On Palin: A Bag of Mixed Emotions...

Intellectually, I recognize that John McCain could have done very well with either Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney.

Palin brought in an avenue to reel in disaffected Hillary supporters. She puts a very articulate and reasonable face on the issue of domestic energy production. She is a reformer and maverick - which fits into McCain's career and image very well. She also has impeccable pro-life credentials (I don't think a woman should be forced to carry her rapist's child).

She lacks experience, though, and on the economy in general, she is not as strong as Romney. But the pluses far outweigh the minuses.

Romney had the economic credentials - in spades. He also had no real skeletons, had been vetted, and would have not only locked down some uncomfortably close Mountain West States (Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico), but he had a very good chance of flipping Michigan. The way this election is shaping up - McCain winning Michigan means game over for Obama.

There were downsides. He and McCain didn't exactly get along in the primary. The other, though, leaves me with a bag of mixed emotions.

To wit, Mitt Romney was shot down for the Presidential nomination by anti-Mormon bigotry among evangelicals - a bigotry that was played to by Mike Huckabee. It was a bigotry that a lot of leading conservatives did not denounce. Why they did not do so is a mystery. Afraid of losing support? Was it a reluctance to make a charge that has all too often been used by the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson with little merit? Who knows? But the fact they didn't take on Huckabee has led me to seriously reconsider my alliance with conservatism.

Worse, it also colors my views on a very dedicated wife, mother, and public servant. As much as Sarah Palin is a good nominee, and knowing intellectually that it is very likely that she was selected on the merits, a part of me will always wonder whether she got the slot entirely on the merits (which make it just about a coin toss), or because McCain blinked vis-a-vis Huckabee and other anti-Mormon bigots. I’m probably being very unfair to Governor Palin, but that question just is not going away any time soon.

An open letter worth reading...

See Article6Blog.com for something worth leading.

August 18, 2008

The Honorable George H.W. Bush

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

1000 George Bush Drive West

College Station, TX 77845

Dear Mr. President:

Last December, it was our distinct pleasure to visit the magnificent library archiving and celebrating your service as the president of our great nation. The occasion was your hosting Mitt Romney’s “Faith in America” speech. Your introduction of Gov. Romney was most gracious and his speech captured the very essence of what is great about the American vision of how religion and public life intersect.

Sadly, since that time, some involved in the current presidential election cycle have behaved, very publicly, in a fashion that represents some of our worst tendencies when we stand at that intersection. Of course our nation is full of groups with their own particular viewpoints, all vying for attention - and that is to be encouraged; it is an important part of America’s greatness.

Candidates for the highest office in the land, however, must, as Gov. Romney said that day in your auditorium, rise above petty bickering to unite our nation. To accomplish that, candidates must unite their political party, not tear it apart on religious, ethnic, or other grounds.

And yet, former presidential candidate and current FOX News commentator Mike Huckabee seems intent on creating such discord and disunity. His recent efforts to stand at the head of the “anybody but Romney for vice president” movement are simply offensive. His protests to the contrary notwithstanding, that movement and his energy on its behalf are so clearly based in religious bias, even bigotry, that they simply step outside the boundaries of legitimate presidential electoral debate and threaten our party’s unity. Such behavior can only serve to cheapen our nation’s political discourse as it increasingly descends into the gutter.

This is more than mere conjecture. Recent polling evidence, particularly that out of a Vanderbilt University study based on surveys conducted when both Huckabee and Romney were still active presidential candidates, clearly indicates that the very limited arguments Gov. Huckabee uses in his opposition to Gov. Romney play on traditional Christian prejudices concerning Mormons. In many cases those arguments cases are simply “code” for “we cannot vote for him, he’s a Mormon.”

In 1908, William Howard Taft sought the presidency. Mr Taft was a Unitarian and he was opposed on religious grounds by William Jennings Bryan using tactics similar to those we are seeing Gov. Huckabee use against Gov. Romney today. The man leaving the presidency at that time, Theodore Roosevelt, felt it necessary the defy the convention of former presidents staying clear of the fray and to defend the right of every American, regardless of religion, to hold the highest office in the land. He did so in a series of now-famous letters to the various parties involved.

