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Unfortunately, if Dobson talked about Gilgoff's book at all, Gilgoff isn't saying. His article focuses almost entirely on what Dobson had to say about actual and possible Republican presidential candidates.

On Fred Thompson: "Everyone knows he's conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for. [But] I don't think he's a Christian; at least that's my impression." (Thompson is a member of the Stone-Campbell Church of Christ. A Focus spokesman later said Dobson meant "evangelical" and that Dobson "has never known Thompson to be a committed Christian—someone who talks openly about his faith.")

On Newt Gingrich: He's the "brightest guy out there" and "the most articulate politician on the scene today."

On Mitt Romney: "There are conservative Christians who will not vote for him because of his Mormon faith. I'm not saying that's the correct view or my view. But [presidential nominees] lose elections by 5 or 6 percent of the vote, so you don't have to lose much of the conservative Christian vote."

On Rudolph Giuliani: "I do not believe that the current excitement over Giuliani will continue."

On McCain: Nothing quoted, other than a note that the McCain campaign, like the Giuliani campaign, hasn't called.

On whether he'll step down from Focus on the Family entirely as he turns 71 next month: "I have 10-to-12-hour-a-day energy. I feel that God has asked me to do what I'm doing. I have no intention to stay away."

In a related story, The Boston Globe reports that members of the executive committee of the Arlington Group (a network of politically conservative Christian organizations) "have questioned several declared and potential White House hopefuls with the intention of settling on a single candidate." Members insist that the Arlington Group as such won't endorse a candidate. The Globe also reports that "the Arlington Group website was abruptly disabled earlier this month after the Globe began making inquiries."

3. Evangelicals prominent on both sides of the U.S. attorney firings
"Who is Monica Goodling?" asks a widely published article by McClatchy's Ron Hutcheson. Simply put, Goodling is senior counsel to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Department of Justice White House liaison. But she was apparently deeply involved in planning last fall's dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys, and on Monday chose to take the Fifth rather than testify to Congress. She is now on an indefinite leave of absence.

As for her background, Hutcheson notes:

Goodling, 33, is a 1995 graduate of Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., an institution that describes itself as "committed to embracing an evangelical spirit."

She received her law degree at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va. Regent, founded by Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson, says its mission is "to produce Christian leaders who will make a difference, who will change the world."

Hutcheson has been covering the firings extensively. He does not note, however, that the most prominent of the fired lawyers also graduated from an institution committed to embracing an evangelical spirit. David C. Iglesias—who says he was fired because he wouldn't time corruption charges against New Mexico Democrats to coincide with the November elections—is a 1980 graduate of Wheaton College, spoke (RM | WMA) at the school's homecoming weekend in 2005, and still sits on its nongoverning board of visitors.

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March (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51