Monday, July 25, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Reid makes appeal to religious on Democrats' behalf

Senate minority leader uses Web site to cast Democratic policies in spiritual tint

WASHINGTON -- In a bid to show that Republicans don't have a monopoly on religion, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is stepping up Democrats' courtship of faith-based groups.

Reid unveiled a Web site last week aimed at religious voters. Titled "A Word to the Faithful," it shows Reid, head bowed in prayer with visiting Protestant ministers. Other photos show Reid with Catholic and Baptist leaders.

The site casts Democratic policies in a spiritual tint, questioning "the morality of privatizing Social Security," and challenging President Bush's budget cuts in programs "that provide for those in need."

"People of faith and Senate Democrats can work together to lift our neighbors up and achieve our common goals," Reid says on the site.

The address is http://democrats.senate.gov/faith.html.

Reid is turning to faith in other ways, too. He expanded a senior adviser role on his staff to add "faith-based affairs" and hired Darrel Thompson, former campaign chief of staff for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

On Aug. 24, Reid will convene a "faith-based services symposium" at Nevada Partners in North Las Vegas.

On Friday, Reid arranged for the Senate's opening prayer to be delivered by Dr. Percell Church Jr., senior pastor of the Zion United Methodist Church in North Las Vegas.

A display of Reid in prayer is striking because the senator, who is a Mormon, does not wear his religion on his sleeve, said Eric Herzik, acting liberal arts dean at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Reid can only go so far to reach out to religious voters, Herzik said.

"Democrats argue social and economic justice and much of the faith community is far more focused on cultural issues, like right to life and displays of the Ten Commandments," Herzik said.

The effort "might make some inroads with mainline Protestants and perhaps Catholics but it's really not going to catch the eye of evangelicals," he said.

Evangelicals are important "because they vote and they vote overwhelmingly Republican," Herzik said.

A spokeswoman for James Dobson, the religious commentator and founder of Focus on the Family, was not impressed.

"This looks like a reaction to November's election and if that's the case, it's unfortunate it took losing an election to see that faith is important to Americans," said Carrie Gordon Earll.

Democrats "will not reach values voters with their current positions on social issues," like abortion and gay marriage, Earll said. "If they are aiming for more mainline voters who might be more liberal they probably have those voters already."

Path cleared for Fore

A path has cleared for Nevadan Henrietta Holsman Fore to win confirmation to a top State Department post.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said last week he will no longer block Fore's nomination to become undersecretary for management under Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Obama met with Fore on June 30 and received a letter on July 13 in which Fore said workplace diversity would be a high priority if she is confirmed.

Obama had held up Fore's confirmation after learning of a speech she gave at Wellesley College in 1987.

According to accounts in The New York Times and elsewhere, she described the difficulty of recruiting black workers at her manufacturing firm, saying they would rather go "back to the street to earn more money" by selling drugs.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has scheduled a vote for Tuesday on Fore's nomination.

Porter called DeLay `crony'

The Democrats' campaign to spotlight allies to chastised Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, has gotten around to Nevada Rep. Jon Porter.

Porter was named DeLay "crony of the week" by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The Democrats created a Web site dedicated to attacks on the House majority leader, who has been admonished three times by the House ethics committee.

The Democrats highlighted Porter's receipt of $35,000 from DeLay's political action committee, ARMPAC, his contribution of $5,000 to the leader's legal defense fund, and his voting loyalty to the Republican leadership.

Porter's connections to DeLay are irrelevant to issues that Nevadans care about, Porter political adviser Mike Slanker responded.

"With the war on terrorism and Yucca Mountain, the DCCC is spending time and capital on something that doesn't affect anybody in Nevada," Slanker said.