Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

Wall of Separation

Rob Boston summarizes the secret efforts of Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney to leverage the resources of tax-exempt Mormon institions in Utah to help organize and finance his prospective campaign for president:

The Boston Globe reported this week that Romney has implemented a fund-raising initiative that his advisers call "Mutual Values and Priorities" (MVP). The plan hinges on building a base of support through alumni chapters of Brigham Young University's business school, called the Marriott School of Management, as well as among top church leadership. It is overseen by a staffer with Romney's political action committee, the Commonwealth PAC

The problem with the plan is that it relies on the active participation of officials at the church and at BYU, both tax-exempt entities. As the Globe reported, "The president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon B. Hinckley, has been informed of the effort and expressed no opposition.... Jeffrey R. Holland, one of 12 apostles who help lead the church worldwide, has handled the initiative for the church and hosted a Sept. 19 meeting in his office in church headquarters with one of Romney's sons, a paid political consultant for the PAC, and one of the governor's major donors. On Oct. 9, two deans of the Marriott School sent an e-mail from a BYU e-mail address asking 150 people to join them in supporting Romney's potential candidacy."

Continued the Globe, "Asked if he thought the use of church and university resources for political purposes posed a potential conflict with federal law on tax-exempt institutions, Romney said: `That's for them to describe. I don't have anything to add from what they have already said on that.'"...

What's most interesting about this affair is Romney's response to claims that his overture endangers the tax-exempt status of non-profits. He essentially said that is their problem - and he's right (although callous for saying it).

Politicians can ask churches and other non-profits to take actions that are unlawful and unwise. In their quest for elective office, political hopefuls might even mislead those institutions. Remember, a candidate's goal is to get elected. They don't always care about the collateral damage they cause along the way.

People for the American Way -- Right Wing Watch

Kyle reports that Christian nationalist propagandist David Barton has a new radio show, and his first three guests were conservative Republican Members of Congress:  Rep. Todd Akin, Rep. Bobby Jindal, (R-LA) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS).   Senator Brownback said that "Dave Barton is one of my big heroes."  And Rep. Jindal was effusive about Barton's recent campaign appearances at three Baptist churches in his district.(It should come as no surprise that Barton is on the payroll of the Republican National Committee.)

Melissa Rogers

Melissa Rogers zeros in on one aspect of the David Kuo's new book exposing the adminstration's cynical uses of the faith based initiative and the leaders of the religious right.  Something called the Compassion Capital Fund, was established, according to Kuo, "as a sort of venture capital source for the best charities."  The fund is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. But Kuo reveals that it really functioned as a slush fund, parceling out money to politically and religiously favored groups.

Kuo says "[i]t was obvious that the ratings were a farce."  Longstanding organizations with proven track records scored lower than groups "with little more than a post office box," Kuo writes. But Kuo said he could do nothing to change the ratings -- the administrative agency had complete control over the process.  Thus, the scores "were official,"   and "[t]he top groups on the list were to be funded automatically, at their requested level, reaching as far down the list as the budget allowed."

 
Blog from the Capital

Don Byrd writes:

... just because our national humanitarian interest and our religious interest sometimes aligns--like in Darfur--doesn't mean that our elected leaders, and especially our military leaders, should confuse the two. Their job is to represent our national interest while defending the Constitution. So I get nervous when I hear things like this:  

The top US general defended the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying it is inspired by God.

Street Prophets

Jeffrey Feldman reports that the Christian Right stalwart Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) is a big fan of Henry Ford's old time antisemetic "Americanization" program. Jewish groups have called him on it.  Consequently, he backed-out of a scheduled appearance at a synagogue -- sending staffers in his place. They behaved so offensively that most of the crowd walked out.

Talk to Action

Chip Berlet details the antigay purpose and rhetoric at Liberty Sunday, which was broadcast from a Boston church last Sunday, and starred Governor Mitt Romney.

The Liberty Sunday rally on October 15, 2006 continued the orchestrated campaign of gay bashing for Republican victory in the midterm elections.

Tony Perkins, leader of the Family Research Council which staged the event, told the audience, especially the viewers in other states, to vote their values, especially in states where gay marriage is on the ballot. And if they live in one of those states...they should call ten people on election day. Perkins said that for gay rights activists, tolerance is a one way street, and that the protestors want to silence the voice of the church, even to the point of intimidating voters.
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney strode onstage live accompanied by his wife Ann.

Ed Brayton dissects some convolutions over at the Alliance Defense Fund:

The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is one of the most prominent religious right legal groups in the nation. They are very active in fighting against church/state separation and defending a wide range of accomodationist programs. Like most religious right legal groups, they're also very active in the fight against gay rights in virtually any form, but especially gay marriage. And in a recent post on the ADF blog, they claimed that opponents of gay marriage amendments are making the "false argument" that such amendments could interfere with union contracts that give health or pension benefits to domestic partners and similar programs.

John Dorhauer dissects some propaganda issued by a religious right cell group in the mainstream United Church of Christ. Typically, he says, such propaganda

contains just enough truth to sound plausible, but most of which gets distorted cleverly to portray the denomination as apostate. They really care very little about the accuracy of their perceptions, for their greatest interest is in fomenting dissent within the denomination.

Russ Bellant posts part one of a series profiling Christian Rightist Dick DeVos, who is the GOP candidate for governor of Michigan.

Dick DeVos is the richest and most right wing major party candidate for Governor in Michigan history. He is the product of the Amway company and its decades of interlinks with the most influential religious extremists. He conducts himself like an Amway recruiter, deception and all...  

Dick [DeVos] Jr. was nurtured in a milieu of a far right wing that believes that the most privileged elite deserve to govern with minimal obligations to the middle or working classes or the poor. They take a hostile or skeptical view of public services, public education and taxpayer funded activities in general. They believe that this is the natural order of things and are comfortable with a form of politically motivated religious authoritarianism that supports their empowerment.

Dick DeVos and his family network have a variety of instruments for spreading their political influence, including membership in formal coalitions, family foundations, political action committees and the Amway corporate system.

Moiv takes on certain professed prochoice pundits, whom she finds are, as one writer put it, willing "to throw the rights of others under the bus while patting oneself on the back for making noble compromises." Moiv finds:

That same callous disregard for what happens to women -- especially women lacking in social or financial resources -- when abortion is not an option enables anti-choice activists such as South Dakota's Leslee "Nolo Contendere" Unruh, practitioner of an antiabortion strategy that paints stripping women of their constitutional rights as feminism.