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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

The Good Lord Giveth and the Good Lord Taketh Away

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  May 3rd, 2010 at 10:18 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Trey Grayson is getting endorsed by Hal Rogers this morning in Kentucky. The man has been in Congress since 1981. In this election year it might not be the image a Republican would want to have, but Trey Grayson is embracing this endorsement with open arms.

There’s just one problem.

That’s not the big story in Kentucky today. The big story is James Dobson.

Last week, Trey Grayson made much to do over James Dobson endorsing him and not Rand Paul due to Paul’s pro-choice views.

Except Paul is pro-life. Very pro-life.

And today James Dobson is saying he “made a mistake” and “was mislead.” Dobson says he has gotten more information and is now convinced Paul is pro-life and Dobson was in error in endorsing Trey Grayson.

Dobson holds himself up as a man of integrity willing to admit when he made a mistake. He’s doing it today over his endorsement of Trey Grayson and that’s only going to hurt Grayson.

Yep, Dobson is retracting his endorsement of Grayson and is now on the Rand Paul team.

The good Lord giveth . . .

KEY TAKE AWAY: James Dobson says he was “misled” and “Senior Republican leaders” told him Rand Paul is pro-choice. Exactly which members of the Republican leadership lied to James Dobson? That’s almost like lying to the Pope. Geez.

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COMMENTS

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  • sailingaway

    and this will be a big help there.

    Too bad it didn’t happen before the Rasmussen and PPP polling done this weekend. Not that Rand Paul did badly even without it, at least with Rasmussen. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/kentucky/election_2010_kentucky_senate

    PPP numbers are due out Tuesday.

  • txgho1911

    Need to be rolled for conservative leadership.
    We may not like getting our feet and knees into the muck. Republicans on their own cannot be trusted to behave.

  • hickorystick

    It took 20 second to determine Rand Paul’s position on abortion. From his website, issues, abortion

    I am 100% pro life. I believe abortion is taking the life of an innocent human being.
    I believe life begins at conception and it is the duty of our government to protect this life.

    and if that is too hard, use the telephone and ask. It’s not like his dad hides his view that abortion is wrong, the apple not falling far from the tree. Dobson acts completely clueless. First Myers, then Huckabee, now an unforced error on Paul. He should stick to his core work on the family, which is valuable, and stay out of politics.
    I wonder how much Dobson said before he realized he was wrong. Like trying to pick of feathers in a belfry.

  • bigredone

    Grayson has been running attack for weeks. Such ads hurt favorable ratings as well as run up negatives. He is only helping the Dems in November because Grayson is TOAST.

    The Hal Rogers endorsement is just one more big-spending, earmarking politician speaking up for more of the same.

    Rand Paul 2010!

  • peg_c

    NO ONE. The very idea is an obscenity. And anything longer than that is insane.

    Let’s see voters who reelected these idiots dozens of times now get on board with kicking them all out. The electorate has been disgustingly lazy and complacent. Not anymore.

  • liandro

    last week and told him I was disappointed in his choice, and laid out why–with specific references to abortion. I was happily surprised to wake up this morning and see the news of his switch. The dramatic, specific nature of the reversal might make it even more damaging then a plain endorsement for Paul would have been, actually. Not to mention how it is an indictment of whatever GOP leaders lied to Dobson…

  • constitutionalconservative

    Elsewhere he has been called “The Prince of Pork” for his profligate ways. He endangered homeland security by bringing needless “security” earmarks to his district and enriching cronies in the process.

    Rand Paul infuriated Rogers a few months back by criticizing pork barrel politics at a big Republican event in Rogers district– while Rogers was in attendance. *That* is called conservative leadership.

    Meanwhile Trey Grayson fawns over Rogers to get his endorsement.

    One more reason to vote for Rand Paul.

  • liandro

    when I saw Hal Rogers endorsement. I think both McConnell AND Rogers were in attendance. Rand’s got some backbone alright.

  • lineholder

    in verifying any information that he received before agreeing to endorse any candidate. I’m definitely in agreement with you on that point.

    However, all human beings are vulnerable to being misled and/or deceived by things. It isn’t a pleasant reality of life, and most of us would rather go to great extremes than to acknowledge being this human.

    I do believe that it takes a big man to publicly acknowledge being in the wrong, particularly in the political environment that exists right now in our country. On this much, I can respect that Dobson was willing to be as honest as he has been in admitting that he made an error in judgment.

