Talk To Action | Bill Clinton Affirms To NBC That "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" From '90's Attacking Obama

Special Focus Sarah Palin & The New Apostolic Reformation

Create an account:
it's free Forgotten name
or password ?

Fake History, and the myth that the United States was founded originally as a "Christian Nation", is now being taught in hundreds of schools across America. Please click here to help Talk To Action Fight Fake History

Talk To Action Speakers Bureau

Religious Right Organizations

Site Sections

The War on Reproductive Rights

Attacking Public Education

Shadow War: the battle for mainstream faith
the covert campaign against liberal chuches and the social justice tradition

War on Judicial Independence

[above: click on image for YouTube video trailer]"Renewal or Ruin": New Video Documentary By Steve D. Martin Spotlights Secretive Rightwing Effort To Destroy Mainstream Protestant Churches

Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy, by Frederick Clarkson

Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort
by Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons
sample chapter

God's Profits: Faith, Fraud and the Republican Crusade For Values Voters
By Sarah Posner

Liars for Jesus: The Religious Right's Alternate Version of American History
By Chris Rodda

Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism
: by Michelle Goldberg

With God on Their Side: How Christian Fundamentalists Trampled Science, Policy, and Democracy in George W. Bush's White House.
by Esther Kaplan

Straight to Jesus: Sexual and Christian Conversions in the Ex-Gay Movement
Tanya Erzen

Special Features

Attack on The United Churches of Christ

Attack on The United Methodist Church

"The Christian Right, Dominionism, and Theocracy", by Chip Berlet

Parts One Two Three Four Five

"Taking Over The Republican Party", a four part series by Joan Bokaer

The Woman in A Mink Coat While We Were sleeping Angels On a Pinhead Under Cover of Night

The Indian River Incident : What You Can Do

link > The "Stop the ACLU Coalition" Shaming Project
How you can help stop "Stop The ACLU" just by sending a few emails

The Shaming Project

does the violence of "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" bother you ? If so, what can you do ? Well, to begin with you can email Jonathan Hutson's stories to people you know. That will help to bring more public scrutiny of the game. Public shaming really works ! Just click on the "email" icon and link at the top or bottom of the story and you'll be taken to a form that will allow you email the first story, The Purpose Driven Life Takers or the latest installment without leaving this site. Thanks.

Donate to or support
Talk to Action

Bill Clinton Affirms To NBC That "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" From '90's Attacking Obama

By Bruce Wilson	Sun Sep 27, 2009 at 02:47:53 PM EST	print story

In an interview on NBC today, reports Politico.com, "Meet The Press" interviewer David Gregory asked Former US President Bill Clinton, "Your wife famously talked about the vast right wing conspiracy targeting you. As you look at this opposition on the right to President Obama, is it still there?"

Clinton answered in the affirmative; "Oh, you bet. Sure it is. It's not as strong as it was, because America has changed demographically. But it's as virulent as it was. I mean, they're saying things about him. You know, it's like when they accused me of murder, and all that stuff they did... Their agenda seems to be wanting him to fail."

Bill Clinton's mention of the political import of demographic changes likely referred to an analysis, popular in liberal think-tank circles, which projects that because much the GOP's base has been rooted among white European-Americans, Democratic Party fortunes will rise in coming decades as non-European minority groups, which historically have tended to vote for Democratic Party candidates, come to constitute an ever-larger share of the voting electorate.

Organized around an anti-gay marriage and anti-reproductive rights agenda and a Christian nationalist vision for America, the Rainbow Right reflects ground-level developments on the Christian right as a decade long push to make the movement more racially and ethnically inclusive is coming to fruition so that many churches on the Christian right, such as Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee's San Antonio Cornerstone Church, now boast an impressive level of ethnic and racial diversity.

Behind the Rainbow Right is a rapidly growing charismatic movement within conservative Christianity that has gained enough influence that 2012 presidential election hopefuls such as Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee pay its leaders public obeisance. A number of national GOP politicians, such as US Senator John Ensign, are associated with the tendency, which also claims former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin [also see here] and reflects large-scale changes within global Christianity.

But Evangelical leaders in this new charismatic tendency aren't merely content wielding influence within the Republican Party. Rising young lions in the new charismatic tendency such as the Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, who as President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Council purports to represent over 15 million Hispanic Christians, also are helping shape initiatives within Democrat-centrist think tank efforts such as the Third Way.

