Bankrolling Hostility

The full-page ad in the New York Times featured head shots of Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, and Pat Robertson. Above them, in giant type, were the words, “Meet America’s Most Influential Stem Cell Scientists.” The ad charges evangelicals with trying to turn America into a theocracy and outlaw scientific research. This ad was one of many hysterical, vicious, and untruthful ads paid for by a group called the Campaign to Defend the Constitution, or “DefCon.” But far from defending the Constitution, DefCon, which does not have to report who they are or who is paying for these ads, is an extreme left-wing group intent on demonizing religious conservatives. Promoting embryo-destructive stem-cell research is just one of its causes. DefCon also supports abortion, special rights for homosexuals, a radical animal-rights agenda, and force-feeding school kids an uncritical view of Darwinian evolution. Those views, of course, are standard fare for the left today. But much more disturbing is the manner in which this secretive campaign portrays people of faith. On its website, it accuses Christians of “hijacking” the federal courts and of wanting to achieve “absolute power over all branches of government . . . breaking the rules to get it.” We’re accused of trying to make medical decisions for women and turning homosexuals into second-class citizens. In the school classroom, we zealots are scheming to replace “scientific knowledge with religious ideology.” Moreover, we are plotting to use the government to “proselytize or to infringe on the religious freedom of all Americans.” Wow. Well, who is funding the spewing of all this hatred and deceit? It takes a lot of digging to find out. One major source is the Tides Center, funded by the far-left Tides Foundation, which helps to fund the ACLU, PETA, pro-abortion groups [NARAL], the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, Planned Parenthood, Moveon.org, and the Council for American-Islamic Relations, which has links to terrorism. The coordinator for DefCon is David Fenton of Fenton Communications, a public relations firm with a history of creating front groups and using smear tactics and bogus science. Years ago Fenton served as a lobbyist for the Sandinistas and today helps publicize the rantings of anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan.* Whatever its campaign may be, DefCon’s tactics are the same, says Bruce Chapman of the Discovery Institute: that is, accuse opponents of being reckless, far right religious theocrats, and get liberal Christians—some of them unsuspecting, others not—on their side. No one in the press has tried to expose this secretive enterprise, which is spending millions. Why not? Well, we had better start asking the hard questions ourselves and expose the backers—men like George Soros—who give money to these kinds of groups. And tell your neighbors, who may have been taken in by this advertising, the true story behind this vicious campaign. If you will call us here at “BreakPoint” (1-877-322-5527), we will be happy to send you further information. *Correction: On today's edition of “BreakPoint,” we had stated that a liberal public relations firm, Fenton Communications, “launched the Evangelical Climate Initaitive” (ECI).  That statement was incorrect. Fenton did not launch the ECI. We apologize for the error.  

For Further Reading and Information

Learn more about DefCon. Marvin Olasky, “Deliver Us from Chaos,” Townhall.com, 29 July 2006. Terry Mattingly, “The Media, God, and Gaffes,” USA Today, 25 June 2006.

09/8/06