Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Right-Wing Briefing

Religious Right

In a column titled "Who Are the Real Christians?," Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship warns fellow members of the religious right that: "We are going to be cast as fundamentalist right-wing bigots who want to deny a woman control of her body and deny gays the right to marry." Read

Slate features a piece on Focus on the Family's James Dobson describing him as the "religious right's new kingmaker." Read

The Illinois Leader offers a three-part interview with Eagle Forum's Phyllis Schlafly. Read

Creationism vs. EvolutionDover, Pennsylvania becomes the first community in the nation to mandate the teaching of "intelligent design." Read

Agape Press reports on recent creationist activity in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Texas.Read

In the States

Concerned Women for America has published 2005 Family-Friendly State Legislation, a resource to help "state legislators and family activists across America to review and introduce tested legislation that advances the pro-family agenda." CWA provides examples of legislation relating to abortion, sex education, cloning, AIDS reporting, faith-based organizations, and more. Read

Judges

Andrew C. McCarthy of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies urges the Senate GOP to use the "nuclear option" to outlaw the use of filibusters when considering judicial nominees: "If Republicans want to make good on President Bush's commitment to staff the federal courts with jurists who believe that judicial power has real, objective limits in a democracy, the Senate rules will have to be changed." Read

Likewise, the American Center for Law and Justice has released two legal memos urging the Senate to change the rules and outlaw the filibuster. Read

The Wall Street Journal's Melanie Kirkpatrick offers "a short list of who might be on deck for the Supreme Court." The list includes such familiar names as Miguel Estrada and Janice Rogers Brown. Read

Judiciary Committee

The Right continues its campaign opposing Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. According to Human Events, Focus on the Family's James Dobson has warned that "Republican senators who support Sen. Arlen Specter's bid to chair the Judiciary Committee could face retribution from disgruntled conservative and Christian voters." Read

Coral Ridge Ministries' D. James Kennedy also weighs in against a Specter-led Judiciary Committee: "President Bush made a costly mistake last spring when he campaigned for Specter against his pro-life opponent in the Republican Senate primary. With the president's help, Specter squeaked by in the primary contest, winning by one percent. The president helped secure the re-election of a man whose uncompromising commitment to abortion rights trumps all else, including what political loyalty, if any, he has for the president." Read

Columnist Bruce Fein says Sen. Specter has not earned the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee. It should go to a Senator "whose loyalties to the Republican Party mainstream are unwavering and enthusiastic." Read

Rabbi Yehuda Levin, speaking for the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada and The Rabbinical Alliance of America, along with gun-rights group, the Gun Owners of America, announce their opposition to Specter. Read

Separation of Church and State

World Magazine profiles Mat Staver, head of the Liberty Counsel, affiliated with Jerry Falwell's organization. Staver will argue before the Supreme Court McCreary County, Kentucky vs. ACLU of Kentucky. At issue: whether public displays of the Ten Commandments violate the Constitution. Read

Reproductive Rights

Cybercast News Service reports that the American Life League has placed an ad in The Washington Times urging that the Holy Eucharist be denied to pro-choice politicians. The ad pictures Sen. Kerry with the caption, "Even a Loser's Soul is Worth Saving," and addresses the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, meeting in Washington this week. Read

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