Exploiting the Religious Right

Frist Set to Use Religious Stage on Judicial Issue
"As the Senate heads toward a showdown over the rules governing judicial confirmations, Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, has agreed to join a handful of prominent Christian conservatives in a telecast portraying Democrats as "against people of faith" for blocking President Bush's nominees. . . .Dr. Frist's spokesman said the senator's speech in the telecast would reflect his previous remarks on judicial appointments. In the past he has consistently balanced a determination "not to yield" on the president's nominees with appeals to the Democrats for compromise. He has distanced himself from the statements of others like the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, who have attacked the courts, saying they are too liberal, "run amok" or are hostile to Christianity.
The telecast, however, will put Dr. Frist in a very different context. Asked about Dr. Frist's participation in an event describing the filibuster "as against people of faith," his spokesman, Bob Stevenson, did not answer the question directly.
"Senator Frist is doing everything he can to ensure judicial nominees are treated fairly and that every senator has the opportunity to give the president their advice and consent through an up or down vote," Mr. Stevenson said."

Poor conservative Christians. If they thought by electing a Republican president they'd see real change on issues like abortion and gay marriage, they're still waiting. Now their faith is being manipulated by a Bush partisan who just wants to see his guy's judges get in. Christian conservatives are a powerful voting bloc in this nation, as anyone who hasn't been under a rock since November is well aware. It's time for them to start attaching demands to their votes. I don't agree with much of the conservative Christian political agenda, but it makes me sad to see anyone's faith used to drag them around like a fishhook through the cheek. Many leading Republicans fluently whip out the religious rhetoric when it suits them, but they demur at working on the issues that are important to megachurch voters - and these voters don't hold the people they elected accountable. When religious people sell their religion short, the image of faith everywhere tatters.