Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Civil war looms for Republicans
The Chicago Sun Times ^ | ROBERT NOVAK

Posted on 06/28/2004 9:24:17 AM PDT by SlickWillard

Before Congress left town Friday for its Fourth of July recess, Rep. Bill Thomas of California pulled off one of his patented legislative assassinations. Washington's most cunning parliamentarian, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Thomas eradicated the Freedom of Speech in Churches Act without openly opposing it. In the process, he fired an early shot in a destructive civil war looming for Republicans.

The bill would stop the Internal Revenue Service from using existing statutes to muzzle clergymen who talk politics in their churches. That stoppage is pressed by Christian conservatives, who say they have been discriminated against by federal enforcers. While the free speech initiative is supported by Republican leaders, Thomas made short work of it. He transformed the proposal into a hybrid that neither friend nor foe could support.

Thomas has brought into the open internecine warfare posing grave dangers for the Republican Party. A 13-term congressman who is the party boss of Bakersfield, Calif., he represents old-line Republicans who resent Christian conservatives entering their party in 1980 (and giving the GOP parity with Democrats). Efforts to expel these intruders will reach fever pitch next year if George W. Bush is defeated for re-election.

This specific fight's origins date back to 1954 when Senate Democratic leader Lyndon B. Johnson, unduly concerned about the threat to his re-election from right-wing political groups, passed a bill barring political activity by tax-exempt organizations. In time, this was broadened to keep churches out of politics.

That aspiration sounds comical to me after years of following Democratic candidates into inner-city churches on Sunday mornings to hear them endorsed by black clergymen. This activity never incurs the wrath of Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Instead, Lynn pesters the IRS about conservatives in church as he did in a May 27 letter to the IRS. It claimed Bishop Michael J. Sheridan's pastoral letter of May 1 ''jeopardized the tax-exempt status'' of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs, Colo., by praising politicians opposed to abortion.

Such censorship alarmed Walter Jones, a Republican businessman and devout Catholic from Farmville, N.C., when he was elected to Congress in 1994. Correcting unintended consequences of LBJ's 1954 legislation became Jones' top priority. He introduced his bill in 2001.

Thomas as chairman blocked an easy path to the floor for Jones' bill. It reached the floor Oct. 1, 2002, under the procedure requiring two-thirds approval. Despite support for it from their party's leadership, 46 Republicans -- Thomas included -- voted no and prevented even a simple majority. They represent a bloc of Republicans, from the corporate boardroom to the country club, who despise the religious right.

This year, the indefatigable Jones managed to get his religious free speech proposal imbedded in tax legislation that has to be passed to stop trade retaliation by the European Union. Everybody was on board: Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Majority Whip Roy Blunt, Republican National Chairman Ed Gillespie -- everybody, that is, except Thomas.

Thomas practiced his sorcery. The straightforward Jones language was transmuted into a maze of words that lawyers for conservative organizations say would keep the muzzle on preachers. Jones, with the backing of Hastert, added 28 words to the Thomas language to restore his original meaning. Thomas pulled the 28 words out of the final version. That killed the whole issue. Thomas did not seem unhappy about it, but the speaker was furious.

Thomas is a secularist who in the past jousted with senior Republican Rep. Henry Hyde of Illinois, a prominent Catholic layman, over federal aid to Catholic hospitals. A former college professor, Thomas is entitled to his own views, but today's GOP relies on support not from secular Americans but from churchgoers. Jones, not intimidated by Thomas, told me: ''Discretionary enforcement, primarily against conservative churches, of an unenforceable law is wrong and should not stand.'' That is a battle cry for the coming Republican civil war.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: billthomas; churchandstate; culturewar; freespeech; irs; northcarolina; novak; oldnorthstate; rino; robertnovak; unhelpful; walterjones
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 last
To: Constitution Day

Not War of Northern Aggression?


61 posted on 07/01/2004 6:31:19 AM PDT by JohnnyZ (Yes, I do think I'm funny, why do you ask?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: JohnnyZ

I only say that when I want to tweak obnoxious Yankees.


62 posted on 07/01/2004 6:35:13 AM PDT by Constitution Day (Member, Burger-Eating War Monkeys, Rapid Response Digital Brown Shirts, NLC™)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: SlickWillard

I say as John Adams did in the movie "Amistad" about a possible civil war:

"Let it come. And let it be the last great battle in the American Revolution."

Besides, I'm tired of these dull conventions...


63 posted on 07/04/2004 5:41:48 PM PDT by streetpreacher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ozzymandus
2 points: As everybody already has stated, Novak is always looking for a "civil war" in the GOP,and why no mention of all the RAT electioneering that goes on in the black churches.

From the article: "That aspiration sounds comical to me after years of following Democratic candidates into inner-city churches on Sunday mornings to hear them endorsed by black clergymen. This activity never incurs the wrath of Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Instead, Lynn pesters the IRS about conservatives in church as he did in a May 27 letter to the IRS. It claimed Bishop Michael J. Sheridan's pastoral letter of May 1 ''jeopardized the tax-exempt status'' of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs, Colo., by praising politicians opposed to abortion."

64 posted on 07/04/2004 5:55:32 PM PDT by streetpreacher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: spacewarp
I was talking to a Democrat co-worker the other day about the upcoming election. His comment (and he's decided after our discussion to NOT vote for Kerry, but instead look at either Nader or Cobb)

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

65 posted on 07/04/2004 5:57:07 PM PDT by streetpreacher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: SlickWillard
.... if George W. Bush is defeated for re-election.

Hey Novak, SHUT UP. Just Shut up! You boring puke!

