Harris Says Views Grounded In Faith

Palm Beach Post ^ | 24 July 2006 | Sandra Hong

[NautiNurse]

STUART — Before the Sunday service at a church near downtown, U.S. Senate hopeful and Republican U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris gave brief but pointed comments on issues including immigration, abortion and gay marriage.

Appealing to about 200 at First Baptist Church, Harris said her views were rooted in what she described as the country's Christian origins and principles.

Harris, flanked by two large American flags, spoke mostly about immigration, from which she drew parallels to the current fighting between Israeli troops and the Hezbollah militia.

"Israel is fighting a global war, a global enemy, its terrorists, on all of our behalf," Harris said, adding that the United States must take aggressive steps to tighten its own borders to block terrorists.

"We hear of Middle Easterners — they could be fundamental extremists — taking Hispanic names and coming into our country. We do not know where they are. This is a matter of great national security," she said.

Harris acknowledged that recent immigrants were a vital engine of Florida's economy, but said that workers "must be legal, temporary and have an identification that is secure and cannot be replicated."

Harris, of Longboat Key, near Sarasota, also made appearances Saturday in Stuart and Port St. Lucie, seeking support for her Senate bid. Polls show her trailing Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson by more than 30 points.

Three other Republican candidates will be on the Sept. 5 primary ballot: Will McBride, a lawyer from Orange County, Peter Monroe, a Pinellas County developer, and Adm. LeRoy Collins Jr., a retired naval officer.

Harris' church visit Sunday was at the invitation of First Baptist's pastor, Darrell Orman, who described it as a chance for Harris to "share her testimony" with the church.

Harris assured the audience that "there are many people who care deeply about the Lord that are your elected officials."

Just as the authors of the Constitution looked to the Bible for guidance, so should government today, she said.

"They believed if they had a government according to the Bible, that we would be a nation blessed," she said. "But there has been so much confusion on this church vs. state — it was never intended as it has become, as it has been allowed by politically correct people who want to change the course of western civilization."

Harris said her firm opposition to gay marriage was affirmation of her Christian faith and one that "very much distinguishes me" from incumbent Nelson.

She also pointed to her "100 percent voting record" against abortion, including support for the parental-consent law and the ban against the "heinous" procedure of "partial-birth" abortion.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Some people are afraid of strong women. Hence the Coulter bashers who spewed the same garbage when Coulter's book comes out. They're not used to women standing up on their own.