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ORIGINAL RESEARCHBill Berkowitz Ohio PlayersTwo Christian Evangelists aim to take over the state's Republican PartyDespite the subsequent controversy over widespread abnormalities on Election Day 2004, late in the evening of November 2, it was determined that Ohio voters had delivered the final dart to the heart of the presidential hopes of Democratic candidate, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. Americans must be "Christocrats" the Reverend Rod Parsley told his congregation. "And that is not a democracy; that is a theocracy," he said. "That means God is in control, and you are not." Now, Christian evangelical ministers in Ohio are teaming-up to form a network intent on building on their constituency's extensive contribution to both President Bush's victory and the passage of Issue 1 -- an amendment to the state constitution banning same-sex marriage -- and help Christian conservatives take over the state's Republican Party. The Reverend Rod Parsley and the Rev. Russell Johnson are two key players in an effort to wrest control of the GOP from so-called Party moderates. Their job has no doubt been made easier by the fact that Republican Party officials have been enmeshed in a series of political scandals that even includes the state's Republican Governor, Bob Taft. (For more on the governor's troubles, see, MoveOnTaft.org, a website recently jointly established by the conservative American Policy Roundtable and the liberal Ohio Citizen Action). Americans must be ''Christocrats" -- citizens of both their country and the Kingdom of God -- the Reverend Rod Parsley told his congregation on a recent Sunday at his World Harvest Church, located just outside Columbus, Ohio. "And that is not a democracy; that is a theocracy," he said. "That means God is in control, and you are not." Headed by Rev. Parsley, a 48-year-old televangelist and author, the World Harvest Church, described recently by The Columbus Dispatch, as "a nondenominational congregation with a regular weekly attendance" of between 10,000 and 12,000, is one of many politicized mega churches popping up all across the country. The World Harvest Church's Center for Moral Clarity recently launched a three-year project called Reformation Ohio. "Its goals," according to the Columbus-based newspaper, "are to register 400,000 new voters, organize Black Ohioans who share conservative views on issues such as gays and abortion, and conduct get-out-the-vote rallies, all while leading 100,000 Ohioans to Jesus." In suburban Columbus, the Reverend Russell Johnson, the senior pastor of the evangelical Fairfield Christian Church, is recruiting 2,000 "Patriot Pastors" to get out the evangelical vote for the Ohio primary in May 2006. According to the Cleveland Jewish News, the Rev. Johnson sees "the 2006 election as an apocalyptic clash between a virtuous Christianity and the evildoers who oppose Christianity's values." "This is a battle between the forces of righteousness and the hordes of hell," says Johnson on his church's website, urging other evangelical clergy to get into the political fray and get involved with the electoral process. "Before the 2004 presidential election," the Cleveland Jewish News reported that, "Johnson denounced tax-supported schools that have banned the teaching of creationism, Bible reading and prayer. He blasted the 'pagan left' for its warfare against the very definition of marriage. He decried 'homosexual rights' that will come with 'a flood of demonic oppression.'" Rev. Johnson envisions a Christian America. "Reclaiming the teaching of our Christian heritage among America's youth is paramount to a sense of national destiny that God has invested into this nation," Johnson wrote on his church's website. Both the Rev. Parsley and the Rev. Johnson are close to J. Kenneth Blackwell, the controversial Ohio Secretary of State who was entangled in a series of controversies revolving around the November 2004 Presidential election. Since Governor Bob Taft cannot run for re-election due to term limits, Blackwell has declared himself as one of several Republican candidates for the governor's office. 'Health and Wealth' TheologyThe Rev. Parsley, is not a newcomer to politics; "in the late 1980s he in the late 1980s, his church picketed the Bexley Art Theater for showing what Parsley said were obscene films ... [and] World Harvest members protested when the gay advocacy group Stonewall Union was allowed to hand out literature at the Ohio State Fair," The Columbus Dispatch reported. During last November's election, Rev. Parsley "took a leading role in the push to pass Issue 1, the state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage." "Parsley advocates what some call 'health and wealth' theology," The Columbus Dispatch reported. His theology "emphasizes that the Bible teaches that God wants people to prosper financially and physically. The latter is tied to belief in the power of God's word to heal." Rev. Parsley is certainly prospering financially. Operating on an annual budget of $38.5 million, Rev. Parsley's ministries include his nondenominational church; a school and Bible college; his television show, Breakthrough; the Center for Moral Clarity; a mission program and a ministerial fellowship. According to The Columbus Dispatch's survey of the auditor's records of Franklin County, "the church/school complex has been appraised at about $26 million, and the nearby Bible college campus is worth nearly $2 million." In addition, according to Fairfield County auditor records, Parsley's estate, which "also includes the home of his parents," is appraised at nearly $2 million." The Columbus Dispatch described the Church's operations:
Parsley has refused to reveal his own personal wealth and the church has not responded to requests for financial information from Ministry Watch, a North Carolina-based organization gathering "financial information on religious organizations that solicit money nationwide." Rod Pitzer, the research director at Ministry Watch, told The Columbus Dispatch that "World Harvest's refusal to provide financial data should be a 'red flag,' and he urges people not to donate to Parsley." Of the slightly over 500 ministries currently being profiled by Ministry Watch, only 29 have refused to cooperate. Amongst the 29 are some big-name ministers, including Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Tim LaHaye, and Kenneth Hagin. ''We look at it from the standpoint of donors," he said. ''It's appalling not to give out additional information and just to be totally transparent, especially in this day and age. Any reasons not to do that are truly just an excuse." As of this writing (August 24), Ministry Watch has issued recommendations that donors withhold giving to Benny Hinn Ministries, and to the Trinity Broadcasting Network. The Ohio Restoration ProjectIn late March, the New York Times reported that the newly established Ohio Restoration Project (ORP) was "planning to mobilize 2,000 evangelical, Baptist, Pentecostal and Roman Catholic leaders in a network of so-called Patriot Pastors to register half a million new voters, enlist activists, train candidates and endorse conservative causes in the next year." "In Ohio, the church is awakening to its historic role as the moral voice in the community," Colin A. Hanna, president of Let Freedom Ring, a conservative group based in Pennsylvania that trains ministers in political activism, told the New York Times. "Ohio is in the vanguard of that nationally. I very much want Pennsylvania to be with them." The man behind the mobilization is the Rev. Russell Johnson. In a letter originally posted on the web site of his Fairfield Christian Church, Rev. Johnson asked supporters to "pray that God will raise up a harvest of Patriot Pastors who are dedicated to making a difference in this hour of American history." Johnson added, "what happens in Ohio in the next 18 months could very well make an impact on what happens in America in the next 20-30 years." According to the Cleveland Jewish News, the ORP is planning what they call "Patriot Pastor policy briefings" in eight cities, including Cleveland and the Canton/Akron area. "The pastors are expected to host voter-registration drives in their churches. They will distribute voter guides provided by the Christian Coalition and the Center for Moral Clarity, to 'clarify the positions of various candidates, who at times, would like to remain vague and noncommittal,' the ORP website states. The non-profit Patriot Pastors intend to raise a $1 million war chest in order to "build a database of 300,000 postal addresses and 100,000 e-mail addresses to recruit a network of like-minded Christian voters to be 21st-century Minutemen. These volunteers would help transport the elderly to the polls, provide childcare so parents can vote, and assist with voter registration drives and rallies," the Cleveland Jewish News reported. While the ORP plan says that it will not specifically endorse candidates, it will invite Blackwell to speak at pastoral meetings and to a statewide Ohio for Jesus rally scheduled for next spring. Along with the homegrown Rev. Parsley, other national Christian evangelical leaders to be invited include the Rev. Franklin Graham, Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson and the Prison Fellowship Ministries Charles Colson. Party officials, embroiled in a series of political scandals, are watching with a wary eye. Robert T. Bennett, the Chairman of the state party, told the New York Times that, "This is a party of a big tent. The far right cannot elect somebody by itself, any more than somebody from the far left can." The Rev. Barry Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told the New York Times that the Ohio Restoration Project might have a significant impact: "This represents a new wave in organizing on the part of conservative evangelicals. From my standpoint, as someone who doesn't agree with their conclusions, this is a more dangerous model." sign in, or register to email stories or comment on them.
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MORE ORIGINAL RESEARCHBill Berkowitz PERC receives Templeton Freedom Award for promoting 'enviropreneurs'Right Wing foundation-funded anti-environmental think tank grabbing a wider audience for 'free market environmentalism' On the 15th anniversary of Terry Anderson and Donald Leal's book "Free Market Environmentalism" -- the seminal book on the subject -- Anderson, the Executive Director of the Bozeman, Montana-based Property and Environment Research Center (PERC - formerly known as the Political Economy Research Center) spoke in late-January at an event sponsored by Squaw Valley Institute at the Resort at Squaw Creek in California. While it may have been just another opportunity to speak on "free market environmentalism" and not the kickoff of a "victory tour," nevertheless it comes at a time when PERC's ideas are taking root.
Bill Berkowitz Neil Bush of Saudi ArabiaDuring recent visit, President’s brother describes the country as a 'kind of tribal democracy' In late February, only a few days after Saudi Arabia beheaded four Sri Lankan robbers and then left their headless bodies on public display in the capital of Riyadh, Neil Bush, for the fourth time in the past six years, showed up for the country's Jeddah Economic Forum. The Guardian reported that Human Rights Watch "said the four men had no lawyers during their trial and sentencing, and were denied other basic legal rights." In an interview with Arab News, the Saudi English language paper, Bush described the country as "a kind of tribal democracy."
