posted on July 2, 2004 08:58:18 AM new
Bush Seeks to Mobilize Religious Conservatives
By David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush, seeking to mobilize religious conservatives for his reelection campaign, has asked church-going volunteers to turn over church membership directories, campaign officials said on Thursday.
In a move sharply criticized both by religious leaders and civil libertarians, the Bush-Cheney campaign has issued a guide listing about two-dozen "duties" and a series of deadlines for organizing support among conservative church congregations.
A copy of the guide obtained by Reuters directs religious volunteers to send church directories to state campaign committees, identify new churches that can be organized by the Bush campaign and talk to clergy about holding voter registration drives.
The document, distributed to campaign coordinators across the country earlier this year, also recommends that volunteers distribute voter guides in church and use Sunday service programs for get-out-the-vote drives.
"We expect this election to be potentially as close as 2000, so every vote counts and it's important to reach out to every single supporter of President Bush," campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel said.
But the Rev. Richard Land, who deals with ethics and religious liberty issues for the Southern Baptist Convention, a key Bush constituency, said he was "appalled."
"First of all, I would not want my church directories being used that way," he told Reuters in an interview, predicting failure for the Bush plan.
The conservative Protestant denomination, whose 16 million members strongly backed Bush in 2000, held regular drives that encouraged church-goers to "vote their values," said Land.
"But it's one thing for us to do that. It's a totally different thing for a partisan campaign to come in and try to organize a church. A lot of pastors are going to say: 'Wait a minute, bub'," he added.
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If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
posted on July 2, 2004 09:07:46 AM new
Big Ed Schultz is right! The Republicans will stoop to ANYTHING to win...what low life scumbags!
So much for our mythical seperation of church and state.
But if churches are smart they'll have to comply....or they might have their church burnt!
Let's hope these good people have the backbone to spit in bush's eye!
Maybe they should take a clue from our dignified vice-president and tell the republicans to go F#@$ themselves!
posted on July 2, 2004 09:12:24 AM new
If I'm not mistaken, it's against the law for campaigning to take place inside the premises of tax exempt organizations. This is sleazy, and desperate. It's also a big mistake, if it ticked off the Baptists...
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Belief? What do I believe in? I believe in sun. In rock. In the dogma of the sun and the doctrine of the rock. I believe in blood, fire, woman, rivers, eagles, storms, drums, flutes, banjos, and broom-tailed horses....
Edward Abbey
posted on July 2, 2004 12:08:23 PM new
It also tells us that Bush's pollsters have told him that he had better do something frastic or he is going to lose.
posted on July 2, 2004 01:38:46 PM new
Of course this does prove that religious leaders like to tell politicians what to do but sure don't want politicians telling THEM what to do!!!!
posted on July 2, 2004 01:53:17 PM new
"A little two-faced don't ya think?"
Hardly.
EVERYONE wants to tell politicians what to do, but resents it when the politicians tell them what to do. It's just natural.
"it's against the law for campaigning to take place inside the premises of tax exempt organizations."
Would this really apply? The churches aren't telling people how to vote. Even if they did supply the information, is this any different than a company who sells a mailing list?
It was innappropriate of the Republicans to ask for the information, but I don't think it was illegal.
"mythical seperation of church and state."
Unfortunately it's NOT mythical. But it's pretty much established that most Christians do vote Republican. The Republicans generally stand for family values while the Democrats generally go the other way and will "tolerate" just about any immoral vice that comes to the political foreground.
And now.... 50 messages telling me that I'm wrong:
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We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing -- Anonymous
posted on July 2, 2004 03:00:12 PM new
The Bush campaign went to his base group almost the same way in 2000. I don't recall hearing he asked for directories then though....but I do remember the dems were upset about it then too.
One article I read said that the IRS had sent a notice to *BOTH* campaigns about not crossing over the 'line'.
You probably are also aware that kerry has campaigned in Churches, in the South, recently....asking for support and votes. And even quoting the Bible....using it against Bush's policies, of course.
edited to add: Approx. a month ago kerry also hired a 'director of religious outreach' so he could get some of that 'dough' too.
I've sure the Republican's are aware of how far they can 'push' the envelope and not create tax consequences for his base supporters.
posted on July 2, 2004 03:25:54 PM new
Politicians have always visited churches..it's a common practice. This is NOT what the bush campaign is doing. They want membership lists handed over to them with rules and duties attached to the hand over.
And I haven't heard any complaints from the churches Kerry visited. But we've heard and will hear about bush's demand!
linda says, "I've sure the Republican's are aware of how far they can 'push' the envelope and not create tax consequences for his base supporters"
Oh linda, I'm sure too! HIS supporters know ALL about escaping "tax consequences". After all they're in the upper 2% of the richest people in America and they got the biggest tax cuts for their support.
posted on July 2, 2004 08:18:02 PM new
This latest Bush move is DISGUSTING. Bush will do and say anything even use personal religious information to get votes. I really don't want my name, address, what church I attend, what religion I practice, what my wife's and kids names are, my phone number, etc on some republican computer in Washington. Both Bush and Kerry can give speeches in all the church's they want but asking to gather PERSONAL RELIGIOUS INFORMATION is SLEAZY AND DISGUSTING.
WE MUST OUTSOURCE THE BUSH GOVERNMENT BEFORE ITS TO LATE.
posted on July 4, 2004 12:22:23 AM new
Here's one for you. There was a show, Frontline, on PBS about George W Bush and his church. The excepts can be found on PBS's website:
