http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/4/20/20396/9517

Glad to see this getting front page attention--thanks!

This doesn't seem to be the sort of thing I can cajole my whole family into attending, and last time I tried to drive any distance on my own (to Cincinnati, for a retreat) the car that was supposedly the "good" one managed to die on me. So I'm doing what I can by helping to spread the word.

But focus on the family looks like a pawn
to the GOP. What I find most interesting
is that a truly christian upbringing
always involves that key principle christ
taught..

consider the lily of the field. how it struggles
not.

doing right is organic, and natural, and so much
more powerful and stronger than evil. Dobson
had a son whose website is all about pornstars,
and leather and, well - you know - It says
he loves surfing.

Funny thing. As a youth I was a big wave surfer.
I once Surfed a 50' wave out of Hurricane David nearly a fifth of the way around the point of an island. Walked back so far my legs were tired.

This guy speaks on his website, you know, in your
face, about leather, and speed and how he loves
the glassy face of a good wave. All fine
and good. But I get an overriding sense that
he's never been towed into a real wave.
Or taken off on a huge one. He doesn't look
like the type that really knows the bridge
between life and death.

I am a christian. I know that bridge well.
And it makes me want to cherish life.

I guess thats the difference between
jesuits and in your face catholics jumping
up and down about terry schiavo.

I always thought jesuits were tough, you
know. still do.

Well at any rate, I think its just wierd
how disconnected this website and this
focus on the family stuff is, compared
to dobson's views and earlier work
on phenylketuronic children.

Ryan might be cool, for all I know, but
the way they have him painted up he's
a whore. And his father looks the same
way. I really disagree with what they're
trying to do.

I have to echo McCain, who I know also
was able to stare down the grim reaper
at least once or twice (he has
a wonderful family).

"This really does say something about
the bitter partisanship in DC, that we
can't get these last 10 or so judges
appointed, out of the 240 that have
already gone through. "

I paraphrased.  But McCain opposes
destroying senatorial checks and balances.

And really, with Dobson and his misguided
money grubbing friends (perhaps not
dobson himself) I think what you've really
got is the very real chance that they will
be standing for a kind of prostitution
of faith that is.. not cool.

My memory seems to recall that christ
died for our sins and that he lived
his live as a radical. FoF looks like
a mainstream attempt to swing redstates
into some kind of frenzy that just
keeps donating into Delay's coffer.

I guess people forget that christ
didn't get along with the church..
I mean, I do. So I'm praying for these
guys.

I believe they are the start of a real revival
in america. I think the partisanship
is something that christ would
have dealt with, like he dealt
with the moneylenders at the temple.

Really.

My point to George was the great interest and subsequent cooperation among progressives. They responded, from all corners of the progressive community.

Are we swimming the same direction yet? Hardly. But we're beginning to school, with a little help from the professor.

I diaried at Kos as well, and posted more links in the comments, FYI.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/20/1994/16087

Please understand its almost a given
principle that republicans will assign
their most trusted duties to people who
stay out of the limelight.

This is the main target:

Ken Connor - former florida gubernatorial candidate.

 - likely involved in the 2000 fiasco
 - helped turn florida for bush in 2004
 - extremely well connected to jeb bush, et. al.
 - farmed out people from "Americans United for Life" into Focus

>> If you look at it, in fact, it follows a sort
of Enron-type transaction model. Focus on
the family is hung out in front of the media,
but its primary goals are rather nice. Consider
it a special purpose entity.

>> Family Research Council - FRC.org - actually
does the heavy lifting in DC and is pushing hard
to get the filibuster ban in place. They
say its nonsense to have a super majority
determine which judges are appointed,
and the constitution only intended a simple
majority. They call the filibuster nonsense.
They are the ones who initiated the frame
for the debate, the picture of the kid
with the gavel and the bible.

So focus on the Family Research Council. I'm
sure, organizationally, they took over web
responsibilities (shadowing their work)
and act as an +editor+ to the family.org site.
And probably to Ryan's site as well.

The editors are usually the ones screwing things
up in the main stream media.

So again, hit Connor and you'll take
out a supply line. Hit Dobson and
you take out a figurehead.. its
an old strategy that started with
Reagan.

If anything, I'm a nixon republican. I like
seeing the nation move to the right..
but to me that means conservation,
fiscal conservatism, a move away from
meddling in states or private affairs,
smaller government. Egad. If the modern
democratic party could espouse those
values as reform against evangelical
spend-like-a-drunken sailor - liberal Republicans,
I could call myself.. a democrat.