Alabama

It looks as if Mitt Romney’s effort to reach out to the GOP’s right-wing base is kicking into overdrive beginning this weekend:

A visit this weekend to the Rev. Pat Robertson's school illustrates the challenge for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney as he courts the all-important evangelical vote.

The former Massachusetts governor is to give the commencement address Saturday at Robertson's Regent University in Virginia, a golden opportunity to reach core GOP voters.

Of course, when the invitation was extended to Romney back in March, some of the students at Regent were pretty upset about it:

Selecting presidential candidate Mitt Romney as its May commencement speaker has riled some of Regent University's students and alumni who say his Mormon faith clashes with the school's bedrock evangelical Christianity.

"What we're against is the fact that Mormonism is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Christian values and what we believe," said Doug Dowdey, a Virginia Beach pastor who said he graduated from Regent's divinity school last year.

…

Dowdey said he welcomed diverse viewpoints at Regent but that the university's commencement should reflect the school's distinctive religious values.

"If Pat wants to hold a political rally, well, hold one. Why not? Just don't hold it at commencement," Dowdey said.

While Romney is busy courting Robertson personally, his campaign is preparing to send out surrogates to court right-wing grassroots activists all over the country:  

In the next few weeks, the campaign will take a more direct approach, sending two of its evangelical supporters for meetings with pastors and others in key primary states.

Mark DeMoss, a public relations executive whose prominent client roster includes the Rev. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, said he volunteered to travel to South Carolina and Alabama on Romney's behalf.

Jay Sekulow, a Washington insider and chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice, an advocacy group founded by Robertson, is heading to Iowa and Florida, DeMoss said.

…

Hugh Hewitt, the conservative blogger and radio talk show host, is trying to help Romney by publishing the book "A Mormon in the White House?" which urges Christians not to oppose the candidate because of LDS teachings they consider heretical.

Speaking of Hewitt, he interviewed Romney’s son, Tagg, following last night’s GOP debate so he could offer his spin.  Guess who he thought won?

I thought he knocked it out of the park, he was clearly a fantastic candidate tonight, and showed why he’d make the best president.

…

My Dad is articulate, he knows how to communicate his vision, he’s very relaxed in front of the camera, he’s a fantastic communicator. I think clearly, anyone who watched the debate tonight would say boy, isn’t Mitt Romney, wouldn’t Mitt Romney make a fantastic president. That’s the same feeling people get when they meet him one on one. It’s the same feeling they get when they meet him in large groups.  

Roy Moore – who was removed as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court for refusing a federal court’s order that he take a two-ton “Ten Commandments” monument out of his courtroom, and who later took the monument on tour to launch his new career as a religious-right activist – used his WorldNetDaily.com column to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day by alluding to his own campaign against church-state separation and other religious-right wedge issues:

Ironically, all the other nations which joined to prosecute the Nazi regime based on the law of nations given by God now reject the sovereignty of that God over law and government, the defunct Soviet Union being the first and most obvious example. As it was in the days of David, "the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying 'let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us'" (Psalm 2:2-3). The United Nations, which purports to make and enforce modern international law, routinely undermines God's laws concerning life, liberty and property and openly rejects any connection between God and the law of nations.

As America and other nations try to "set themselves" against the laws of God, we increase the risk of repeating the lessons of history. When our thoughts turn toward the horrors of the Holocaust this weekend, let us not forget that the Nazis at Nuremberg were held accountable because of the higher law of God to which all nations, at all times, are subject.

As was to be expected, the Right is none-too-pleased about the announcement that a few controversial judicial nominees have asked to have their nominations withdrawn now that the Democrats have taken control of the Senate.

Pat Robertson lamented the news, but used it as an opportunity to urge President Bush to push ahead with the nomination of ideologues and provoke a confrontation in order to remind the Democrats and “the American people … what happened to Sen. Daschle in South Dakota.”  [Watch the video: Broadband or Dial-Up.]  

Bruce Hausknecht, a judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action, likewise weighed in, saying “it's a shame that the nominations of these fine men languished for years without good reason" and complaining that "the [Senate Judiciary] committee became a black hole in 2001 and 2002 for court of appeals nominees under Leahy's last tenure as chairman, so at this point I remain deeply skeptical concerning the fate of the president's future appeals court nominees.” 

For someone who holds the position of “judicial analyst,” Hausknecht sure doesn’t seem to know much about the history of judicial nominations.  

In the 107th Congress, when Democrats controlled the Senate, 17 appellate court nominees were confirmed.  In the 108th and 109th, when Republicans controlled the Senate, 18 and 16 were confirmed respectively.  

When Bill Clinton was president and the Democrats controlled the Senate during the 103rd Congress, 19 of his appellate court nominees were confirmed.  During the next three Congresses under Republican control, 11, 20, and 15 were confirmed respectively.  

