Richard Tafoya
Sep 23rd, 2006, 01:27 PM
Reuters:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060922/pl_nm/values_dc;_ylt=ArAP9V5frIhyfOlRNrPsrF2s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OXI zMDMzBHNlYwM3MDM-
Religious conservatives voiced frustration on Friday with Republican Party leaders and their failure to push key social initiatives through the U.S. Congress and said it could hurt voter turnout in November's elections.
At a "Values Voters Summit" sponsored by leading religious conservative groups, some activists said President George W. Bush and Republican leaders showed too much pragmatism and too little concern for issues like abortion, immigration and banning gay marriage.
"There is no question people are frustrated with the Republican Party. The message it sends is: 'We don't care where you stand, we just want you to be a Republican,"' said Phil Burress, president of the Ohio-based Citizens for Community Values.
Burress was a leader in the state's 2004 fight for a ballot initiative banning gay marriage, credited with helping turn out conservative support for Bush. He said he was not sure religious conservatives would turn out with the same vigor in 2006.
"There is a big number who may not show up to vote," he said.
Social and religious conservatives are a crucial Republican voting bloc as the party battles to keep control of Congress in November's elections. Bolstering their turnout has been a top concern for the White House.
"In the next weeks before the election they are going to realize that if they want to mobilize the conservative social values base they are going to have to keep our issues on the agenda and not just pay lip service," said Chris Slattery, an anti-abortion activist from New York.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060922/pl_nm/values_dc;_ylt=ArAP9V5frIhyfOlRNrPsrF2s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OXI zMDMzBHNlYwM3MDM-
Religious conservatives voiced frustration on Friday with Republican Party leaders and their failure to push key social initiatives through the U.S. Congress and said it could hurt voter turnout in November's elections.
At a "Values Voters Summit" sponsored by leading religious conservative groups, some activists said President George W. Bush and Republican leaders showed too much pragmatism and too little concern for issues like abortion, immigration and banning gay marriage.
"There is no question people are frustrated with the Republican Party. The message it sends is: 'We don't care where you stand, we just want you to be a Republican,"' said Phil Burress, president of the Ohio-based Citizens for Community Values.
Burress was a leader in the state's 2004 fight for a ballot initiative banning gay marriage, credited with helping turn out conservative support for Bush. He said he was not sure religious conservatives would turn out with the same vigor in 2006.
"There is a big number who may not show up to vote," he said.
Social and religious conservatives are a crucial Republican voting bloc as the party battles to keep control of Congress in November's elections. Bolstering their turnout has been a top concern for the White House.
"In the next weeks before the election they are going to realize that if they want to mobilize the conservative social values base they are going to have to keep our issues on the agenda and not just pay lip service," said Chris Slattery, an anti-abortion activist from New York.