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Danforth concerned Republicans too closely tied to religious right
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/12476477.htm ^

Posted on 08/26/2005 5:27:21 PM PDT by lunarbicep

ST. LOUIS - Retired Republican Sen. John Danforth expressed concern Thursday that his party is too closely aligned with the religious right.

Danforth, 68, who represented Missouri for three terms in the Senate and resigned earlier this year as U.N. ambassador, spoke during a lunch sponsored by the St. Louis chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, a national gay Republican group.

Also an ordained Episcopal minister, Danforth told the group that he believes marriage is only between a man and a woman.

"On the question of civil unions, I believe that we should attempt to work out some kind of method of honoring, respecting and realizing the rights of committed people without calling it marriage," he said.

Danforth said concerns of conservative Christians, like the high divorce rate and family disintegration, deserve attention, but added, "There is something about a political party adopting a particular religious agenda, a sectarian religious agenda, as its own, that is divisive.

"The purpose of American government, the purpose of our Constitution, is to hold together all kinds of diverse interests in one country," Danforth said.

Danforth's comments echoed those he has made in recent op-ed pieces. He said he has heard back from people, including many Democrats, who share similar concerns.

Danforth said he remains a committed Republican and believes the Democrats are "floundering right now.

"The only thing that holds them together is that they hate George Bush. That's the only thing they're for," he said.

Danforth said the issue of same-sex relationships should not be locked into the Constitution because it is "a matter of community values and social values and needs to be worked out in society."

Images of dozens of same-sex couples racing down courthouse steps in front of television cameras looked wrong, because "it didn't look like anything is being honored," he said.

After Danforth's remarks, several Republicans said they agreed with his point of view.

"The Republican party needs this particular voice heard," said Log Cabin member Bill Jenkins, 45, of Kirkwood.

Gail Elble, 55, of St. Louis, a Democrat who has been in a committed relationship for more than two decades, spoke about how she would like her partner to be able to receive her benefits if Elble should die. She found his speech bigoted against any marriage that didn't fit his own mold of what it should be.

"I don't believe he offered any solutions," said Elble, president of the Gateway Stonewall Democrats, the local branch of a gay Democratic organization.

Danforth left the Senate in 1994. He acted as special counsel leading the 1999 investigation into the 1993 siege at the Branch Davidian complex in Waco, Texas.

President Bush also appointed Danforth as special envoy to Sudan to mediate peace in the civil war. He was named ambassador to the U.N. in 2004.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Politics/Elections; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: christianvote; gop; homosexualagenda; johndanforth; logcabinrepublicans
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To: lunarbicep

If the Republicans feel they should distance themselves from the "religious right," I need to go shopping for a party I can support. BTW, does religious right mean someone who believes in God and the ten commandments, tries hard to maintain high morals and teach them to the children, works hard, is law abiding and wishes to be a good neighbor? Because that's what religiouis right people do that I know. It's a shame Republicans find that threatening.


41 posted on 08/26/2005 7:51:31 PM PDT by EverOnward
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To: lunarbicep
>>>>Retired Republican Sen. John Danforth expressed concern Thursday that his party is too closely aligned with the religious right.

Sounds like Danforth's long term and his short term memory are failing him. Without the religious right, AKA. religious conservatives, Reagan wouldn't have won election and reelection. Ditto for Bush43 in 2000 and 2004.

