Frist and His Allies Use Piety for Profit by Joe Conason

[Catherine Vincent]

Frist and His Allies Use Piety for Profit
by Joe Conason
April 26, 2005

Next Sunday, Bill Frist will illustrate the threat posed to traditional American values by the combined forces of the Republican Party leadership and religious fundamentalism. By lending the prestige of his office to a telecast from a Kentucky Baptist church that will mobilize "people of faith" behind his effort to outlaw the filibuster, the Senate Majority Leader continues his party’s destructive strategy of dividing the nation along religious lines and empowering the radical right.

This is a disturbing moment for Americans who wonder where Republican hegemony will take us. Senators and Congressional leaders utter threatening language, brandish weapons and sound as if they’re excusing violence against sitting judges. Ministers share the stage with demagogues who mutter Stalinist death threats against Supreme Court justices. "Conservatism" is becoming a radical ideology that discards constitutional balances for the pursuit of unchecked power.

On "Justice Sunday," Mr. Frist will advance that ideology in a television feed sponsored by the Family Research Council and allied fundamentalist groups. His co-stars will include the evangelical broadcaster and author James C. Dobson, the born-again Watergate felon Chuck Colson and Southern Baptist theologian R. Albert Mohler Jr.

In announcing this extravaganza, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council outlined the alleged grievances of his movement, which consists of people who believe they are Christians and anyone who disagrees with them—about anything—is not. According to him, the Democratic filibusters against a dozen of President Bush’s judicial nominees represent an ongoing assault by "radicals" on "people of faith."

"Many of these nominees," he writes, "are being blocked because they are people of faith and moral conviction. These are people whose only offense is to say that abortion is wrong or that marriage should be between one man and one woman."

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[Kolesar]

1. great article..eom

[realFedUp]

2. always kick for Joe nt

[Catherine Vincent]

3. And another kick for Joe.

[Catherine Vincent]

4. Kick for Joe!

One of my favs.