Clarion DVD Now Circulated By Religious Right Group

Remember the Clarion Fund and its DVD, "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against The West"? The DVD -- and the fund's murky background -- caused an uproar when Clarion spread 28 million copies of the disk throughout battleground states, all in the name of attracting media attention.

Now the DVD has a new distributor, a California-based publication called The Judeo-Christian View. Where Clarion's roots traced back to Israel, the View connects to significant figures in the conservative Christian political movement. It pulls "Obsession" closer to being precisely what the Clarion Fund has insisted it is not: a political message delivered at the peak of a presidential campaign.

The View says it mailed "Obsession" and other materials, discussing Barack Obama's and John McCain's views on abortion, homosexuality and other issues, to more than 325,000 clergy earlier this month. Its conclusion is that Obama's views are "at odds with the ancient Biblical faiths."

The View's general publisher is O'Neal Dozier, once a linebacker for the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, now pastor of the Worldwide Christian Center in Pompano Beach, FL. The publisher is Gary L. Cass, who's also head of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, where the homepage currently offers "7 Reasons Why Barack Obama Is Not A Christian."

Dozier is active at the crossroads of religion and Republican politics, meeting with President Bush four times in 2005, in delegations of African-American clergy. When Jeb Bush, the president's brother, was governor of Florida, he appointed Dozier to one of several state panels that recommended judicial nominees. But he removed Dozier in 2006, after the pastor called Islam a "cult" during a radio interview and judicial candidates said he asked them inappropriate questions. Republican Charlie Crist, who followed Bush as governor, initially put Dozier on his campaign's Strengthening Florida's Families advisory group, but then dismissed him after the "cult" comment and some other remarks.

Dozier earlier was involved in Freedom Watch, a group set up by Judicial Watch founder Larry Klayman (and not to be confused with Freedom's Watch, a well-funded conservative group active in this year's campaigns).

Cass said he, not Dozier, is the proprietor of The Judeo-Christian View. He told us the big mailing was done this month "to take advantage of interest in the political season to launch" the publication.

And to deepen the mystery over how "Obsession" is distributed, Cass was vague as to how his publication acquired DVDs for the mailing. He said they came from Clarion but declined to say if they were purchased or contributed. Referring to Clarion, he said, "Let's just say we have a good working relationship with them."

More after the jump....

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9:01 PM ET | 10-28-2008 | permalink

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Sure, The Economy Is Important, But...

Abortion, religion and judges -- oh my! Move over, economy, the culture wars continue.

The Judicial Confirmation Network's most recent ad says it best: "Fixing the economy is crucial, but..." But? Yes, but what? "But America's principles and Constitution are threatened by one more liberal activist vote on the Supreme Court." The $250,000 ad buy goes out to Pennsylvania, Ohio and northern West Virginia.

On the other side of the spectrum, Winning Message Action Fund bashes McCain-Palin for wanting to overturn Roe v. Wade. The action fund recently sprang forth from NARAL Pro-Choice New York. The dramatic ad shows women lining up for mug shots, some cringing with the flash of a camera, going to jail because they had abortions after the practice was made illegal. (Generally, it should be noted, anti-abortion legislation mandates prosecution for the doctors, not the women.) The ad airs in Wisconsin and Ohio.

An ad for Christian radio after the jump...

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5:46 PM ET | 10-23-2008 | permalink

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When Speeches Come Back To Haunt

Obama said in Wednesday's debate that he would try to find "common ground" on abortion. But his words on the issue to a liberal advocacy group certainly didn't help him with a conservative one.

The new ad from the Family Research Council Action PAC uses a speech Obama gave to Planned Parenthood -- the crowd loved it -- in order to hurt him with pro-life voters.

"The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act," Obama says at a Planned Parenthood podium. That one sentence -- perhaps not exactly what you'd want to broadcast to swing voters -- has been picked up and distributed widely by many conservative organizations and publications. The ad concludes, "Barack Obama. Dangerous values."

Family Research Council Action's PAC plans to spend $100,000 on TV ads and a radio adaptation this week in Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. The group is targeting markets and stations where the Matthew 25 Network ran its pro-Obama ads. The aim is to "counteract their message," according to executive director David Nammo. The Matthew 25 Network has sought to promote Obama's Christian credentials. Its most recent ad features conservative Douglas Kmeic, who was legal counsel to President Reagan, arguing that anti-abortion voters should support Obama.

The Family Research Council -- the 501(c)(3) mothership to the FRC Action 501(c)(4) and the PAC -- sprang from the efforts of evangelical leader James Dobson, and it was once a division of Dobson's Focus on the Family. Dobson still sits on the board. Dobson is campaigning for John McCain, and his group recently produced radio ads to hurt Democrats in Senate races in Colorado, Minnesota, Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina.

Info about FRC's financing after the jump....

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5:01 PM ET | 10-16-2008 | permalink

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Culture War Ads Coming Your Way

Even earlier in the cycle than we expected, independent groups are increasingly fighting the presidential race on issues of faith and abortion.

We've had Born Alive Truth attacking Obama and Catholics United attacking McCain.

Now we have a new nonprofit group affiliated with the New York chapter of NARAL Pro-Choice America running anti-McCain ads; the Knights of Columbus criticizing Democrat VP candidate Joe Biden; and a new radio ad burnishing Obama's Christian credentials. It's the cultural battleground of the battleground states, so expect more.

The new group, with the curious name Winning Message Action Fund, shares leadership and an address with NARAL Pro-Choice New York. Its ad quotes McCain saying he opposes Roe v. Wade, then says, "We have questions, John McCain: Will you stand by if states put women in jail? If women are forced back into back alleys?"

The ad is running in Philadelphia through a service that allows ordinary donors to buy air time for as little as $50. The group also has a website that headlines: "If abortion is made illegal the woman having one will be a criminal. How much time should she do?" (Usually, the answer in anti-abortion legislation is no time at all; the doctors are prosecuted and the woman is considered a victim.)

The organization was incorporated this year by board members of New York's NARAL. It was formed as the advocacy arm of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, an affiliate of NARAL NY. Kelli Conlin is the president of all three groups.

More ads and analysis after the jump...

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6:03 PM ET | 09-19-2008 | permalink

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Religious Group Promotes Obama

The Matthew 25 Network, a political action committee promoting Obama to other Christians, is airing its first TV ad tomorrow, during a televised forum in which Obama and McCain will answer questions from a Southern California pastor.

The pro-Obama Network says this is "the first time active clergy have recorded a television ad for a Democratic Presidential Candidate." Watch the ad below.

-- Will Evans

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12:32 PM ET | 08-15-2008 | permalink

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