Thus, the supposed “black hole” for President Bush’s appellate court nominees under Leahy was nothing of the sort and actually resulted in more confirmations than in three of the five most recent Congresses in which Republicans controlled the Senate.    

In addition to ignoring these statistics, nobody on the Right ever seems to mention the nearly 50+ Clinton administration nominees who never received a Committee hearing or a floor vote, thanks largely to the Republicans. 

And while they are outraged by the so-called “obstruction” that has lead a handful of Bush’s nominees to ask that their nominations be withdrawn, no one on the Right appears to have much regret about the various Clinton administration nominees who withdrew their nominations because of Republican opposition or lengthy delays:

Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Virginia) returned from the holidays to revive his comments decrying the decision by an incoming Muslim congressman to pose for a photo op holding the Koran after the new Congress is sworn in. Goode published an opinion column in yesterday’s USA Today reiterating his letter to constituents, in which he linked the election of Minneapolis Democrat Keith Ellison, an African American, to a supposed need for a crackdown on immigration, both legal and illegal. (“If American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Quran,” he wrote.)

Now, Goode is expanding his web of connections to cite 9/11. Noting that some people are emigrating to the U.S. from the Middle East, Goode wrote yesterday:

Let us remember that we were not attacked by a nation on 9/11; we were attacked by extremists who acted in the name of the Islamic religion. I believe that if we do not stop illegal immigration totally, reduce legal immigration and end diversity visas, we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to infiltration by those who want to mold the United States into the image of their religion, rather than working within the Judeo-Christian principles that have made us a beacon for freedom-loving persons around the world.

After Keith Ellison was elected the first Muslim member of Congress last month, talk show host Dennis Prager, among others, attacked the Representative-elect for indicating that he would swear his oath of office with his hand placed on a copy of the Qur’an. Now, former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice and regular WorldNetDaily columnist Roy Moore has decided that regardless of how they are sworn in faithful Muslims are not fit to serve in Congress.

Our Constitution states, "Each House [of Congress] shall be the judge ... of the qualifications of its own members." Enough evidence exists for Congress to question Ellison's qualifications to be a member of Congress as well as his commitment to the Constitution in view of his apparent determination to embrace the Quran and an Islamic philosophy directly contrary to the principles of the Constitution.

Citing the recent actions of the rebel government of Somalia and the public statements of the founder of a “radical Islamic school,” Moore argues that the Islamic faith “rejects our God” and is “simply incompatible with our law.” To Moore, these two examples are enough to prove that none of the world’s more than one billion Muslims could fulfill an oath to uphold the US Constitution. Never one for subtlety, Moore goes on to invoke Godwin’s Law:

[C]ommon sense alone dictates that in the midst of a war with Islamic terrorists we should not place someone in a position of great power who shares their doctrine. In 1943, we would never have allowed a member of Congress to take their oath on "Mein Kampf," or someone in the 1950s to swear allegiance to the "Communist Manifesto."

Oddly, Moore seems to forget the sixth article of the US Constitution:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.[emphasis added]

Roy Moore has demonstrated a unique understanding and interpretation of the US Constitution in the past, though it may take a truly singular intellect to explain how preventing Muslims from serving in government would not constitute the application of a ‘religious test.’

Now that Sen. Sam Brownback is officially exploring a run for the presidency, he must begin to demonstrate that he possesses the skills and experience necessary to lead this nation.  

Maybe he will eventually get around to trying to do that.  But for now, Brownback appears to be content to merely demonstrate his right-wing credentials by claiming the mantle of the Commander In Chief fighting the "War on Christmas"

Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Sam Brownback joined with other lawmakers and religious leaders Thursday in urging Christians to display nativity scenes on public property to remind America that "the birth of Jesus ... is the reason for the season."

"Christmas is making a comeback," the Kansas senator declared at a news conference at the steps of the U.S. Capitol, where Christian leaders had erected a temporary nativity scene to kick off a national "Nativity Project."

"It's okay to talk about the birth of Jesus at Christmas," Brownback said. "We need to have these expressions of religion ... It's important for America."

Brownback urged his fellow lawmakers to pass the Public Expressions of Religion Act before Congress adjourns Friday afternoon. The bill, which Brownback authored, would eliminate legal fees associated with Establishment Clause challenges to public expressions of religion.

Brownback, who on Monday launched an exploratory committee to seek the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, joined Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, and Rev. Rob Schenk, president of Faith and Action, in encouraging American Christians to participate in the groups' Nativity Project.

Mahoney is perhaps best known for being one of the Right’s leading agitators during the Terri Schiavo saga, while Schenk made a name for himself as joining like-minded ideologues such as Alan Keyes in calling on President Bush to name Judge Roy Moore, the former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court who was removed from office for refusing to obey a federal court order to remove a Ten Commandments monument that he installed in the rotunda of the Supreme Court building, to replace Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court.  

