One of Karl Rove's toughest assignments was to juggle the elements of the so-called Bush Republican coalition by catering to the religious right at election time. Operatives needed to walk this potentially fatal minefield softly.  

While seeking not to upset the vital religious right constituency, other more moderate conservative types needed to be kept within the Republican fold.  Their support also needed to be retained to stand any chance of triumphing on the national scene.

A student of history, Rove certainly correlated this challenge alongside that perennially faced by his idol Richard Nixon when he sought the presidency.  As the saying then went, Nixon would "fly right for money and fly left for votes."

This was the game Nixon needed to successfully play given the existence at that time of a more progressive Eastern Republican wing that had to be placated alongside more conservative element in the Midwest and west, along with the then opening opportunities in the south.

The Greater Blogosphere is, as always, keeping an eye on the role of the religious right in public life.  

This week, there are notable posts about the mobilization by the religious right to thwart efforts against global warming; assaults, (as always), on separation of church and state and reproductive rights; and on the struggle over the facts and interpretation of history.

Last week I wrote about James Dobson's crackpot claims about homosexuality and reparative therapy, separation of church and state, and how liberals don't know the difference between right and wrong -- all in a nationally televised interview with  Larry King on CNN. I called on liberals to stand-up for themselves and to answer Dobson's outrageous claims.

Fortunately, someone was up to the challenge.

Larry King says that James Dobson, head of Focus on the Family, is one of his favorite guests.  The reason?  "You always know where he stands. That's what makes a great guest."

Indeed, for the promotion of religious and antigay bigotry, crackpot science and bogus history, one can hardly find anyone better.

Millions of people saw this interview on November 22nd, but far fewer were probably aware of how far out on a limb Dobson was on many important matters.  What's more, as far as I can tell, there was little media or blogger coverage of Dobson's interview, which was chock full of extraordinary material deserving of response.

The Washington Post has a story headlined "The Religious Right:  An Alliance Torn Assunder."  While the headline may be a bit overheated, we may very well see some interesting reallignments and perhaps some shaking out in the GOP coalition in the post-election period.  The seeming rift is emerging, primarily between the between the theocratic elements blindly aligned itself with President Bush; and more traditional libertarian conservatives and moderate business-oriented Republicans.

Former GOP House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX),  is trying to pin the pending GOP election losses on the theocratic views of the far religious right. But frankly, while Armey's outburst is initially intriguing, it sounds mostly like a lot of hot air, and business pretty much as usual to me.

Update:  A much shorter version of my investigative report appeared in Mother Jones, Dec 2005. This the full-length version. further not: The National Christian Foundation is now the 29th largest charitiable foundation in the US according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy's just released report, the Philanthropy 400.

 "When you choose to work with the National Christian Foundation, you get a partner that shares your Biblical perspective on giving...We teach [donors] valuable ways to invest dollars into God's Kingdom, rather than surrender whose dollars to the federal government"--The National Christian Foundation

Tucked between two large hospital complexes on the northern perimeter of Atlanta's vast sprawl is the largest and least known single financial delivery system to the Christian Right.

Since its founding nearly twenty-five years ago, the National Christian Charitable Foundation--AKA The National Christian Foundation-- has become the leading financial delivery system to the Religious Right, having channeled nearly $1 billion to ministries, conservative think tanks and political activists around the country and overseas.  NCF operates so far under the public radar that even its hometown newspaper, the Atlanta Constitution, has never featured them in an article.

Despite his claims that  "here at Focus on the Family, we're not political,"  the Reverend James Dobson appears to have endorsed Republican Rick O'Donnell over his Democratic opponent Ed Perlmutter in the congressional race for Colorado's 7th District.

This is Part VI. Read:

Part I, "Tempting Faith: Bush's 'Faith Based' Initiative a Scam"

PART II, "Tempting Faith: Bush Betrays Christian Conservatives"

PART III, "Tempting Faith: Bush Admin: Christian Cons are "Nuts", "Ridiculous""

In Part IV, Kuo reveals the administration's deliberate and conscious discrimination of non-Christian and otherwise non-Bush-supportive groups.

Clearly this is the most egregious trespass (among many) to American values laid out in Kuo's book -- a clear desecration of the first amendment.

