Bush and Evangelicals: It’s ‘Dog Days’ in D.C.

Harry Truman used to say, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” And after some rocky moments this summer, a growing number of conservative evangelicals are feeling that when it comes to the Bush administration, Truman’s advice might be very sound.

Although nearly 80 percent of evangelicals voted for George Bush in 1988, there has always been an uneasiness with the relationship (CT, Jan. 15, 1990, p. 44). Tensions mounted in April of this year when homosexual advocates were invited to the White House for the signing of the Hate Crimes Act. Last month brought the firing of Doug Wead, who, as special assistant to the President for public liaison, functioned as evangelicals’ White House connection.

Many conservative Christians say their relationship with the White House is now at a critical stage. “We have some very serious questions about where this administration is going on moral values,” said James Smith of the Southern Baptist Christian Life Commission’s (CLC) Washington office.

For nearly two years, Wead worked to establish ties with conservative and religious groups. Prior to that, he organized religious and profamily constituencies for the Bush presidential campaign.

Gay-Rights Gaffe?

Reports in the Washington Times directly linked Wead’s firing to his vocal opposition of perceived White House overtures to the gay community. After the White House for the first time invited gay-rights activists to the April signing ceremony, Wead wrote a letter to Southern Baptists and other conservatives saying the President’s staff “did not serve him well” with the invitations. This letter, the Times reported, was the “last straw” for Wead’s opponents within the White House.

White House communications director David Demarest denied that the invitations to homosexuals played a role in Wead’s dismissal. Rather, he said, it was “mutually decided” over a period of time; he declined to elaborate on the circumstances. In an interview with CHRISTIANITY TODAY, Wead also declined to talk about his departure, though he stated, “I regret that it has been portrayed that I’m against any group.”

Rumors abound that Wead had been involved in power struggles and personality clashes with other White House personnel. Although some Christians who monitor political developments were uncomfortable with Wead’s style, nearly all concede he provided evangelicals with strong access to the President. In addition to his relationship with Bush—they wrote a book together—Wead is close friends with the President’s son George W.

Of more concern to most Washington evangelicals, however, is that Wead’s firing came on the heels of a second White House invitation to homosexuals, this time to the signing ceremony in late July for the Americans with Disabilities Act. White House officials say individual homosexuals were invited because of their work against AIDS discrimination, not because of their gay-rights advocacy. (AIDS discrimination is specifically prohibited in the new law.) Nevertheless, some evangelicals maintain the invitation amounted to “open courting” of the homosexual community. Among those invited were representatives of two very vocal gay-rights lobby groups.

Political Fallout?

CLC executive director Richard Land immediately fired off a letter to the President, expressing his “outrage and distress” over the second invitation. “Large numbers of Southern Baptists want to know why you are giving such an official recognition to a homosexual/lesbian lifestyle they find abhorrent,” Land wrote. “The second invitation to the homosexual lobby … has grievously damaged your administration’s standing among many of my constituents.…”

Bob Dugan, director of the National Association of Evangelicals’ Washington office, said the President “is in danger of losing his reputation as a traditional-values president.” Said Dugan, “Frankly, I think that some heads should roll in the White House for the miscalculation of weighing the benefits of improved relationships with gay-rights groups over against the loss of evangelical and other conservative support.”

Other areas have also been troubling for many Christians:

• As a means of reducing the federal deficit, the administration has proposed eliminating or scaling back the tax deduction for charitable contributions. According to Art Borden, executive director of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, this would have “a crippling effect on contributions to churches and Christian ministries.” Borden said this was particularly disturbing coming from a “kinder and gentler” President.

• After months of fighting against any restrictions on funds granted by the National Endowment for the Arts, the White House has announced it will support some yet-to-be-negotiated restrictions on the funding of obscene art. While he was pleased by the switch, Gary Bauer of the Family Research Council said he still wonders, “Why would it take a conservative President over six months to side with the voters that elected him?”

• White House chief of staff John Sununu has been sending signals that the President will sign the child-care bill that emerges from the House/Senate conference committee (see “Taking Care of Business,” p. 70). Most religious groups, though for varying reasons, are unhappy with how either the House or Senate version would treat religiously based child care. These groups are counting on the promised presidential veto.

New Woman At The White House

Within days of Wead’s dismissal, the administration named Leigh Ann Metzger as his replacement. Metzger, a Southern Baptist, was formerly with Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Evangelicals praised the choice of Metzger, but expressed concerns about her access and ability to overcome highly placed administration hostility. Like Wead, she was given the title “special assistant to the President,” while the others in the public liaison office, Bobbie Kilberg and Sichan Siv, hold the higher-ranking “deputy assistant” titles. In the world of White House hierarchy, this is widely viewed as a significant difference.

Unlike Wead, Metzger has no personal ties to the President. “The appointment of Metzger is a positive development, but we don’t think it addresses the more fundamental question of where this administration is headed,” said the CLC’s Smith.

What remains to be seen, according to Dugan, is whether the administration understands that “there is very serious repair work with evangelicals that needs to be done.” Dugan, Land, and Bauer are seeking a personal meeting with Bush to clarify his positions on the areas of concern. Dugan said he does not intend to drop the issue, though he understands that for now, with the Persian Gulf crisis, the President has other priorities.

But some, such as Ed McAteer of the Religious Roundtable, believe it is too late for repair work. McAteer, an early and vocal supporter of Bush, is now a strong critic. “It is high time we in the religious community open our eyes and see that we are being had,” he said.

For his part, Wead still believes evangelicals’ trust in George Bush “is well placed.” After meeting with Bush a few days after his dismissal, Wead told CHRISTIANITY TODAY, “The President has a deep respect for evangelicals, and understands them better than anyone I’ve met in Washington. I am confident he will not abandon them.” He added, however, that evangelicals need to “speak up and assert themselves to be heard.”

By Kim A. Lawton.

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