To discuss this story, sign up for a free account

Bill Clinton Affirms To NBC That "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" From '90's Attacking Obama | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)

The instigators will deny everything (5.00 / 1)

It is really happening, and the instigators will deny everything, and will refuse to take responsibility for the hatred they exploit.

by khughes1963 on Sun Sep 27, 2009 at 03:42:43 PM EST

My observation (5.00 / 2)

is that among the traditionally-liberal-leaning, if they get involved with dominionist groups or churches, their politics changes over time to something much more conservative and harsh. The more they buy into the dominionist message and thinking, the more conservative and intolerant they become. It's part of the programming.

I just wonder if they'd left, what would happen with their viewpoint- would it return to something more progressive and accepting and tolerant?

I know that's the general rule with walkaways.

by ArchaeoBob on Sun Sep 27, 2009 at 04:21:09 PM EST

Like I asked over at DKos (none / 0)

I'd like to see the numbers on the median age of these rainbow right groups.
On further thought as to what happens on the ground, how does this "message" spread? Do they have speakers that go on a circuit? Is it visiting pastors to other churches? Also, what happens when this message is adopted? How do the congregations change, if at all? Who stays, who leaves?
Keep up the good work, Bruce.

by Da Rat Bastid on Sun Sep 27, 2009 at 10:47:21 PM EST

: Or rather, trout. nt (none / 0)

by Da Rat Bastid on Sun Sep 27, 2009 at 10:48:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Clinton is right... (none / 0)

about the opposition to Obama. A lot of people (especially liberals) were surprised by the Tea Parties, the Town Hall craziness and the 9/12 theatrics, but the people at them aren't saying anything different from what the Right said about the Clintons back in the 1990s (incidentally, I think a lot of the charges of opposition to Obama being rooted in racism are dumb). In fact, I think things would have been even worse if HRC had won the Democratic nomination and then the presidency. Back when I was in college in the early 2000s, when HRC ran for the Senate the first time in NY, a lot of undergrads had HRC's head photoshopped onto a picture of Adolph Hitler's body with the words "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer" plastered on their dorm room doors. I can't imagine what the reaction from the Right would have been if HRC had become president.

-------------
"I believe in a President whose views on religion are his own private affair" - JFK, Address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association
by hardindr on Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 04:38:30 PM EST

I wouldn't be so sure... (none / 0)

I suggest you read what Tim Wise ( http://www.timwise.org/ ) has to say about the racist connections in the opposition to President Obama- check out the blog. He's right about what is going on, but he doesn't take it as far as he should. The racist connections between the "religious right"/dominionists/whatever are pretty strong, and much of the modern Religious Right started out of racism (per Frank Shaeffer, and if ANYONE should know, he would). Part of it is pure racism (which is largely misunderstood by most people- racism is still endemic to this country), part of it is political, and part of it is religious.

The same unholy mixture that we fight against.

by ArchaeoBob on Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 06:29:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I disagree... (none / 0)

I think for all its problems, America has come a long way with regard to racism. It's true that the Christian Right's first mobilization was against integrating private religious academies in the South, but even they have had to seriously rethink their past behavior and associations, if anything because of shifting demographics. I think that most of the same kooky arguments against Obama would be made against HRC if she were elected president.

-------------
"I believe in a President whose views on religion are his own private affair" - JFK, Address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association
by hardindr on Mon Sep 28, 2009 at 06:54:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]

: Not according to people who study race! (none / 0)

America has improved SOMEWHAT, but it's like saying the river has crested and gone down a few inches and thus things have improved greatly - when it's still 10 feet over flood stage.
I've studied race and racism in America (nine formal graduate-level hours, plus indirectly related independent research, and at least one other graduate-level course spent significant time on race and racism), and done my own individual research (which I've been asked by professors to publish). I've got a few hundred megabytes- or more- of peer reviewed race/racism related journal articles which I've read and analyzed. Racism is more covert, but it's still just as much of a problem (maybe more) than it was in the '70's and early 80's. I suggested you read Tim Wise's blog and articles, well, there are several books out that also are a worthwhile read. I can relate three of them off the top of my head:
Two Nations by Hacker.
RacistAmerica by Feagin
and the third covers race tangentially, but shows the problem too: Failing Grades by Kaplan (whom I was privileged to study and research race with).
I don't have the time to go and make a list of peer-reviewed journal articles, or to dig out the names of other books on the subject (some of which I own in my personal collection). These three are excellent and highly accurate.
In my own research, I was able to show that the major networks (and not just Faux and the Washington Times) were using racist biasing, and my findings mirrored other research done on other news reporting. In another project, I was able to show that racism is a dominant factor in the discussion of "immigration" through critical discourse/content analysis. I can say FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE as well as from my studies and research that racism is a major factor in this country- and based upon other research and my findings, I could say that at least in this area, most people are racist (but they'd likely deny it to their death).
Even the Dominionists are racist- if you don't assimilate, you're considered the lowest of the low- enemies of God even. It's covert even as most of American racism is now covert. Believe me, they're far more vicious against minorities that they cannot parade around as trophies. I've been there, done that, have the t-shirt (so to speak).

