From an AP article titled “Giuliani tries to reassure conservatives“:

Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, speaking Saturday night at a dinner in his honor, said he too believes starting a third party would fail. He pledged to vote for a minor-party candidate if both Democrats and Republicans nominate a candidate who supports abortion rights.

While Dobson said it was too early to talk about choosing “the lesser of two evils” - he didn’t mention Giuliani or any candidate by name - he made clear he would not make that choice.

“The only problem with that is it when you choose the lesser of two evils, you’ve still chosen evil,” he said. “And that leads to compromise, and I tell you, I can’t do that.”

AP Religion Writer Eric Gorski

Considering the past position of GOP front-runners on the issue of abortion, it would appear Mr. Dobson has painted himself into a corner. No matter how much Giuliani or Romney try to comfort the Religious-right with promises of conforming to their ideology, their history on this and other pressing anti-’values’ issues simply can’t be ignored.

Some pointers for the GOP front-runners: Rudy, when you attempt to placate these religious whackos with promises of an outright ban on abortions, do so while waving a clothes hanger in the air. They’ll know you mean business. And Mitt, you should drive around town in your pickup truck, with a baseball bat hanging in the back window and dragging barbed wire from the rear bumper. Then, when you tell these nuts you’re against gay marriage, they’ll believe you… and love you!

Could it be that they have a respect for America and the Constitution? Could it be that they have more sense than God gave a doorknob?

Jesus H. Christ… can we stone these American-haters into oblivion already?!

Christian court watchers keep tabs on judges

Frustrated with drug abuses, volunteers take interest in law enforcement

John Becknell, a member of the Community Church in Manchester, Ky., and head of a local Christian television station, observes a Clay County District Court session in on July 2 as part of the anti-drug program called Court Watch.

MANCHESTER, Ky. - John Becknell enters the courtroom and finds his usual spot in the front row, just behind the prosecutor’s table.

Becknell - a devout Christian known to many as “Brother John” - pulls out a pen and an inch-thick docket, mostly of drug and alcohol cases. For the next three hours, he takes diligent notes on the judge’s actions, the attendance of police officers, repeat offenders making another appearance, and so on.

The purpose? To make sure drug offenders in eastern Kentucky are getting what they deserve.

Frustrated with widespread drug abuse - especially of easily accessible prescription painkillers - a handful of mountain churches are moving away from their traditional role as a refuge for the poor and addicted. Now they-re more interested in law enforcement.

The Community Church of Manchester is leading the way through “Court Watch,” a program in which volunteers attend court hearings to monitor judges overseeing drug-related cases.
[...]

The Rev. Doug Abner, pastor at Community Church - whose slogan for a 2004 anti-drug march was “get saved or get busted” - said the presence of Court Watch volunteers puts “mild pressure” on judges “to do the right thing.” The volunteers collect information for a database and look for trends in drug crimes.

MSNBC.com