Pence on Buttigieg’s straw man attacks: What gives old pal?

“If me being gay was a choice, it was a choice that was made far, far above my pay grade,” Buttigieg said. “And that’s the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand. That if you got a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me — your quarrel, sir, is with my creator,” he added.

While Buttigieg has been ripping Pence for the vice president’s stands on same sex marriage, making it personal in some cases, Pence insiders said they are shocked since he has not said anything derogatory about “Mayor Pete” or his marriage to Chasten Buttigieg.

“The vice president shared a largely positive relationship with Mayor Pete when he served as governor and Pete as Mayor of South Bend,” said one Pence insider. “The vice president wished him well publicly when he went to serve in Afghanistan, for example,” added the insider.

“At no point in their years long professional relationship did Mayor Pete ever publicly or privately criticize any perceived view the then-governor held to him. It’s only now that he’s running for national office that it seems a day can’t go by without Pete attacking Mike Pence, while talking out of the other side of his mouth about the need for ‘civility’ and Christian behavior in our politics,” the insider said.

For example he told a gay rights group over the weekend, “Being married to Chasten has made me a better human being because it has made me more compassionate, more understanding, more self-aware and more decent. My marriage to Chasten has made me a better man. And yes, Mr. Vice President, it has moved me closer to God.”

The straw man attack surprised the Pence team.

In fact, his team cited examples of Pence offering support for Buttigieg, including when he came out to announce he was gay, said the Elkhart Truth.

In June 2015, Pence was asked about the mayor’s coming out and responded, “I hold Mayor Buttigieg in the highest personal regard. I see him as a dedicated public servant and a patriot.”

[Also read: Buttigieg rakes in money after CNN town hall, calling Pence a ‘cheerleader for the porn star presidency’]

When Mayor Pete, in the Naval Reserve, was deployed to Afghanistan, the Indianapolis Star wrote, “a noticeably moved Pence called Buttigieg the day he was driving to the base.”

In fact in the same story, Buttigieg offered a totally different analysis of Pence. “He’s nice. If he were here, you would think he’s a nice guy to your face,” Buttigieg said on “The Late Show” recently when Stephen Colbert asked him if Pence is a “good guy,” according to the paper.

“But he’s also fanatical,” Buttigieg added.

Pence is an evangelical Christian who has staked out conservative positions, but allies say he has never been mean, despite the distortions by the media and liberal groups.

A lot of criticism came after he signed into Indiana law the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that many liberal groups said was a veiled attempt to let conservatives discriminate. Pence blasted those claims and said he would boycott any outfit that discriminated against “a gay couple.”

What’s more, U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grennell, ripped Buttigieg’s claim that Pence is anti-gay. Grennell, who is also gay, tweeted, “For those of us in the LGBT community who deal in facts, we are chilled by recklessly repeated gossip. Mike Pence is a humble Christian who loves God, and all His creation. I know him. You obviously don’t.”

[Related: Mayor Pete’s hubby, Chasten Buttigieg, gets the spotlight]