CPAC, the venerable right-wing gathering, has a problem over its welcoming of the conservative gay group GOProud. They invited them to participate at last year’s event, and it led to this jerk making an ass of himself in one of the panel discussions. But this has gone beyond Ryan Sorba and into a full-fledged revolt from several right-wing fundie groups, who are now boycotting CPAC over GOProud’s participation.

Two of the nation’s premier moral issues organizations, the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America, are refusing to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference in February because a homosexual activist group, GOProud, has been invited.

“We’ve been very involved in CPAC for over a decade and have managed a couple of popular sessions. However, we will no longer be involved with CPAC because of the organization’s financial mismanagement and movement away from conservative principles,” said Tom McClusky, senior vice president for FRC Action.

“CWA has decided not to participate in part because of GOProud,” CWA President Penny Nance told WND.

This is part of an internal struggle that’s been rumbling under the narrowing conservative tent for a while. The most recent election did not turn on social issues, although many tea partiers certainly toe the conservative family values line. And the passage of the legislative repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell has sent the fundie groups around the bend, with them now yapping about showers in desperation. There does seem to be discomfort in keeping these groups together, and GOProud has become a lightning rod for criticism.

The real test will be to see what the leading 2012 primary hopefuls do. Will leading candidates like Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney join the boycott, or will they anger the theocons?