Monday, May 15, 2006

Momentary Hope

So, I wake up on this Monday morning and open the email summary of today's paper that the NY Times sends out.

National Guard on the Mexican border? Skip. Suicide bombing in Iraq? Skip. Medicare deadline spurs debate . . . Snoooooooze.

Wait. Here's one!

Conservative Christians Warn Republicans Against Inaction

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Influential Christians say they are dissatisfied and may withhold their support in the midterm elections.

Even before clicking the link, a few swallows of coffee convinces me that this idea is best filed under "Yeah, sure."

Reading the story brings additional dashings of harsh reality. I am reminded that this is a familiar tactic, of special interest groups in general, and the right wingnuts in particular: threaten to withhold support right before an upcoming election in the interests of gaining even more clout.

And by "even more clout," I mean snippets like these, featuring the ever-frightening James Dobson [emph. added]:

In a recent interview with Fox News on the eve of a visit to the White House, he accused Republicans of "just ignoring those that put them in office."

[...]

"There's just very, very little to show for what has happened," Dr. Dobson said, "and I think there's going to be some trouble down the road if they don't get on the ball."

According to people who were at the meetings or were briefed on them, Dr. Dobson has made the same point more politely in a series of private conversations over the last two weeks in meetings with several top Republicans, including Karl Rove, the president's top political adviser; Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the Republican leader; Representative J. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, the House speaker; and Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the majority leader.

In two weeks, he's met with the President, the President's brain, and the three most powerful members of Congress? This guy has more access than most members of the Cabinet.

Here's a picture of him. Doesn't it give you a warm fuzzy?


Photo credit: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images, via The New York Times

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