Surprised Governor Perry didn't choose Eldorado for his Bill Grandstanding !
Texas Gov. Signs Bill at Church School
By JAMIE STENGLE, Associated Press Writer Sun Jun 5,10:12 PM ET
FORT WORTH, Texas - In a ceremony filled with religious references, Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill at a church school gymnasium Sunday that imposes more limits on late-term abortions and requires minors to get written parental consent for abortions.
source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050606/ap_on_re_us/church_school_bill_signing;_ylt=AirOtdiR_ZMKO946DJvgDmus0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2bW85OXIzBHNlYwNwbA--
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Where in Eldorado ?
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Posted on Tue, Jun. 07, 2005
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/LM OTERO
Gov. Rick Perry speaks Sunday at Calvary Christian Academy, with its mascot as his backdrop.
Re-electing Rick Perry seems to be religious obligation now
By Bud Kennedy
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
So now we see Gov. Rick Perry's secret weapon.
To prove that his re-election campaign still has a prayer, he'll team up with TV preachers.
At an event that was part state-government ceremony and part healing revival, Perry stood coiffure-to-coiffure with one of the darlings of TV-religion Sunday, then signed into law a bill protecting the unborn.
The Calvary Cathedral International church in Fort Worth was careful not to let Perry campaign inside. Instead, he spoke next door in the school gym against a giant backdrop of a white Christian warrior.
On an all-star lineup of political preachers, Perry shared top billing with Daystar TV personality Rod Parsley, here from Ohio to help organize 500 Texas ministers for the upcoming political campaign.
Later, Parsley took his pitch and his new activist book, Silent No More, inside the church.
And I do mean pitch.
"This book comes with DVDs that sell for $60!" he shouted in the middle of the evening sermon long after Perry had left.
"With the book, that's $80" -- he whirled and pointed at the crowd -- "except for you!
"I'm going to give you all three DVDs absolutely free when you get the book!"
Out of nowhere, ushers suddenly appeared carrying plastic-wrapped book-and-DVD sets.
They rushed around the sanctuary grabbing the $20 bills that churchgoers waved wildly.
"There you are, son!" Parsley said as a little boy came down an aisle with an outstretched $20 for the set. "Grow up and preach the gospel!"
He didn't say which gospel.
Preacher Parsley's book-and-DVD bargain capped a long day of various kinds of campaigns at Calvary Cathedral and its spinoff school, Calvary Christian Academy.
Caught between serving a politicking candidate and its mission of serving God, the church and school managed to weather a tempest of conflicting principles and protests.
Perry ostensibly came for a state-government ceremony open to the public, enacting a law requiring parental approval before a minor daughter can get an abortion.
But the setting and purpose became issues when Perry's campaign and the Tarrant County Republican Party mistakenly announced that the signing would be in the church and invited "pro-family, Christian friends. ... We really need for you to help us turn out a very large crowd. We may also film part of this to be used later for TV."
The gym crowd of about 1,000 included about 150 ministers. Many are already aligned with Perry's campaign in a new religious activist network, the Texas Restoration Project.
The ministers say they want to restore Texas' "Judeo-Christian heritage." But the project also seems timed to restore Perry to the Governor's Mansion.
Oddly, the children who will now be born thanks to the Parental Consent Act seemed almost forgotten.
Preacher after preacher saved his biggest load of steam for bashing the newest political boogeyman: gay marriage.
Perry also ceremonially endorsed the already passed resolution calling a November election on a definition-of-marriage constitutional amendment.
Preaching from behind the official seal of the governor of Texas, Parsley said gay Americans cause 60 percent of syphilis cases and live barely half as long as heterosexual Americans. He argued against "sacrificing our children on the altar of the sexual lust of a few."
Later in the school library, Perry was asked in a news conference how he would tell Texas gay and lesbian war veterans that they can't come home from war in Iraq and get married.
Perry said if they don't like Texas law, they can just leave.
"I'm going to say Texas has made a decision on marriage," he said, "and if there's a state with more lenient views than Texas, then maybe that's where they should live."
In other words, Texas now welcomes politicking TV preachers from Ohio, but not our own native sons and daughters who might want to live lawfully in commitment with legal recognition.
