WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2004

GOP: 'Liberals' Will Ban Bible

Campaign Literature Targets Voters In Arkansas And W. Virginia

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(CBS/AP)  Campaign literature mailed by the Republican National Committee warns voters in two states that the Bible will be prohibited and men will marry men if "liberals" win in November.

The New York Times reported that the mass mailing was sent to voters in Arkansas and West Virginia, and was part of a GOP effort to mobilize religious voters.

The literature shows a Bible with the word "BANNED" across it and a photo of a man, on his knees, placing a ring on the hand of another man with the word "ALLOWED." The mailing tells West Virginians to "vote Republican to protect our families" and defeat the "liberal agenda."

The Times said RNC spokeswoman Christine Iverson had confirmed that the GOP had sent out the mailings.

The flier says Republicans have passed laws protecting life, support defining marriage as between a man and a woman and will nominate conservative judges who will "interpret the law and not legislate from the bench."

"The liberal agenda includes removing 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance," it says.

It does not mention the names of the presidential candidates.

Jim Jordan, a spokesman for America Coming Together, an anti-Bush group, described the mailing as "standard-issue Republican hate-mongering."

Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards issued a statement saying that President Bush "should condemn the practice immediately and tell everyone associated with the campaign to never use tactics like this again," the Times reported.

The RNC also is running radio ads in several states urging people to register to vote.

"There is a line drawn in America today," one ad says. "On one side are the radicals trying to uproot our traditional values and our culture. They're fighting to hijack the institution of marriage, plotting to legalize partial birth abortion, and working to take God out of the pledge of allegiance and force the worst of Hollywood on the rest of America."

"Are you on their side of the line?" the ad asks before making the plea to "support conservative Republican candidates."


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