ACHTUNG !!!
ASKING THEM TO TURN OVER CHURCH DIRECTORIES TO THE CAMPAIGN
Thu Jul 1, 2004 22:35
152.163.253.98

"Asking them to turn over church directories to the campaign"

Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign - Forums powered by Reason and Principle


This needs to be forwarded to The Democrats!!!!!!!!!!!! And Libertarians

Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign - Forums powered by Reason and Principle

http://www.libertyforum.org/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=news_government&Number=292751910&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=21&part=

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Kudzu
(Back to basics)
07/01/04 03:36 PM
Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ Post 292751910 ]

Category: News & Opinion (General) Topic: Government
Synopsis: HOLY COW!
Source: Washington Post
Published: June 30, 2004 Author: Alan Cooperman
For Education and Discussion Only. Not for Commercial Use.


Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign


By Alan Cooperman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 1, 2004; Page A06


The Bush-Cheney reelection campaign has sent a detailed plan of action to religious volunteers across the country asking them to turn over church directories to the campaign, distribute issue guides in their churches and persuade their pastors to hold voter registration drives.

Campaign officials said the instructions are part of an accelerating effort to mobilize President Bush's base of religious supporters. They said the suggested activities are intended to help churchgoers rally support for Bush without violating tax rules that prohibit churches from engaging in partisan activity.

"We strongly believe that our religious outreach program is well within the framework of the law," said Terry Holt, spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign.

But tax experts said the campaign is walking a fine line between permissible activity by individual congregants and impermissible activity by congregations. Supporters of Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, charged that the Bush-Cheney campaign is luring churches into risking their tax status.

"I think it is sinful of them to encourage pastors and churches to engage in partisan political activity and run the risk of losing their tax-exempt status," said Steve Rosenthal, chief executive officer of America Coming Together, a group working to defeat Bush.

The instruction sheet circulated by the Bush-Cheney campaign to religious volunteers lists 22 "duties" to be performed by specific dates. By July 31, for example, volunteers are to "send your Church Directory to your State Bush-Cheney '04 Headquarters or give [it] to a BC04 Field Rep" and "Talk to your Pastor about holding a Citizenship Sunday and Voter Registration Drive."

By Aug. 15, they are to "talk to your Church's seniors or 20-30 something group about Bush/Cheney '04" and "recruit 5 more people in your church to volunteer for the Bush Cheney campaign."

By Sept. 17, they are to host at least two campaign-related potluck dinners with church members, and in October they are to "finish calling all Pro-Bush members of your church," "finish distributing Voter Guides in your church" and place notices on church bulletin boards or in Sunday programs "about all Christian citizens needing to vote."

The document was provided to The Washington Post by a Democrat. A spokesman for the Internal Revenue Service, Frank Keith, said, "It would be inappropriate for the IRS, based on a limited set of facts and circumstances, to render a judgment about whether the activities in this document would or would not endanger a church's tax-exempt status."

He pointed out, however, that the IRS on June 10 sent a strongly worded letter to both the Republican and Democratic national committees, reminding them that tax-exempt charitable groups "are prohibited from directly or indirectly participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office."

That warning came one week after The Post and other news media reported on a Bush-Cheney campaign e-mail that sought to identify 1,600 "friendly congregations" in Pennsylvania where Bush supporters "might gather on a regular basis."

The IRS letter noted that religious organizations are allowed to sponsor debates, distribute voter guides and conduct voter registration drives. But if those efforts show "a preference for or against a certain candidate or party . . . it becomes a prohibited activity," the letter said.

Milton Cerny, a tax specialist in the Washington office of the law firm Caplin & Drysdale who formerly administered tax-exempt groups for the IRS, said there is nothing in the campaign instructions "that on its face clearly would violate" the law.

"But these activities, if conducted in concert with the church or church leadership, certainly could be construed by the IRS as the church engaging in partisan electioneering," he said. "The devil is in the details."