by ArchaeoBob on Thu Oct 01, 2009 at 12:24:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Clinton was wrong, it is even larger now (none / 0)

But then Clinton is a right winger himself and it looks good for him doing his buds bidding while they paint him as something he was not. The same goes for Obama as he keeps the fascist elements in our gov't alive and kicking. Curious but it works. Confusing but then that is the point to it. Clinton gave us "don't ask, don't tell" and the other abominations like NAFTA, GATT & WTO. He was Democrat in name only, just like Obama. Both he and his wife were never liberals. Obama certainly isn't one if he ever was one. But then with two heads of the same monster we have as political parties the truly liberal ones get left out in the cold as we saw how Kucinich was treated. No third parties have an equal chance either. Such is our system to keep our votes useless.

by Nightgaunt on Sun Oct 04, 2009 at 03:09:27 PM EST

Bill Clinton Affirms To NBC That "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" From '90's Attacking Obama | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)

TTA site search engine

WWW Talk To Action

I'll Die Another Day
As many of you know, I am now recovering at home after two weeks in the hospital and some harrowing experiences. I am feeling......
By Frederick Clarkson (3 comments)

What Palin's "Jewish people will be flocking to Israel" statement really means
Stumping for her new autobiography, Sarah Palin has made a round of interviews with high profile media figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Barbara......
By Bruce Wilson (3 comments)

Render Unto Caesar: District Tax Officials End Free Ride For Religious Right's `C Street House'
Remember all the talk last summer about the mysterious "C Street house" in Washington, D.C.? The structure, owned by a clandestine evangelical Christian organization......
By Rob Boston (0 comments)

The Africa Connection to the Attack on the Mainline Churches
Three years ago, in an essay in The Public Eye magazine, I outlined how the neoconservative and Religious Right campaign to divide and conquer......
By Frederick Clarkson (2 comments)

Prevaricating Pastors: Mendacious Ministers Prove It's Still Legal To Be Bigots
It's no secret that I'm not a fan of the Religious Right. Through my work at Americans United, I've opposed this movement for 22......
By Rob Boston (2 comments)

Palin's Prayer Leader Hinted Terrorist Attack Could Make Sarah President
In the final weeks of the 2008 presidential election, one of the religious leaders closest to Sarah Palin hinted that the Alaska governor might......
By Bruce Wilson (7 comments)

Hagee, Rodriguez Embrace Signals Massive New Alignments On Christian Right
As JTA News has just reported, John Hagee's Christians United For Israel (CUFI), which represents many millions of American Christian Zionist evangelicals, has formed......
By Bruce Wilson (2 comments)

Archbishop Dolan Disparages Reform and Dissent As "Anti-Catholicism"
In posting on his blog site, recently installed Archbishop for the Diocese of New York, Timothy Dolan, accused The New York Times of anti-Catholicism.......
By Frank Cocozzelli (5 comments)

Bart Stupak, Family 'Minister', Wrapped in C Street Like a Bug in a Rug
Even while protesting that he isn't trying to kill health care reform, House Representative Bart Stupak (D-Mich), who has incurred the wrath of the......
By Bruce Wilson (2 comments)

Unhealthy Trend: House Action On Abortion Showcases Power Of Bishops' Lobby
When political pundits talk about the power of religious groups to affect public policy in Washington, most tend to focus on the Religious Right.......
By Rob Boston (1 comment)

Author of Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill and the "College of Prayer International"
The Uganda New Vision reports the latest on David Bahati, the MP behind the proposed draconian "Anti-Homosexuality Bill"; he was among attendees at a......
By Richard Bartholomew (3 comments)

Rick Warren Repudiates Martin Ssempa
From Warren Throckmorton's blog: STATEMENT FROM PASTOR RICK & KAY WARREN REGARDING ACTIVITIES OF MARTIN SSEMPA IN UGANDA Martin Ssempa does not represent me,......
By Richard Bartholomew (2 comments)

Dobson And Destiny: Will Religious Right Leader Turn His Focus To Electioneering?
James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family (FOF), is not a happy camper these days. "What is happening in Washington right now is......
By Rob Boston (5 comments)

Resource Page on John Hagee and Christian Zionism
Special Focus: Christian Zionism Following are a list of articles on Christian Zionism that have been posted on Talk2action.org over a period of several......
By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)

