David D. Kirkpatrick, of the New York Times, reports that
Conservative Christians Criticize Republicans.
Some of President Bush's most influential conservative Christian allies are becoming openly critical of the White House and Republicans in Congress, warning that they will withhold their support in the midterm elections unless Congress does more to oppose same-sex marriage, obscenity and abortion.
"There is a growing feeling among conservatives that the only way to cure the problem is for Republicans to lose the Congressional elections this fall," said Richard Viguerie, a conservative direct-mail pioneer.
Mr. Viguerie also cited dissatisfaction with government spending, the war in Iraq and the immigration-policy debate, which Mr. Bush is scheduled to address in a televised speech on Monday night.
I would like to encourage the GOP to follow Richard Viquerie's strategy of helping Republicans learn a valuable lesson by helping to defeat them in the fall Congressional elections. It's just the opposite lesson he is trying to teach them. But Viguerie appears to be pre-positioning spin so he can take some credit for GOP losses that seem likely at this point.
Viquerie Says GOP Base Furious At Republican Leadership
Another symptom of President Bush's trouble with his base. Although we need to question how much of this trouble is with the actual base, and how much is with the demoquoges whom have gained power and influence by claiming to represent this base.
One of my theories is that voters are moving beyond Richard Viquerie style political beliefs and part of his motivation is an attempt to re-galvanize vanishing support which he mis-attributes to lack of regressive social stances by GOP leaders.
"I can't tell you how much anger there is at the Republican leadership," Mr. Viguerie said. "I have never seen anything like it."
In the last several weeks, Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and one of the most influential Christian conservatives, has publicly accused Republican leaders of betraying the social conservatives who helped elect them in 2004. He has also warned in private meetings with about a dozen of the top Republicans in Washington that he may turn critic this fall unless the party delivers on conservative goals.
And at a meeting in Northern Virginia this weekend of the Council for National Policy, an alliance of the most prominent Christian conservatives, several participants said sentiment toward the White House and Republicans in Congress had deteriorated sharply since the 2004 elections.
When the group met in the summer of 2004, it resembled a pep rally for Mr. Bush and his allies on Capitol Hill, and one session focused on how to use state initiatives seeking to ban same-sex marriage to help turn out the vote. This year, some participants are complaining that as soon as Mr. Bush was re-elected he stopped expressing his support for a constitutional amendment banning such unions.
Dobson Feels Ignored By Ungrateful Republican Leaders
Dr. Dobson, whose daily radio broadcast has millions of listeners, has already signaled his willingness to criticize Republican leaders. In a recent interview with Fox News on the eve of a visit to the White House, he accused Republicans of "just ignoring those that put them in office."
Maybe this sudden turnaround by Republicans in office is that they can read the polls showing support for Dobson's regressive social agenda is evaporating as folks have a greater chance to think about it.
Dobson Focusing Attention ON Marriage Amendment
Some Democrats have urged advocates for the GLBT communities to keep a low profile so as not to "rile up" these repressive right wing conservatives. However, the evidence is that this strategy is based on the false assumption that conservatives will forget their key red flag issues for galvanizing their base. In my opinion, we need to recognize the need to confront these extremists square on and win on these issues. Public opinion is shifting in our direction much faster expected. Just a few months back we heard the report that public opposition to same-sex marriage has dropped 12% in the last two years.
Dr. Dobson cited the House's actions on two measures that passed over the objections of social conservatives: a hate-crime bill that extended protections to gay people, and increased support for embryonic stem cell research. Richard D. Land, a top official of the Southern Baptist Convention who has been one of Mr. Bush's most loyal allies, said in an interview last week that many conservatives were upset that Mr. Bush had not talked more about a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
"A lot of people are disappointed that he hasn't put as much effort into the marriage amendment as he did for the prescription drug benefit or Social Security reform," Dr. Land said.
In addition to reminding conservatives of the confirmations of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the Supreme Court, party strategists say the White House and Senate Republicans are escalating their fights against the Democrats over conservative nominees to lower federal courts, and the Senate is set to revive the same-sex marriage debate next month with a vote on the proposed amendment.
Who knows more about this mention of the Senate intention to revive the same-sex debate next month. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) won appreciation from many when he stood up to the right wing of his own party to defeat this legislation last time it came up.
No one expects the same-sex marriage amendment to pass this year. Republican leaders have not scheduled votes on a measure to outlaw transporting minors across state lines for abortions, and the proposal faces long odds in the Senate. A measure to increase obscenity fines for broadcasters is opposed by media industry trade groups, pitting Christian conservatives against the business wing of the party, and Congressional leaders have not committed to bring it to a vote.
Grover Norquist Suggests Christian Conservatives Are Hurting Their Own Cause
Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform and another frequent participant in the Council for National Policy, argued that Christian conservatives were hurting their own cause.
"If the Republicans do poorly in 2006," Mr. Norquist said, "the establishment will explain that it was because Bush was too conservative, specifically on social and cultural issues."
Conclusion
And in this case, the establishment would be right. Social conservatives have exploited public fears and confusion on many of these issues for too long. The public is now rejecting their messages of hate, intolerance, and lack of respect for individual rights of privacy, choice, and basic civil rights.
Those of us who have fought long and hard on the right side of these issues should not shirk responsibility or run from this fight right at a time when the public is swinging in our direction.
Rather, we need to take the opposite approach. Stand up an proclaim the Democratic parties long and noble tradition for defending the underdogs and standing up for equality, the rights of privacy, a woman's right to choose, and repect for the preeminance of the individual in conflict with the powers of the state to control and regulate our lives.