  • Xasteius
  • itrytobenice

    Revocation of support and throwing it to his opponent probably will make the change count for more.

    As for affecting the polls, the poll that counts is yet to come.

  • http://jeffemanuel.net Jeff Emanuel

    It?s not like his dad hides his view that abortion is wrong, the apple not falling far from the tree.

    The fact that the apple hasn’t been shown to fall far from the tree on isolationism, U.S. responsibility for Islamic terrorism, etc. is why I’m still not a supporter of Rand Paul, period.

  • CincoSolas_del_Bronx

    and the integrity of their public faces might be better displayed in knowing when to return to areas of expertise within a clear calling rather than having to retract repeated errors. There are warnings on record, after all, about the responsibility of those who lead others astray. The danger for Dr. Dobson and others is that misled political speculation, which would not cause a great deal of harm if uttered by a favorite uncle at dinner, can disturb far too many people when broadcast to large, trusting audiences.

  • lineholder

    this is very much so true. They are far too inclined to place blind trust and blind faith in other people and to follow blindly along behind the lead that is being provided for them.

  • liandro

    on foreign policy, and differs even more in tone and presentation on those issues. I can’t say he’s all the way in your camp, since I don’t know exactly where you stand, but he is more then willing to place pressure on enemies of America.

    As for abortion, which is what the lineholder was specifically referring to–that is an issue on which I nearly completely agree with the elder Paul. If I remember correctly, his bill would have removed specific control of abortion from the federal courts (thus overturning RvW), declared life as beginning at conception (and thus granting US citizenship, etc.), and then forced the states to deal with the issue as such. Personally, I very much agree that the federal government needs to come out and declare that life begins at conception. I don’t know why more leaders haven’t pushed for this…the science is there. DNA, genetics, it’s all quite plain.

  • AceInTX

    He’s still making the same mistake I and other SoCon’s made in the Bush years that being the belief that the brand was enough and buying the party line without checking before leaping.

    I don’t remember what it was about but I remember recently being disappointed by a stand Dobson took at the prompting of the Republican establishment…and he’s done it again.

    You’ve got a great staff of very talented people around you Dr. Dobson…put them to work figuring our the facts before you leap again…please!

  • AceInTX

    Mitch torpedoed Bunning and hand picked Grayson to replace him

  • AceInTX

    I remember being stunned to silence, (No small fete), when Dobson jumped to endorse her when Bush named her

  • kentuckycolonel

    Hal Rogers is an example of the Republicans losing their direction on spending. Hal Rogers has brought trainloads of money into SE Kentucky and won’t ever be unseated.

    Virtually every dollar Rogers brings into Kentucky is funneled through Kentucky Highlands Investment Corporation, a “non-profit” company that supposedly helps entrepreneurs to develop and grow their businesses. Typically, the only people who make any money from these ventures are the big wigs with KHIC. Through hook and crook, KHIC, helps a company get started, takes over their financial management, takes over their company management, runs off the original stakeholders, takes over ownership, gets forgiveness on outstanding loans, sells the company, and then distributes the proceeds to KHIC management.

    Rogers sits back and watches it happen over and over again. It amounts to government-sanctioned theft.

  • Doc Holliday

    and get out of the political endorsement business. Someone said recently I don’t think people can multi-task. That is not really the issue, the issue is Dobson sucks at politics. Beclowning is not something a man of faith wants to do to himself.

  • Doc Holliday

    if he want’s to be an inside the beltway king-maker, he will be judged, by his judgment. Sure his acolytes will never leave him, but the politicos he so wants to be “in” with know he is tin eared when it comes to their game.

  • Doc Holliday

    I worry about Libertarians who feel they have to fit the model exactly. I call myself a libertarian-conservative for good reason, but that still means anti-abortion, border security, and a strong proactive military posture. If some say I am not libertarian, fine, I know what I am it is about the Constitution, personal freedom, and American Exceptionalism.

  • aesthete

    Focus on the Family does good work, but you wouldn’t know it from Dobson’s inconsistent and statist politics. But then, I’m not a fan of ministers who use their apostolic office and influence to push for temporal, political change.

  • Doc Holliday

    I realize many of our friends here disagree, but I stand by your statement 100 percent. I do support religious giving a volunteerism to help others, but trying to get into big time politics is not what I look for in a minister.

  • AceInTX

    but he’s slipped in the past couple years. He’s gotten too lazy and trusting which is something we’ve all done during the Bush years…

    I don’t get you sometimes Doc….Dobson can walk and chew gum at the same time just like the rest of us.

