Bush Campaign Chides Kerry Vote Efforts (pamphlets for churches)

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites)'s campaign criticized a new Democratic effort to get out the religious vote for John Kerry (news - web sites) on Friday, saying it could endanger churches' tax-exempt status by involving them in partisan political activity.

The Democrats said changes would be made.

A Democratic National Committee (news - web sites) Web site launched this week encouraged Kerry supporters to download, print and distribute a DNC "Kerry/Bush Values Comparison Chart" to church groups and at churches. The chart opens with the statement "John Kerry Shares Our Values."

"Share it with your pastor and ask if you can distribute it at your church," the DNC site says.

Pastors who say yes could unwittingly be getting involved in partisan politics, something churches are not allowed to engage in if they are registered as tax-exempt organizations, Bush campaign lawyer Tom Josefiak said.

In addition, churchgoers handed the fliers could think they come from the church, he said. While the Web site is identified as the DNC's, nothing on the chart itself indicates that the Democratic committee prepared it.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=3&u=/ap/20041008/ap_on_el_pr/religion_politics

[TrogL]

1. But it's OK for them to wallpaper the country with voter guides

:shrug:

[CO Liberal]

2. Yet The RNC Tried to Get Copies of Church Directories....

...so they could contact the members directly.

Can you say "hypocrites"?????

:kick:

[highnooner]

3. Pot, Kettle, Black

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. Oh but only they can do it? (Clue: it's not just their terf anymore)

Serves them right.

[NYC Liberal]

5. Hypocrisy knows no bounds with BC'04:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19082-2004Jun30.html

"The Bush-Cheney reelection campaign has sent a detailed plan of action to religious volunteers across the country asking them to turn over church directories to the campaign, distribute issue guides in their churches and persuade their pastors to hold voter registration drives.

Campaign officials said the instructions are part of an accelerating effort to mobilize President Bush's base of religious supporters. They said the suggested activities are intended to help churchgoers rally support for Bush without violating tax rules that prohibit churches from engaging in partisan activity.

"We strongly believe that our religious outreach program is well within the framework of the law," said Terry Holt, spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign.

But tax experts said the campaign is walking a fine line between permissible activity by individual congregants and impermissible activity by congregations. Supporters of Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, charged that the Bush-Cheney campaign is luring churches into risking their tax status."

[54anickel]

6. There's the difference - congregants vs congregations. n/t

[sonicx]

7. i think my head's going to explode...

[goclark]

8. Typical Rove

All ways make Democrats repent for the sins they invented firrst.

[w4rma]

9. Were Repugs successful in grabbing up church directories? (nt)

[Gman]

10. Don't ask, just do it

its easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

[Arugula Latte]

11. Oh fucking hell.

The hypocrisy is almost comical.