His exploratory campaign is less than a week old, but Brownback has already demonstrated that he has the toughness and resolve necessary to defend this nation from its enemies - such as those who seek to destroy Christmas, whether they actually exist or not.  

In Kansas, Ohio. But Discovery Institute’s John West looks to South Carolina, Alabama, Oklahoma.

The Right has been pretty vocal recently, demanding that Republicans in the Senate hurry up and confirm as many judges as possible before the November election.  But when it comes to the nomination of Janet Neff, they are urging them to slow down

A judge's elevation to the federal bench could be derailed because she helped preside over a commitment ceremony for a lesbian couple four years ago.

Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas has placed a hold on the nomination of Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Janet T. Neff, saying her presence at the 2002 Massachusetts ceremony raises questions about her judicial philosophy.

"It seems to speak about her view of judicial activism," Brownback said Friday. "It's something I want to inquire of her further."

Brownback, a vehement opponent of gay marriage who has presidential ambitions, said he wants to know whether Neff might have presided over "an illegal marriage ceremony" that skirted Massachusetts law. He has asked the Justice Department for a formal legal opinion on Neff's conduct.

Ceremonies marking the union of same-sex couples are usually symbolic events that carry no legal benefits and require no government approval. Massachusetts did not recognize gay marriages in 2002 but legalized same-sex marriage two years later after a ruling from its highest court.

Conservative activists expressed concerns about Neff after seeing her name in a September 2002 New York Times "Weddings/Celebrations" announcement. It said Neff led the commitment ceremony for Karen Adelman and Mary Curtin with the Rev. Kelly A. Gallagher, a minister of the United Church of Christ.

Both women are former employees of the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign in Washington.

"When she did the commitment ceremony, she was doing it in her role as a judge, and that draws up a serious question," said Tom McClusky, a spokesman for the Family Research Council, a conservative group. "She would be more sympathetic to an activist on the issue of homosexual marriage."

The FRC’s claim that her presiding over such a ceremony  “draws up a serious question” is pretty ironic considering that they didn’t seem particularly concerned when William Pryor appeared in his capacity as Attorney General of Alabama to praise then Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore for his illegal display of the Ten Commandments, proclaiming

"God has chosen, through his son Jesus Christ, this time, this place for all Christians Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox to save our country and save our courts."

Or when, again in his capacity as Attorney General, he called Roe v. Wade “the worst abomination of constitutional law in our history” or said “I will never forget Jan. 22, 1973, the day seven members of our highest court ripped the Constitution and ripped out the life of millions of unborn children.” 

According to the Right, calling a long-established Supreme Court precedent an “abomination” was no cause for concern about Pryor’s impartiality, and anyone who dared question it was accused of anti-Catholic bigotry.  But Neff’s presiding over a commitment ceremony is enough to stall her nomination and raise all sorts of “serious questions” about “judicial activism.”   

In between dreaming up outrageous ads for her clients, slandering their opponents, and heading a small organization called the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary, Kay Daly occasionally finds time to write posts for her blog “The Daly Report.”

On Wednesday, she saw fit to weigh in on the recent allegations that Sen. George Allen used racial slurs to refer to African Americans during his college years

Virginia Sen. George Allen on Monday denied allegations by a college football teammate and another former acquaintance that the senator used a racial epithet to refer to blacks during and after his time at the University of Virginia in the early 1970s.

The accusations by R. Kendall Shelton, 53, a radiologist in North Carolina, and Christopher C. Taylor, 59, an anthropologist at the University of Alabama, reignited questions about Allen and race as he campaigns for reelection against Democrat James Webb.

Shelton said Allen frequently used the "N-word" to describe blacks and nicknamed him "Wizard" because of the similarity of his name to that of Robert Shelton, a former imperial wizard of the Alabama Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. He also recounted an event from 1973 or 1974 in which he, Allen and a third friend were hunting deer. After the deer was killed, Shelton said, Allen cut off the doe's head, asked for directions to the home of the nearest black person and shoved the head into that person's mailbox.

Taylor said that during a visit to Allen's Charlottesville house in 1982, Allen pointed to turtles in a pond on his property and said only "the [epithets] eat them."

Allen denied the allegations, but Daly came rushing to his defense, offering a unique “who hasn’t said ‘n-word’?” defense

This strategy deployed against George Allen could be called the "Southern strategy with a Mark Fuhrman twist." If one is truly truthful, there is probably not a person alive on planet Earth who has not uttered the so-called "n-word."

They might have been singing along with lyrics to a hip-hop tune. Or they might have said it in a sociology course. They might have been in a play. Or a lawyer in a courtroom for OJ Simpson. They might have been reading aloud from a newspaper or a book and quoted the dreaded n-bomb. They might have been using the word as an example of what not to say. Who knows?

There is an obvious difference between reading a book or studying the word in sociology class and using it as an epithet , but apparently Daly is incapable of understanding that  … which is not particularly surprising considering that she works for a candidate who produces ads such as this [view the ad here]