Rawstory: Group files IRS complaint against pastor network aiding Santorum

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

<snip>

The progressive Washington ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has filed an IRS complaint against a network of church leaders aiding Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), alleging that the group aided the senator's re-election campaign efforts in violation of federal law, RAW STORY has learned.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Group_files_IRS_complaint_against_pastor_0322.html

:woohoo:

[WhiteTara]

1. yeah!

:woohoo:

[NanceGreggs]

2. Well, as long as you've got a chorus line going here ...

:woohoo:

[Richard Steele]

3. But will the IRS actually follow the LAW?

If they did, we could put a stop to 90%
of all this AmericanTaliban bullshit.

[WhiteTara]

5. oh you jaded cynic!

We can only hope that the case goes to a veteran IRS agent and not a political appointee and that they didn't give too much money to *, because he would stop any investigation...but Santorum did stiff * at some event, so maybe there will be no mercy from that quarter...and maybe the moon is made of green cheese...oh wait, my cynism is showing through too...but I do love the sleepless nights it will cause some scummy f*ck. I say go!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. but a good question, anyway.

So far, I do not think that the IRS has been as politicized as EPA, DOJ, DOD, INS, DNS, or other federal entities.

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Second or third that WOOHOO

:woohoo:

[noonwitch]

6. Just remember, it works both ways

Democrats have stumped in my church prior to elections-Carl Levin, Debbie Stabenow and Jennifer Granholm have all been there at times, and JG addressed the congregation from the pulpit on at least one occasion when she was Attorney General. Granted, it was to get volunteers for a mentorship program for kids that she and Isiah Thomas started. I don't have a problem with churches being politically active-if we start criticizing conservative churches, then they will criticize liberal churches.

Despite my difference of beliefs with some churches, most do perform community services, like giving food to the local shelters or directly to the poor, supporting AA/NA meetings, having Sunday schools (many neighborhood people will drop their kids off at Sunday school, and skip out on the services themselves), and having Girl or Boy Scouts meet in their buildings. These things occur in both liberal and conservative churches, and all those in between.

Television ministries, on the other hand, should not have a tax exemption if they venture into political opinion and/or spend more than 10% of their programming on fundraising (10% is a tithe, so I figured that would be a good number). And if they have outside advertising, they also shouldn't get a tax exemption.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

7. They handed out copies of Santorum's book THAT = endorsement

<snip>

The first training session, on March 6 in Valley Forge, included a videotaped message from a single candidate, Senator Rick Santorum, the Pennsylvania Republican who faces a difficult re-election fight.

"I encourage you to let your voices be heard from the pulpit" on vital issues, Mr. Santorum said, urging the pastors to champion a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, according to a recording made by a person at the session. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, a liberal group critical of the effort, provided the recording to The New York Times.

After the tape, organizers offered participating pastors copies of the senator's book "It Takes a Family."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/politics/21churches.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[olaus]

9. Seems

like I heard somewhere a church/pastor can take a position on issues they cannot endorse a specific person for an office.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

10. Yes, and this little charade deserves an IRS investigation

[valerief]

11. Was that way back when the Constitution was in effect?

[DUHandle]

8. On the other hand...

If a campaign sign is placed more than the requisite distance from a polling place, the poll workers cannot remove it.

However, you can

[realFedUp]

13. The IRS has been silent on All Saints, Pasadena inquiry....

Nothing new...was it just to bleed money and warn
other progressive churches?

Churches can talk about issues, not endorse candidates.
The IRS should definitely go after these churches.

[blue neen]

14. Meanwhile, Bush is coming to Pittsburgh on Friday

for a fundraiser for Santorum. The evil twosome deserve each other.

I can't figure out which one I despise more.