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Democrats Convene Group to Develop 'Faith Agenda'
Religion News Service ^ | February 1, 2005 | by Staff Writer

Posted on 02/08/2005 9:11:20 AM PST by siunevada

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has convened a group of Democratic lawmakers to develop a "faith agenda" for the party, a Capitol Hill newspaper reported Monday (Jan. 31).

The "working group" of 15 to 25 members would help Democrats cast issues through a faith lens in a way that would help them speak to "faith-minded" voters, Roll Call reported.

"Our problem is not our programs," said Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. "It's been our expressions and interpretations of those programs. We are people of faith."

Pelosi, a Catholic from San Francisco, has been soliciting ideas on the proposal for two years from faith and political leaders, including former Clinton White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry. Pelosi said religious voters have been co-opted by Republicans.

"House Democrats are people of deep faith and share the values of faith communities," Pelosi told the newspaper.

Pelosi's group will have an uphill climb after exit polls from November's presidential election showed the so-called "values voter" flocking to the GOP in record numbers. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., has made similar overtures in recent weeks, attempting to moderate her party's position on abortion in an effort to broaden support with swing voters.

"I knew that we had a problem two or three days after the election when I started looking at the exit polling," Clyburn said. "I saw that our Catholic nominee for president lost the Catholic vote."

There are 154 Catholics in the 109th Congress -- an all-time high -- including 87 Democrats and 67 Republicans. While Democrats hold their traditional lead among Catholics, Republicans are gaining, with two-thirds of new Catholic members coming from the GOP.

Clyburn told Roll Call that most Democrats "may not wear their religion on their sleeves" but said the party must "go on the offense on these issues" in an attempt to attract swing and moderate voters.


TOPICS: Political Humor/Cartoons; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: fakingit
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A similar UPI article was posted January 31. By PDR.

I couldn't help it, it's still a funny story.

Fishing for the 'faith' vote. Just gotta find the right language. Them believers are sorta stoopid, right?

1 posted on 02/08/2005 9:11:21 AM PST by siunevada
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To: siunevada

OK you guys, I want a detailed report on this 'Jesus' thing on my desk within a week. Also find out about 'NASCAR' and hunting. And barbecue. Also pickup trucks and dogs. Get out there!


2 posted on 02/08/2005 9:13:25 AM PST by Sender (Team Infidel USA)
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To: siunevada

Burn the witches first.


3 posted on 02/08/2005 9:14:05 AM PST by gov_bean_ counter
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To: siunevada

They already had a "faith agenda". That's why so many religious people vote Republican.


4 posted on 02/08/2005 9:14:22 AM PST by Paleo Conservative (Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Andrew Heyward's got to go!)
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To: siunevada
Faith based on the card game " Go Fish "

"do you have 100K votes?"

"NO, go fish"

5 posted on 02/08/2005 9:14:36 AM PST by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
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To: siunevada
"House Democrats are people of deep faith and share the values of faith communities," Pelosi told the newspaper...."We polled the Democratic caucus and by a nearly 1 1/2 to 1 margin, we approve of God. Also, nearly one-third of our caucus doesn't think praying in public should carry life imprisonment. Don't tell ME we're not religious folks!"
6 posted on 02/08/2005 9:15:58 AM PST by TheBigB (RUMSFELD/ASHCROFT '08! Drive the lefties completely batsh!+!)
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To: siunevada
(Something I posted on another thread.)

If I were a democrat pretending to love God, I would watch for lighting bolts.

Gal-ch.6 v.7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

7 posted on 02/08/2005 9:16:51 AM PST by just me (Over 59,000,000 Americans voted not to negotiate with terrorist.....)
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To: siunevada
Yawn> More of the same old same old slick packaging. "How can we fool conservative voters better?" These people do not so get it. We don't like liberalism period, no matter how glossy the paper in which its wrapped. When it comes to faith, the Democrats are in denial. Its not about HOW you say it, its WHAT you say. Its the values, stupid.

Denny Crane: "There are two places to find the truth. First God and then Fox News."

