David Gushee & Frank Page Question Sen. Obama

On Sunday night, both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama participated in CNN's Compassion Forum held on the campus of Messiah College in Pennsylvania. John McCain - the Baptopalian - was a no show. You can read a summary of the shindig over at CNN.

You can also read the transcript here.

I'm posting the transcript of the questions posed to Senator Obama by both Frank Page of the Southern Baptist Convention and David Gushee of Mercer University.

DAVID P. GUSHEE, MERCER UNIVERSITY: Senator Obama, recently yet another disturbing memo emerged from the Justice Department. This one said that not even interrogation methods that, quote, "shock the conscience" would be considered torture nor would they be considered illegal if they had been authorized by the president.

Senator Obama, this kind of reasoning shocks the conscience of many millions of Americans and many millions of people of faith here and around the world. Is there justification for policies on the part of our nation that permit physical and mental cruelty toward those who are in our custody?

OBAMA: We have to be clear and unequivocal. We do not torture, period. We don't torture.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: Our government does not torture. That should be our position. That should be our position. That will be my position as president. That includes, by the way, renditions. We don't farm out torture. We don't subcontract torture.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: And the reason this is important is not only because torture does not end up yielding good information -- most intelligence officers agree with that. I met with a group -- a distinguished group of former generals who have made it their mission to travel around and talk to presidential candidates and to talk in forums about how this degrades the discipline and the ethos of our military.

It is very hard for us when kids, you know, 19, 20, 21, 22 are in Iraq having to make difficult decisions, life or death decisions every day, and are being asked essentially to restrain themselves and operate within the law.

And then to find out that our own government is not abiding by these same laws that we are asking them to defend? That is not acceptable. And so my position is going to be absolutely clear.

And it is also important for our long-term security to send a message to the world that we will lead not just with our military might but we are going to lead with our values and our ideals.

That we are not a nation...

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: ... that gives away our civil liberties simply because we're scared. And we're always at our worst when we're fearful. And one of the things that my religious faith allows me to do, hopefully, is not to operate out of fear.

Fear is a bad counsel and I want to operate out of hope and out of faith.
........................................................................................

FRANK PAGE, SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION: Thank you, Senator Obama. Thank you for being here at Messiah College for the Compassion Forum. Southern Baptists have been very active for years in sub- Saharan Africa in the HIV/AIDS relief ministries. Sometimes orphan care, sometimes educational activities.

But we also are involved in a ministry called True Love Waits, which has been credited by the government of Uganda from lowering the AIDS infection rate there dramatically from 30 percent to 6 percent. But we also teach a part of that, that faith has a role in the issue of HIV/AIDS. Do you concur with that and would you elaborate on that, please.

BROWN: Can I just clarify, true love waits is an abstinence program.

PAGE: Abstinence based and faith based, yes.

OBAMA: Well first of all, congratulations to those who have been involved in that work. I think it's important work. And I think you may know my father came from this part of the world. I visited Kenya multiple times. I have been working with a group of grandmas who were helping AIDS orphans in Kenya.

OBAMA: Michelle and I, when we were traveling there, took an AIDS test before thousands of people to encourage the importance of them getting clear on what their status was and hopefully reducing infections.

And, by the way, this is an area where -- this doesn't happen very often, so everybody should take note -- where I compliment George Bush. I actually think that...

(APPLAUSE)

I actually think that the PEPFAR program is one of the success stories of this administration. We've seen a drastic increase in funding. And terrific work is being done between the CDC, the NIH, local AIDS organizations, NGOs.

My view is, is that we should use whatever the best approaches are, the scientifically sound approaches are, to reduce this devastating disease all across the world.

And part of that, I think, should be a strong education component and I think abstinence education is important. I also think that contraception is important; I also think that treatment is important; I also think that we have to do more to make antiviral drugs available to people who are in extreme poverty.

So I don't want to pluck out one facet of it. Now, that doesn't mean that non-for-profit groups can't focus on one thing while the government focuses on other things. I think we want to have a comprehensive approach.

