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Afraid Billion Dollar Tele-scam-gelist Won't Deliver the Trailer Park Vote
... or are they?
by Mac MacArthur
TUESDAY JULY 20th 1999 -- New York (APJP) -- In a not-so-stunning exhibition of abuse of process, not to mention just plain down-home bad taste, U.S. Senators Jeff Sessions and Paul Coverdell (Rs-GA) and the man most likely to bed down on the other side of the lunatic fringe, Jesse "The Dotty" Helms (R-NC), wrote a letter -- in "tongues," I suppose -- to Attorney General Janet Reno, urging her to "look into" charges that Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a large and respected group of mainstream American religious leaders, may have "attempted to disenfranchise religious voters by intimidating 'people of faith' into not participating in the political process."
How so? Because Americans United thinks Pat Robertson is a crook, like most Americans do.
Americans United applauded the IRS for canning his tax exemption for the so-called Christian Coalition, a group so dirty that the only honest leader it had bailed last year after seeing the writing on the wall. Robertson, who is cringing in a corner waiting to see if the Feds yank his other sham 501(c) religious exemptions -- for his so-called "university," his myriad television shows including The 700 Club, his hatemongering "Christian" television station, and other shady business interests -- has decided to embark on a desperate and vicious attack against mainstream religion in America.
And who does he enlist to help him? The only three men in the U.S. Senate who have nothing to lose but the rest of their marbles: Sessions, Coverdell and Helms, the Moe, Larry and Surly of the Senate, who are best known for... well, absolutely nothing good.
Helms has been in the Senate so long that even his own constituents have a pool going on when he'll croak. Coverdell, whose claim to fame is being a friend of Bob Barr, was nearly disemboweled by a cookie salesman in last year's Senate race in Georgia! Sessions, a bible-thumper from way back (we think Reconstruction), is simply feathering his nest hoping for lots of that tax-free campaign cash that Robertson seems to conjure up "whenever necessary."
Now, you might wonder why three United States Senators are asking the Attorney General to investigate your local priest, minister, rabbi and imam.
Well, so was I... for about a millisecond.
 The "Send Me $700 Club": (l. to r.) Paul Coverdell, Pat Robertson, Jeff Sessions and Jesse Helms |
Robertson was at his meanest -- and this is a guy who claims to talk to God for you.
Between his giggle-inducing "prayer services" for this or that Alzheimered-out old lady who had just sent him her last 50 bucks, Robertson and his ditzy blonde co-host were wailing on Hillary throughout the show. Robertson, who ran for the GOP nomination a while back and garnered less that one percent (the entire motor home vote of America), continues to flaunt his unmistakably political use of tax-exempt money every day on his television odyssey -- yet he expects three Senators to ask Reno for a million dollar look-see at Americans United.
Barry Lynn, a Boston minister and the head of Americans United, demanded an apology from the "Three Huskateers" today, but one won't soon be coming -- unless they want to give up the cash and manpower that Good Ole' Pat can deliver come election day.
With (dis) respect to Helms, Sessions and Coverdell, Lynn said, "They have, without shame or evidence, tried to enlist the top law enforcement official in our nation in a crackdown on a private organization that has done nothing wrong. The conduct of these senators in this matter has been nothing short of reckless and irresponsible."
Well, gee, Barry, what did you expect? Remember what they did to Bill Clinton?
And he's the President!
Of course, Lynn is whistling Dixie hoping that something will happen to to three goons-for-Robertson senators. Because nothing will. Lynn cannot prove that Robertson talked them into writing their idiotic letter to Reno, and the three will have just one word each to say to Lynn -- "Deny, deny,deny."
Read this time line to get an idea of what really did happen:
June 10, 1999 -- Media reports announce that the Internal Revenue Service has denied the Christian Coalition's request for tax exempt status. No surprise to either Robertson or me. Many people knew this would happen.
June 17, 1999 -- Coalition President Pat Robertson meets with the Republican leadership of the U.S. Senate, including Sens. Trent Lott, Don Nickles and Paul Coverdell. Robertson is quoted in a Christian Coalition press release as discussing with them ways to "re-energize" grassroots voters. What really happened was a knock-down drag-out where Robertson threatened to withdraw his snake charmers from the scene and let the Southern Republicans "sleep with the fishes" in the process.
June 18, 1999 -- Despite comments that the Coalition is non-partisan, Robertson tells the Associated Press, "If the Christian Coalition isn't in the game, the Republicans are going to lose" in the 2000 elections. The same story reports that Robertson asked the GOP leadership to look into discriminatory treatment by the IRS. Robertson then went on television and said worse. By the way, it is said that he always smiles when he's lying -- and Robertson NEVER stops smiling.
June 24, 1999 -- Congressional Quarterly Daily Monitor publishes an article on a Christian Coalition voter registration drive in churches. The article quotes Barry Lynn of Americans United as saying "churches will be reluctant to open their doors to the Christian Coalition" because of the group's difficulties with the IRS, and reports that AU may write to churches in the future about avoiding potential tax law difficulties.
June 29, 1999 -- The Christian Coalition issues a press release announcing its July 4 voter registration drive as part of the group's "21 Victory" campaign, a campaign the group describes as an "aggressive get-out-the-vote" initiative -- for Republican nuts that is.
July 2, 1999 -- Sens. Coverdell, Sessions and Helms send "correspondence" to the U.S. Department of Justicein which they ask Janet Reno to launch a criminal investigation into the work of Americans United, alleging the group may be attempting to "disenfranchise religious voters by intimidating people of faith." The senators cite the June 24 CQ Daily Monitor article and emphasize the necessity of preventing "disruption of the Christian Coalition's lawful activities."
