Santorum: "I encourage you to let your voices be heard from the pulpit"

[dajoki]

NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/politics/21churches.html?ex=1300597200&en=5b0187fdf28f43f2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Pastors' Get-Out-the-Vote Training Could Test Tax Rules

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: March 21, 2006

WASHINGTON, March 20 — Weeks after the Internal Revenue Service announced a crackdown on political activities by churches and other tax-exempt organizations, a coalition of nonprofit conservative groups is holding training sessions to enlist Pennsylvania pastors in turning out voters for the November elections.

<<snip>>

The first training session, on March 6 in Valley Forge, included a videotaped message from a single candidate, Senator Rick Santorum, the Pennsylvania Republican who faces a difficult re-election fight.
"I encourage you to let your voices be heard from the pulpit" on vital issues, Mr. Santorum said, urging the pastors to champion a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, according to a recording made by a person at the session. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a liberal group critical of the effort, provided the recording to The New York Times. After the tape, organizers offered participating pastors copies of the senator's book "It Takes a Family."

<<snip>>

But the rules forbid supporting a political party or candidate. Inviting just one candidate to speak, singling out one candidate for special praise and highlighting a combination of issues tailored to one candidate's campaign are all factors that the I.R.S. considers problematic. That is especially the case if the discussion is in the context of a get-out-the-vote effort, said Marcus S. Owens, a lawyer here who is the former director of the exempt-organizations division of the tax agency.

<<snip>>

The tax agency found "a disturbing amount" of political activity during the 2004 election, including churches' inviting just one candidate to speak or distributing voters' guides that in effect favored one candidate over another, Mr. Everson said in a statement.

Pennsylvania appears to be the sole state where advocacy groups are pouring so much into working with churches so early. The outcome of the effort, and the way the tax agency responds, could have an influence far beyond the state.

[WinkyDink]

1. I told my husband today that Man-on-dog Santorum is a

petophile.

[mmonk]

2. I say render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's.

[Nomen Tuum]

13. TAX THE CHURCHES NOW

If they wanna play, MAKE 'EM PAY!

[dajoki]

14. if they're gonna hold "training sessions", tax 'em n/t

[Old and In the Way]

3. I think that dog is getting too old to hunt, Rick.

Maybe 10 years ago, maybe 5....but the people are starting to understand the pure cynicism that Republicans employ to GOTV. Sooner or later, even the most politically naive can see the disconnect between the words and the record.

[dajoki]

4. lets see how tax agency responds...

Pennsylvania appears to be the sole state where advocacy groups are pouring so much into working with churches so early. The outcome of the effort, and the way the tax agency responds, could have an influence far beyond the state.

[redphish]

5. We have GOT to figure out a way to stop this shit.

This is pretty much how we lost the last one. This is one place that a line has to be drawn. When all else fails, the repukes can always count on the legions of brain dead, brainwashed morons that sit in their little churches sunday after sunday, being convinced to vote for them. They are being convinced that smokescreen "issues" such as the so called "war on christmas", the ten commandments being displayed, etc. are the reasons they should vote for so and so POS neocon figurehead senator. They are encouraged to ignore the real issues and like fools, they do. IN DROVES!

:banghead:

[dajoki]

9. Any ideas?

i'm with you!!

[redphish]

10. I'm trying to figure out a way to forward this to the IRS...

other than that, the only other ways I can think if right now are highly illegal and counter-productive. We need to get some lawyers or other folks with more knowledge in this area to start a real push to get this under control. Any hope of these people coming to their senses would be the best cure, but I don't see that happening.

[dajoki]

11. we can't be counterproductive...

and no, they will not come to their senses.

[blue neen]

6. Santorum is desperate.

He will pull out all the stops, constitutional or unconstitutional, in his attempt to be re-elected. This is going to be one knock-down, drag-out fight here in PA.

I want that son of a bitch GONE. He's not from PA in the first place. :grr:

[dajoki]

8. I can't wait for November...

to vote that little prick out of office!!

[ArbustoBuster]

7. Ricky, I encourage you to get the hell out of my state.

Pennsylvania is too good a place to have a dogbotherer like you stinking it up!

[Vinca]

12. Tax the damn churches. nt