POLITICAL ADVOCACY TRACKER
New Conservative Manifesto
Conservatives sign a statement on their shared values; plus, the American Family Association raises eyebrows over its discussion of Muslim soldiers, capital punishment, and Pepsi.
Tobin Grant | posted 2/19/2010 11:05AM
Political Advocacy Tracker is a roundup of what Christian activist organizations have been talking about over the past week.
What the Right BelievesLeading up to an annual conservative gathering in Washington, D.C., political advocacy groups signed a new manifesto affirming core principles.
The Mount Vernon Statement was signed by scores of conservative groups that agreed on basic values including limited government, individual liberty, free enterprise, strong national security, and the "defense of family, neighborhood, community, and faith."
The document comes as groups ready for the Conservative Political Action Conference, organized annually by the American Conservative Union. Signatories included representatives from socially conservative groups such as the Family Research Council (FRC), Concerned Women for America, and Focus on the Family Action, as well as groups representing libertarians, tea party organizers, and national security hawks.
"This is a significant moment as social, fiscal, and national security conservatives come together to declare the importance of partnering to defend our nation's founding principles," said Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council.
Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family Action explained his support, saying "government has grown way outside its proper sphere by getting into moral and spiritual realms, such as redefining marriage [and] encouraging women to leave their children at home and go into the work force."
"As a nation, a people, and a culture, in so many ways it seems we are floundering. We have lost our sense of our American identity," said Erica Wanis of the Center for a Just Society.
But not all conservative advocates were excited about the document. "Writing and signing statements is all the rage in conservatism today, "wrote Elijah Friedeman on the American Family Association blog. "But Americans don't want or need more words that will soon be forgotten. Americans want action. … Unfortunately, too many conservatives wax eloquent on their values and principles rather than actually changing America."
Not That There's Anything Wrong with That Opponents of same-sex marriage found themselves in a tricky rhetorical position as they tried to criticize some unique gay rights proponents without overtly criticizing them.
Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle reported the "biggest open secret" of the court case over California's Proposition 8—which defines marriage as between one man and one woman—that Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker is gay. Walker offered no comment on this to the Chronicle. According to the story, he has not hidden nor advertised his sexual orientation.
Proponents of Prop. 8 reacted by avoiding the issue; rather than saying Judge Walker was unfit to rule because he is gay, they said he has been biased, perhaps because he is gay.
Mario Diaz of Concerned Women for America said, "I know that the judge's sexuality is not really important legally. His biased, activist and unlawful decisions are the real problem and not his motives. But it sure helps to explain a lot. The 'appearance of impropriety' is just too strong."
Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said that Walker's rulings in the trial "have all revealed a bias in favor of the anti–Prop. 8 plaintiffs. … [T]he source of that bias could be the judge's sexual orientation. At this point, that's just speculation. The fact that the bias exists is what's important."
February (Web-Only) 2010, Vol. 54
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