Rosemary E. Fei, a tax specialist at the San Francisco law firm of Silk, Adler & Colvin, said the campaign checklist "feels dangerous to me" not just because of what is in it, but because of what is not. "There's no mention whatsoever that churches should be careful to remain nonpartisan," she said.

Holt suggested such warnings are unnecessary. "Why would we warn one citizen about the boundaries of their political discussion with another citizen?" he said.
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Kudzu
(Back to basics)
07/01/04 03:44 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292751926, reply to 292751910 ] (Score: 1)

Flag to: stockwiz, max61, antiwar, unterhund, defenderoftruth, patrickhenry, georgesalt, sh0t, earth_ad, ellis_wyatt, cactus, edgy, mugwortFYI

"NEVER AGAIN" (unless you are Palestinian) Post Extras:



Kudzu
(Back to basics)
07/01/04 03:50 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292751942, reply to 292751910 ] (Score: 1)

Flag to: DreamWeaver, laconas, Fletch, sonofliberty, max_108, the_janissary, bolero, nanette, kelly_2000, RidinShotgun, D_Joyce, bluegrass, AdaC, SteamshipTime, joeschmuck, sonofliberty, rec, isabel_k, daisy11, magicianWhat was that thing about separation of church and state???

"NEVER AGAIN" (unless you are Palestinian) Post Extras:



D_Joyce
(Son of Liberty)
07/01/04 03:54 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292751949, reply to 292751942 ] (Score: 2)

How can there be separation of Church and State when the State has made the Church a tax collector for the State?

Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats. Post Extras:



Kudzu
(Back to basics)
07/01/04 03:57 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: D_Joyce | Post 292751956, reply to 292751949 ] (Score: 1)

Ha! Good question.

"NEVER AGAIN" (unless you are Palestinian) Post Extras:



Mind_Virus
(extremist)
07/01/04 04:03 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292751974, reply to 292751910 ] (Score: 2)

"Asking them to turn over church directories to the campaign"

Oh these people are pieces of fucking work.

Church directories?

Is the Bush campaign that desperate?

I can't imagine how many violations of seperation of church & state these people are violating.

This country is truly on the brink of implosion....errr DISASTER. Post Extras:



laconas
(Son of Liberty)
07/01/04 04:09 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292751986, reply to 292751910 ] (Score: 2)


"I think it is sinful of them to encourage pastors and churches to engage in partisan political activity and run the risk of losing their tax-exempt status," said Steve Rosenthal, chief executive officer of America Coming Together, a group working to defeat Bush.

Steve Rosenthal sounds outraged.

Catholics should form phony front groups like Jews.

Nobody censors speech they agree with Post Extras:



Kudzu
(Back to basics)
07/01/04 04:19 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Mind_Virus | Post 292752002, reply to 292751974 ] (Score: 1)

They are definitely desperate to tie faith to flag humping patriotism .. We'll soon see if Americans are really that stupid.

They may be, you know... especially the Christian Zionists and longing for Armageddon crowd.

Hal Lindsey is predicting the end of the world again and has a show on Trinity Broadcasting company... Tonight I think. Yes, on Thursdays.

"NEVER AGAIN" (unless you are Palestinian) Post Extras:



Steelhead
(truth-seeker)
07/01/04 04:21 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292752004, reply to 292752002 ] (Score: 1)

Directions straight to hell. Post Extras:



MarcusAurelius
(agent provocateur)
07/01/04 04:32 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292752031, reply to 292751910 ] (Score: 2)

The DNC routinely does the same thing with black churches. Post Extras:



Kudzu
(Back to basics)
07/01/04 04:34 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: MarcusAurelius | Post 292752035, reply to 292752031 ] (Score: 1)

What is the black population of the US? Are they a monolithic group?

"NEVER AGAIN" (unless you are Palestinian) Post Extras:



Edgy
(radical)
07/01/04 04:36 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292752040, reply to 292751942 ] (Score: 1)

Whoa.

