Monday, January 3, 2005
Rev. Sheldon says values got a bounce from Janet
Nothing like some prime- time nipple to get people's moral values in order, according to the Rev. Lou Sheldon, founder of the Anaheim- based Traditional Values Coalition.
In November, 22 percent of voters listed "moral values" as their most important issue - and 80 percent of those voted for George W. Bush, according to a widely cited national exit poll done by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International.
"The silent majority is beginning to be vocal," Sheldon said. He says the phenomenon is spurred by Janet Jackson's bared breast during the Super Bowl, efforts to remove the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, the backlash to gay marriage, and the "fair and balanced" reporting of Fox News.
Ongoing efforts by Sheldon's group, which lobbies and participates in political campaigns, include pushing a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage and backing HR235, which would allow religious leaders to take political positions in the pulpit.
The hottest new issue for the group is to defeat a bill proposed last month by state Assemblyman Mark Leno, D- San Francisco, to legalize gay marriage.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/01/03/sections/local/local_columns/article_364846.php