Today we write to you, as the senior Republican statesman in our nation, to ask you to take a similarly bold stand, to write such an important letter and to do so openly. Much has changed since the turn of the last century; our politics are conducted far more publicly than they once were. We ask that your letter be open and made available in the leading journals of this time.

This type of behavior we are seeing simply must be repudiated. You stand in a unique position to provide such repudiation. Gov. Huckabee must be made to understand that to continue to behave in this fashion will permanently disqualify him, and those he represents, from serious consideration for any leadership role in the Republican party ever again. Few people, if any, can speak for the entire party with as much wisdom, experience, and insight as you can. You alone not only are beyond the battles of presidential politics, but also enjoy the moral authority coming from having won them. You can help us keep our party, this nation and our electoral processes within the bounds of traditional American understanding and decency. We will be a much worse nation indeed if we break down into identity group bickering instead of uniting to elect the best people to govern us.

If we may be of any service to you in your efforts to fulfill our request, please do not hesitate to call upon us.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter and may God bless!

Sincerely,

Lowell Brown

Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Co-Author

Article VI Blog

http://www.article6blog.com

John Schroeder

evangelical Presbyterian, member of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America

Co-Author

Article VI Blog

What is there to disagree with in this?

Tancredo/Dobbs vs. the Pope

The Wall Street Journal has a very good editorial on the recent rants from Tom Tancredo and Lou Dobbs against Pope Benedict XVI.

And people expect me to believe that there is no bigotry involved?

Do they think I'm stupid?

William J. Murray tries to pull the woll over people's eyes...

William J. Murray's response to the outcry over his anti-Mitt ad is yet another example of the volume of disingenuous comments made by the anti-Mitt social conservatives.

He's trying to claim that Mitt Romney being Mormon had nothing to do with that open letter.

Race42008 listed some comments made about Mormons by signatories to that letter:

Matt Barber, Policy Director, Concerned Women for America quoted here as helping a reformed homosexual who converted to Mormonism find “scripturally-sound” evangelical churches to attend.

Ted Baehr, Author of Culture Wise Family, on the September 11th film: “What [the character of] Brigham Young does in the movie is talk about…that you have to have blood atonement… This is going to be an issue [for Romney]. ”

Janet Folger, President Faith2Action, See here: “Romney, as a Mormon, doesn’t believe Jesus was God’s only Son (Lucifer, they claim, was his ‘brother’). Nor does he believe in the virgin birth. Instead, Mormons believe God the Father had physical sex with Mary. The word blasphemy comes to mind. A bit more than a mere ‘denominational difference,’ don’t you think?”

Gary Glenn, President AFA, Michigan, played the “religion card” in his GOTV efforts for Huckabee

James Hartline, Founder and Publisher, California Christian News: “San Diego Republican Party Hits New Low - Invites Cult Member As Christmas Party Guest Of Honor” - “Mormon politics is more about promoting the economic interests of the Mormon Church and its wealthy members rather than any pseudo Biblical beliefs.”

Linda Harvey, President Mission America: “He used his Republican and Mormon identity to push through radical policies on gay marriage, abortion and pro-homosexual school programs that Ted Kennedy always dreamed about.” - link

Gregg Jackson: Writes here in an article entitled: “Is this the end of Evangelicalism in America?”: “A cornerstone of the Mormon Church, Grudem writes, is the classic heresy of Saint Paul’s day – angel worship. In his book, Grudem insists that an orthodox Christian must practice the theology he reads. So why would he step forward to become part of the Mitt Romney propaganda blitz trying to mislead evangelicals into doing what would shock most evangelicals in American history: elect a Mormon for president? “

Peter LaBarbera: “The sponsor of a homosexual-inclusive “hate crimes” bill in Utah is hailing the support of two Mormon-owned media organs, signaling the neutrality of the powerful and socially conservative church on an issue that is seen by many family advocates as the first step in the wider ‘gay’ agenda.”

So, Mr. Murray, who do I believe, you or what I'm reading with my own eyes? Seeing as you have borne false witness about Romney, I'll stick with my own eyes.