8 posted on 02/08/2005 9:17:29 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: Sender
Memo
From Nancy
To Bubba
Tell me again about that 5 pound Bible you carried around on Sunday morning photo op's...
9 posted on 02/08/2005 9:18:00 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: siunevada
Unfortunately most of the existing Denominations started with less -- and we can cite several denominations that began with equal or less moral footing then this.

The Dems have trotted out their most spiritual members -- not to instruct their unbelieving fellow congressmen or Senators but . . .

To help them create an ad campaign -- to be consumed by their recent unfaithful -- to call them back to the mother church.

10 posted on 02/08/2005 9:18:10 AM PST by Rocketman
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To: siunevada

If the Dems want consensus on this, they should cherry-pick the best bits of Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Paganism, package the whole thing up and announce: "This is our faith. We are ever bit as much a moral Christian as you Republicans."


11 posted on 02/08/2005 9:19:04 AM PST by ClearCase_guy (The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
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To: siunevada

This is pathetic. They aren't doing this out of any religious conviction. This is a political strategy to these evil people.


12 posted on 02/08/2005 9:19:44 AM PST by conservativecorner
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To: siunevada

Putting wheels on a frog and calling it a wagon...does not make it a wagon


13 posted on 02/08/2005 9:20:39 AM PST by Boiling point (If God had not meant for man to eat animals, he wouldn't have made them out of meat!)
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To: siunevada

The unwritten story is, if they have to convene a "working group" to figure out how to talk the talk, then they will never walk the walk. And they will never con anyone into believing otherwise, no matter how many snippets of scripture their speechwriters squeeze into their statements.

And they continue to fail to grasp that if you have faith (in God, not in Government and the Courts), you don't have to "wear your religion on your shirtsleeve." In fact, if you have faith, you won't wear it you will live it.

These people really are beyond redemption.


14 posted on 02/08/2005 9:21:06 AM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: TheBigB

""We polled the Democratic caucus and by a nearly 1 1/2 to 1 margin, WE APPROVE OF GOD."

God needs there approval??

Give me a break.

They wouldn't know what religious 'Faith' was, unless God smacked them in the head.

Hypocrits.


15 posted on 02/08/2005 9:21:14 AM PST by Bigh4u2
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To: siunevada

The irony of the dems pursuit of a faith agenda is that it basically comes down to their stand on abortion ... a litmus test that they themselves have so vigorously promoted over the years.


16 posted on 02/08/2005 9:22:53 AM PST by Klatuu
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To: Bigh4u2
Uuuuuhhhhh, okay.

Those quotes were made up. They came from me. I thought that was pretty obvious.

17 posted on 02/08/2005 9:23:12 AM PST by TheBigB (RUMSFELD/ASHCROFT '08! Drive the lefties completely batsh!+!)
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To: siunevada

"Our problem is not our programs," said Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. "It's been our expressions and interpretations of those programs."

Sorry, Congressman, it's impossible to polish pigsh*t...care to try another answer?


18 posted on 02/08/2005 9:23:40 AM PST by NRA1995 ("Yew jes' go and lay yore hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan & Ah think yer gonna fin'lly understand")
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To: siunevada
Clyburn told Roll Call that most Democrats "may not wear their religion on their sleeves"

...instead, we gotta sorta hide our religion, you know, with its faith in Gaia through the sacrament of abortion.

Plus, the disconnect between being Catholic and demonrat. I share my Catholic conservative brother & sister's frustration at such a state of affairs.

19 posted on 02/08/2005 9:23:47 AM PST by 1john2 3and4 (Where were all the celebrity "Human Shields" for Iraq when they were NEEDED?(Sunday's Election))
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To: siunevada

It's like Rush always says about greatness: if you have to explain how great you are, you ain't. If you have to have "develop" a "faith agenda," it means you don't have one, and, more important, you don't have a clue as to what faith is.


20 posted on 02/08/2005 9:25:29 AM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of news (there is no c in Amtrak and no truth in MSM news))
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