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DEL.ICIO.USThe day that James Dobson went after Colin Powell — and Ralph Reed was caught in the crossfire
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On today’s Daily Beast,, Max Blumenthal tells of the longstanding antagonism between the Religious Right — in the person of Focus on the Family’s James Dobson — and Colin Powell.
You’ll remember that, n his Sunday endorsement of Obama, Powell worried over the narrowing of the Republican party.
The Blumenthal piece includes this tidbit involving Ralph Reed:
Back during the run-up to the 1996 presidential primaries, when some movement conservatives advanced the notion of Powell as the GOP’s most viable presidential nominee, Dobson moved to intimidate and silence the general’s boosters.
Among Powell’s fans was the ardently anti-abortion Jack Kemp, who called him “Republican on almost every issue.” Neoconservative former Education Secretary William Bennett repeatedly praised Powell on the pages of the National Review, while Weekly Standard editor William Kristol argued in an editorial for his magazine that Powell was the only figure who could defeat the increasingly popular Bill Clinton.
Already annoyed by the swell of movement support for the pro-choice Powell, Dobson was furious when Christian Coalition President Ralph Reed refused to condemn Powell’s possible candidacy during his appearance on This Week with David Brinkley.
Immediately, Dobson faxed a five-page letter to Reed accusing him of unholy motives. “Is power the motivator of the great crusade?” Dobson asked the fresh-faced operator. “If so, it will sour and turn to bile in your mouth… This posture may elevate your influence in Washington, but it is unfaithful to the principles we are duty-bound as Christians to defend.”
[Gary] Bauer copied the letter and blasted it out to other Powell-friendly conservatives, including Bennett, who Dobson baselessly accused of being “pro-abortion.” Shaken by Dobson’s jeremiad, Reed hastily composed a letter suggesting that attacks from the Christian right would only provoke Powell into running. The situation “required a delicate balancing act,” Reed insisted, according to Dobson’s official biography.
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Comments
By Mike K.
October 22, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this
*Immediately, Dobson faxed a five-page letter to Reed accusing him of unholy motives. “Is power the motivator of the great crusade?” Dobson asked the fresh-faced operator. “If so, it will sour and turn to bile in your mouth… This posture may elevate your influence in Washington, but it is unfaithful to the principles we are duty-bound as Christians to defend.” *
How ironic coming from Dobson.
By SpaceyG
October 22, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this
Oh fer chrissake… I thought these doddering religious blowhards had been returned to the toxic waste dump of last century’s politics that spawned them and their babbling, drooling ilk. Blumenthhal continues to beateth his dead horses to the watering hole we’re all tired of drinking from. As I continue to mix metaphors like nobody’s business…
Go read Reed’s book, Dark Horse. Reed puts a FAR more entertaining spin on this whole Powell affair saga than the literally-obsessed Blumenthal ever could… bless his squirrely, young, cute little activist-filmmaker heart.
Blumenthal thinks he’s John Reed, while Ralph Reed gets no respect for being a not-bad-at-all thriller writer. Who’d have thought!?
By Copyleft
October 22, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this
Have the religious-reich wackos finally been discredited enough that we can safely ignore them?
Isn’t it time for America to start saying, “Who’s Dobson? Where did this nut come from?”
By Bonnie
October 22, 2008 12:59 PM | Link to this
Fighting amongst Christians! I’m not sure that’s what the good Lord had in mind. As a fellow Christian, I’m deeply offended by some of the comments made by James Dobson, and others. They seem to be like horses with blinders on, and totally resistant to see issues from perspectives other than their own. Bottom Line! We will all stand accountable for our words and behavior on earth to God.
By Bob
October 22, 2008 9:12 PM | Link to this
Colin Powell endorsed someone who refused to commit on when life begins (above his paygrade, remember?); who called a baby “punishment” for “a mistake;” and who voted four times against legislation that would protect a living newborn from being killed or abandoned to die after surviving a botched abortion. After all, we don’t want a woman inconvenienced with a baby.
Some call that infanticide. But hey, he’s black. ‘Nuf said.
By JerryT
October 22, 2008 9:34 PM | Link to this
John McCain actually killed people with bombs. No voting. No amendments. No majority. Just a bomb and some dead people. Tough choice for a “Christian”.
By Jayakar Dalavai
October 24, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this
Dear Rev. Dr. Dobson, ‘Immediately, Dobson faxed a five-page letter to Reed accusing him of unholy motives. “Is power the motivator of the great crusade?” Dobson asked the fresh-faced operator. “If so, it will sour and turn to bile in your mouth… This posture may elevate your influence in Washington, but it is unfaithful to the principles we are duty-bound as Christians to defend.” ‘ This was what you said 12 years ago about Colin Powell and how prejudiced that was! I am not defending Ralph Reed but you are absolutely wrong about this characterization. It is George Bush, your Crusader, who had tarnished the Christian image all over the world and personified himself as the savior of the right wing conservatives. He led us to WAR of no return, built upon lies, concocted stories, and demolished financial foundations with the support from your right-wing groups. As a Christian you remained silent then, and now, when the path is being corrected, you invoke GOD alongside Sarah Palin, who is another catastrophe herself. When you refused to support McCain because of practices that you seem to value and now, you see Obama marching towards victory and you bring GOD into the picture and support McCain? Well Sir, remember as Sarah Palin said, “now the election is in God’s hand.” If God chooses to make Obama, President of U.S.A., don’t stir up anger among your followers. Your Christianity is so shallow that you curse (If so, it will sour and turn to bile in your mouth) people if they do not follow your footsteps . And I suspect, you are capable of resorting to any kind of unchristian practices under the veil of true Christianity. It is incongruous to blame everyone except your true cohorts, because you are trying to elevate your failing influence among voting Christians and not being true to your own Christian principles. Doctor, we are duty bound to defend two commandments, love God and our neighbor as ourselves. That covers it all and everything else is idiosyncratic and open to question.
By RonReagan08
November 9, 2008 9:03 PM | Link to this
James Dobson who?
What a big nobody with zero influence.
James Dobson’s 15 minutes are up.
James go away and crawl under a rock.
Colin Powell is a man of character and principle unlike James Dobson.