Anti-Mormon motivations? UPDATED

Race42008 has some more info on some of the backers of the ad opposing Mitt Romney as McCain's running mate.

Read their track records. Then ask for yourself if the objection is really about social liberalism, or if it's because he is Mormon.

Because I know what this looks and sounds like to me. So, do I believe the protests of people like commenter FreedomFighter in a previous post on that ad, or do I believe my own eyes?

UPDATE: More discussion at Townhall.

UPDATE 2: Redstate commenters blow off concerns about the ad.

Obama and Romney are apples and oranges...

Given the strong displeasure that I expressed about Mike Huckabee's playing to religious bigotry to derail the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney, it may open me up to charges of hypocrisy to discuss the Obama-Wright matter. Indeed, Obama has also been the subject of some nasty rumors that he is really a Muslim, rumors, which appear to have no basis in truth.

But it's a case of apples and oranges when discussing Wright and TUCC/Mormonism.

Frankly, the issue has now shifted from Wright's comments, particularly with his departure from Obama's campaign. Now,the issue is how forthcoming Barack Obama has been, and if Powerline and Rich Lowry have gotten it right, then Barack Obama appears to have tried to BS the American people.

Contrast that to Mitt Romney's handling of the Mormon question. He did not drag his religion into the campaign. Romney never tried to dissemble about it, either.

Obama's now in a lot of trouble - there is no sugar-coating this. He had projected an aura of being genuine, of respecting those who disagreed with him, and of trying to bring people together as Americans. Now, though, this image is tarnished, if not in tatters.

Barack Obama may win the Democratic nomination, but if he wins, America will be just as divided as it was before.

Jeremiah Wright, meet Fred Phelps . . .

Sen. Barack Obama's pastor says blacks should not sing "God Bless America" but "God damn America."

The only discernable difference seems to be that Freddie says "God Hates Fags" and Jerry says "God Hates Whitey."

Now, a little discussion of the relationship between pastor and his flock . . .

Once upon a time at my parish, the visiting priest started giving a homily that absolutely nothing to do with the Scripture readings. He quickly stepped into a general attack on the United States in general and the U. S. military in particular, using the typical leftist ideological cant.

I walked out of that homily--as did others. I had to really carefully examine my conscience before I went up to receive Eucharist; even then, I subsequently sought out spiritual counsel from another priest whose guidance I'd come to trust.

That incident led me to quit serving as a Eucharistic Minister at the next opportunity to do so, because I felt that I could not stand in the sanctuary before Communion--a very visible sign of unity with the priest--should that priest turn up again on a day when I had the duty. Were it to become a pervasive attitude in that parish, I would probably have started attending Mass at another parish. (I've done that before due to other issues.)

There comes a point where silently sitting in the pew becomes assent. There comes another point where sitting silently in the pew moves from assent to agreement.

If Barack Obama finds these beliefs to be worthy of associating himself with, that's bad. If he actually believes it, it's worse.

We keep hearing about "hope" and "change." Obama's pastor doesn't seem to offer either one.

GOP says "No Mormons Need Apply"

Huckabee's lead in Iowa speaks volumes about what a significant chunk of the GOP believes, and quite frankly, it is ugly.

In essence, a candidate with a far superior resume lost because an opponent used the politics of religious identity. In essence, when he couldn't really attack Romney's record, his resume, Huckabee pretty much attacked his religion.

It's sickening. It is also a very sobering moment for me. We just saw someone who was at ground zero of the marriage debate and who stood up against human cloning and who did so in a statesmanlike manner get defeated largely because of his religion. Don't take my word for it - see Huckabee's supporters and staffers.

This is a fence that may be unmendable.

EDIT: Alexham at Redstate now demands that we be nice to Huckabee.

Sorry, but I see no reason to be nice to someone whose only message was "Vote for me because the other guy's a Mormon."

Why should I support someone who views me as a devil-worshiping cultist, Alexham? Why should I not sit out or vote for the Democrat (should Obama be the nominee)? At least Obama's not only honest, but the defeat of Huckabee may prompt the GOP to finally do something about the ugly side of certain SoCons.