Progressive Catholics in Maine Push Back on Question One
On Tuesday November 3rd, voters in Maine can either vote yes or no on "Question One," a potential people's veto of recently enacted legislation......
By Frank Cocozzelli (7 comments)

Mark Silk on the Hagee / Rodriguez Entente
Mark Silk, at Spiritual Politics has picked up on my notice of the Hagee-Rodriguez embrace and zeroes in on what's certainly one of the most notable aspects: "The key thing to understand about the......
By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)

Inscribing Christian Values in our Children Before Birth?
Following the evolution of evangelical discourse as it re-defines homosexuality as evidence of "fallen creation", Terri Murray looks at how the Christian right have shifted their rhetoric to adapt to empirical research showing that......
By TMurray (0 comments)

US News & World Report Showcases Creationist Ray Comfort
US News and World Report's Dan Gilgoff has charitably provided evangelist Ray Comfort a media platform in the form of a US News & World "exclusive" through which Comfort defends his efforts to distribute,......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)

Atheist billboard in Central Florida
The organization "Atheists of Florida" sponsored a billboard promoting atheism in Lakeland, Florida. I, however, have some concerns. ......
By ArchaeoBob (1 comment)

Transcript: Billy Graham and Richard Nixon, February 21, 1973
The following is my own transcript of a 20 minute phone conversation between Richard Nixon and Billy Graham, on February 23, 1973. As far as I am aware this is the only publicly available,......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)

Rifqa Bary being sent back to Ohio now
Well, there's a change in this case. After the judge gets immigration documents and so on from the parents, he will send her back. ......
By ArchaeoBob (0 comments)

The War on The War on Christmas Goes To Pot
The first day of Fall could be considered the official launch date for the annual war on the war on Christmas, which represents a significant part of the the American Family Association business model......
By Bruce Wilson (1 comment)

School Officials off the hook
Today it is reported that the judge excused the school officials who violated the agreement they had over separation of Church and State. ......
By ArchaeoBob (0 comments)

Dominionists trying to outlaw birth control
Well, they're at it again in Florida. ......
By ArchaeoBob (2 comments)

No Danger for Rifqa Bary
The FDLE just completed an investigation and found "no credible reports of threats" against Rifqa Bary. ......
By ArchaeoBob (1 comment)

Truth hitting the mainstream!
I've despaired of ever seeing anything critical or exposing Dominionism hit the mainstream press. There is now an exception. ......
By ArchaeoBob (0 comments)

Extremism?
The term extremism is currently in vogue to describe hate groups and other malcontents listed as such by knowledgeable monitors like SPLC and others in the T2A sidebar, but while we all know what......
By Jay Taber (2 comments)

My Netroots Nation Panel Talk
Where Do We Stand in the Bright Light of History? Netroots Nation August 14, 2009 Thank You, Professor Ledewitz, for initiating this discussion of a progressive vision for church and state -- and Netroots......
By Frederick Clarkson (0 comments)

Transcript, Jan. 18, 2009 Steven Anderson Sermon Excerpt
Note: the sermon excerpt video and transcript below, from a January 18, 2009 sermon by pastor Steven Anderson of the Tempe, Arizona Independent Baptist Church, begins at approximately 21:30 into Anderson's one hour, four......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)

More anti-Muslim provocation
The local paper reports that students in Gainsville, Florida are wearing T-shirts with "ISLAM IS OF THE DEVIL" printed on them. ......
By ArchaeoBob (1 comment)

Rifqa Bary to stay in Florida
The young ex-Muslim girl who ran away from her parents will be allowed to stay in Florida. The news article has strong indications that this is purely political. ......
By ArchaeoBob (10 comments)

Framing Fascism
In her recent article, Sara Robinson argues the United States is well on its way to becoming a totalitarian, fascist state. As evidence of this inevitability, she cites current town hall disruptions and threats......
By Jay Taber (11 comments)

Rock Paper Scissors
GOP-sponsored vigilantism has happened before. It is an integral part of domestic terrorism aimed at ethnic minorities and other sub-populations targeted by White Nationalism and Christian Fundamentalism. Catholics, Jews, Blacks, and Native Americans have......
By Jay Taber (3 comments)

PA Shooter's Church taught: "You can commit mass murder, then still go to heaven"
George Sodini, the 48-year-old misogynist who shot up a Pennsylvania Gym full of women on Aug. 4th, killing three women before turning the gun on himself, believed God wouldn't judge him by his actions.......
By Stacey Tallitsch (0 comments)

