RELIGION AND POLITICS

You should be ashamed for publishing Michael D’Antonio’s thinly researched article “Bedeviling the GOP” (Nov. 29), which was full of inaccuracies and falsehoods.

D’Antonio quotes me as stating that George Bush lost the election because he was not conservative enough. In fact, I stated that Bush lost because he raised taxes, thus deepening and extending the recession and handing the issue of jobs and the economy to Bill Clinton. The article stated that we “dominate the GOP” in Michigan. In fact, we have no state organization there.

The Christian Coalition has no desire to “take control” of either political party. We simply want to exercise the same civic rights as every other American.

We would never say that the Democratic Party is controlled by African-Americans because its chairman, Ron Brown, happens to be black. Likewise, we should not impugn the civic participation of people of faith by labeling it “a takeover.” That is bigotry that has no place in American-style discourse.

RALPH REED JR.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHRISTIAN COALITION

Portsmouth, Va.