If the marriage of conservative Christianity and the Republican Party had a matchmaker, it was the Rev. Jerry Falwell, who diedtoday in Lynchburg, Va., at age 73. His Moral Majority became the foundation of the religious right that has so influenced American politics for nearly three decades. His significance was not diminished even by the frequent controversies in which he found himself — such when he said after Sept. 11 that the ACLU, "abortionists," gay rights and the courts had "helped this happen."
For example, though John McCain counted Falwell among the "agents of intolerance" in the GOP in 2000, McCain concluded last year that he would need Falwell if he wanted to win the White House in 2008.
It will be interesting to see how Falwell is eulogized in the coming days, then who rises among social conservatives to take his prominent place in politics.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
The reviews were mixed at best for the first GOP presidential debate — Stephen Colbert, for one, said the field represented "all the colors of the rainbow from eggshell to ivory" — so it will be interesting to see how the candidates modulate their performances at tonight’s debate in South Carolina. If Kansas’ Sam Brownback is going to break through into conservatives’ hearts, South Carolina would be the place to do it. As it is, Brownback is working like a dog and still only at 2 percent or so in the polls. Even Fred Thompson, who hasn’t announced he’s running, is at 10 percent. The debate airs from 8 to 9:30 p.m. our time on the Fox News Channel. Brit Hume will moderate.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Another Justice Department official is gone, as Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty (in photo) announced his resignation Monday. McNulty had been under scrutiny for the firing of eight U.S. attorneys and his claim during Senate testimony that the firings were "performance-related."
Of the attorneys known to have been dismissed or considered for dismissal, nearly half were targets of GOP complaints that they were lax on voter fraud, the Washington Post reported. One former U.S. attorney, Todd P. Graves of Kansas City, was forced out after he refused to sign off on a lawsuit involving voter rolls.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales appears to be surviving, which doesn’t seem right to Senate Judiciary Committee member Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "It seems ironic," Schumer said, "that Paul McNulty, who at least tried to level with the committee, goes, while Gonzales, who stonewalled the committee, is still in charge."
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
The appearance by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., on CBS’ “Face the Nation” made news mostly for the far-fetched suggestion that he and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg might form an independent presidential ticket next year (“It’s a great country to think about — a New York boy and a Nebraska boy to be teamed up leading this nation,” Hagel said). But another quote resonated in light of the standoff on Iraq between President Bush and the Congress: “War should never be framed up as a partisan issue. It should be never, ever held captive to a political wedge issue. If Bill Clinton was president, if Bill Clinton got us into Iraq like George Bush did, would that mean all the Democrats would be for the war and all the Republicans against it? We must evaluate our involvement anywhere in the world — foreign policy, wars — based on what’s right for the country, not on what’s right for a particular president or a party.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Phill Kline’s former deputy attorney general, Bryan Brown, plans to open an anti-abortion, public-interest law firm in a former abortion clinic in Fort Wayne, Ind. As Eagle reporter Dion Lefler noted, it’s an odd homecoming. The clinic won a $61,600 judgment against Brown in 1990, which Brown refused to pay. The fine eventually became uncollectible after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal racketeering laws couldn’t apply to abortion demonstrators.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney obtained an extension to file his financial disclosure report, which was due today. When he does file, he is expected to report between $190 million and $250 million in assets, which likely would make him the wealthiest of the candidates running for president. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
