Besides Ashcroft, the best News all week !

[donhakman]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040603/ap_on_el_pr/bush_churches

[donhakman]

1. IRS says it will TAX CHURCHS

if Bush orders churches to become his campaign headquarters.

[redqueen]

2. Thank God for small mercies

O8)

[RetroLounge]

5. Good! It's about time these false front corporations

pay their own way in the USA.

RL

[Straight Shooter]

6. Oh, they're simply implementing God's will, doing the Lord's work

Strictly a coincidence that it dovetails (hawk-tails?) with campaigning for the lying, cheating, stealing False Prophet.

[Kool Kitty]

3. Woo-hoo!

Don't forget to rate it when you read it. Great sig pics, donhakman!

On edit: What did I miss about Ashcroft?

[Newsjock]

4. Hate to rain on your parade, but ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x609619

A Bill Eases Vote Curb on Churches
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: June 8, 2004

Republicans in the House of Representatives have quietly introduced a measure to make it easier for churches to support political candidates, just days after the Bush campaign came under fire from liberal groups for inviting church members to distribute campaign information at their houses of worship.

Representative Bill Thomas of California, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, added the measure to a much larger bill, introduced in the committee on Friday, that centers on revising certain corporate taxes. The provision, called Safe Harbor for Churches, would allow religious organizations a limited number of violations of the existing rules against political endorsements without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.

Although its chances of enactment are uncertain, Democrats and other critics of the proposal argue that its timing suggests that Republicans are trying to bend the tax rules in time to help the president's re-election campaign.

Last week, an effort by the campaign to enlist members of "friendly congregations" in distributing campaign information at their places of worship came to light in the form of a message e-mailed to some members of the clergy and other people in Pennsylvania, and legal experts warned that any implicit endorsement of one candidate over another could jeopardize a religious group's tax-exempt status....

[kofijoe]

7. No way...

... that makes it through the Senate this year, though. And the IRS does seem intent on going after the offenders, so probably a non-issue this year (with the exception of some Churches which will not doubt work with the BC campaign to skirt the system). My $.02.

[Straight Shooter]

8. Good. Let's see these two positions collide in a major train wreck.

IRS versus the church. One group of money-grabbers versus another :)

[donhakman]

9. Of course they will try and plug the leaks

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040603/ap_on_el_pr/bush_churches

"WASHINGTON (AP) — Churches that mistakenly mix religious and political activity would face reduced fines but keep their tax exempt status under a provision in a corporate tax bill the House is to consider this week.
The proposal, which could invalidate the strict separation of religion and politics in current tax laws, was introduced by House Republicans the same week President Bush's re-election campaign targeted 1,600 Pennsylvania congregations to recruit voters.

Critics fear it would give politicians a pass to flout the rules without putting religious organizations at risk.

The mammoth bill, the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004, would impose reduced fines against churches and other places of worship that inadvertently allow political activity on their properties more than twice a year. On the third violation, the religious organizations would lose their tax exemption for one year."

[donhakman]

10. !

[physioex]

11. They are already into commerece...

Notice all those cell phone antennas in churches? How is this different from opening a Pizza Hut or a Starbucks inside the church? I say tax em!!!!!