The national representatives of the social conservative movement used to be sophisticated and tolerant. Today, they are sophomoric and angry. It's an embarrassing spectacle seeing leaders bullied around by the likes of James Dobson, or watching the Christian Coalition team up with MoveOn.org in support of bigger government.

Armey expands on those comments in a Q&A with author Ryan Sager.

What's wrong with today's Republican Congress?

The criteria of choice in just about every behavior you see in Congress today is politics. Where in the hell did this Terri Schiavo thing come from? There's not a conservative, Constitution-loving, separation-of-powers guy alive in the world that could have wanted that bill on the floor. That was pure, blatant pandering to [Focus on the Family President] James Dobson. That's all that was. It was silly, stupid, and irresponsible. Nobody serious about the Constitution would do that. But the question was will this energize our Christian conservative base for the next election.

Why does it seem Christian conservatives are more powerful now than in the 1990s?

To a large extent because Dobson and his gang of thugs are real nasty bullies. I pray devoutly every day, but being a Christian is no excuse for being stupid. There's a high demagoguery coefficient to issues like prayer in schools. Demagoguery doesn't work unless it's dumb, shallow as water on a plate. These issues are easy for the intellectually lazy and can appeal to a large demographic. These issues become bigger than life, largely because they're easy. There ain't no thinking.

And I thought Dick Armey couldn't possibly say anything I agreed with. Never say never.

As long as we're on the subject of FOF thugs, Focus on the Family's Citizen Link is rejoicing that the US House has upheld "parents' right to be involved in pregnancy decisions of their daughters."

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council (FRC), said the vote sends a strong signal to the Senate to do the same.
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Tom McClusky, vice president for government affairs at FRC, called on lawmakers to give urgent attention to this matter.

"The Child Custody Protection Act and Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (CIANA) will not stop all abortions, but they will allow parents to be involved in what is literally a life-altering decision," he said. "I say to those Senators who are in a mad rush to leave town this weekend, 'First, finish the business you were elected to do.'

"And to Senators such as Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Senator Dick Durbin, I say, 'Now is the time for you to choose. Will you support abortion doctors and statutory rapists, or will you support parental rights and families?' "

If you could swallow the insane notion that physicians can be equated with statutory rapists, that might sound like a pretty clear-cut choice -- until you stop and remember that the only parental involvement stories in the news lately involve parents attempting to violently force abortions upon their resistant daughters.

Yes, despite a great deal of sanctimonious braying from Stephen Peroutka's "Ecumenical Pro-life Center" . . .

"It's unbelievable that a child needs her parents permission to go on a school sponsored field trip, yet without this law a young girl, a minor of any age can be dragged across state lines into an abortion facility have an abortion without the knowledge of her parents."

. . . at least once a teenager gains the safety of a health care facility, she can rely on licensed medical professionals to protect her from coercion, instead of hog-tying and kidnapping her, or forcing turpentine down her throat.

And it's beyond hypocritical to complain that parental permission is needed for a field trip or for an aspirin from the school nurse, when a teenager is legally empowered to make any other decision regarding her own pregnancy, delivery or parenthood all on her own. She is the only person who may give informed consent for anything from amniocentesis, to an elective Cesarean section, to her own child's medical treatment. She, and she only, may consent to an adoption agreement. Once pregnant, she is solely entitled to make any of those decisions, but still is deemed too immature to decide whether she's ready to become a mother in the first place. Just one more of life's enduring mysteries.

The anti-choice propaganda outlet LifeNews is outraged that California now prohibits the targeting of abortion providers on the Internet.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed into law a measure prohibiting any Internet web site posting of the picture, home address, or telephone number of an abortion practitioner. The measure targets those who would threaten abortion practitioners but could be used to prosecute anyone publishing a pro-life web site.
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Pro-life advocates are concerned that the new law could be used to prosecute anyone operating a pro-life web site in California that has such information posted about abortion practitioners or staff of an abortion facility.

The prohibition of posting the information is limited to those who are likely to "incite a 3rd person to cause imminent great bodily harm to the person identified in the posting or display" or "to threaten the person identified in the posting or display ... in a manner that places the person identified or the coresident in objectively reasonable fear for his or her personal safety."

As a result, a pro-life web site with a picture of an abortion practitioner and a note urging prayers for the person or letters written to encourage the person to stop performing abortions could be viewed as threatening or intimidating.

Umm . . . well, yes, a web site like that certainly could be viewed as threatening or intimidating.  That's why The Nuremberg Files was shut down.  (Someone remind me to "never say never" about Arnold Schwarzenegger, either)

An email from Christian Family Coalition updates us on the latest innovation of CareNet's well-oiled anti-choice machine: the LifeDonor Network. And no, they aren't asking for your liver; money will do just fine.

Date: September 27, 2006
From: Christian Family Coalition

Imagine Being Able to Stop an Abortion Today!
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Care Net® has recently launched the LifeDonor Network. By becoming a member for a small monthly contribution, you can help Care Net reach more women who are experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. The most cost effective way of reaching these women is through the internet. And with advanced targeting capability, Care Net is able to reach out to women who may be considering abortion by leading them to a special website. There, they will learn that they have other options.

Care Net's records show that if they can encourage those seeking options to visit a pregnancy counseling center, 90% WILL CHOOSE LIFE!

All Care Net's pregnancy centers are committed to serving women in need with care and integrity and are committed to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. And now with the LifeDonor Network you can help Care Net reach even more pregnant women.

It takes a lifetime to change a law but only a minute to change a heart. Please consider joining the LifeDonor Network today!

Even without the massive infusion of federal funding that would enrich CareNet's coffers should Congress approve the 95-10 Initiative of Democrats for Life, CareNet and Heartbeat International have created an extensive network to funnel unsuspecting women into crisis pregnancy center "ministries" from coast to coast. Now the LifeDonor Network enables its fan club to lie for Jesus with just a click of the mouse.

Tax-deductible LifeDonor contributions fund Internet ads directing women to Option Line, where they are bombarded with scare tactic propaganda about such purported consequences of abortion as eating disorders, depression, suicidal thoughts, alcohol and drug abuse and, of course, that perennial crisis pregnancy center favorite, breast cancer.

Well sometimes it's heaven
And sometimes it's hell
Sometimes I don't even know
Sometimes I take it as far as I can
And sometimes I don't even go

Somehow I can't help believing that Mrs. Parker would have understood perfectly.