There ya go. Well reasoned responses, at your service. :-)~

66 posted on 07/04/2004 6:03:19 PM PDT by JoeSixPack1 (Freedom Stands Because Heroes Serve.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SlickWillard
"Fruitcake" as in Sandy Hume or Bill "Mr. Susan Molinari" Paxon?

Uh, didn't Sandy sorta kill himself?

67 posted on 07/04/2004 6:29:18 PM PDT by carenot (Proud member of The Flying Skillet Brigade)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: carenot; KayEyeDoubleDee
Uh, didn't Sandy sorta kill himself?

Yeah, rumor had it that the Clintonites threatened to out him & Mr. Molinari, so ol' Sandy took one for the team - fell on his sword, so to speak.

You get some pretty good hits if you google on it:

http://www.google.com/search?q=sandy+hume+bill+paxon&safe=off
[Apparently other versions of the story have Dick Armey playing the role of the Clintonites - nothing like a little historical revisionism, I guess.]
68 posted on 07/05/2004 6:37:25 AM PDT by SlickWillard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: SlickWillard
A 13-term congressman.....................

Nobody...and I mean NOBODY...needs to be, nor should be in Washington that long.

I'd vote for a houseplant...if they would make term limits their only misson. (vbg)..

I can dream......can't I?

FWIW-

69 posted on 07/05/2004 6:44:42 AM PDT by Osage Orange (Hillary's heart is as dark as truck-stop coffee.............)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hosepipe
Much too complicated for liberals maybe even too complicated for conservatives..

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[

I'd edit your sentence above to read....for most liberals...And for some conservatives....

If we are speaking about just our everyday rank and file...libs or conservatives then....it generally appears to me that 70% of the 100% of conservatives that I know...are more informed than 85% of the 100% of liberals that I know.....

FRegards,

70 posted on 07/05/2004 6:57:20 AM PDT by Osage Orange (Hillary's heart is as dark as truck-stop coffee.............)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Osage Orange
What does "Osage" mean?

I remember it from the eighties and the Wilson Goode/MOVE butchery:

http://www.google.com/search?q=osage+avenue+move

71 posted on 07/05/2004 7:00:57 AM PDT by SlickWillard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 69 | View Replies]

To: SlickWillard
I believe it's a mangled interpretation ( by early traders, trappers, etc... ) of what the Osage Indians called themselves...which I think was something like "Wazhazhe"....which most translate to mean "The Children of the Middle Water"...

FRegards,

72 posted on 07/05/2004 7:33:56 AM PDT by Osage Orange (Hillary's heart is as dark as truck-stop coffee.............)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: SlickWillard
when her heinous was running for senate here in the holy state of new york she spoke at just about every black church there is out there.

8 of us got together and put together Christian voter guides for 60 churches, most of them were afraid to hand them out. It was a voter guide no endorsements of any candidate, just a voting record and where they stood on issues concerning the Church.

The Pastor at my old church made an executive decision and threw them in the trash. Hillary was elected because the Pastors are so afraid of losing their tax exemption they will not say anything from the pulpit.

One of these days the republicans will grow a set and start fighting back, although now it will be one hell of a fight we have lost all to much ground.

I'm ready to fight and have been for years.
73 posted on 07/05/2004 7:53:47 AM PDT by The Mayor (The one who lives for this life only will have eternity to regret it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SlickWillard
he represents old-line Republicans who resent Christian conservatives entering their party in 1980

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

74 posted on 07/05/2004 8:01:22 AM PDT by rintense (Screw justice. I want revenge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Qwinn
If just the idea that Republicans are starting to get in the mood to fight back (finally), well, I no longer see that as a negative.

By limiting political speech in churches? That is NOT a Republican. Sounds like a socialist to me.

Word to Republicans: LEAVE THE CONSTITUTION ALONE.

75 posted on 07/05/2004 8:02:58 AM PDT by rintense (Screw justice. I want revenge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: F.J. Mitchell

Well in Pennsylvania, church sermons that say homosexuality is wrong are being considered a hate crime- if lawmakers and liberals have their way.


76 posted on 07/05/2004 8:06:20 AM PDT by rintense (Screw justice. I want revenge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: NCSteve

Well if they are going to take away rights guaranteed by the Constitution, you can damn well bet there will be a civil war. The sad thing is, Republicans like Thomas support this. I, as a Republican, do not.


77 posted on 07/05/2004 8:08:24 AM PDT by rintense (Screw justice. I want revenge.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: The Ghost of FReepers Past
It's not negative about the GOP? Did you read it? He's just stating facts: there is a division within the party on certain subjects.

And God help any of us who are conservative, and have issues which are important to air. I believe the Republican Party is looking forward to the day when they think they can get enough illegal voters to commit to the party, then they won't need conservative Christians anymore. We are a shameful part of the party to these people, and always have been.

78 posted on 07/05/2004 8:13:00 AM PDT by swampfox98 (We are at war! We have been at war since 9/11. How smart do you have to be to understand this?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: rintense

That's a perfect example of how the left has an agenda to make speaking the truth a crime and outlaw any truth that inteferes with it's scheme.


79 posted on 07/05/2004 9:06:02 AM PDT by F.J. Mitchell (John Kerry-Mr. everyman-Mr everyman born with a silver shovel full of buttered lobster in his mouth.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]

To: Osage Orange
I believe it's a mangled interpretation ( by early traders, trappers, etc... ) of what the Osage Indians called themselves...which I think was something like "Wazhazhe"....which most translate to mean "The Children of the Middle Water"...

Well, I wonder if Filthydelphia's Osage Avenue is named for Oklahoma's Osage Indians?

80 posted on 07/05/2004 9:09:36 AM PDT by SlickWillard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson