The informed liberals "get it," as demonstrated in the article below written and published by the political left (Huffington Post). Why does the Republican establishment pretend that the Tea Party movement is void of Christians who advocate social issues and pray to God to "heal our land?"
Background: GOP Ignores Social Conservatives at Own Peril
In contrast: Republican Congressman Mike Pence is telling his colleagues not to forget about the issues the religious right cares about.
-- From "Hiding in Plain Sight: The Christian Right in the Tea Party Movement" by Nancy L. Cohen, Historian and Author, Huffington Post 9/17/10
Why are we just getting the bulletin about "social conservatives" in the Tea Party movement?
. . . The successful Tea Party candidates reveal how vital social conservatism is to Tea Party voters. Would-be GOP Senators Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell are bona fide Christian zealots. . . . Colorado's Ken 'Vote-for-me-because-I-don't-wear-high-heels' Buck favors a state Personhood amendment, an anti-abortion measure which would effectively outlaw many common forms of birth control.
And then there are Sarah Palin's 'mama grizzlies' -- Carly Fiorina (CA), Nikki Haley (SC), Kelly Ayotte (NH), Christine O'Donnell (DE), and Angle (NV). What they have in common is not a ginned up conservative feminism, nor anti-government populism, but rather a common mission to legislate traditional Christian values. Each one plans to make abortion illegal and man the barricades against gay marriage. O'Donnell, Angle, and Palin have been vocal about how their conservative Christian faith shapes their political beliefs. Haley, faced with a difficult primary race, soft-pedaled her Sikh upbringing and testified to "living in Christ every day."
. . . A Quinnipiac poll suggests that the Christian rightwingers will prevail: Born-again evangelicals are the most dissatisfied group in the nation, and the group most likely to say they would vote for a Tea Party candidate. The GOP knows well that Christian conservatives are their most reliable constituency, and won't cross evangelicals simply to hold onto the handful of votes wielded by libertarians.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Mike Pence: Don't abandon social issues" by Jake Sherman, Politico 9/17/10
Pence [spoke] on one of the most vexing issues facing House Republicans: the inclusion of social issues in a governing agenda meant to propel the party into power. Some Republican leaders say their 2010 agenda should avoid culture war issues because they would distract from promoting job-creating measures. Pence fired back, saying Republicans can “can create jobs while protecting innocent human life.”
If Republicans hold the “banner” of God and freedom high, “I believe with all my heart the good and great people in this land will rally to our cause; we will win this Congress back in 2010; and we will win this country back in 2012,” Pence said.
“Those who would have us ignore the battle being fought over life, marriage and religious liberty have forgotten the lessons of history," Pence said. "As in the days of a house divided, America’s darkest moments have come when economic arguments trumped moral principles.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Congressman Pence's comments were made at the Values Voter Summit this week (videos available at C-Span.org).