What's next?
The Rick Perry Prayer Cloth?
• • •
I wrote last week that political commentator Oliver North had once spoken at Calvary Cathedral.
That's how I remembered it, but Bob Nichols, the pastor, said North has never spoken there. I'll take Nichols' word.
Bud Kennedy's Column Appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
(817) 390-7538 bud@budkennedy.com
source: http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/columnists/bud_kennedy/11834144.htm
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Letters to the Editor
Posted on Tue, Jun. 07, 2005
A godly man or self-absorbed poser?
I normally read the newspaper while eating breakfast, but I lost my appetite Monday morning as I read the news story with the subhead: "Perry signs abortion bill and gay marriage resolution."
The fact that Gov. Rick Perry signed these measures at an evangelical church school underscored his willingness to pander to people's fear and ignorance for political gain. It was a blatant manifestation of prejudice and hate-mongering.
But what really made me sick were the quotes in the story by various preachers declaring what a godly man the governor is. Give me a break.
If Jesus were pulled over for speeding, do you think he would intimidate the cop by saying, "I'm the Creator." Would Jesus favor executing retarded minors? Would Jesus cut utility assistance for the elderly? Would Jesus work to prevent an ethics bill from passing the Legislature? Would Jesus tell a segment of the population, "You're second-class citizens"?
I could go on, but my point is that Perry is a poser.
Wake up, religious people, and stop letting these self-absorbed politicians manipulate you!
Frank Perez, Fort Worth
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I very much appreciated Bud Kennedy's Thursday column ("Perry taking politics through church doors"). It brought to light a lot of inconsistencies concerning Calvary Cathedral International _ specifically, inconsistencies regarding Kennedy's journalistic integrity.
I listened to Kennedy and automobile columnist Ed Wallace on KLIF/570 AM a few weeks ago and enjoyed the exchange. I listen to Ed when I can and, although I don't always agree with his assessments, I certainly appreciate the fact that he thoroughly researches his topics and checks his facts.
I incorrectly assumed that Kennedy would do the same before launching an attack on an institution such as Calvary Cathedral and Pastor Bob Nichols. He has done nothing but serve God and this community the best he knows how for the past 50 years.
It's a free country with a free press, so Kennedy can disagree with Perry's politics if he wants. But he should leave the smear attacks on Nichols to the Star-Telegram's bathroom walls. Evidently, that's where he does his best work.
Thank you for giving me a good reason for canceling my subscription. To borrow from the fourth line of Kennedy's column: This Texan no longer feels at home reading your newspaper.
Byron Kauffman, Fort Worth
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Perry's decision to sign a resolution on gay marriage at Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Worth was yet another disgusting _ yet predictable _ example of political pandering.
But we are in Texas, after all, where President Bush first discovered that pandering to the religious right can get you elected. And Perry, who faces an uphill battle for re-election, perhaps against a Republican heavyweight, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, needs to pander to the evangelicals as much as he can.
George Henson, Dallas
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I didn't have much feeling for Perry either way. (I knew he was no friend of the gay community, but it seems that few politicians are. So what's new?) But this was an all-time low.
The gall of the man to go to a church school and invite his "pro-family values" followers to surround him as he signed measures that are nothing but posturing to the far right wing!
The two measures that he signed make little to no difference in the laws or in the lives of most Texans. It really makes me sick. These two measures are most important to him and ultra-conservatives.
But who cares if kids grow up with sub-standard education? So what if they don't have teachers worth a hoot because the state won't pay them what they're worth? The kids will grow up believing what the ultra-conservatives want them to believe, thus keeping these bozos in power longer.
But don't worry, Texas. Minors will still have to notify their parents before getting abortions, and gay marriage will still be illegal. Steve still won't be able to visit Tim in the hospital without costly legal documents and Rose still won't be able to will to Christi the home they've lived in for more than 20 years without Christi paying hefty inheritance taxes.
I can't believe that these folks tried to vote themselves an increase in their pension benefits while doing nothing to better the lives of Texans.
Heather Hartman, Fort Worth
source: http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/opinion/local2/11829187.htm
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