Pat Robertson's Acolytes To Roberto Gonzales: Where Are They Now?

Roberto Gonzales Needs A Job
...And A Publisher
...And A Life!

(Psst: Maybe Some of Pat Robertson's Minions Can Give Him All Three!)

It's no secret that former Attorney General Roberto Gonzales doesn't seem to have a clue why nobody likes him. He feels that he is a "Casualty of the War on Terror." He told that to the Wall Street Journal. They had some space to fill.

The following is a small list of the things that the country is taking him to task for. (To read a great report by Steve Benen of Washington Monthly, click here)

• U.S. Attorney purge scandal
• Signing torture memos
• Gutting the DoJ's Civil Rights Division
• Investigation by the DoJ's Inspector General (perjury and obstruction)
• warrantless searches
• Harsh, un-American policies on detainees at Guantanamo Bay
• Scoffing at the Geneva Conventions
• Filling his staff with Pat Robertson acolytes
• Tolerance for corruption and politicization of the DOJ
  

Of this list, the one item that worries me most: where are those Pat Robertson acolytes? For your information, Pat Robertson acolytes refers to graduates of Robertson's Regent University. In Roman Catholicism, acolytes are high-ranking helpers - altar boys. But what kind of "acolyte" is one born of Pat Robertson? A fairly Christofascist, intellectually challenged one. Let's look at the rating and reviews of this institution of higher learning, shall we?

According to wikipedia.org:

U.S. News & World Report ranks Regent University School of Law as a Tier 4 school, the lowest ranking within the law school category. The Princeton Review ranked Regent University seventh in the country for quality of life and the most conservative school. The Sustainable Endowments Institute in Cambridge, Mass., gave Regent a grade of D in its 2009 College Sustainability Report Card an improvement from the previous year's F grade.

In other words, Regent University School of Law is not made up of America's "Best and Brightest."

Remember Monica Goodling in the U.S. Attorney firings? Yep. And her aide. And her predecessor.

(wikipedia.org)

According to Regent University, more than 150 of its graduates have been hired by the federal government since George W. Bush came to office in 2001 including dozens in Bush's administration.

The above number was mysteriously withdrawn from the Regent School of Law website the day after it was noticed by the press in April of 2007. Read Steve Benen's article here.

So, again, the question is: WHERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE? Were they part of the many people Bush "buried" in the government rolls, to stay put and do damage from the inside without the possibility of getting fired for conservative leanings?

Another question: do we want them working in the government at all? I promise I will do some due diligence and report back.

Billy Graham Sheds His Mormon-aphobia (and probably his homophobia as well)

Goodbye Dallas Mormonaphobe - Hello Spartanburg!

Associated Press noted ever-so-in-passing that Billy Graham has switched his church membership from First Baptist Church of Dallas to First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, S.C. The reason given was that He wanted his affiliated church to be nearer his retreat in South Carolina.

Problem: Billy Graham's retreat is in North Carolina.

"Let God Bless Your Mess"??

Speculation is now running rampant that the move was more theological than geographical: the new pastor of the Dallas church, Rev. Robert Jeffress stirred up almost as much presidential campaign controversies as John Hagee, Rod Parsley or Jeremiah Wright:

(From Biblebeltblogger.com)

Jeffress denounced then-GOP front-runner Mitt Romney in the fall of 2007, telling his congregation: “Even though he talks about Jesus as his Lord and savior, he is not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. Mormonism is a cult.”

Jeffress evidently has a very low opinion of humanity: his newest CD is titled "Let God Bless Your Mess." Jeffress recently stirred up Dallas with his extreme homophobia:

About 100 people stood in front of First Baptist Church of Dallas on Sunday morning to protest Dr. Robert Jeffress' sermon, "Why Gay Is Not O.K."

Graham's son, Franklin (so far to the right he's a closet Reconstructionist) must be incredibly pissed that his father switched. He was certainly irate when good ole dad said that you didn't have to be Christian to go to heaven. I think his answer to Billy's actions is: senility.

Just a thought.