"Kinda like the real Christians [always assuming there are any] are still carrying the can for the "christian"[sic] Fundamentalists."

Greg, I definitely agree with what you say about real conservatives. I know some, and they tend to alternate between being confused (wanting to speak out, but not wanting to agree with "liberals") and being anywhere from dubious to furious at the actions of the Bush administration.

But just to set the record straight:—    liberal Christians are not just sitting back quietly while the Fundies try to usurp Christianity. There is a fair number of prominent Christians who, for a long time have been speaking out loudly against this narrow view and its adherents' attempts to take over as spokespersons for all Christianity—and take over the government with their "America is a Christian country" war-cry.    One of these is retired Episcopal bishop John Shelby Spong, with his books like Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism and another is Rev. Barbara Rossing with her book, The Rapture Exposed (she wanted to title it The Rapture Racket, but that frightened her publisher). These are only two of hundreds. Not only do they write books and articles, but they go around speaking at churches all over the country and giving lectures in various venues.

One of the most prominent recently is Rev. Jim Wallis. Right now, he's traveling from city to city talking at churches, giving book signings in bookstores, giving lectures, and appearing on television and radio talk shows whenever they have the guts to give him air-time, flogging his recently published book, God's Politics : Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It (interview HERE).

If the word is not getting around, it's because the media (that horrible "liberal" media) gives the Fundies a lot of air-time and generally tends to ignore people like Wallis. Also, the Fundies can really get vicious about the things Spong, Rossing, Wallis, and others say and sometimes organize boycotts of any station or other media outlet that is willing to give them air-time.

Up until recently, in this country religion, has been relatively safe from government interference. But government is definitely not safe from religion. "Liberal" Christians like Wallis recognize that if groups like the religious Right get the foothold they want in government, then freedom of religion—and freedom from religion—will be a thing of the past. Kiss the First Amendment goodbye.

Karl Rove's perfidy has much more far-reaching implications than most people realize.

Don Firth