How Palin Brings in the Christian Cash
t hasn't been all smooth sailing for these revived Swift Boaters. The Real Truth About Obama, Inc., a 527 formed in July by veteran anti-abortion attorneys James Bopp and Barry Bostrom, went after Obama with a pair of outrageous ads attacking the Illinois Senator on his abortion stance. The ads asserted that Obama would make taxpayers pay for all abortions, keep minors' abortions a secret from their parents and make "partial birth" abortions legal, and Real Truth sought to have the ads placed on Rush Limbaugh's and Sean Hannity's radio shows in September. When objections were raised by the Obama camp and PAC watchdogs, Bopp filed for an injunction against FEC spending and disclosure rules that prohibit 527s advocating against a candidate -- rules created in the wake of the Swift Boat Veterans actions in 2004. But a federal judge in Virginia ruled against Real Truth, upholding the FEC regulations, and the radio spots have yet to air.
That may be a minor setback for these forces, though.
In the Age of Palin, the traditional Christian right political powerhouses -- Focus on the Family and its affiliated Family Research Council Action -- are back in the game as well. As recently as February, Focus on the Family's James Dobson was threatening to sit out the November elections if McCain became the candidate, issuing a statement that said, "I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative and, in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has at times sounded more like a member of the other party." But then along came Sarah, and in the first two weeks of September Dobson's political action arm -- Focus on the Family Action -- dumped $104,000 on radio spots and mailings taking on Obama and endorsing McCain. The political action arm of the Family Research Council also held off until Palin entered the picture, registering with the FEC in support of McCain just a week after the Republican convention.
And if any questions remain about how galvanized the Christian right GOP base is these days, that pit bull of culture warriors, Pat Buchanan, put paid to that the day after Palin's performance in Minneapolis. "The American Right has just died and gone to heaven," Buchanan crowed in the lede of his September 5 column, following up on a Palin rhapsody from two days before in which he wrote, "should this ticket win, Palin will eclipse every other Republican as heir apparent to the presidency and will have her own power base among Lifers, Evangelicals, gun folks and conservatives -- wholly independent of President McCain ... Palin has become, overnight, the most priceless political asset the movement has."
Well, given the millions flowing into the religious right machine in the days since her arrival on the scene, not exactly priceless. The Swift Boaters and the Christian right knew Palin's price tag was high -- and they're proving themselves ready to pay up.
