Dobson, Falwell Threaten BushCo. Over Social Security
A coalition of Christian leaders, including Jerry Falwell and James Dobson, have sent a private letter to Karl Rove threatening to pull their support from Social Security Piratization if the Administration doesn't make good on their promise for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
They're a bit flummoxed over the lack of enthusiasm GWB is now showing over the marriage amendment, and question his pre-election sincerity after the recent shoulder shrug he gave in the Wapo when he said that "nothing will happen" because of lack of support in Congress:
When the administration adopts a defeatist attitude on an issue that is at the top of our agenda, it becomes impossible for us to unite our movement on an issue such as Social Security privatization where there are already deep misgivings."Translation: We bought you. We paid for you. Now put out, whore.
From the NYT:
We couldn't help but notice the contrast between how the president is approaching the difficult issue of Social Security privatization where the public is deeply divided and the marriage issue where public opinion is overwhelmingly on his side," the letter said. "Is he prepared to spend significant political capital on privatization but reluctant to devote the same energy to preserving traditional marriage? If so it would create outrage with countless voters who stood with him just a few weeks ago, including an unprecedented number of African-Americans, Latinos and Catholics who broke with tradition and supported the president solely because of this issue."
It's a classic conflict between the so-called "values" crowd and their elected leadership who apparently have no values at all, save increasing their own power base and facilitating the looting of the Treasury by Wall Street, Halliburton and others.
Maybe they are beginning to take notice of the fact that the only thing Rupert Murdoch really cares about is electing officials who will let him own more television stations, and he probably has no real social agenda at all beyond what's good for Rupert Murdoch. Maybe they are awakening to the fact that he is willing to fill his broadcast pipeline with any hate-baiting gibberish that will let him fulfill his ultimate loyalty to himself, and that after the election is over the fundie crowd are likely to hear precious little about the "values" agenda that whipped them all into a GOP-hugging frenzy in the first place.
Maybe they are recollecting that before George Herbert Walker Bush had to switch his position to hitch his wagon to the Reagan team, he was actually moderately pro-choice. That Barbara Bush is, in all likelihood, pro-choice. That GWB was raised with a set of "values" that are conveniently flexible so as to get himself elected by any means, and when it comes to the spending of "political capital," he has better people to pay off than a bunch of toothless, cousin-humping wingnuts who were too dumb to figure out he never really gave a happy hootie about them in the first place.
Then again, maybe the true fascist nature of Christian fundamentalism is just rearing its ugly horned head, resorting to extortion and blackmail that are the inherent trump cards of its social ideology.
Whatever the reason -- grab the popcorn, 'cos it sure is fun to watch.
posted by Jane Hamsher @ 1/25/2005 11:25:00 AM
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