42 posted on 08/26/2005 8:02:51 PM PDT by Reagan Man (Secure the borders;punish employers who hire illegals;halt all welfare handouts to illegals.)
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To: lunarbicep
Every 2 or 3 years, this SAME type of article gets circulated by the MSM (which stands for "Marxist-Socialist Media," by the way). It basically reads as follows:
"CENTRIST REPUBLICAN X DECRIES THE INFLUENCE OF THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT ON HIS/HER PARTY"
The MSM has been publishing these boilerplate stories since Reagan got elected in 1980. EVERY single time, some R.I.N.O. says, "If this continues, the GOP will alienate most of America & become a shrinking party." Keep in mind they've been saying this since ***1980***, and since that fateful year the GOP has ***grown*** to the point where it's normal to speak of a dying DEMOCRAT party.
43 posted on 08/26/2005 8:12:11 PM PDT by TimeLord (A whale fetus is a whale; a human fetus is a blob.)
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To: lunarbicep
Read this post for a brief but informative list of the failures of John Danforth. Not surprised to see a wise person like the Goldstategop as the first to respond to this POS
44 posted on 08/26/2005 8:30:30 PM PDT by kublia khan (absolute war brings total victory)
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To: lunarbicep
Read this post for a brief but informative list of the failures of John Danforth. Not surprised to see a wise person like the Goldstategop as the first to respond to this POS
45 posted on 08/26/2005 8:30:41 PM PDT by kublia khan (absolute war brings total victory)
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To: lunarbicep
"The purpose of American government, the purpose of our Constitution, is to hold together all kinds of diverse interests in one country," Danforth said.

That would be Article VIII, Holding Together Diverse Interests.

46 posted on 08/26/2005 8:37:36 PM PDT by <1/1,000,000th%
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To: lunarbicep

INTREP


47 posted on 08/26/2005 9:12:12 PM PDT by LiteKeeper (The radical secularization of America is happening)
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To: Clintonfatigued

Danforth keeps acting odder and odder all the time. Did his wife just die recently ? Fortunately he is no longer holding office so that he can embarrass himself a la McCain/Hagel, et al.


48 posted on 08/27/2005 12:58:01 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (*Fightin' the system like a $2 hooker on crack*)
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To: lunarbicep

Many of us despised moderates (who voted Republican before the takeover) are also concerned that our great party is too closely aligned with the religious right.


49 posted on 08/27/2005 5:31:40 AM PDT by tkathy (Tyranny breeds terrorism. Freedom breeds peace.)
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To: tkathy
Many of us despised moderates (who voted Republican before the takeover) are also concerned that our great party is too closely aligned with the religious right.

Well, there's another party where your pro-death crowd fits in very well. Go join them. They need you.

50 posted on 08/27/2005 7:05:46 AM PDT by madprof98
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To: goldstategop
Never forget that John Danforth's betrayal of Bob Dole and his own party is the reason the 1993 Crime Bill (and assault weapons ban) was passed. He had promised to sustain the filibuster, then when it came time to do it, he caved. He's a worm.(p)
51 posted on 08/27/2005 7:09:47 AM PDT by Timmy
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To: lunarbicep
This observation by ECUSAn John Danforth is similar to Lutheran presider Mark Hanson's wish that an Ecumenical Council of the whole world should be convened to combat "biblical fundamentalism".

They both think that their perverted, anti-Christian, death-worshipping agendas are really, really popular, and that it's only those wascally Wepublicans and "fundamentalists" who are pulling the wool over people's eyes.

There's something happening here, but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?

52 posted on 08/27/2005 7:14:08 AM PDT by Jim Noble (Resistance to Tyrants is Obedience to God)
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To: EverOnward
If the Republicans feel they should distance themselves from the "religious right," I need to go shopping for a party I can support. BTW, does religious right mean someone who believes in God and the ten commandments, tries hard to maintain high morals and teach them to the children, works hard, is law abiding and wishes to be a good neighbor? Because that's what religiouis right people do that I know. It's a shame Republicans find that threatening.

Republicans DON'T find that threatening. A few liberals who call themselves Republicans (plus the nutty radical evolutionists) do. However, the vast majority of voting republicans embrace the same values as the dreaded "Religious Right," a.k.a, people who believe as you stated. It is the leftwing press that promotes these gadflys to try and tear apart the very successful Republican coalition. Don't let them do it.

53 posted on 08/27/2005 7:14:48 AM PDT by Timmy
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To: madprof98

Isn't that the truth?


54 posted on 08/27/2005 7:15:00 AM PDT by MamaB (mom to an angel)
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To: madprof98

Pro death is just not true and you know it. Pro reality is more like it.


55 posted on 08/27/2005 8:45:36 AM PDT by tkathy (Tyranny breeds terrorism. Freedom breeds peace.)
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