I do think that -- and I've said this when I was in Kenya -- that there is a behavioral element to AIDS that has to be addressed. And if there is -- if there's promiscuity and we are pretending that that's not an issue in spreading AIDS, then we're missing part of the answer.

But I also think that -- keep in mind, women are far more likely to be infected now between the ages of 18 and 25 than are men. And that's why focusing, for example, on the status of women, empowering women, giving them microbicides, or other strategies that would allow them to protect themselves when they sometimes in certain situations may not be able to protect themselves from having unprotected sex, all those things are going to be just as important, as well.

Both good answers. Gushee's question reminds me of an excellent quote from his book. He wrote, "Many Christian conservatives of this generation have been unable to say no to torture because they are more conservative than Christian."

Perhaps that's President George W. Bush's problem as well.

Religious Leaders Condemn Clinton's Attacks

A diverse group of religious leaders have released an open letter to Senator Hillary Clinton condemning her recent personal attacks on Barack Obama. You'll notice that at least two of the religious leaders are Baptists. Check it out:

Dear Senator Clinton:

We write to you as people of faith from many backgrounds who love our great country and are concerned with the present tenor of your campaign.

Today, you took a new and disquieting step when you decided that it would be to your political benefit to wade into the waters of the issues surrounding Senator Barack Obama and his former pastor. This crosses the line and brings us full force into the zone of the politics of personal destruction.

There are those among us who support Rev. Wright and believe his comments were deeply misconstrued. There are others among us who reject his words outright, even in context.

But across these lines, we stand together, White and Black, Protestant and Catholic, Christian and Jew.

No candidate should use religion as a tool to divide the American people, as you have done today. By engaging in the politics of personal destruction your campaign runs the risk of turning people off from participating in the democratic process – and that hurts us all. We need this race to be about the values that are important to the American people.

We need to end the war and promote peace around the globe. America needs real leadership to address the housing crisis, a fighter who will help lift up our economy, and we need a leader in the White House who will tackle issues surrounding world wide climate change.

We urge you to join the debates over those issues instead of using valuable time making personal attacks that diminish both our democracy and our moral standing.

Sincerely,

Dr. T. DeWitt Smith
President
Progressive National Baptist Convention*

Dr. Michael Battle
President Interdenominational Theological Seminary

Sr. Jamie T. Phelps, O.P., Ph.D.
New Orleans, LA

Rev. Dr. Stephen John Thurston
President
National Baptist Convention of America

The Rev. Milton Cole
West Des Moines, IA

Rabbi Moshe Weisblum, Ph.D.
Annapolis, MD

The Rev. Chuck Currie
Portland, OR

Rabbi Abie Ingber
Cincinnati, OH

Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
Atlanta, GA

*Note: Affiliations are listed for informational purposes only. Individuals signed this letter in their personal capacities, and not on behalf of their house of worship, denomination or organization.

*Note 2: While some signers are Obama supporters, this is an independent letter that was not authored, organized or driven by the Obama campaign.

Hillary Clinton Visits Wacky Waco, Texas

So, Mike Huckabee and his sidekick Chuck Norris were in Waco yesterday at the Hilton Hotel.

Had I not been stuck working at the Library on the campus of Baylor University, I would have been in attendance. Where better to meet real-live Southern Baptists?

But today, February 29, Senator Hillary Clinton will be holding a rally at the Waco Convention Center. As a good Democrat, I will make my way to Washington Avenue to experience a little history along with my sister, Andrea. Andrea has supported Hillary from-the-get-go.

We're bringing my almost 20-month old nephew Camden James to the rally - a rally which he will hopefully one day regard as his baptism into the Democratic Party. You can never start a Young Dem too young....

A Texan* For Obama - Sí Se Puede!

On Thursday Night, I along with around 1500 or so Texas Democrats were packed shoulder-to-shoulder in The Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency in downtown Austin.

