Fox News Stands With Chick-fil-A And Appreciate Mike Huckabee's Rabble-Rousing: VIDEO

Fox News has been having a field day with the protests over Chick-fil-A, and they're making no secret of where they stand: the Fox & Friends hosts had some of the franchise's fare for breakfast during today's show.

It was there that host Steve Doocy firmly aligned himself with Chick-fil-A. In his opinion, "so many on the left are so intolerant" and the protests over Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy's anti-gay politics, and the money the company has funneled to anti-gay causes, is an attack on free speech.

Doocy and company also chatted with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee today. Huckabee is the man who sparked the right's "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day," which Fox host Brian Kilmeade calls a "great idea."

As for Huckabee, he says he organized because the left's "hate speech" was "getting out of hand" and that Chick-fil was being subjected to "economic bullying."

"It was just getting out of hand — the hate speech and the incredible language that was being hurled at Dan Cathy, the CEO, because in an interview with a Christian newspaper he took a stand for traditional marriage,” he said, according to Mediaite. “For that, he was just being bullied. Economic bullying was the way this was going down.”

Huckabee was also asked about the "kiss-in" being held tomorrow by LGBT activists and their allies to counter the conservative action. He says supports their freedom to assemble as long as they're "orderly." Of course his alleged support comes with a subtle jab pitting LGBT people against families, which are of course only headed by heterosexual couples: "If [the LGBT activists] believe that this [kiss-in] will help their cause – to put people of the same sex kissing each other in front of families – if they believe that will encourage people to be more sympathetic than more power to them. In America, I believe that people have the right to do things that I might not agree with."

Watch both videos AFTER THE JUMP.

Randy Rainbow Gets a Job at Chick-fil-A: VIDEO

And it just happens to be 'Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day'. Look who stops by!

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Nearly 550,000 Have RSVP'ed to Mike Huckabee's Hateful 'Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day', Set for Tomorrow

Approximately 550,000 people have signed up to eat Chick-fil-A tomorrow following a call to action from Mike Huckabee to show their support for Dan Cathy and his company's donations to anti-gay causes.

The Christian Civic League of Maine is actually bussing bigots to Massachusetts to eat there because there are no Chick-fil-A restaurants in Maine:

“We are calling on folks that agree with Mr. Cathy to make their way to Chick-fil-A to show their support for him,” Christian Civic League executive director Carroll Conley said in an interview Tuesday, referring to Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy.

Meanwhile, a report released today valued Cathy's chicken empire at $4.5 billion, Bloomberg reports:

The two sons of Samuel Truett Cathy, the chicken sandwich empire’s founder -- Dan Cathy, 59, and Donald Cathy, who is known as Bubba -- have joined the ranks of the world’s richest, according to a report published today by PrivCo, a New York- based research firm that specializes in private companies’ financial data.

The report values Chick-fil-A at $4.5 billion. Dan Cathy, the company’s president, and Don Cathy, its executive vice president, each own a third of the restaurant chain, according to a person familiar with the company who asked not to be named because it is closely held. Neither has appeared on an international wealth list.

“The sons have been involved in running the company for many years,” said Kenneth L. Bernhardt, a professor at Georgia State University’s business school and a longtime consultant for Chick-fil-A, in a phone interview today.

Don't Turn a Chicken Sandwich into Public Gay Enemy Number One, Says Log Cabin Republican Executive Director

Log Cabin Republican Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper weighs in on the Chick-fil-A controversy in a HuffPost piece:

Turning a chicken sandwich into Public Gay Enemy Number One makes LGBT people look superficial, vindictive and juvenile -- everything that we as a community have worked hard to overcome. Remember, employers don't want drama queens on the payroll, military service is serious business, and marriage is not a right society grants to spoiled children. While in a perfect world our equality should not depend on our good behavior, in a world where our rights too often hinge on political reality, the way our movement conducts itself matters.

The "movable middle" moves both ways, and they don't like seeing people attacked relentlessly for their religion. Whatever the nuances, these voters see a man standing up for his beliefs against a politically powerful mob dead-set on driving him out of business. It's un-American, and when fellow conservatives are finally standing up and speaking out for marriage equality as consistent with the sober values of responsibility and commitment, splashing a popular American company with metaphorical chicken blood in protest is nothing less than friendly fire.

Even if marriage equality activists "won" and Chick-fil-A went out of business tomorrow, what would be gained? True, some businesses may hesitate to donate to antigay causes in the future, but LGBT people would have handed antigay organizations a weapon better than money can buy -- confirmation that gay people really are the thought police, willing and able to use the power of the state to impose our will on oppressed social conservatives.

Reminder: Tomorrow is Mike Huckabee's 'Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day'.

Mike Huckabee Talks with NOM's Brian Brown About 'Economic Bullying' of Chick-fil-A by Gays: AUDIO

It's not surprising that NOM's Brian Brown and Mike Huckabee have taken Chick-fil-A COO Dan Cathy's statements against gays and his company's many donations to anti-gay marriage causes and tried to turn it into a case of gays oppressing Christians, but it is disgusting.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Mike Huckabee Announces 'Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day' in Response to 'Intolerant Bigotry from the Left'

Mike Huckabee is defending Chick-Fil-A's anti-gay policies in a Facebook post in which he announces Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day on August 1.

Writes Huckabee:

I have been incensed at the vitriolic assaults on the Chick Fil-A company because the CEO, Dan Cathy, made comments recently in which he affirmed his view that the Biblical view of marriage should be upheld. The Cathy family, let by Chick Fil-A founder Truett Cathy, are a wonderful Christian family who are committed to operating the company with Biblical principles and whose story is the true American success story. Starting at age 46 Truett Cathy built Chick Fil-A into a $4 billion a year enterprise with over 1600 stores. At 91, he is still active in the company, but his son Dan runs it day to day as CEO.It's a great American story that is being smeared by vicious hate speech and intolerant bigotry from the left.

The Chick Fil-A company refuses to open on Sundays so that their employees can go to church if they wish. Despite the pressure from malls, airports, and the business world to open on Sundays, they still don't. They treat customers and employees with respect and dignity.

I ask you to join me in speaking out on Wednesday, August 1 "Chick Fil-A Appreciation Day.” No one is being asked to make signs, speeches, or openly demonstrate. The goal is simple: Let's affirm a business that operates on Christian principles and whose executives are willing to take a stand for the Godly values we espouse by simply showing up and eating at Chick Fil-A on Wednesday, August 1. Too often, those on the left make corporate statements to show support for same sex marriage, abortion, or profanity, but if Christians affirm traditional values, we're considered homophobic, fundamentalists, hate-mongers, and intolerant. This effort is not being launched by the Chick Fil-A company and no one from the company or family is involved in proposing or promoting it.

There's no need for anyone to be angry or engage in a verbal battle. Simply affirm appreciation for a company run by Christian principles by showing up on Wednesday, August 1 or by participating online – tweeting your support or sending a message on Facebook.

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