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<DIV><A
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/02/AR2006110201801_pf.html"><FONT
size=4>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/02/AR2006110201801_pf.html</FONT></A></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT size=4><STRONG><FONT size=5>On the Religious Right, an Alliance Torn
Asunder<BR></DIV></FONT></STRONG>
<P><FONT size=-1>By Alan Cooperman and Juliet Eilperin<BR>Friday, November 3,
2006; A04<BR></FONT></P>
<P></P>
<P>Both are Christian conservatives, and they were once stalwart allies, but
Dick Armey and James Dobson are going after each other tooth and claw.</P>
<P>Armey, the former Texas congressman and House majority leader, argued in the
Outlook section of this past Sunday's Washington Post that Republicans face an
"electoral rout" because they stopped being the party of limited government,
allowed spending to spin "out of control," and concentrated on such issues as
flag burning, Terry Schiavo and same-sex marriage.</P>
<P>On the Web site of FreedomWorks, the organization he now heads, Armey pins
much of the blame on Dobson, the founder and chairman of Focus on the Family,
and other "self-appointed Christian leaders."</P>
<P>Calling them "thugs" and "bullies" in recent interviews, Armey says that
"Dobson and his gang" have split the conservative Christian movement into two
camps: those who want to "practice their faith independent of heavy-handed
government" and "big government sympathizers who want to impose their version of
'righteousness' on others."</P>
<P>Dobson, in a commentary for the Web site of Fox News, responded this week
that Armey is "a very bitter man" who is still smarting because "I supported my
close friend and hunting buddy," Rep. Steve Largent (R-Okla.), over Armey for
majority leader. Dobson denied that he supports big government and cited news
media reports that Armey has been consulting for the American Civil Liberties
Union.</P>
<P>Calling the accusations "a shocker" that "came straight out of the blue,"
Dobson concluded with this hypothesis about Armey: "He could be trying to
reposition himself as an erstwhile Republican leader by discrediting the
Religious Right, hoping to step into the vacuum after the upcoming
election."</P>
<P>A Dobson ally, the Rev. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, said
in an interview that evangelicals are irate over Armey's suggestion that issues
such as same-sex marriage have distracted the Republicans. In 2004, he said, a
referendum to ban same-sex marriage got more votes than President Bush did in
Ohio.</P>
<P>"If it weren't for the marriage amendment in Ohio, <A
href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/k000148/"
target="">John Kerry</A> would be president. So shut up, Dick," Land
said.</P></FONT></BODY></HTML>