Together, we watched the Presidential Debate between Senators Clinton and Obama on CNN. Afterwards, we heard the music of country singer Kelly Willis followed by short speeches from various State Reps and State Senators. The night concluded with an appearance by Senator Clinton + Chelsea and after a rather lengthy wait, we heard from the rockstar himself, Senator Barack Obama.

Tickets were $50 a pop - my ticket was a Feb. 14 gift. But the cheese was free. And the wine was $7 per glass. Fortunately for my wallet, my years growing up in south Georgia has left me too redneck to be a Wine & Cheese kinda guy.

I'd say that all would agree that it was $50 well spent. It's not often that one gets to stand 15 feet from two high profile Presidential candidates - one of which will undoubtedly be the 44th President of these United States.

A guy behind me filmed the speeches of Senators Clinton and Obama. They are below. My left hand emerges to take a picture at about the 4 minute mark during Obama's speech! To see the handful of half-decent one-handed pictures I was able to take, click here.

Barack Obama vs. Hillary Clinton @ Univ of Texas

After a long week of thesisizing on Southern Baptists AND a late night trip to the Emergency Room due to a rather bizarre allergic reaction to Advil, thebigdaddyweave is preparing to journey South on I-35 to Austin. My destination is the Hyatt Regency where I will join many fellow Dems at the Debate Watch Party sponsored by the Texas Democratic Party.

After tonight's debate being held at the University of Texas, Clinton and Obama will mosey on over to the Hyatt and make an appearance.

And I'll be there to greet the next President of the United States.

So, make sure to watch the debate tonight on CNN.

Hillary or Barack? John Lewis' Struggle To Decide

My former boss and Civil Rights hero, Rep. John Lewis of Atlanta, has announced that he will be casting his Superdelegate vote for Senator Barack Obama. Or did he?

Here's the article in The New York Times from Friday, February 15.

MILWAUKEE — Representative John Lewis, an elder statesman from the civil rights era and one of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s most prominent black supporters, said Thursday night that he planned to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Senator Barack Obama in hopes of preventing a fight at the Democratic convention.

“In recent days, there is a sense of movement and a sense of spirit,” said Mr. Lewis, a Georgia Democrat who endorsed Mrs. Clinton last fall. “Something is happening in America, and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap.”

Mr. Lewis, who carries great influence among other members of Congress, disclosed his decision in an interview in which he said that as a superdelegate he could “never, ever do anything to reverse the action” of the voters of his district, who overwhelmingly supported Mr. Obama.

But on Saturday, Congressman Lewis was keeping quiet. From the AJC:

Rep. John Lewis refused to say Saturday if he plans to vote for Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's national convention in August.

But while Lewis would not address the issue, it was a dominant theme all around him. Lewis (D-Ga.) was in Atlanta for a City Hall news conference about the proposed Ralph David Abernathy Center for Civil Rights History and Wax Museum. Lewis, himself an icon of the civil rights movement, said he was there only to remember his friend, the late Rev. Abernathy.

"I'm not going to make any political statements today," Lewis said in response to questions. The congressman caused an uproar in Democratic presidential politics on Thursday when he apparently told a New York Times reporter that he would cast his ballot at the convention for Obama, rather than Hillary Clinton, whom he previously had endorsed.

On Friday, Lewis' office told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Times story was "inaccurate" but refused to give any other details and has not responded to requests for clarification. Jeff Zeleny, the Times reporter who wrote the original story, told the AJC on Friday that Lewis was clear in his support for Obama.

Lewis is one of 13 so-called superdelegates from Georgia, party leaders and elected officials who can cast a delegate's ballot at the national convention for any candidate, regardless of the outcome of the vote in his or her state or district. Georgia, and the voters in Lewis' 5th District, overwhelmingly backed Obama in the Feb. 5 Democratic presidential primary.

