Griper News: Griper Blade: Values Voter Summit

Big doings this weekend for the nutjob right. Agape Press reports:

Pro-family groups are dismissing warnings that a campaign they're launching this week could result in churches losing their tax-exempt status.

The conservative groups and their supporters will gather in Washington, DC, this week for what they are calling the "2006 Values Voter Summit." Among those slated to speak are pro-family leaders Dr. James Dobson, Gary Bauer, Rev. Don Wildmon, and Tony Perkins -- and national leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback. The stated objective of the three-day event (September 22-24) is to "educate and equip Values Voters on today's family issues."

But Barry Lynn's group, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, claims efforts by these conservative leaders to enlist clergy and their flocks in this year's election campaign could violate government rules for non-profit organizations. Lynn believes the upcoming conference may be used to recruit churches for a campaign to keep Republicans in control of Congress -- and he wants churches to know that endorsing or supporting political candidates could cost them their tax-exempt status. But organizers of the Values Voter Summit deny they will be asking churches to do that.

Really? Let's go over that list again -- 'Dr. James Dobson, Gary Bauer, Rev. Don Wildmon, and Tony Perkins... Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback.' Republicans all. Even the White House is represented by Press Secretary Tony Snow.

And I thought this was pretty funny:

But Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family, who clarifies that no churches will be asked to endorse candidates, says he will not be intimidated by Barry Lynn's threats. And churches, he adds, will not be frightened into silence on political issues. "Barry Lynn's a playground bully," says Minnery during an AP interview. "He would like to clear the playground of everybody except those who believe as he does. And we, of course, would never want churches to risk their tax-exempt status."