OUR COLUMNISTS So, Now the Church Is the New Whipping Boy for the GOP? Commentary by Matt Friedeman While acknowledging GOP Senator Tom Coburn has courage to "slap around" the Religious Right, columnist Matt Friedeman questions the lawmaker's accusation that the church has played a role in food stamp fraud. A Failure to Love (Part 2) Commentary by Jane Jimenez The FCC can be commended for its recent tough stand against indecency on public television. Now ... with indecency exposed ... do we have what it takes as a culture and as parents to do our part in this battle? Lessons from Doc Commentary by Brad Locke Follow your heart, we are told, and it will lead you to your dreams. It will lead you to happiness. It will lead you to purpose. I have shocking news: the heart cannot be trusted. The Need for Wisdom in an Age of Intellectual and Spiritual Insanity Commentary by Mark Creech Never has there been a day when wisdom, both intellectual and practical, was more needed than today. Yet, we're not seeing much wisdom. In fact, we're seeing just the opposite.

...Concerned Women for America (CWA) has sent a letter to President George W. Bush, thanking him for his continued efforts to save the life of a man currently on trial in Afghanistan for converting to Christianity. CWA president Wendy Wright expressed gratitude on behalf of her organization's 500,000 members, telling Mr. Bush, "I would like to thank you for your concern for Abdul Rahman, a Christian in Afghanistan who faces execution for converting from Islam." Wright went on to note that her group has asked members to contact Afghan officials about the matter and that CWA is encouraged to know that the president, like the women's organization, "is deeply troubled by Mr. Rahman's case." The letter from CWA emphasized America's commitment and responsibility to fight for religious freedom in Afghanistan. "We share your expectation," Wright noted, "that Afghanistan will 'honor the universal principal of freedom.'" In a recent press statement, CWA stated that it "strongly supports the God-given rights of every individual to worship without fear of persecution" and that it stands behind Abdul Rahman as he endures this difficult time. Also, the public policy group stated that its members' prayers are with President Bush as he continues to intervene on the Afghani prisoner's behalf. [Jenni Parker]

...Rev. Jerry Falwell says the Easter Bunny's eviction from City Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota, is "disturbing" in more ways than one. A toy rabbit, pastel-colored eggs and a sign with the words "Happy Easter" have been removed from the lobby of the City Council offices, because St. Paul's human rights director said they could be offensive to non-Christians. In a message to supporters, Falwell criticizes what he sees as the latest misguided effort to purge Christianity from the public square. But he says it is just as "disturbing that this guy believes the Easter Bunny actually has something to do with the Christian celebration of Easter." [AP]

...There are now seven candidates for new head of the Episcopal Church after three late additions to the slate from an official nominating committee. The new candidates to replace Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold are Bishops Francisco Duque-Gomez of Bogota, Colombia; Charles Edward Jenkins of New Orleans; and Stacy Sauls of Lexington, Kentucky. They were nominated by bishops, clergy or lay delegates to the June convention, where the new leader will be elected. The nominating committee choices were Bishops J. Neil Alexander of Atlanta, Edwin Gulick of Louisville, Katharine Jefferts Schori of Las Vegas, and Henry Parsley of Birmingham, Alabama. Duque-Gomez, Jenkins and Parsley voted against confirming the Episcopal Church's first openly homosexual bishop, V. Gene Robinson, whose 2003 elevation has divided Episcopalians and their fellow Anglicans internationally. The other four nominees supported Robinson. [AP]

...An Illinois pro-family activist is urging conservative voters in his state not to vote for the Republican nominee for governor because of her enthusiastic support of the homosexual agenda. Peter LaBarbera of the Illinois Family Institute is launching a private campaign to derail the candidacy of State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, who is challenging incumbent Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich for his position. LaBarbera notes that Topinka failed to receive a majority of the GOP vote in Tuesday's Republican primary, securing the nomination by only 38 percent after two other conservative candidates split the vote. "She'll be running against Gov. Blagojevich, liberal Democratic governor from Illinois," LaBarbera says, "so we're going to have basically a liberal Democrat running against a liberal Republican." But the Illinois Family Institute spokesman believes Topinka's primary victory goes far beyond just the governor's race. "The problem is that this will establish the liberal control of the Republican Party for four more years," he says. "Illinois' Republican Party has been struggling because liberal, corrupt Republicans run it. It's time for a conservative revolution in the Republican Party so the voters have a choice." In the upcoming election, LaBarbera says he may vote for the Constitution Party candidate or simply not vote for governor at all. [Chad Groening]

...The Florida Supreme Court has issued a 7-0 opinion clearing the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment for placement on a statewide ballot once the 611,009 signatures in support of the measure are certified. The amendment states that "Inasmuch as marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman, no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized." The Florida high court rejected the American Civil Liberties Union's arguments, ruling that the marriage protection amendment did not violate laws requiring that such ballot measures address a "single subject" since "the voter is merely being asked to vote on the singular subject of whether the concept of marriage and the rights and obligations traditionally embodied therein should be limited to the union of one man and one woman." The court also rejected ACLU arguments contesting the amendment's Title and Ballot Summary, stating that its language adequately informs voters and is in no way misleading. Liberty Counsel president Mat Staver, who argued the case for the amendment, says this initiative will not change existing law but will simply preserve the status quo by protecting the traditional definition of marriage. "Very soon the remaining signatures will be certified, and the people of Florida will vote," Staver adds. "I have no doubt that this marriage amendment will pass by an overwhelming majority." [Jenni Parker]

...In the U.S. Congress, House Immigration Reform Caucus member Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) says a possible fight between the House and the Senate over immigration may be forthcoming -- a fight over the issue of guest worker amnesty that he believes could split the GOP. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has given the Senate until Monday (March 27) to come up with an immigration bill. Three bills have been introduced, and Frist could end up putting forth his own. However, Congressman King is concerned that whatever comes out of Senate will not come close to the House version passed late in the last session. "If the Senate sends us a bill that waters down enforcement and adds to it guest worker or temporary worker [provisions]," he says, "there will be a big battle in the Conference Committee, and I'm very concerned about the results of that." The Iowa Republican is afraid the outcome will be a guest worker amnesty bill, which he says will not only be rejected by the American people but "Every Democrat will vote for it because they get political gain out of it, and it splits the Republicans, perhaps, right down the middle." King says if there is anything that can cost the Republican majority next November, it will be an amnesty bill coming from the Senate and being "force-fed" into the House. [Chad Groening]

...Concern is growing in Congress over the threat Iran poses to peace in the Middle East and to America's own national security. Kansas Senator Sam Brownback says the evidence is clear that Iran is the greatest threat the U.S. faces today and "is going to be the toughest nut to crack in the war on terrorism." Around Capitol Hill, Iran is referred to as terrorism's "thousand-pound gorilla," the senator notes. He says Iran is "a state sponsor of terrorism" that gives "no indication of willingness to walk away from that." When nuclear weapons are added into that mix, Brownback asserts, it is easy to see why the U.S. Central Command believes Iran will use any such weapons at its first opportunity. He notes that the House and Senate are currently looking at options for dealing with Iran, and he feels the White House is to be commended for its support. "I want to applaud the administration's effort to get more money for democracy building inside of Iran and to work with outside groups in helping with that effort," Brownback says. [Bill Fancher]

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