Anti-abortion leaders are accusing one of their own, Focus on Family founder James Dobson, of misrepresenting a Supreme Court decision that upheld a ban on late-term abortions.

In a full-page ad in Wednesday's editions of The Gazette newspaper in Colorado Springs, the heads of four anti-abortion groups said Dobson wrongly characterized the court's April ruling as a victory for abortion foes.
The ad said the ruling will actually encourage medical professionals to find ``less shocking'' methods than late-term abortions, which abortion opponents call ``partial-birth abortion.''

``Dr. Dobson, you mislead Christians claiming this ruling will 'protect children.' The court granted no authority to save the life of even a single child,'' the ad said. It concluded by asking Dobson to ``please repent.'' ... The letter was signed by Brian Rohrbough, president of Colorado Right to Life; the Rev. Tom Euteneuer, president of Human Life International; Flip Benham, director of Operation Rescue/Operation Save America; Judie Brown, president of American Life League; and Bob Enyart, pastor of Denver Bible Church.

The ad highlights a longstanding disagreement in the antiabortion movement over so-called "partial birth abortion." Many militant antiabortion activists agree with the signers of the letter, that PBA bans are publicity stunts, rather than subtantively reducing abortions in any way.  The raising of the issue in this way raises the stakes in an interesting way and may portend deeper political divisions down the road.

Meanwhile, The Rocky Mountain News reports that Dobson's Focus on the Family, is presenting a mixed financial picture, as general revenues are up, but revenue for the organization's political arm, Focus Action, has declined since its first year in operation, 2004.

The combined Focus organization, in Colorado Springs, had revenue of $148.8 million in the fiscal year through the end of September, a roughly 4 percent increase on a modest rise in donations, the documents showed. Most of the sum - $136.6 million - was contributions. Focus also gets revenue from the sale of books, films and other materials.

But Focus Action has seen a decrease in revenue. Donations to the lobbying group fell to $6.3 million in 2006 from $6.7 million in 2005 and $8.7 million in 2004, its inaugural year. Focus officials declined to comment on the numbers.
Despite the slip, Dobson signaled that the group would continue to be assertive on the national stage.

"Our work in the public policy arena continues to effect change in a culture that has rejected the Judeo-Christian ethic of our founding fathers," Dobson said. "The Focus Action staff is committed to confronting these aggressive attacks with energy and determination."

There will be many stories such as these over the next little while, as the 2008 election season heats up; as religious right leaders jockey for position in the wake of the death of Jerry Falwell, and the ill health of Florida tlevangelist and political leader D. James Kennedy -- among other changes in the political landscape. Each such story, as interesting and signficant as it may be, is but small piece of a much-larger story that is still unfolding.

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