Bill Berkowitz Newt Gingrich's back door to the White HouseAmerican Enterprise Institute "Scholar" and former House Speaker blames media for poll showing 64 percent of the American people wouldn't vote for him under any circumstances Whatever it is that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has come to represent in American politics, the guy is nothing less than fascinating. One day he's espousing populist rhetoric about the need to cut the costs of college tuition and the next day he's talking World War III. One day he's claiming that the "war on terror" may force the abridgement of fundamental first amendment rights and the next he's advancing a twenty-first century version of his Contract with America. At the same time he's publicly proclaiming how "stupid" it is that the race for the presidency has already started you know that he's trying to figure out how to out finesse Rudy, McCain and Romney for the nomination. And last week, when Fox News' Chris Wallace cited a poll showing that 64 percent of the public would never vote for him, he was quick to blame those results on how unfairly he was treated by the mainstream media back in the day.
Bill Berkowitz American Enterprise Institute takes lead in agitating against IranDespite wrongheaded predictions about the war on Iraq, neocons are on the frontlines advocating military conflict with Iran After doing such a bang up job with their advice and predictions about the outcome of the war on Iraq, would it surprise you to learn that America's neoconservatives are still in business? While at this time we are not yet seeing the same intense neocon invasion of our living rooms -- via cable television's news networks -- that we saw during the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, nevertheless, a host of policy analysts at conservative think tanks -- most notably the American Enterprise Institute -- are being heeded on Iran by those who count - folks inside the Bush Administration.
Bill Berkowitz After six years, opposition gaining on George W. Bush's Faith Based InitiativeUnmentioned in the president's State of the Union speech, the program nevertheless continues to recruit religious participants and hand out taxpayer money to religious groups With several domestic policy proposals unceremoniously folded into President Bush's recent State of the Union address, two pretty significant items failed to make the cut. Despite the president's egregiously tardy response to the event itself, it was nevertheless surprising that he didn't even mention Hurricane Katrina: He didn't offer up a progress report, words of hope to the victims, or come up with a proposal for moving the sluggish rebuilding effort forward. There were no "armies of compassion" ready to be unleashed, although it should be said that many in the religious community responded to the disaster much quicker than the Bush Administration. In the State of the Union address, however, there was no "compassionate conservatism" for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Bill Berkowitz Frank Luntz calls Republican leadership in Washington 'One giant whining windbag'On the outs with the GOP, legendary degrader of discourse is moving to California He doesn't make great art; nothing he does elevates the human spirit; he doesn't illuminate, he bamboozles. He has become expert in subterfuge, hidden meanings, word play and manipulation. Frank Luntz has been so good at what he does that those paying close attention gave it its own name: "Luntzspeak."
Bill Berkowitz Spooked by MoveOn.org, conservative movement seeks to emulate liberal powerhouseFueled with Silicon Valley money, TheVanguard.org will have Richard Poe, former editor of David Horowitz's FrontPage magazine as its editorial and creative director As Paul Weyrich, a founding father of the modern conservative movement and still a prominent actor in it, likes to say, he learned a great deal about movement building by closely observing what liberals were up to in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Bill Berkowitz Ward Connerly's anti-affirmative action jihadFounder and Chair of the American Civil Rights Institute scouting five to nine states for new anti-affirmative action initiatives Fresh from his most recent victory -- in Michigan this past November -- Ward Connerly, the Black California-based maven of anti-affirmative action initiatives, appears to be preparing to take his jihad on the road. According to a mid-December report in the San Francisco Chronicle, Connerly said that he was "exploring moves into nine other states."
Bill Berkowitz Tom Tancredo's missionThe Republican congressman from Colorado will try to woo GOP voters with anti-immigration rhetoric and a boatload of Christian right politics These days, probably the most recognizable name in anti-immigration politics is Colorado Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo. Over the past year, Tancredo has gone from a little known congressman to a highly visible anti-immigration spokesperson. "Tancredo has thoroughly enmeshed himself in the anti-immigration movement and with the help of CNN talk show host Lou Dobbs, he has been given a national megaphone," Devin Burghart, the program director of the Building Democracy Initiative at the Center for New Community, a Chicago-based civil rights group, told Media Transparency.
Bill Berkowitz Institute on Religion and Democracy slams 'Leftist' National Council of ChurchesNew report from conservative foundation-funded IRD charges the NCC with being a political surrogate for MoveOn.org, People for the American Way and other liberal organizations If you prefer your religious battles sprinkled with demagoguery, sanctimoniousness, and simplistic attacks, the Institute on Religion and Democracy's (IRD) latest broadside against the National Council of Churches (NCC) certainly fits the bill.
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