Kuo charges that "the White House's own rationale for pushing the faith-based initiative -- an effort to make it easier for churches and other sectarian organizations to receive federal social-service funding -- was bogus."

(More over the flip...)

This is Part III. Read:

Part I, "Tempting Faith: Bush's 'Faith Based' Initiative a Scam"

and PART II, "Tempting Faith: Bush Betrays Christian Conservatives"

In Part III, Kuo reveals the Administration's disdain for and mockery of Bush's conservative Christian base.

...the book includes charges that high-ranking White House officials referred to prominent conservative Christian leaders as "nuts" behind their backs,

[...]

"National Christian leaders received hugs and smiles in person and then were dismissed behind their backs and described as 'ridiculous,' 'out of control,' and just plain 'goofy,'" Kuo wrote. He added that top political officials in White House aide Karl Rove's office referred to the leaders as "the nuts."

Read Also:

Part IV, "Tempting Faith: Bush Admin Admits Discriminating Against Non-Christians"

This is Part II. Read: Part I, "Tempting Faith: Bush's 'Faith Based' Initiative a Scam"

In Part II, Kuo reveals the knife that the administration brazenly inserted into the back of their alleged allies.

Olbermann: "Kuo cites one example after another of a White House that repeatedly uses Evangelical Christians for their votes while consistently giving them nothing in return."

Olbermann: So, how does the Bush White House keep the 'nuts' turning out at the polls? One way, regular conference calls with groups lead by Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Ted Haggard, and radio hosts like Michael Reagan. ... They did get some things from the Bush White House, like the National Day of Prayer. ... Or 'Little trinkets like cufflinks or pens or pads of paper were passed out like business cards. Christian leaders could give them to their congregations or donors or friends to show just how influential they were.'"

Olbermann: "When cufflinks were not enough, the White House played the Jesus card, reminding Christian leaders that 'He knew the president's faith' and begging for patience.

(More over the flip...)

Yet another ex-Bush White House official is coming clean on the flagrant dishonesty, shameless politicization, and arrogant self-absorption of the current administration.

This time it's David Kuo, the former number two person in the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Kuo, a self-described conservative evangelical, offers the inside scoop on the administration's pursuit of Christian conservative votes even as they mocked them behind their backs.

The full story, Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction (Still unreleased, his book is currently the #13 Best Seller at Amazon), will be released on October 16. But MSNBC's Keith Olberman was able to obtain a copy early and shared some of it's insights on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" on October 11th.

(More over the flip...)

Jerry Falwell achieved one of the demagogical milestones in American political history during the 1984 presidential race when he solemnly proclaimed that the Republican ticket of Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush had been selected by God to lead the nation.  Democrats and other comparably appalled citizens expressed outrage at Falwell for in effect declaring, "God is a Republican".

Falwell was back busily at work again this week, declaring before a convention of the "godly faithful" that Hillary Clinton, should she be the Democratic nominee for president in 2008, would serve as an even greater lightning rod to mobilize his constituency than the Devil.  

Even some of the religious right saw potential problems stemming from such a tasteless and absurd remark.  They engaged in instant spin control, insisting that the right reverend from Virginia was only kidding and his remark was not to be taken seriously.

Whenever it appears that the Republican religious right's bigotry brigade has reached its low level watermark, a demagogue of the moment leaps forward with blinding purported spiritual impetus to enhance momentum.  

This Week in Blogging the Religious Right features several reports from last weekend's hair raising Values Voters Summit, in Washington, DC, hosted by Tony Perkins' Family Research Council and James Dobson's political action group, Focus on the Family Action.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how Richard Viguerie, a conservative movement and religious right leader, who had led an attempted bolt of the GOP in the 1970s, is publically calling for conservatives to pull back this year. He and others feel that the GOP under George Bush has betrayed conservative principles on the economy; size of government; taxes, foreign policy, privacy, and that they have failed to deliever on abortion and gay rights -- among many other grievances.

What was then a distant drum beat is coming to a cresendo as the November elections draw ever closer.

Since I didn't do a round-up last week, this week in blogging the religious right is really more like, recent blogging on the religious right.  But there is still lots of good stuff you wouldn't want to miss. With any luck, we will return to a weekly schedule from here on.