Falwell pleased by Bush's pick

[Judi Lynn]

Falwell pleased by Bush's pick

Ron Brown
[e-mail]
July 20, 2005

As news of President Bush’s Supreme Court nominee started streaking across the Internet, the Rev. Jerry Falwell was on the telephone with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove.

“Jerry, it’s just hit the wire,” Rove told Falwell, the pastor of Lynchburg’s Thomas Road Baptist Church. “It’s John Roberts.”

Like many political pundits, Falwell was a little taken back.

He was sure that Bush would nominate a woman or minority to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
(snip/...)

http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=LNA%2FMGArticle%2FLNA_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031783945428&path=!news!archive

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FEC Clears Rev. Jerry Falwell on Complaint
By BOB LEWIS
Associated Press Writer

July 18, 2005, 9:18 PM EDT


RICHMOND, Va. -- The Federal Election Commission has dismissed a complaint against the Rev. Jerry Falwell that said he broke federal election law by urging followers last summer to re-elect President Bush.

Falwell's lawyer, Mathew D. Staver, said in a news release Monday that the FEC notified him that it had ruled in the evangelist's favor by a vote of 6-0.

"Dr. Falwell does not lose his right to personal expression each election cycle," Staver said. "As a member of the media, the media outlets through which he communicates enjoy the protection of the First Amendment."

A similar complaint against Falwell lodged last summer with the Internal Revenue Service remains pending, said Rob Boston of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed the claim. An adverse IRS ruling could jeopardize the tax-exempt status of some of Falwell's holdings.

Falwell, founder of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., and the defunct Moral Majority, told religious conservatives in his July 1, 2004, "Falwell Confidential" Internet newsletter that "voting for principle this year means voting for the re-election of George W. Bush. The alternative, in my mind, is simply unthinkable."
(snip/...)

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-falwell-fec,0,7132284.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[truthisfreedom]

1. i see feces. *yawn*

who cares? falwell is bad news. bad news loving bad news is... well, bad news.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

2. Heh.

Falwell, founder of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., and the defunct Moral Majority

So how does it feel to be the founder of a defunct Moral Majority, Jerry?

[SemperEadem]

7. because it was never neither

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. I get a mental picture of a pig

whenever I read the name "Fallwell". Let's remember that this person would put woman's rights back a couple of centuries and ban anything other than his form of "Christianity" if he were in power.

[Judi Lynn]

4. I think it's creepy that Falwell is this close to the White House.

He's next to an idiot in more ways than one. I hate the thought that the _Bush horde apes such holiness, while terrorizing the entire world.

Don't forget that Jerry Falwell was very friendly with Efraín Ríos Montt, the Reagan-supported beast of Guatemala, as well as Roberto D'Aubusson, the butcher of El Salvador, just as was Pat Robinson.

What a slimey, convoluted history these Republicans leave behind them.

[ClintonTyree]

5. This is the big one.........

"A similar complaint against Falwell lodged last summer with the Internal Revenue Service remains pending, said Rob Boston of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed the claim. An adverse IRS ruling could jeopardize the tax-exempt status of some of Falwell's holdings".

I really don't care about the other crap he's pulled. THIS one DOES mean something. The IRS has to send a message to these "Pulpit Preachers" that they will LOSE their tax free status if they continue doing so.
I'm not holding out much hope, mind you. But if the IRS WERE to rules against him, we'd see much less of this "church as a political PAC" shit going on.

[SemperEadem]

6. eff Mullah Fallwell

strap him with a gun and let him to go do something for this country over in Iraq instead of taking money from folks who can't afford it because the Mullah has insisted they will burn in hell if they don't donate to him.

[bribri16]

8. Since when did Falwell support Catholics? Hypocrisy abounds

with these religious nut cases. Ever hear how the evangelicals and Baptists smear Catholics?

[HockeyMom]

9. Need them for their

anti abortion, anti birth control, anti gay marriage support/votes.

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. This just gets me.

"Dr. Falwell does not lose his right to personal expression each election cycle,"

He has every right to personal expression. He has every right to public expression. But when he speaks as a public figure, he should lose the exemption from paying taxes that every other public figure pays, otherwise his speech is being directly funded by the state.

"As a member of the media, the media outlets through which he communicates enjoy the protection of the First Amendment."

If he was speaking as a member of the media, he would be paying taxes on his media interests. Speaking as a member of the clergy he is exempt from paying those taxes. So he needs to decide, is he a member of the tax paying media or the tax exempt clergy. He can keep his money and talk about god, or he can pay his taxes and talk about politics, but he can't do both.

[xxqqqzme]

11. well, I believe that's a good

reason. Nothing of any merit ever came out of falwell's mouth or brain. If he thinks it is a good choice, it must be bad.

[AzDar]

12. That's pretty much all I need to know about Shrub's nominee: Falwell

likes him = He's the wrong man for the job.

[FlaGranny]

13. That's the only opinion/recommendation

I need. Now I know I'm against him. Now I don't even need to do any research.

[Erika]

14. RW theocrats have taken over the GOP

How embarrassing for the decent GOP moderates.

[Lilith Velkor]

15. That's old news!

Oh, it says pick...nevermind.

[SoCalDem]

16. Bush has a knack for picking...(don't forget this classic)

[ncteechur]

17. Yet another reason not to confirm

[RememberWellstone]

18. Kiss of death.

Who gives a shit what he thinks anyway? Why does the MSM go to these "spiritual" leaders? Who cares what they think? Does seperation of church and state mean anything?? God he sucks.

[am-bushedagain]

19. FALWELL'S BLESSING

Yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn! A similarly important headline would be, 'Dog craps in park', 'Empty McDonald's cup found in the street', etc........

[Lindacooks]

20. That's all I need to know. If !*&* Falwell approves, you KNOW

that Roberts is a BAD choice.

[hopein08]

21. Well, that settles it...I'm 110% displeased with the pick...

if Jerry Falwell likes him there's nothing to say but

I DON'T, CAN'T, and WON'T