Only applies to conservatives...

Some black pastors say the Bush campaign's appeals have made them more determined than ever to urge parishioners to vote for his opponent, regardless of what tax laws may say about churches' participation in politics.

The Rev. Albert F. Campbell, pastor of the Mount Carmel Baptist Church, one of the two churches Mr. Gore visited before the election, said was already gearing up help get out the vote for Mr. Kerry, even endorsing him from the pulpit.

"I feel that it is absolutely necessary for us to send the message that we are not persuaded by George W. Bush's rhetoric," Mr. Campbell said.

Political endorsements jeopardize a church's tax-exempt status, but Mr. Campbell said that would not stop him. "It's very possible that I will work voting for Kerry into a sermon that I might preach," he said. "I know there are some bones of contention about that."

Of course, I don't believe in "separation of church and state" the way many people mean it. Instead, I believe in the rights granted by the First Ammendment. (At some points, they come into conflict and we must choose between the two. I'll defend the Constitution, thank you.)

But the rules are currently that endorsing a candidate from the pulpit violates your tax-exempt status. I think it's fine to be willing to do that, but the concientious, Christian thing to do would be to also willingly pay the penalty.

But what we see here seems to be the typical liberal, not Christian, stance: "I'm morally right, and so the rules don't apply to me."

The best defense the Times could find on the other side of the fence was this:

"Bush didn't go to Florida and do the thing with the tabs," Mr. Turner said, referring to the chads on paper ballots. "Other people did it for him. But he is an honest man, I believe."

Ah, yes. It's true that the election was stolen. But someone stole it on behalf of George Bush.

Never mind that "the thing with the tabs" happened in predominantly Democratic counties, under the control of Democratic boards of election, and that the dispute was touched off by an internal quarrel among three Democrats, and ultimately concerned the unfairness of a ballot designed by Democrats.

That Rove guy is brilliant, I tell ya.