The Congressman's 5th district is an urban one, centered on Atlanta and encompasses College Park, East Point, Druid Hills and parts of Decatur (Dekalb County). With an African-American majority, the 5th district ranks 6th in the nation for percentage of gay and lesbian couples in the adult population at 10.8%. The Congressman's 5th district voted OVERWHELMINGLY for Barack Obama in the Georgia Primary on February 5.

This paragraph from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution sums up The Congressman's struggle:

U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) is one of Lewis' oldest friends in Congress. Clyburn is the House majority whip. Lewis is his chief deputy. The two first met in 1960 during the civil rights movement in Atlanta. "I had a long talk with John yesterday," Clyburn said Friday in a telephone interview from his district office in Columbia. While Clyburn would not divulge what Lewis said, he shared that "John is wrestling with this." For many African-American leaders like Clyburn and Lewis, Obama's rise is in many ways what the civil rights movement was about: working for the day an African-American had a legitimate chance to be president. For Lewis, the situation is complicated by his close relationship and support for Clinton. "It's got to be tough," said Clyburn, who did not endorse before the Jan. 26 South Carolina primary and would not say for whom he would cast his own superdelegate ballot in Denver in August. "Most of us have grown up looking forward. You look forward to being part of making history. I guess a lot of us have been dealt a tough hand to have to try and make that choice."

I hope Congressman Lewis casts his vote for Barack Obama. But not because Obama is black. And not because of pressure from his constituents to ratify their decision. I believe Congressman Lewis should cast his vote for Obama because Lewis' ethic of nonviolence is more compatible with the positions taken by the Senator from Illinois.

We need a President committed to peacemaking.

Barack Obama and The Bradley Effect

The folks on MSNBC and out in the blogosphere have cited the Bradley Effect as a possible explanation for the big gap between the final polls which had Obama cruising to an easy victory and up approximately 7% and the end result, Hillary's 39%-36% victory.

Wikipedia explains the Bradley Effect also known as the Wilder Effect below:

The term Bradley effect or Wilder effect refers to a phenomenon which has led to inaccurate voter opinion polls in some American political campaigns between a white candidate and a non-white candidate. Specifically, there have been instances in which statistically significant numbers of white voters tell pollsters in advance of an election that they are either genuinely undecided, or likely to vote for the non-white candidate, but those voters exhibit a different behavior when actually casting their ballots. White voters who said that they were undecided break in statistically large numbers toward the white candidate, and many of the white voters who said that they were likely to vote for the black candidate ultimately cast their ballot for the white candidate. This reluctance to give accurate polling answers has sometimes extended to post-election exit polls as well.

Researchers who have studied the issue theorize that some white voters give inaccurate responses to polling questions because of a fear that they might appear to others to be racially prejudiced. Some research has suggested that the race of the pollster conducting the interview may factor into that concern. At least one prominent researcher has suggested that with regard to pre-election polls, the discrepancy can be traced in part by the polls' failure to account for general conservative political leanings among late-deciding voters.

This phenomenon was first noticed in the 1982 race for governor of California, where Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, a black Democrat, narrowly lost to Republican George Deukmejian, despite polls showing him with a lead ranging from 9 to 22 points. The next year, African American Democrat Harold Washington barely won his race for mayor of Chicago against Republican Bernard Epton. Pre-election polls taken within the last two weeks of the campaign showed Washington with a 14-point lead.

Times like these remind us all that even white liberals from New England are not completely free from the racist tendencies that still plague much of the South. And if the Bradley Effect is indeed real in this instance and Obama is able to secure the nomination - what will happen in a General Election when more moderate Democrats and Independents and actual Republicans participate? America needs Barack Obama. I guess a potential Bradley Effect just signals to Authentic Progressives that an Obama Presidency could be a tougher task than expected. However, I HOPE there is another explanation for tonight's gap between the polls and results. While my experiences lead me to probably believe otherwise, I'll remember Obama's wise quip to Senator Clinton that "there's no such thing as false hopes." Hopes aren't false.