And this is not just because I am a Mormon. It is because Huckabee's tactics are beneath contempt - either the First Amendment's protection for freedom of religion and Article VI of the Constitution mean something, or they do not. And it is obvious that SoCons seem to have a very selective respect for those provisions.

Screw Huckabee...

I really mean it this time.

Huckabee gave a speech at a Baptist convention. He's a Baptist preacher, so that is to be expected, so that is not why I'm pissed off.

No, it's what was passed out:

The other book was Mormonism Unmasked by R. Philip Roberts, who examines the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Mormon-baiting continues. I guess he needs to do it - after all, his track record on granting real slimeballs parole could be a killer. Or how about his tax increases?

He's just like Tancredo, albeit rather than nativism, he seems to instead prefer turning a blind eye to anti-Mormon bigotry. I find it hard to believe his staff did not know what was being handed out to reporters.

I hope that he will address this. Because if not, then the GOP could face some serious trouble down the road. Evangelical Christians alone cannot make a majority. they need allies. If they piss off their allies, will they really have any sort of chance at enacting an agenda, or are they more interested in braying about how they make "principled stands" as they get their butts handed to them?

Romney hits it out of the park...

Earlier this year, I outlined a few facts about Ryan Braun, the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year due to his tendency to treat National League pitching like a bunch of baby seals.

Well, Ryan Braun had nothing on Mitt Romney yesterday after his "Faith in America" speech. Oh, there was Mormon-baiting from one of the usual suspects, but he got support from perhaps his biggest rival for the nomination.

It was a home run of a speech. The sad thing is that such a speech was made necessary due to the apparent playing of the religion card by Mike Huckabee, who, if you ask me, is probably behind the push-polls in Iowa (he had the most to gain from this, and his background does point to him as a suspect as well) - although, with Fred Thompson having Cyndi Mosteller as his campaign co-chair in South Carolina, he cannot be ruled out.

But Romney may have helped tamp the Huckaboom. That's not a bad thing.

It looks good...

The pre-released excerpts from Mitt Romney's address today - "The Mormon Speech" if you must call it that - look very good.

If so, then Huckabee is going to be in some serious trouble. Romney will have pretty much countered the religion card, and he will have managed to make Huckabee look like a bigot if he keeps running the game plan he is currently.

It's a little early. Romney was probably planning to give this speech in response to Mormon-baiting by Hillary (and yes, I think she would do it) as the general election was being set in stone.

Oh, and sorry for the gap... I was getting a new laptop.

Make or Break for Mitt...

Mitt Romney will make or break his Presidential campaign with a speech on his religion.

If he pulls it off - he will probably emerge as the front-runner as "not Rudy" in the GOP primary.

The best reactions come from Article 6 Blog.

It does appear that Mike Huckabee played the Mormon card - and did so in an adroit fashion. He took advantage of a number of things - and not all of his gains can be undone if Romney pulls this off. At best, he has to get Huckabee to overreach on this - to openly play the religion card.

Romney is off his game a little bit. This is what decides if Romney makes it, or if we now will see a presidential candidate who has excellent qualifications will be shot down due to what amounts to religious bigotry. If Romney is shot down, then conservatism and I will part for good due to irreconcilable differences.

A dark side to the Huckabee surge?

I hope that Article 6 Blog is wrong, but reading the New York Times coverage on Huckabee today really leads me to doubt it.

If so, then I think conservatism needs to head to the ash heap of history.

If the New York Times is to be believed (and a fair degree of salt is required with that outlet at times), it seems that Huckabee's people are playing the Mormon card. Now, is it true? I don't know, although a Huckabee supporter did go after Sam Brownback for being Catholic.

I don't hold with National Review's brand of conservatism much any more. But Kathryn Jean Lopez is dead on target in this column:

If you are not going to support Republican Mitt Romney for president because you don’t think he is the guy to win the war on terror, that is your call. If you are pro-life and you do not buy his abortion conversion story, it’s a free country. But if you are not going to support Mitt Romney for president because he is Mormon, or because you think he will not be elected president because he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, say your prayers for America.

