The Washington Post has a new op-ed peice by Reagan ex-Department of Interior head, James Watts. It reveals the Theocon weakness to activism by religious liberals.
Ahhhhh James Watt famous for claiming "The Beach Boys" attracted the wrong element.
and these famous quotes:
"I do not know how many future generations we can count on before the Lord returns."
--James Watt, February 5, 1981
"We have every kind of mix you can have. I have a black, I have a woman, two Jews and a cripple."
--James Watt, September 21, 1983
http://ruthlessreviews.com/top10/10bigpricks.html
"We will mine more, drill more, cut more timber."
--Secretary of the Interior James Watt
"A left-wing cult dedicated to bringing down the type of government I believe in."
--James Watt describing environmentalists
http://www.geocities.com/thereaganyears/environment.htm
His articles is timely. It reminds us that today's toxic combination of the religious right and corporationalism (facism) is merely the mature fruit of seeds planted by Ronald Reagan.
The religious left's political operatives have mounted a shrill attack on a significant portion of the Christian community. Four out of five evangelical Christians supported President Bush in 2004 -- a third of all ballots cast for him, according to the Pew Research Center. Factor in Catholics and members of other conservative religious communities and it's clear that the religious right is the largest voting bloc in today's Republican Party.
The religious left took note. Political opportunists in its ranks sought a wedge issue to weaken the GOP's coalition of Jews, Catholics and evangelicals and shatter its electoral majority. They passed over obvious headliners and landed on a curious but cunning choice: the environment. Those leading the charge are effective advocates: LBJ alumnus Bill Moyers of PBS fame, members of the National Council of Churches USA and liberal theologians who claim a moral superiority to other people of faith.
Their tactics are familiar. I encountered them more than 20 years ago as President Reagan's secretary of the interior, when I clashed with extreme environmental groups adept at taking out of context -- or in some cases creating -- statements that, once twisted, were attributed to me as if they were my religious views.
">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/20/AR2005052001333.html
The article tells us something more important, however, that the Christian left hurts them. That is way they react so violently. Joan Chittister, Bill Moyers, Waller, and like minded liberal religious folks may be our best warriors against the religious right.