Hillary Clinton Talks Faith In NY Times Interview

Senator Clinton recently sat down for a lengthy interview with a NY Times reporter and answered questions about her personal relationship with God. Check it out.

A snippet or two below:

Q: Is there a favorite book that you return to in the Bible?

Senator Clinton: It depends upon what’s going on in my life. It depends upon the challenges and questions that I’m coping with. Psalms is always a favorite. It’s both comforting and challenging. There are lots of aspects of Isaiah that I find very intriguing and provocative. I have a lot of verses sort of scattered through the Old Testament but I spend most of my time in the New Testament. For me it isn’t like there’s one place I go all the time because my experience changes all the time. I spent a lot of time when I was growing up trying to, for me, work out the balance between personal salvation and the social gospel.

And, I gave a speech or said something at one time about how I thought that in the Methodist church a lot of the churches had drifted too far on the social gospel side which is very understandable because there were a lot of serious issues certainly that were facing me when I was growing up on race relations and on the Vietnam war and so much else. But, you have to keep in balance the feeding of your spirit and your soul and the need to be nurturing your personal faith while you try to have the energy and the support to go out into the world.

There’s that great line in James about how faith without works is dead, but works without faith is too hard. And, that’s kind of how I see the necessary blending of what I want out of faith. For some people a personal relationship with God, a sense that you’re saved, a real belief in your salvation is incredibly both moving and comforting.

Q: And your attitude toward the Bible about how literally people should take it...

Senator Clinton: I think the whole Bible is real. The whole Bible gives you a glimpse of God and God’s desire for a personal relationship, but we can’t possibly understand every way God is communicating with us. I’ve always felt that people who try to shoehorn in their cultural and social understandings of the time into the Bible might be actually missing the larger point that we’re supposed to take from the Bible.

Bill and Hillary's Sopranos Parody

For you Sopranos fans, check out Hillary Clinton's parody of the series finale.

And what tune was chosen as Hillary's campaign theme song?

"You and I" by Canadian superstar Celine Dion....Yuck.

Baptist Press Spins Again...

Here is a snippet from a recent Baptist Press article compiled by Gregory Tomlin...

Carter and former President Bill Clinton announced their initiative Jan. 9 to unite moderate and liberal Baptists along issues that align with the Democratic Party’s political agenda. A proposed 2008 confab, “Celebration of a New Baptist Covenant,” will coincide with a U.S. presidential election year when Clinton’s wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D.-N.Y.), is a possible candidate.

First, the New Baptist Covenant seeks to unite more than just "moderate and liberal Baptists." The purpose of the Covenant is to unite Baptists in North America regardless of where they lie on the theological spectrum. Mr. Tomlin and the Baptist Press fail to mention that theologically conservative denominations are part of the North American Baptist Fellowship.

Present at the recent Carter Center gathering included representatives from denominations including the Seventh Day Baptist Conference, North American Baptist Conference USA & Canada, General Association of General Baptists, National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, and the Baptist General Conference (John Piper anyone?). Should I list more?

Tomlin and the Baptist Press staff suggest that the purpose of the New Baptist Covenant is to "unite moderate and liberal Baptists along issues that align with the Democratic Party's political agenda."

So, apparently the environment, sexual trafficking, racism, freedom of religion, poverty, and HIV/AIDS are not issues of concern for the Republican Party?? Shouldn't these worthwhile causes be at the top of any political party's agenda???

One can only hope that the Republican Party cares about the plight of the poor and for those suffering from AIDS both home and abroad.

And what does Hillary Clinton got to do with anything? She won't be attending - she's not Baptist. In fact, President Bill Clinton is not even listed as a speaker for next year's Celebration. President Clinton admitted that he attended the Carter Center gathering only as a "cheerleader." Keynote speakers to date include President Carter, Bill Moyers, and Marian Wright Edelman.

Again, what does Hillary Clinton got to do with anything???

It should be mentioned that George W. Bush addressed messengers to the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention less than 5 months before the 2004 Presidential Election.