The more I was around them, the more I admired their ingenuity and persistence while at the same time I got more and more scared at what they relentlessly want to accomplish.

It was just weeks ago, in December, when gay organizations seemed to have won a mini-victory after Ford said that it really didn't want to cruise to the tune of the AFA's strident whine, demanding anti-gay discrimination and bias. A December diary on Talk2Action described the situation.

Gay activists and a website Americablog had jumped on the issue and managed to rouse public attention.

Some of the less savory postures of AFA circulated, as described in this post by Michelle Goldberg, who urged that AFA deserved serious media scrutiny:

To me, one of the more sinister aspects of AFA's ideology is its association with anti-gay Holocaust revisionism -- the belief, promoted throughout the hard right, that not only were gay people not targeted by the Nazis, but that they were the primary mover behind Nazism.

By December 14, 2005, Americablog was declaring "We Won," and urging people to thank Ford via an online form.

Well, Americablog better swing back in action because AFA is baaaack.

In a letter, dated January 10 and co-signed by 44 Religious Right leaders including Tony Perkins of Family Research Council, James Dobson of Focus on Family, Gary Bauer of American Values, D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries, Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, Paul Weyrich of Coalitions for America, Beverly LaHaye of Concerned Women for America, Judie Brown of American Life League, Ted Haggard of National Association of Evangelicals, Alan Chambers of Exodus International, AFA demands a return to intolerant anti-gay promises that it said Ford had made.

The letter outlines the concessions that AFA said Ford had given, and set a January 20 deadline for a turnaround.

On November 28, Ford Motor Company and American Family Association worked out a representation concerning Ford's support of groups promoting the homosexual agenda including homosexual marriage. Ford's representations seemed to AFA a very reasonable and attainable goal.

Here is what Ford's representation included:

1.    Ford would not renew current promotions or create future incentives that give cash donations to homosexual organizations based on the purchase of a vehicle.

2.    Ford would stop giving cash and vehicle donations or endorsements to homosexual social activities such as Gay Pride parades.

3.    Ford would not make corporate donations to homosexual organizations that, as part of their activities, engage in political or social campaigns to promote civil unions or same-sex marriage.

4.    Ford would cease all advertising in homosexual websites and media outlets (magazines, television, radio) in the U.S. with the exception of a small amount to be used by Volvo. The Volvo ads would be the same ads used in the general media and not aimed at the homosexual community specifically.

When homosexual groups opposed Ford's actions, seven homosexual leaders met with Ford. At that meeting, Ford repudiated your representations and issued a public letter strongly supporting the homosexual groups ....

Why would Ford put the interests of seven homosexual groups ahead of the interests of all your dealers?

Your support for these groups pushing homosexual marriage can only hurt your dealers.

We strongly suggest that Ford remove itself from involvement in the cultural war and apply its resources to building the best product possible. It ill serves the purpose of Ford to take sides in the cultural war. It is a no-win situation. When you favor one side, you alienate the other. Leave the cultural battles to the various groups pro and con and to the politicians.

We can not, and will not, sit by as Ford supports a social agenda aimed at the destruction of the family.

We ask that you respond to our request by January 20. If we do not hear from you by that date, we will assume that Ford does not intend to honor its representations to AFA.

Is there anything on which the Religious Right has backed down?  Is there an example to inspect? Maybe, but it's not apparent. As much as eternal vigilance -- a guard-the-gates defensive position, the example of persistence -- a determined forward motion, is the one lesson that progressives and supporters of religious liberty should be driving baaa-ack home.