GOP asks for church directories

[dajoki]

WP
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/17/AR2006021701978.html

In N.C., GOP Requests Church Directories

By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, February 18, 2006

The North Carolina Republican Party asked its members this week to send their church directories to the party, drawing furious protests from local and national religious leaders.

"Such a request is completely beyond the pale of what is acceptable," said the Rev. Richard Land, head of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

During the 2004 presidential race, the Bush-Cheney campaign sent a similar request to Republican activists across the country. It asked churchgoers not only to furnish church directories to the campaign, but also to use their churches as a base for political organizing.

<<snip>>

Officials of the Republican National Committee maintained that the tactic did not violate federal tax laws that prohibit churches from endorsing or opposing candidates for office, and they never formally renounced it. But Land said he thought the GOP had backed down.

[Mr_Spock]

1. This sort of action is illegal. Republican party should be eliminated

for this sort of action. This is fascism - don't doubt that it is for one minute. This is how it begins.

Fight this with every ounce of life you have...

[cantstandbush]

22. They are about to piss off the main part of their base. GOOD!!! n/t

[CoffeeCat]

2. This would have scared me two years ago...

...but now it makes me laugh at the neocons.

I know that what they are doing is wrong, in principal. It defies the separation of church and state.

With that aside---here we have the Repubs attempting to use the same tactics, once again. They're attempting to cull votes from the mindless fundie sheep who sprint to the voting booths after a brochure convinces them that Jon and Bob's marriage will destroy their gated-community life.

It just isn't going to work this time.

These people know that they were used before. They'll know it this time. They won't be as easily hoodwinked this time. Many have seen the horrors and failures of the Iraq war, and we now understand that the war was based on lies. Furthermore, there is a large contingent of senior citizens in those churches. Many of them, who are attempting through the frustration of *'s Medicaid scheme, are extremely unhappy.

Repubs should not be doing this. However, I am not as worried as I have been in the past. Rove's exploitation of religious people to further the PNAC/fascist/criminal agenda--is now an obvious manipulation.

It won't work this time.

[dajoki]

3. lets hope you are correct n/t

[Spiffarino]

5. It will work this time, and every time.

Bush has done two things to ensure that Republicans are recognized by the "Christian" dead-enders as the Party of Faith: He has stacked the government and courts with partisan zealots and he has attacked Islam.

For all his on-camera posing about Islam being a peaceful religion, behind closed doors the Christo-Republican machinery continues to crank out an anti-muslim message to the faithful. Get out there and read the RW blogs, especially the ones that deal with religious issues in general and Islam in particular. If you pay attention to the "unofficial" channels instead of the bullshit from the RNC and other official Republican cover operations, your eyes will be opened.

On top of the overt pandering Bush has done to Christian extremists, he also panders to racists, albeit in a subtle way. For example, in 2002 Bush received a painting of MLK. When he came to the podium to accept it he said, "I can't wait to hang it." This seeming non sequitir caused about half the people in the room to explode with laughter. Why were they laughing? What was the joke? Coretta Scott King certainly wasn't laughing, nor were any of the black people on the stage. It doesn't take a genius to imagine what they thought was so funny.

I urge you, do NOT discount this. The Republican party has built its power by pandering to hardcore religious zealots who in turn convince their peers to vote against essentially everything Christ stood for in order to end abortion and legally persecute homosexuals. It's a weak platform, but among the weak-minded it's extremely powerful and highly motivating. The same goes for racism. Bush's lackadaisical response to the plight of blacks in NO after Katrina may have been incompetence on a grand scale...or maybe not. Perhaps it was just another subtle message to his base.

Edit: This subject pisses me off to no end so I had to make it even more ranty.

[guruoo]

7. Love to have that on video...

'...in 2002 Bush received a painting of MLK. When he came to
the podium to accept it he said, "I can't wait to hang it."
This seeming non sequitir caused about half the people in the
room to explode with laughter.'

[Spiffarino]

8. ** Found the video link **

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020121-1.v.html

[sandnsea]

10. It has to be countered

As long as they are getting at least an equal amount of Democratic info, then this probably won't work. But if all they hear is right wing propaganda, then that's what they'll vote on. It doesn't have to be "moral values" either, it can be killing terrorists, tax cuts, free markets, deregulation of industries, HSA nonsense, or whatever else is happening in their area. We've still got lots of states with 50% approval and higher, we haven't turned it around yet.

[Spiffarino]

4. They're already doing it

I have a friend who worked for BC'04 from his church. He let it slip a little while after the election. They were calling people who hadn't voted in a long time and who were in their church registry. They pulled a lot of last-minute voters that way, and I'm sure that action nationwide is what helped legitimize the theft of the 2004 election. They had to keep it close.

Listen folks, don't buy Richard Land's bullshit. He knows exactly what's going on. He's covering his ass. They are doing it, they are hiding it, and they are getting away with it.

Edit: :kick:

[Zen]

6. This is pure evil folks

This needs to be exposed to all to show how sleazy the Republicans really are.

[Sparkly]

9. They break one law after another -- the only question is,

"Who's gonna stop us?" :mad:

[Roland99]

11. Sure as hell ain't the Dems in power. Why doesn't Dean file suit?

Get a judge to issue an injunction?

And, any church that *does* turn over their directories gets their tax-exempt status YANKED!!

[dajoki]

14. i like that one...

hit 'em where it hurts-And, any church that *does* turn over their directories gets their tax-exempt status YANKED!!

[Roland99]

15. Apparently, God is a little short of cash and supporters right now.

Needs a little Rovian support.

[dajoki]

16. for all the "charity"...

they do.:sarcasm:

[Texacrat]

17. I don't know if what the Republicans is doing is illegal

It is illegal for the churches to comply, but to issue an injunction would be prior restraint.

[Roland99]

18. How bout a warning shot across the bow that they'll lose tax-exempt status

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. It's not the churches turning over the directories

It's the members who are doing it. That is a big difference in the eyes of the law.

[dajoki]

20. how can the members do it?

do they have access to that info?

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. They do in the ones I have attended

[derby378]

12. Again?

Seriously, this is nothing new. I just hope someone can scoop up those directories before the GOP gets them.

[AndyA]

13. Reid and Pelosi need to get off their butts and DO SOMETHING

for a change! Why is it that the Repugs can do whatever they want, even if it's illegal, immoral, unethical, etc., and the Dems just keep their mouths shut?

Reid and Pelosi need to get the Dems in line and start fighting. I keep hoping they're planning something behind the scenes, but at this point I believe that would be a miracle. More of the same is not acceptable!

[dajoki]

21. i agree...

people like us bust our butts trying to get them elected, and what have they done for us? NOTHING!! i don't mean personally either, but for the betterment of the entire country.