God-o-Meter

Family Reseach Council Pressures McCain

Monday March 17, 2008

Categories: John McCain

mccain13.jpgYou read it hear first. Last week, God-o-Meter reported that Connie Mackey, lobbyist for Family Research Council Action--the political arm of what's likely the strongest Christian Right group in the beltway--was calling on John McCain to promise that he wouldn't noodle with the Republican platform's support for constitutional amendments banning abortion and gay marriage. Today, FRC Action made it official, sending out this release:

FRC Action Urges McCain to Clarify Stance on Social Issues in the GOP Platform

Washington D.C.- Last Thursday night on Fox News' Hannity and Colmes, Sean Hannity interviewed Senator John McCain. During the course of the interview, Senator McCain nonchalantly said he would leave untouched the Republican Platform language concerning life.

He said the same regarding marriage but then reiterated his federalist approach to preserving marriage. Today, Family Research Council Action's Senior Vice President, Connie Mackey, made the following comments:

"Last Thursday night, Senator McCain tepidly endorsed the GOP's platform concerning the protection of life and the preservation of marriage. His response to this question as well as his federalist position regarding the definition of marriage leads one to believe that his endorsement is not definitive. Senator McCain needs to clarify that the language concerning the social issues in the Republican Platform is safe and will not be tampered with.

How could Senator McCain remain in the federalist camp on marriage when a U.S. District Court in Nebraska ruled that the Nebraska marriage amendment violated the U.S. Constitution"?

And God-o-Meter thought McCain had improved relations with his party's Christian Right base. Will the Arizona senator lurch right on constitutional amendments? God-o-Meter doubts it. But he has to do something major if he hopes to prevent groups like FRC Action from becoming thorns in his side for the duration of the race.

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Comments
Charles Cosimano
March 17, 2008 1:16 PM

It would be better for McCain to tell them to blow it out their ears and let them whine all through the campaign. He would shore up his independent base.

They have a choice, McCain or whomever the Democrats nominate. For the religious right, the election is already over and they've lost.

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This blog is no longer updated and is closed for comments. We welcome your comments about politics in our Politics forums.

The God-o-Meter (pronounced Gah-DOM-meter) scientifically measures factors such as rate of God-talk, effectiveness—saying God wants a capital gains tax cut doesn't guarantee a high rating—and other top-secret criteria (Actually, the adjustment criteria are here). Click a candidate's head to get his or her latest God-o-Meter reading and blog post. And check back often. With so much happening on the campaign trail, God-o-Meter is constantly recalibrating!

God-o-Meter blogger Dan Gilgoff is Beliefnet's Politics Editor. A former political correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, he is author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War.

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