Religious Nut-wing to go on Attack Part II

I know that I am deviating from the Recipe rule for today, but this is pretty darn important.

We are in the middle of an all or nothing cultural war. Consider this: Has Pat 'Bucky' Buchanon and his ilk already won?

Religious far right leader threatens to attack democrats over judicial nominees. Alright, no more Mr. Nice Blog Boy... it is finally time to talk about taking away tax exempt status from religious groups who are going to act as though they were PACs and Lobbying groups! Jeebus, save us from your confused and angry followers!

This could be the most important issue of 2005. Groups, churches, and other efforts on the far religious right now believe they are set to force their agendas upon the rest of us. Call your legislators, give money to good progressive causes, speak up when people make religious and political assumptions, organize, organize, organize.

Important to read in its entirety:

COLORADO SPRINGS - James C. Dobson, the nation's most influential
evangelical leader, is threatening to put six potentially vulnerable
Democratic senators "in the 'bull's-eye' " if they block conservative
appointments to the Supreme Court.

In a letter his aides say is being sent to more than one million of his
supporters, Dr. Dobson, the child psychologist and founder of the
evangelical organization Focus on the Family, promises "a battle of enormous
proportions from sea to shining sea" if President Bush fails to appoint
"strict constructionist" jurists or if Democrats filibuster to block
conservative nominees.

Dr. Dobson recalled the conservative efforts that helped in the November
defeat of Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, the Senate minority leader
who led Democrats in using the filibuster to block 10 of Mr. Bush's judicial
nominees.

"Let his colleagues beware," Dr. Dobson warned, "especially those
representing 'red' states. Many of them will be in the 'bull's-eye' the next
time they seek re-election."

He singled out Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mark Dayton of Minnesota, Robert C.
Byrd of West Virginia, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Jeff Bingaman of New
Mexico and Bill Nelson of Florida. All six are up for re-election in 2006.

James Manley, a spokesman for Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the new
Democratic leader, said Democrats had allowed 204 judicial appointments to
move forward in Mr. Bush's first term.

"James Dobson needs to take a moment to focus on the facts," Mr. Manley
said. He called Dr. Dobson a "front for the White House."

Ralph G. Neas, president of the liberal group People for the American Way,
which has often opposed conservative court nominees, said, "Mr. Dobson's
arrogance knows no limits." He added: "This is the kind of tactic that
ultimately backfires. These senators have served their constituents well and
have courageously voted their consciences. I don't think they will take
kindly to threats from Mr. Dobson, and I don't think the voters will
either."

Dr. Dobson's activities represent a new level of direct partisan engagement
on his part. Unlike other conservative Christian leaders, Dr. Dobson owes
his grass-roots following primarily to his partly clinical, partly biblical
advice on matters like marriage and child-rearing. Before supporting Mr.
Bush, he had never endorsed a presidential candidate.

In the aftermath of the election, some of Dr. Dobson's allies are warning
their fellow evangelicals not to be seduced by political deal-making. In "an
open letter to the Christian church" last month, Charles W. Colson, the
born-again Nixon aide and another influential Christian conservative, warned
against listing demands of the president or other elected officials.

"To think that way demeans the Christian movement," Mr. Colson wrote with
his associate Mark Earley. "We are not anybody's special interest group."

In an interview in his office in Colorado Springs, Dr. Dobson acknowledged
that his plunge into partisan politics had irrevocably changed his public
image. "I can't go back, nor do I want to," he said. "I will probably
endorse more candidates. This is a new day. I just feel a real need to make
use of this visibility."

He said that despite initial concerns, his political activities did not
appear to have diverted donations from Focus on the Family. He created a
sister lobbying organization during the last election, and the two
organizations' combined budgets grew to a projected $146 million in 2004,
from about $130 million in 2003, with a target of $170 million for 2005.

Dr. Dobson said he was prepared for some disappointments from Mr. Bush. For
example, he said, when the president says the country is not ready to
overturn the Supreme Court precedents supporting abortion rights, "it
bothers me a lot." But Dr. Dobson said he was confident that the president
would appoint socially conservative nominees for the courts.

He said of Mr. Bush, "He does not take the bully pulpit and use it
effectively." He added, "But when the chips are down, he does the right
thing."

Dr. Dobson said he was concentrating his political activities mainly on the
court. "The next battle will be over the replacement for Rehnquist," he
said, referring to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who is being treated
for thyroid cancer. "That is not something we can just yawn about."

He said he was hoping that Mr. Daschle's defeat would scare other Democrats.
Dr. Dobson said he had been working for Mr. Daschle's defeat since August
2003, when he attended a rally to support Roy S. Moore, then chief justice
of the Alabama Supreme Court, in his unsuccessful legal battle to keep a
monument to the Ten Commandments in his courthouse. The crowd's reaction
demonstrated the depth of popular resentment of liberal court decisions, Dr.
Dobson said.

Spokesmen for all but one of the senators Dr. Dobson mentioned declined to
comment or did not return phone calls.

David DiMartino, a spokesman for Mr. Nelson of Nebraska, said the senator
was already an opponent of abortion rights and had never supported a
filibuster of one of Mr. Bush's appellate nominees.

"Dr. Dobson knows that," Mr. DiMartino said. "The senator and Dr. Dobson
have discussed it before. The fact that the media has the letter before the
targeted senators indicates his intention has more to do with the media than
with persuading anybody in the Senate."