I'll be watching very closely, because the questions that emerge are going to be very basic. I'm already uncomfortable with the fact that some on the right seem to view disagreement with them on immigration as "treason", or a difference of strategy s being a sign that I'm a "party hack" who "sold my soul". Now, they seem to think that playing the religion card is acceptable conduct.

It's going to take one hell of a reason for me to work for their political empowerment.

Deutschland ist nicht richtig hier...

Germany does seem to act kinda weird at times. For instance, their refusal to allow Tom Cruise into the country because he's a Scientologist.

Folks, I don't care for Scientology. I am perfectly happy as a slightly-lapsed Mormon (in other words, I drink Mountain Dew, enjoy movies like Die Hard and Broken Arrow, and read the occasional issue of Maxim - for the articles, of course). But Germany seems to have trouble with the concept of religious freedom.

Maybe I'm being oversensitive. Then again, considering what happened to some of my ancestors, some folks might understand why I get touchy about this issue.

Romney says it...

Mitt Romney has finally spoken about what has passed for the dirty underside of the 2008 race for the Republican nomination for President: The anti-Mormon bigotry that has cropped up.

I've discussed this before. Brownback and Giuliani have promptly apologized when their aides went over the line in single events. That was very proper for them to do. John McCain's campaign, on the other hand, has had multiple incidents where his supporters raised Romney's religion as a negative.

That's a bit of a pattern. And given the recent unpleasantness with other unacceptable stuff that was allowed to stand, prompting my decision to suspend Townhall links until further notice, it does seem that among a certain segment of conservatism, anti-Mormon bigotry is acceptable.

What can I say?

McCain's weaseling... again...

McCain's victory in the South Carolina straw poll is somewhat tainted by the stench of some low blows his people pulled. Article VI Blog recapped some of the shots fired by his supporters, and last week discussed comments by McCain and Giuliani about whether Romney's religion should be an issue.

Giuliani fielded the question himself, and gave a good answer. McCain sent out a flunky to do his talking. That sort of thing speaks volumes to me. Giuliani, for whatever else you can say about him, seems to be a stand-up guy who doesn't mince words. McCain, on the other hand, has had some great moments, and served this country in a heroic fashion, but he also seems to have an ego, an inability to get off his high horse, and a tendency to hold double standards.

That's why 2008 will boil downto Romney-vs.-Giuliani, and why McCain will be an also-ran again.

Faith and the public commons

Ryan Sager reports that Andrew Sullivan posted a piece about Mormon undergarments, of all things...

First, I do not contest Sullivan's absolute right under the First Amendment to publish that photo.

That said, I have some comments to make on this topic. Sullivan's sole reason for posting that image was to cause embarrassment for Mitt Romney; the reason to cause that embarrassment was Romney's opposition to gay marriage.

Stop. Halt. Whoa. Time Out. Take Five. Cease Buzzer.

As a devout Catholic, I stand in staunch opposition to many elements of LDS theology and liturgical practice. However, that is, ultimately, the business of those of the LDS faith, and not mine. I've had LDS neighbors, co-workers, friends, and brothers and sisters in arms. I have found them to run the same sort of range that everyone runs to; many good-hearted people, a few nasty ones, and each having unique combinations of gifts and weaknesses.

As a Catholic, I have had to endure, with varying degrees of gritted teeth, Protestants mischaracterizing my faith's tenets (from ignorance or malice) and labeling me a "non-Christian" or "pagan" because of my alleged adherence to those freshly-misstated beliefs. This experience has taught me a healthy respect for other people's right to their beliefs, no matter how odd they may seem to me.

In a society such as ours, all of us need to give others enough elbow room--physical and spiritual alike--to live their lives, unless someone is actually harming others. Being opposed to a radical redefinition of marriage doesn't count as harming others, Andy, so put a sock in it. We live, as we are constantly reminded, in a pluralistic society, with a wide range of religious beliefs. The quest--or non-quest, for that matter--for the divine is probably the most intimate part of anyone's life, often inexplicable to those from other religious traditions.

When addressing religious beliefs that aren't yours, it's probably a very good idea to tread very lightly.

I'm not rah-rah for or against Romney at this point. I am always opposed to cheap-shot sensationalist crap.