"johac" <jhachmann@remove.sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:jhachmann-E2C8F0.22575006082007@news.giganews.com...

Good! Let's you and him fight! (Over nothing.)

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The New York Times

August 6, 2007

2 G.O.P. Contenders Duel Over Religion

By SARAH WHEATON

Over the last several months, the Republican presidential field has been
consumed by the near-collapse of Senator John McCainıs campaign, the
question of whether Fred Thompson would enter the race, and whether
Rudolph W. Giulianiıs appeal would endure.

But on the ground in Iowa, which holds the first nominating contest, a
pitched battle has broken out involving two lesser-known candidates who
are trading accusations of religious bigotry and hypocrisy. The battle
has become the most heated and personal rivalry in the Republican field.

The fight is for second place in the Aug. 11 Iowa Straw poll, a
traditional bellwether that signals the strength of Republican
campaigns, and it pits Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor,
against Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas. And it could mean life or death
to either of their candidacies.

The current tensions stem from an e-mail message sent to two Brownback
supporters by Rev. Tim Rude, the pastor of an evangelical church in
Walnut Creek, Iowa. In the message, Mr. Rude, a Huckabee volunteer,
compared the religious backgrounds of Mr. Huckabee, a Baptist pastor,
and Mr. Brownback, who is Roman Catholic.

³I know Senator Brownback converted to Roman Catholicism in 2002,² Mr.
Rude wrote. ³Frankly, as a recovering Catholic myself, that is all I
need to know about his discernment when compared to the Governorıs.²

The message struck some as an attempt to highlight Mr. Brownbackıs
Catholicism in a state with a large Protestant electorate. After the
message found its way into several blogs last week, Mr. Huckabee issued
a statement on Wednesday saying that his campaign neither disseminated
nor condoned the message. He called Mr. Brownback a ³Christian brother²
and added, ³As believers, we donıt have time to fight each other.²

But the matter did not end there. After the Brownback campaign cried
foul, Mr. Huckabeeıs campaign manager, Chip Saltsman, a Catholic, said,
³Itıs time for Sam Brownback to stop whining and start showing some of
the Christian character he seems to always find lacking in others.²

He continued, ³If Brownback is going to fall to pieces every time a
supporter of the Governor says something he doesnıt like, he clearly
isnıt tough enough to be President.²

The pitched exchanges reflected the skirmishing for the No. 2 spot in
the straw poll, which might seem odd, given that the contest carries
only symbolic weight. Neither Mr. Giuliani nor Mr. McCain is contesting
the straw poll, and Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts,
is expected to win it easily. But a second-place showing is seen as a
way for a lower-tier candidate to rise from obscurity.

In their quests for the G.O.P. nomination, both Messrs. Huckabee and
Brownback have sought to cast themselves as conservative alternatives to
the top tier. The senator often sums up his platform as ³pro-life, whole
life,² while Mr. Huckabee stresses faithıs influence on his decisions.

Neither campaign has managed to take off so far. Fiscal conservatives
have criticized Mr. Huckabee for raising taxes in Arkansas, an
accusation that he disputes, while Mr. Brownbackıs support of
comprehensive immigration legislation has been a liability with
conservative voters. Still, for each man, the biggest stumbling block
could be a perception that he does not have a realistic chance of
winning.

Thatıs where the Ames straw poll comes in. Though nonbinding, it is an
important test of organization and support among Republicans. After poor
showings in the 1999 event, four contenders dropped out of the race.

³I think some of them see it as either make a good showing or theyıll be
forced out of the race,² said Steve Scheffler, the president of the Iowa
Christian Alliance. Since Mr. Romney is widely expected to win, a
³respectable second or third² could also help other candidates, he said.

Indeed, Mr. Saltsman said the exchange over the e-mail message would
probably not have become so heated were it not for the imminent straw
poll.

³Obviously thereıs more interest and attention, and the stakes are
higher,² said John Rankin, a spokesman for Mr. Brownback. But he said
the campaign would have pushed back whenever it happened.

Still, when asked if the extra publicity the spat generated for both
campaigns was helpful, Mr. Rankin laughed. ³I wouldnıt want to answer
that,² he said. ³What weıre trying to do is focus on Senator Brownback
and his ideas.²
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http://tinyurl.com/2mmqux

Silly neoCons. Politics are for adults.