Thanks for the flag.

What a bastard ... if these churches lose their tax status that means alot of their charity activities are going to fold ... great ... more people that the state is going to have to take care of ... you would think that Bush - not to mention that pastors and priests in question - would have a little better sense of what the church's role is. To play dice with the church for the sake of advancing personal politics ... what crap ..

http://library.nothingness.org/articles/SI/en/pub_contents/4Edited  by Edgy on 07/01/04 04:39 PM.

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Kudzu
(Back to basics)
07/01/04 04:37 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: MarcusAurelius | Post 292752042, reply to 292752031 ] (Score: 1)

When I think about it, black churches were very involved in voter registration... and they were a persecuted minority under Jim Crow.. Grass roots thing.

So are Bush and his zionist dual-citizen neocon entourage a persecuted minority ?



"NEVER AGAIN" (unless you are Palestinian) Post Extras:



NewAmsterdam
(freedom fighter)
07/01/04 04:40 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292752046, reply to 292752042 ] (Score: 2)

Just make voting obligatory, like the Belgians do. You can always invalidate your vote.

"Les Americains: Je les aime beaucoup. Ils sont carres, nets. Mais je suis trop europeen et occidental pour rester plus de deux mois et demie en Amerique." - George Enescu Post Extras:



Kudzu
(Back to basics)
07/01/04 04:55 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292752070, reply to 292751910 ] (Score: 1)

Flag to: credenceWhat do you think?

"NEVER AGAIN" (unless you are Palestinian) Post Extras:



formerfan
(extremist)
07/01/04 04:55 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Edgy | Post 292752071, reply to 292752040 ] (Score: 1)

It would save a lot of money with less churches.

When our past is hidden from us - we have to predict the past - just like we predict the future. (DonWallgren) And the future predicts the present Post Extras:



REC
(freedom fighter)
07/01/04 05:23 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292752106, reply to 292751956 ] (Score: 2)

Flag to: Kudzu, D_JoyceThat's wild.
Churches seem generally kept in line with the 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.

But the politicians don't feel a need to honor that requirement which they placed on the churches?

"Conspiracy to provoke tax fraud", or something like that should be the charges against the DNC & RNC.

It's a well known fact that 86% of all statistics are made up. Post Extras:



Kudzu
(Back to basics)
07/01/04 05:30 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: REC | Post 292752124, reply to 292752106 ] (Score: 1)

Flag to: REC, max61, georgesaltThe Bushites apparently have NO discomfort with this ploy..

Must be hell to be a born again dry drunk.

"NEVER AGAIN" (unless you are Palestinian) Post Extras:



Edgy
(radical)
07/01/04 05:31 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: formerfan | Post 292752126, reply to 292752071 ] (Score: 1)

I doubt very much that the churches themselves would fold. Just the few beneficial things they do would. Some soup kitchens and youth programs would shut down ... the churches won't though.

http://library.nothingness.org/articles/SI/en/pub_contents/4  Post Extras:



MarcusAurelius
(agent provocateur)
07/01/04 05:36 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: Kudzu | Post 292752136, reply to 292752042 ] (Score: 2)


Quote:So are Bush and his zionist dual-citizen neocon entourage a persecuted minority?

They think of themselves as a persecuted majority. So do the Freepers. So did the Nazis.

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Kudzu
(Back to basics)
07/01/04 06:04 PM
Re: Churchgoers Get Direction From Bush Campaign [ To: MarcusAurelius | Post 292752179, reply to 292752136 ] (Score: 1)


Definitely... you hit the nail square on the head.



"NEVER AGAIN" (unless you are Palestinian)
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• Unity Coalition Of Zionazi Psychozoids — Charles E. Carlson, Fri Jul 2 11:34
• WAKE UP YOU SLEEPING IDIOTS!!! — truthseeker, Fri Jul 2 11:19