    I’m disappointed in him for the Myers thing…and in this case…but that’s a far cry from:

    Dobson should be focusing on the Good News and get out of the political endorsement business.

  • Menlo
  • lineholder

    you are referring to various comments he has made over the years trending towards totalitarian authority, I would have to say that I don’t agree him on this matter either.

  • gekster

    Good analogy.
    Very good.
    Thats sums up up how we got here today.

  • SteveLA
  • gekster

    I ment to imply “we” (as is us) all got lazy and thrusting as to how we got here.

  • Doc Holliday

    but it is my right to say he diminishes his ministry with his lust for political power. I am not sure why you don’t get it. I think he is bad for the Republican party, his record shows that.

  • Doc Holliday
  • Doc Holliday

    and he seems to want to endorse or black ball a lot. I think the law of diminishing returns comes into effect here. I don’t take Christian Coalition types for granted, but they better realize they are just part of our coalition now. Dobson is not a king maker. He is more known for political missteps than giving someone the keys to the kingdom.

    And pardon me for thinking a minister should focus on the Good News of Jesus Christ.

  • gekster
  • Menlo
  • Doc Holliday

    here is Red State’s favorite Fred Thompson responding to Dobson’s calling him “not a Christian”.

    Here is Dobson, not supporting Rudy in a Senate race against Hillary.

    Here is Dobson not endorsing our last presidential candidate

    again he has all the right in the world to be this way. But I and many others have every right to ignore this stuff. Actually, I am giving him too much credit, he is just not a player anymore.

  • AceInTX
  • AceInTX

    though Dobson’s “ministry” has always included a political element…

    I can agree that endorsing diminishes him…especially when he makes bad endorsements….but that’s not what you said. Your statement above could be interpreted to mean Christians shouldn’t be involved in politics at all…and the law is being implemented to push us out….maybe that’s not what you meant…but it’s the way I read it.

  • AceInTX
  • AceInTX

    and I’ll point out to you the FACT that I was the one who started this thread who said Dobson has gone over the edge lately and unnecessarily I would add. So I don’t know why that’s a “Dagger”….unless you just want to shank me for agreeing with you.

    I’ll also point out the reason Dobson has gone off the rails in large part is because he’s listening to the inside the beltway boobs who’ve driven this party off the rails.

    What I’m objecting to…and all that I’m objecting to is your habit of throwing out exclusionary rhetoric about SoCons needing to leave the party…or at least get out of politics…when on the other hand you’re one who’s used to hammer away at me for being a “purist” and trying to run blue and purple state republicans from the party.

    You would have a point about Dobson’s recent mis-steps diminishing his “Ministry” because he’s involved with politics…but Focus on the Family isn’t a “Ministry” in the traditional sense of the word. FOF is much like the Christian Coalition and Falwell’s Moral Majority in that it was founded on the idea that Christians are to be salt and light to the world and work to affect the culture around them. If all Dobson did was preach from the pulpit of a church you’d have a point…but that’s not his purpose.

    He’s gone off the deep end a couple times as I said…and I’m not happy about it as I said…I’m not gilding the lily here…he screwed up and he’s an idiot for doing so. He get’s points for admitting his mistake and correcting it like a man….but he made the mistake none the less…

    To wrap this up, I’ll just say again…The problem with Dobson’s endorsements isn’t that he’s endorsing…it’s that he’s using bad information fed to him by party hacks and inside the beltway elites to decide whom he’ll endorse…but I’d stop far short of where you go when you say he should get out of politics and stick to preaching which isn’t his function, ministry, or mission in life.

  • Doc Holliday

    I just have a personal distaste for mixing religion and politics. I don’t like it on the left and I don’t really like it on the right. I am glad Christians and others with strong moral fiber participate, that is a major part of what this nation is about. How could I have such a love of America and Western Civilization if I had something against the values that made us who we are?

    I am not a fan of Social Only (non conservatives) who think of civics and political participation as simply a way to enforce their personal beliefs on everyone else. I do not like those who call themselves conservative while not really being conservative.

    To be clear, I don’t think this is a large group, it is certainly not as powerful as it was in the 1980s. And even if someone only cares about social issues, and they vote for conservatives, I don’t mind their votes.

    So really my only problem with Dobson is I think he hurts our political causes and I have a personal distaste for political preachers. That is all this is about, nothing more.

  • AceInTX