Vatican grilling Catholic sisters
While I am not Catholic, I accidentally ran across this article which is of interest to us on this blog - it involves Vatican actions that concern attempts at political control... ......
By ArchaeoBob (3 comments)

Sect Controls Women's Destinies
by Carolyn Jessop and Laura Palmer On The Issues Magazine Had I not escaped one night five years ago with my eight children from the manipulation and control of the FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of......
By On The Issues Magazine (4 comments)

The Religion of Fear
<h2> Living on Guard</h2> In The Religion of Fear, Jason C. Bivins examines conservative evangelical culture as it intersects with America's love affair with spectacular violence and the popular culture of fright that has......
By Jay Taber (2 comments)

Monvee: Profiles of the Mega-churched.
[ed: updated from diary section] Over the last 20 years, a consolidation from the small protestant church has given way to the "Mega-church" where community fellowship goes to die, and prosperity-gospel-rock-concerts are born. Just......
By Stacey Tallitsch (12 comments)

Woman Shoots ex-Husband in Groin, To "Let The Demons Out"
An investigating detective read an entry from a three ring binder, written shortly before the crime: "I know now what I have to do. There are three demonic spirits in (Dr. Loher), one assigned......
By Bruce Wilson (0 comments)

Separation of Church and State attacked in Florida
A Central Florida organization, "The Community Issues Council" has funded a number of billboards attacking the separation of Church and State, using "Quotes" from some of the Founding Fathers. ......
By ArchaeoBob (5 comments)

Radio host: We're only united through Christianity
Most of you in Indiana may know about Peter Heck, who hosts a daily radio show in Kokomo and puts out a column that appears in several newspapers across the state and in OneNewsNow.......
By Christian Dem in NC (2 comments)

Cindy Jacobs--the new leader of the NAR
You may remember that Lou Engle has made moves of late to position himself as the new power in the religious right. He's a member of the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, a group......
By Christian Dem in NC (3 comments)

James F. Linzey Espouses anti-Semitic, White Racialist Conspiracy Theory
James F. Linzey is a prominent, active duty chaplain in the United States military. Linzey has stated that he was the command chaplain for the Operation Iraqi Freedom troop mobilization prior to the US......
By Bruce Wilson (4 comments)

White Supremacist named as Holocaust Museum Shooter
An 89 year old, vehemently antiSemitic Ron Paul supporter has been named by police as the gunman who opened fire in the Holocaust Museum shortly after noon today: Gunman, guard shot at Holocaust museum......
By CynthiaGee (0 comments)

From Focus On The Family to La Familia Michoacana
I didn't think my work on the religous right would converge with what I'm doing on the narcoguerra in Mexico...but here it is: the Faith-Based Cartel. ......
By julydogs (2 comments)

More Diaries...

Donate to or support
Talk to Action

Left Behind: Eternal Forces: Installments of Jonathan Hutson's Talk To Action expose series

on the "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game have been viewed by up to 1/2 million people. See our site section featuring Over 35 original articles covering the controversial "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" video game that has provoked a boycott by a coalition of religious groups and a letter writing campaign urging Walmart to stop selling the game. Media inquiries click here
(image: detail from Francoise Dubois' rendition of the Bartholomew's Day Massacre reveals the actual nature of religious warfare)

Blogs

Bartholomew's Notes On Religion Chip Berlet Max Blumenthal The Panda's Thumb Frederick Clarkson Chuck Currie DefCon father Jake Stops The World John Gorenfeld Religion Clause Chris Mooney Religious Right Watch The Revealer Jesus Politics Majority Report Radio Blog Mainstream Baptist Orcinus Dispatches from the Culture Wars Ex-Gay Watch The Wall of Separation Blog From The Capital:a blog on religious liberty issues and the separation of church and state

CrossLeft: Organizing The Christian Left Dark Christianity The Daily Kos Booman Tribune ePluribus Media My Left Wing Political Cortex Street Prophets

Organizations

American Booksellers Foundation for Freedom of Expression ACLU Anti-Defamation League American Library Association Christian Alliance for Progress Citizens Project DefCon: Campaign to Defend The Constitution Faithful America People For the American way Institute For Democracy Studies Interfaith Alliance Jews On First: Defending the First Amendment American Fundamentalists Americans United for Separation of Church and State Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty The Clergy and laity Network Political Research Associates Theocracy Watch Media Matters for America Military Religious Freedom Foundation Montana Human Rights Network National Center For Science Education Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice The Revealer Southern Poverty Law Center Texas Freedom Network CrossLeft: Organizing the Christian Left Theocracy Watch Truth Wins Out"