Why moderate Republicans MUST vote

By:Henry Briggs 05/10/2007
(c) Main Line Life 2007
MLL story link


Most moderate Republicans skipped the Republican presidential debate last week. It's too bad, because it was a real knee slapper.

Of 10 candidates, 9 said that, being good Christians, they would overturn Roe v. Wade. Three of the 10 said they didn't buy Darwin's Theory of Evolution, preferring the Genesis version, which puts the beginning of life at 6000 years ago.

Here's something even funnier. These candidates got there through a process that was controlled by a special interest group, the Pro-Life Christian Right.

Starting in the late 80s and continuing through today, a group of Christian Conservatives has followed a long-term strategy of taking control of the Republican Party. The strategy? Elect Christian Conservatives to Republican Committee positions. Do so in secret; even if asked, deny being a member of the Christian Coalition.

Why go after Committee positions? Because they are the first filter for Republican candidates on their way up the ladder. By screening out Pro-Choice candidates and screening in Pro-Life Christian Conservatives, this special interest group could eventually produce a Pro-Life Judiciary, a Pro-Life Legislature and a Pro-Life President. A political hat trick.

Farfetched? We have a Pro-Life Christian Conservative President who thinks he gets his orders from God, a Supreme Court that has taken a first step toward overturning Roe v. Wade, and a group of Republican congressman and senators that refuses to fund stem cell research and that considers Intelligent Design an intelligent alternative to Evolution.

If these 10 Republican candidates are any indication, there are more hat tricks in the making.

OK. I'm kidding. This isn't funny at all.

The Republican Party is currently controlled by a 30 percent minority: the Pro-Life Christian Conservatives. The other 60 percent, the Moderates, are too ... well, moderate to take them on. They have been passively watching while their democracy is actively pushed toward theocracy.

If you doubt this, consider just one political action committee, LifePAC. Look at their mission statement at LifePAC.net: it says, "LifePAC seeks to identify and support pro-life candidates for public office" and ... "the church is vital to our efforts because of the higher concentration of pro-life voters."

Then look at the web pages of the Republican judicial candidates for the May 15 Primary: Jackie Shogan, Paul Panepinto, Cheryl Allen, Bruce Bratton, and Michael Krancer. Every one is endorsed by LifePAC.

Republican judicial candidate Maureen Lally-Green is not endorsed by LifePAC, but is endorsed by Pat Toomey, who was Pro-Life before Pro-Life was cool.

Only one moderate, David Bortner, has slipped through.

Now think Supreme Court. Think Roe v. Wade. Think Creationism in schools. Think.

And the lock is not just for judges. Terence Farrell, a Republican endorsed candidate for Chester County Commissioner, supports a mini-LifePAC called Chester County Action, "a conservative, pro-life organization committed to improving grassroots politics in Chester County".

Some of you may be gleeful at these revelations, to which I would say, "Congratulations and God go with you," except we both know you and Bush already have Him/Her on your shoulder.

If you are a Moderate Republican though, one of the 60 percent Republican majority who believe the party is worth saving, then vote on May 15. Vote for the few moderate candidates that are available: candidates like David Bortner for judge and Sandy Moser and Carol Aichele for Chester County Commissioner.

And then just leave the voting booth and ignore the Special Interest candidates. Sure, they'll win the primary; there are no other choices. But there is always November.

For now, it's important that Moderate Republicans be heard by the Republican leadership. And your refusal to vote for endorsed special interest candidates, your silence, is even more important.

That kind of silence can be very loud. No kidding.