Free Republic

According to a February 1, 2007 report by the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC), Maria Vanderslice, a 1997 graduate of Earlham College and head of the 2 year-old PR firm called Common Good Strategies, has much to do with recent Democrat Party success in wooing Christian voters. Vanderslice has been working behind the scenes to help Democrats convince Christians that they should vote for Democrats of “faith”. Like many Democrat efforts to sway voters and stem the large numbers of political losses suffered by liberals until the past elections, this “faith” initiative is rotten from the core and built on typical...

America is a religious nation. Polls reveal 94 percent of Americans believe in God or "a higher power," 84 percent believe religion is fairly or very important to them, 85 percent believe in life after death and 61 percent pray at least once a day. Consequently, presidential candidates and political parties know that if they come off as too secular, they will alienate voters. So they routinely appoint aides to advise them on religion issues. This spring, Sen. John Kerry hired Mara Vanderslice to be his director of religious outreach. Billed as a Christian activist, Ms. Vanderslice was raised without...

The Democratic National Committee's appointed religion adviser has resigned after a Catholic group criticized her for supporting an atheist's claim that the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. Rev. Brenda Bartella Peterson stepped down as the DNC's senior religion adviser, telling the Religion News Service that "it was no longer possible for me to do my job effectively." "The only question now is whether [Democratic presidential candidate] John Kerry and the DNC have finally got the message. When we exposed Mara Vanderslice as a Left-wing activist who cavorts with anti-Catholics, the Kerry camp silenced her as...

For John Kerry, this religion thing is a problem. On the one hand, he wants to appeal to Dem elites who tend to be (let's face it) more secular than not. On the other hand, he doesn't want to offend the vast majority of voters who consider themselves religious folk, especially black and Hispanic Democrats. Unlike George Bush, John Kerry has to straddle not only the difference between his base and the swing vote on religious themes, but a radical difference in taste between key constituents of the Democrat Party. A June Time magazine poll, for example, showed just 7...

On July 23, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Terry McAuliffe announced the appointment of Rev. Brenda Bartella Peterson as the Senior Advisor for Religious Outreach; she is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Commenting on her selection is Catholic League president William Donohue: “Terry McAuliffe says that the appointment of Rev. Peterson as the new Senior Advisor for Religious Outreach ‘reflects the DNC’s commitment to reaching all people of faith’; he also notes that she ‘will act as liaison to religious organizations.’ Upon learning of this appointment, we decided to find out who this woman is....

Presidential candidate John Kerry has just hired Mara Vanderslice as his religion outreach director. She formerly served as Howard Dean's religion director. CNSNews reports on Vanderslice's strange views and background. According to Catholic League head William Donohue, Vanderslice allegedly became a Christian at Earlham College, a Quaker school. While at Earlham, she was a member of the Earlham Socialist Alliance and supported the release of cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal. She openly embraces Marxism. After graduation, Vanderslice spoke up at ACT Up rallies and took place in riots against the World Trade Organization in Seattle in 2002. Senator Kerry also recently came...

<p>Sen. John Kerry's advisers are telling the presidential candidate to steer clear of talking about religion after running afoul of several Catholic bishops and after the campaign's new director of religious outreach was criticized this week for espousing left-wing causes.</p>

<p>Sen. John Kerry's advisers are telling the presidential candidate to steer clear of talking about religion after running afoul of several Catholic bishops and after the campaign's new director of religious outreach was criticized this week for espousing left-wing causes.</p>

In an article in today’s Washington Times, reporter Julia Duin says that Mara Vanderslice, the Kerry campaign’s director of religious outreach, is no longer permitted to talk to the press. Vanderslice was exposed on June 14 in a Catholic League news release as being a far left-wing activist who has spoken at rallies held by the notoriously anti-Catholic group, ACT UP. The Kerry campaign is now reportedly in a “panic mode” over this revelation. Catholic League president William Donohue commented as follows: “It is disingenuous of the Kerry campaign to blame me for simply disclosing who Mara Vanderslice is. But...

<p>As much as John Kerry criticizes others for making religion an issue in this campaign, but he certainly isn't above making religion an issue to his advantage. As the Washington Times reports today, he's heeding the advice of Rev. Robert Drinan, a Jesuit priest, who's told him to "keep cool" on religion so long as religious issue stack up to his disadvantage.</p>

NewsMax.com's Fr. Michael Reilly says there's something rotten about Sen. John Kerry's strategy to win the religious vote. What was John Kerry thinking when he appointed Mara Vanderslice as his Director of Religious Outreach? Catholic League president William Donohue finds her a curious choice: "Here’s what we know about John Kerry’s religious outreach person. Mara Vanderslice was raised without any faith and didn’t become an evangelical Christian until she attended Earlham College, a Quaker school known for its adherence to pacifism. "When in college, Mara was active in the Earlham Socialist Alliance, a group that supports the convicted cop killer...

What was John Kerry thinking when he appointed Mara Vanderslice as his Director of Religious Outreach? Catholic League president William Donohue finds her a curious choice: “Here’s what we know about John Kerry’s religious outreach person. Mara Vanderslice was raised without any faith and didn’t become an evangelical Christian until she attended Earlham College, a Quaker school known for its adherence to pacifism. When in college, Mara was active in the Earlham Socialist Alliance, a group that supports the convicted cop killer Mumia Abu- Jamal and openly embraces Marxism-Leninism. After graduating, Mara spoke at rallies held by ACT-UP, the anti-Catholic...

(CNSNews.com) - Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign has hired a new director of religion outreach, who is being described by a Catholic group as "a curious choice." Mara Vanderslice, who formerly worked as religion outreach director for Democrat Howard Dean, was raised without any faith and didn't become an evangelical Christian until she attended Earlham College, a Quaker school known for its adherence to pacifism, the Catholic League said on Monday. According to Catholic League President William Donohue, when Vanderslice was in college she was active in the Earlham Socialist Alliance, a group that supports convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal and...

Mara Vanderslice has been appointed Senator John Kerry’s Director of Religion Outreach.  Catholic League president William Donohue finds her a curious choice: