>>Ashcroft is Attorney General of the United States and is in the Cabinet. He is a member of an ultra-conservative evangelical denomination, the Assemblies of God. He was a leader of the Christian Right before his appointment. After his appointment, much of the higher level of the Justice Deprtment was replaced with conservative Christian evangelicals and members of the ultra-conservative Federalist Society. Christian prayer sessions were instituted, and a statue of justice was draped because it showed a breast. Many policies were changed to reflect the concerns of the Christian Right.
John Ashcroft is one nutty guy and is not the avatar of the religious right. Ashcroft is widely hated and despised. Everybody laughed at the statue incident. His words and his policies have led to the politicization of my profession. Hundreds of municipalities have passed resolutions condemining the PATRIOT Act. His campaign against porn has gone nowhere. He is a danger to people of color, esp. those folks who are from the Middle East. Ashcroft represents a significant potential danger, but so far his bark is worse than his bite.
>>Ralph Reed, the former executive director of the Christian Coalition became the head of the Republican Party of Georgia and now is a major Republican Party campaign strategist.
Yes, its funny how political activists sell out for a small pot of gold.
>>In 2002 a serious study in Campaigns & Elections magazine found that the Christian Right effectively controlled the GOP state political machine in 18 states, and was strong in 26 others.
Yes, they've been persistent devils in running for office. While we are at it, we should mention Congressman Jim Ryun from Kansas, who I protested many years ago when he led an anti-abortion march. I believe my isntrument of protest that day was a coat hanger.
Yes, some of their guys have achieved office. These guys could be out of there in the next election, while the grassroots movement of the RR has declined.
>>At one point, seven leading Senate Republicans--Bill Frist, TN; Mitch McConnell, KY; Rick Santorum, PA; Bob Bennet, UT; Kay Bailey Hutchison, TX; Jon Kyl, AZ; and George Allen, VA--worked openly and closely with the Christian Right, and received a 100% rating from the Christian Coalition.
Wow, they have 6 more guys in office than Bernie Sanders.
>>On the issues of reproductive rights and gay rights and AIDS prevention the policies of the Christian Right have been repeatedly enacted into law, made part of federal regulations, and enforced in policies and funding patterns.
Yes, some of those family planning and reproductive rights policies were implmented during the *Clinton* administration. But getting back to the culture wars: American women can still get abortions and they have access to reproductive health services. If those services suck, it was a bipartisan attack that made them suck. But for all of the alarm about the threat of the religious right, women can still get abortions and gay people were getting married recently.
Chuck0