Giving Cover to Obama

Caroline May reports that "More than 2,500 evangelical and ministry leaders from a range of denominations have signed a letter to President Obama voicing their opposition to the administration’s new mandate requiring that all health insurance plans contain contraceptive coverage."

But not all religious leaders are being critical of Obama--a number are even trying to provide him with cover.

As Abby Schachter reports, "According to a letter entitled "Religion in political campaigns -- An interfaith statement of principles" , signed by a variety of religious organizations, there should be less discussion of religion among those seeking political office. After allowing that those running for office are 'free to worship as they choose' (well, thank you very much!) the letter warns as follows:

'There is a point, however, where an emphasis on religion in a political campaign becomes inappropriate and even unsettling in a religiously diverse society such as ours. Appealing to voters along religious lines is divisive. It is contrary to the American ideal of including all Americans in the political process, regardless of whether they are members of large and powerful religious groups, religious minorities, or subscribe to no faith tradition.'"

Needless to say, many of these groups providing cover to the president are liberal Jewish groups, or "Obama's Jews," as Schachter calls them. 

Signatories include the usual suspects in terms of Jewish Obama defenders -- the ADL, the AJC, and the Union of Reform Judaism. Funny. but these groups didn't see fit to warn against religiously-based Jewish endorsements of Candidate Obama in 2008, for example the group Rabbis for Obama . Somehow advocating casting a vote for the Democratic presidential candidate for religious reasons wasn't "divisive" back then.

And this latest effort comes on the heels of a previous campaign by ADL and AJC to stop anyone from criticizing Obama for his Israel policies .  

When will these organizations learn that trying to silence free expression is what is divisive and inappropriate.

Liberal Jews hitched their wagons to Obama and can't stand the fact that they backed such a lame horse. That is their problem. Trying to cover up for their terrible judgement with blanket pronouncements about what is acceptable speech and what isn't just covers these groups in greater shame.