Who thought Kerry should go to black churches more in the campaign

[LittleClarkie]

There was talk about this last week, I believe.

Which is probably why this article caught my attention in an old pile of newspapers I was going through.

NEW YORK TIMES:
October 13, 2004

Kerry Is Criticized for Church Drive
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Liberal religious groups criticized Senator John Kerry yesterday as politicizing religion by campaigning in African-American churches.

A spokesman for Americans United for Separation of Church and State said the group would file a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service against the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, where Mr. Kerry spoke Sunday along with the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Tax laws restrict churches and tax-exempt charities from supporting political candidates. "It was all Democratic speakers, and a pastor got up and endorsed Kerry from the pulpit," the spokesman, Joe Conn, said. "It was over the line."

For a brief period last week, the Democratic National Committee Web site asked pastors to distribute campaign materials, but the request was removed amid complaints.

Here's a link to a message board where they discuss Kerry and Jackson's visit to a Baptist church, and then the above article in reaction to that visit.

http://www.southorangevillage.com/discus/messages/26018/48544.html?1097532007

I find this stuff annoying as hell. There's the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" aspect, plus the "Pushmepullyou" tendancies within the Democratic Party.

Le sigh.