Will Rick Perry's oratory soar like his favorite arm gesture?
When a governor rumored to be a presidential candidate
announces he will organize an evangelical rally for a "day of prayer" on behalf of the United States, the question isn't whether it's political or about achieving his personal ambitions...the question is whether what those ambitions are.
When Gov. Rick Perry invited fellow governors to join him on Aug. 6 for "a day of prayer and fasting on behalf of our troubled nation," some speculated that he was trying to raise his national visibility for a possible presidential run.
Absolutely not, said Perry, a conservative Christian who described the event, to be held in a Houston stadium, as an "apolitical Christian prayer service" to provide "spiritual solutions to the many challenges we face in our communities, states and nation."
Whatever the goals, his plan has drawn strong protests from advocates for the separation of church and state, who say an elected leader should not be leading what looks to be, in effect, an evangelical Christian revival. Gay rights groups are also objecting because Perry placed the event in the hands of conservative religious groups that not only oppose same-sex marriage but also stridently condemn homosexuality.
... "It is Christian-centered, yes, but I have invited and welcome people of all faiths to attend," he said in an e-mail Friday.
In a potential tea leaf on the question of whether or not Rick Perry is serious about running, a conservative group affiliated with Gingrich's former aides is now airing ads on his behalf in New Hampshire. Perry also spent this weekend rallying for a government ban on abortion, attacking President Obama's pro-choice position. Ironically, this is the same Rick Perry who threatened the secession of Texas because he feared the oppressive hand of government. If this is the start of a presidential campaign, then I guess the only freedom he wanted was the "freedom" from the First, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments.