'Duck Dynasty' Star Phil Robertson at CPAC: STDs 'Revenge of the Hippies;' Boehner, Don't Worry About My Clothes
"Duck Dynasty" patriarch Phil Robertson spoke at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference Friday, talking about America's high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and against House Speaker John Boehner's enforcement of a House dress code, among other things.
Robertson, who received the "Andrew Breitbart Defender of the First Amendment Award" Friday, cited statistics from the Center for Disease Control in his speech, saying that 110 million Americans now have STDs.
"It's the revenge of the hippies. Sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll has come back to haunt us. In a bad way," he said, holding a Bible in his hand. "I don't want you to become ill. I don't want you to come down with a debilitating disease. I don't want you to die early."
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He added: "You want a medically safe option? One man, one woman, married for life… Stand on the Bible. Hold onto your weapons."
The award Robertson received is dedicated in honor of the-late Andrew Breitbart, a conservative media entrepreneur who died in 2012.
Robertson also alluded to an incident where he was apparently forced to wear a suit to visit the House of Representatives.
"By the way, these are my church clothes," he said. "I never got around to buying a suit, not yet. I'm 68 … Irregardless of me not being able to go on the floor of the House of Representatives without a suit on, according to old John Boehner," he said.
"Hey, John, I have my best clothes on. Boehner, here's a newsflash! Just make sure you pass good bills coming out of that House that affects my life and don't worry about the clothes on their backs! Just pass good legislation! I'd feel better about you," he added.
Robertson also referred to 2016 Republican presidential hopefuls.
"For you potential candidates, I love you," he said. "To keep you out of trouble, keep the scandals down, let me give you a little word of advice. You carry two things with you wherever you go, in case one of you gets to be the president of the United States. Make sure you carry your Bible with you, and your woman. I'm just sayin' … safety, safety."
Robertson continued: "I'm going to give you three little words that rarely, if ever, I'm trying to think of the last time I heard a politician utter these three words, was Scott Walker. But I spoke before him at the same event, and I reminded the people of the three words. He got up behind me and he said, 'I'm fixin' to move on what that old dude said.' The three words that you've never heard from a politician, 'I love you.'
"If they keep this up, and they don't start telling us, at least every once in a while, that they love us, I'm going to begin to conclude, maybe they don't. I sincerely love ya, and by the way, my love for you is not contingent on how you feel about me. You say, 'What if we hate your guts? Do you still love us?' 'Sure.' You say, 'You love us, and you're not worried how we feel about you?' 'Not one bit.'"
Duck Commander also blasted authoritarian regimes and the Islamic State, or ISIS, terror group. "I don't see a dime's worth of difference in any one of 'em," he said.
CPAC, held Thursday through Saturday just outside Washington, D.C., featured many potential Republican presidential candidates, including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.
On Thursday, Cruz criticized President Obama for labeling the 21 Coptic Christians recently beheaded by ISIS as "Egyptian citizens." "When 21 Coptic Christians are beheaded we see the president saying they were simply 'Egyptian citizens,'" Cruz said. "They were murdered for their Christian faith and the president needs to stand up and defend them."
