions, and I think, did very well, the both of them.  (And I gotta say – I had prepared, in anticipation of Ms. Prejean getting dumped from the sheer gravitational pull of political correctness, an essay entitled “NO BALLS TRUMP”.  But I had prejudged the man (to my shame) and completely misjudged him.  Cynically expecting him to bend to the PC wind of the times, I was proud to see that he stood strong against the loonies screaming for her head on a platter; and, though he danced the diplomatic two-step once or twice, still emerged as a man of honor.  Props to you, Mr. Trump.)

But what was Carrie Prejean’s sin in the first place?  This young woman dared to voice her heart on national TV.  For this she was excoriated in the press, in leftist special interest groups, i.e., lefty gays, and her reputation was dragged through the mud. 

She was ‘PALINed’. 

Now, to believe in God and not be Mother Theresa is to be the poster girl for hypocrisy.  The ACLU rings the bell and the liberal trolls crawl out from under the bridge to light the fires of hatred and join hands with their fellow miscreants to dance their tribal celebration of everything nasty and debasing and hateful. 

You don’t have to be on drugs to be a Lefty…but it helps.

Miss Prejean should be extremely proud of her convictions and values, her parental upbringing, and for giving this nation a well-needed moral shot in the arm.  I’ve got a 16-year-old daughter, and I wince at the daily barrage of debasing media and counter-culture influences.  Teenage girls are woefully in need of good role models.  It’s nice to see an All-American Girl emerge through the silt and smoke and pollution that is our pop culture today. 

Carrie Prejean is a breath of fresh air.

Now Jeanane was approached by Fox New`s own Griff Jenkens, who had asked her if she regretted her blanket stereotyping. To her strange, delusional credit, she stood by her original comments: that every tea party protestor hates black people.

Meanwhile, Prejean continues to be hounded over semi nude pictures. I would call the photos topless, but technically that`s untrue, what with that target on her back (a target that was placed for holding the same beliefs as our Commander in chief).

Now, according to Griff, Janeane is so enraged at the world and the conservatives who happen to live in it – she confessed to cutting out chunks of her hair. Which is weird, because other than Fox News, no one in the media seems to be questioning her comments.

Here is a picture of Carrie, the target of vilification.

Here is a picture of the outraged Janeane. She has a job on “24.”

Let’s put both of them side by side.

Now I ask you: of the two, who`s uglier?

Is it the one who answered a question – rightly, wrongly, or plain clumsily – based on her religious convictions about the “opposite marriage?” Or is it the woman who, not off the cuff, stereotyped an entire group of people based on the fact they don`t want their taxes raised?

The point is, the media excuses Garafolo`s ugliness, because they agree with it. The witch hunt for Carrie exists only because it`s carries a stamp of approval by the media.

You can`t get much uglier than that.

Tonight: Tucker Carlson, John Gibson, Martha McCallum, and Mark Prindle!

This error would be egregious even without context, but wait until you hear who actually made the list:

There is an entire spread called “Barack’s Beauties” featuring seven Obama staffers who are among the USA’s finest 100–easily the highest number of executive branch hotties since the Coolidge administration.

White House Director of Speechwriting Jon Favreau was one of those selected; he is the boy who gave the memorable metaphoric “f*ck you” to the 18 million people who voted for Hillary in the primaries by groping a cardboard likeness of the New York Senator during the campaign (we’re still waiting for the feminist reaction to this one…).

Tim Geithner, a human incarnation of Beavis, was in there too.  Geithner is about as ill suited for a “Beautiful Peoples” list as he is for his job as Treasury Secretary.

The great Sam Kass, White House Chef (you read that right, not “Chief”)–a true Adonis if I have ever seen one—is on the list, along with Michelle Obama and three others who mark their business address 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Of course Tina Fey was among the anointed, and she arguably has her “Palin as bozo” SNL character to thank.  I wonder if Ms. Fey would have objected to the Palin snub?  In her own words: “I’ll tell you, that lady [Palin] is five times better-looking than I am.”  People Magazine did the worst vetting since the Obama cabinet appointments.

Katie Couric, who used her interview with Sarah Palin to stave off irrelevancy, was named one of People’s breathtaking beauties.  Is there a person on earth who watched that interview and thought “Palin’s alright, but that Couric babe!  Hubba Hubba!”?  I wonder if People selected Ms. Couric before or after she went to Zac Efron’s hairstylist?  It’s a good look for him.

A “Most Beautiful People” list without Sarah Palin is like an Obama Speech without a teleprompter.  The guy who prepares Obama’s spinach and feta quiches for his brunch with Ben Affleck, Don Cheadle, and that homeless-looking guy from the Black Eyed Peas…gorgeous!  The guy who felt-up a Hillary cut-out like a chick he met at a Black Eyed Peas concert…dazzling!  The tax-cheat with the Artist Formally Known as Prince haircut (no offense, Prince, “When Doves Cry” is fabulous)…delicious! Pretend Sarah Palin…divine!  Real Sarah Palin…?

People can’t even make the case that this is about inner beauty, as Kim Kardashian managed to make People’s roll despite the fact that she achieved her fame by releasing a homemade porno she made with irrelevant hip-hop-opotamus Ray J.  This type of behavior is deemed acceptable for “Beautiful People,” but holding traditional values is not.  More evidence: Miss USA, whom not a single one of you can name…in.  Miss California Carrie Prejean…out.

Sarah Palin is the most impressive beauty in American public life.  There is no close second.  She is feminism personified and she was trumped by a bunch of lefties who could never look as good as she does, let alone pull off a beehive.  I’d say I was outraged, but People’s pathetic predictability makes this oversight no surprise.

Yet, we can still take solace in this fact: while People may snub our woman from their bogus list, they can never take away our Palin pin-up calendars.  Which reminds me, it’s May now…time to turn the page. Oooooooo…bear trim…classy…