July 3rd, 1999 -- Janet Reno nearly has a heart attack as she falls off her chair laughing when reading the "Robertson Letters."
July 9, 1999 -- Get this! Robertson appears on CNN's Larry King Live. King, of course, treats Robertson better than the Pope. In response to a remark that the Christian Coalition is being denied a tax-exemption, Robertson says he knows of "one particular senator" who is following up on the Coalition's troubles with the IRS. Sly -- but stupid -- isn't he?
July 15, 1999 -- Responding to Robertson's comments on "Larry King Live," someone researching the matter inquires to the Christian Coalition about which senator is writing to the IRS on Robertson's behalf. The person is told to check with Sen. Coverdell, whose office faxed a copy of the letter to Attorney General Janet Reno asking for a criminal investigation of Americans United.
July 19, 1999 -- Americans United releases Sens. Coverdell, Sessions and Helms' letter to the national news media -- with Rev. Lynn's reply!
Here's the Letter:
July 19, 1999The Honorable Paul Coverdell
200 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510The Honorable Jeff Sessions
495 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510The Honorable Jesse Helms
403 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510Dear Senators:
It has recently come to my attention that you have contacted the United States Department of Justice, urging Attorney General Janet Reno to launch a criminal investigation of the organization I lead, Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Frankly, I am appalled at this outrageous and wholly baseless action, and I am asking for an immediate retraction and public apology.
In your July 2, 1999 letter to Attorney General Reno, you assert without a shred of evidence that Americans United may have attempted to "disenfranchise religious voters by intimidating people of faith into not participating in the political process," and as such, may have violated a federal criminal statute.
As "proof," your letter cites a June 24 Congressional Quarterly Daily Monitor article about a church-based voter registration drive by Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition. Alluding to the fact that the Internal Revenue Service had recently denied the Coalition's tax exemption, the article quotes me as saying, "Because of the tax decision, churches will be reluctant to open their doors to the Christian Coalition." It later adds that Americans United may send letters in the future to churches about tax law restrictions on partisan politicking.
On the basis of these comments and our organization's history of educational efforts about churches and politics, you have apparently extrapolated that Americans United may be guilty of a serious federal crime. This is patently absurd, and the fact that three distinguished members of the United States Senate would even levy such an extraordinary charge without proof of wrongdoing is deeply troubling.
My organization's activities in attempting to educate churches and religious leaders about the legal difficulties associated with houses of worship engaging in partisan politicking have been clearly lawful and reasonable. What you have chosen to describe as "intimidation" is actually an educational effort designed to inform religious leaders about federal tax law.
The day before your letter was sent to the Department of Justice, Americans United issued a statement to the press on this very matter. Whereas you accuse my organization of trying to "disenfranchise religious voters," our press release clearly shows otherwise.
"There's certainly nothing wrong with churches encouraging their members to register and vote," I said in this statement. "Every American should do so. But churches should be extremely wary of Robertson, who has made his partisanship clear." Far from being criminal activity, this is sound advice to houses of worship that wish to act within the law.
Had you or a member of your staff simply contacted our organization before calling for a federal investigation, we would have been more than pleased to explain the baseless nature of any accusations you may have heard. It is nothing short of irresponsible for members of the Senate to ask the attorney general to conduct a criminal investigation of a private, non-profit organization before these members get their facts straight.
Unfortunately, it seems apparent that your letter to the Department of Justice was sent at the behest of Pat Robertson. According to Robertson, he met with the Republican Senate leadership on June 17 and discussed ways to "re-energize religious conservative voters." Twelve days later, the Christian Coalition issued another press statement announcing its "grassroots voter registration drive." Three days later, just two weeks after Robertson's meeting with Senate leaders, your letter was sent to the attorney general asking for a criminal investigation of Americans United, the Christian Coalition's most persistent and effective critic.
As disappointing as it was to uncover your request to the attorney general, it is perhaps just as troubling to recognize that a television preacher can wield such enormous and disproportionate influence over members of Congress.
Again, due to the gravity of these baseless accusations, and the serious nature of your request for a criminal investigation without so much as a hint of wrongdoing, I am insisting upon an immediate retraction of your Justice Department request and a prompt public apology.
I look forward to your immediate response.
Sincerely,
The Rev. Barry W. Lynn
Executive Director
Americans United for Separation of Church and Statecc: The Honorable Janet Reno, Attorney General of the United States
Lynn's only mistake, of course, was falling for this ruse and responding at all.
Jesse Helms may be the closest thing to Satan in the Senate, but he's no fool. In truth, he couldn't give a "rat's ass" about Robertson and the other clowns with whom Preacher Pat scams the American people out of millions. But then again, Helms knows that writing a letter to Reno, and then calling her and telling her to ignore it makes him a winner both ways.
I'd bet dollars to donuts that this is exactly what happened.
Robertson, the real fool here, actually believes that the three senators he enlisted for "help" are dumb enough to worry about his problems -- when in reality, the entire Republican Party is celebrating Robertson's crash trajectory toward doom as a "World Religious Power."
Robertson won't be able to buy his way into a local church picnic very soon, and if he doesn't stop his ranting, he might find himself the target, yet again, of a criminal investigation designed to see just what a maggot "minister" does behind closed doors when whooping it up with the GOP.
Just last month, an entire nation -- Scotland -- wisely and angrily told Robertson to take his money and get out of town in a scam he was trying to peddle involving a prestigious Scottish Bank.
In short: Hey, Pat, you've been had! They got you, and now you're nothing.
Just like you've always been.
