Hillary's Nasty Pastorate

The Nation: When It Comes To Unsavory Religious Affiliations, Clinton Is A Lot More Vulnerable Than Obama

(The Nation)  This column was written by Barbara Ehrenreich.

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There's a reason Hillary Clinton has remained relatively silent during the flap over intemperate remarks by Barack Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. When it comes to unsavory religious affiliations, she's a lot more vulnerable than Obama.

You can find all about it in a widely under-read article in the September 2007 issue of Mother Jones, in which Kathryn Joyce and Jeff Sharlet reported that "through all of her years in Washington, Clinton has been an active participant in conservative Bible study and prayer circles that are part of a secretive Capitol Hill group known as "The "Fellowship," also known as The Family. But it won't be a secret much longer. Jeff Sharlet's shocking exposé The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power will be published in May.

Sean Hannity has called Obama's church a "cult," but that term applies far more aptly to Clinton's "Family," which is organized into "cells" - their term - and operates sex-segregated group homes for young people in northern Virginia. In 2002, Sharlet joined The Family's home for young men, forswearing sex, drugs and alcohol, and participating in endless discussions of Jesus and power. He wasn't undercover; he used his own name and admitted to being a writer. But he wasn't completely out of danger either. When he went outdoors one night to make a cell phone call, he was followed. He still gets calls from Family associates asking him to meet them in diners - alone.

The Family's most visible activity is its blandly innocuous National Prayer Breakfast, held every February in Washington. But almost all its real work goes on behind the scenes - knitting together international networks of right-wing leaders, most of them ostensibly Christian. In the 1940s, The Family reached out to former and not-so-former Nazis, and its fascination with that exemplary leader, Adolf Hitler, has continued, along with ties to a whole bestiary of murderous thugs. As Sharlet reported in Harper's in 2003:

During the 1960s the Family forged relationships between the U.S. government and some of the most anti-Communist (and dictatorial) elements within Africa's postcolonial leadership. The Brazilian dictator General Costa e Silva, with Family support, was overseeing regular fellowship groups for Latin American leaders, while, in Indonesia, General Suharto (whose tally of several hundred thousand "Communists" killed marks him as one of the century's most murderous dictators) was presiding over a group of fifty Indonesian legislators. During the Reagan Administration the Family helped build friendships between the U.S. government and men such as Salvadoran general Carlos Eugenios Vides Casanova, convicted by a Florida jury of the torture of thousands, and Honduran general Gustavo Alvarez Martinez, himself an evangelical minister, who was linked to both the CIA and death squads before his own demise.

At the heart of The Family's American branch is a collection of powerful right-wing politicos, who include, or have included, Sam Brownback, Ed Meese, John Ashcroft, James Inhofe and Rick Santorum. They get to use The Family's spacious estate on the Potomac, The Cedars, which is maintained by young men in Family group homes and where meals are served by The Family's young women's group. And, at The Family's frequent prayer gatherings, they get powerful jolts of spiritual refreshment, tailored to the already powerful.

Clinton fell in with The Family in 1993, when she joined a Bible study group composed of wives of conservative leaders like Jack Kemp and James Baker. When she ascended to the Senate, she was promoted to what Sharlet calls the Family's "most elite cell," the weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast, which included, until his downfall, Virginia's notoriously racist Senator George Allen. This has not been a casual connection for Clinton. She has written of Doug Coe, The Family's publicity-averse leader, that he is "a unique presence in Washington: a genuinely loving spiritual mentor and guide to anyone, regardless of party or faith, who wants to deepen his or her relationship with God."

Furthermore, The Family takes credit for some of Clinton's rightward legislative tendencies, including her support for a law guaranteeing "religious freedom" in the workplace, such as for pharmacists who refuse to fill birth control prescriptions and police officers who refuse to guard abortion clinics.

What drew Clinton into the sinister heart of the international right? Maybe it was just a phase in her tormented search for identity, marked by ever-changing hairstyles and names: Hillary Rodham, Mrs. Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton and now Hillary Clinton. She reached out to many potential spiritual mentors during her White House days, including New Age guru Marianne Williamson and the liberal rabbi Michael Lerner. But it was the Family association that stuck.

Sharlet generously attributes Clinton's involvement to the under-appreciated depth of her religiosity, but he himself struggles to define The Family's theological underpinnings. The Family avoids the word Christian but worships Jesus, though not the Jesus who promised the earth to the "meek." They believe that, in mass societies, it's only the elites who matter, the political leaders who can build God's "dominion" on earth. Insofar as The Family has a consistent philosophy, it's all about power - cultivating it, building it and networking it together into ever-stronger units, or "cells." "We work with power where we can," Doug Coe has said, and "build new power where we can't."

Obama has given a beautiful speech on race and his affiliation with the Trinity United Church of Christ. Now it's up to Clinton to explain - or, better yet, renounce - her long-standing connection with the fascist-leaning Family.

[elizabeth444]

Last time I checked, it was ok in America to be a Christian, and to welcome "sinners" in, which we all are. This article about Hillary''s faith is obviously biased, yet one can easily read between the lines and see that Hillary belongs to a Christian organization that helps young people. Since no quotes are provided here to show bad messages in the pulpit, her church is apparently one that supports love.

[bec67]

If this story comes from the FAR, FAR, FAR LEFT RAG, THE NATION, YOU CAN TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALT!

[dukuss]

Nice try Barbara to change the subject. Unfortunately, the Reverend White''s comments go far too deep for you to try your little stunt. Too bad to did not pick your moment a little better to publish your peice, it may not have appeared as bitter and biased as it does now.

[rayhc1]

"THE COUNSEL RESTORED" and the "BOSS" want HILLARY CLINTON for PRESIDENT, because she (HILLARY) is qualified for the position. HILLARY CLINTON has the contacts and the experience to accomplish what is necessary for the future of the WORLD!

If Barack Obama wins against HILLARY CLINTON, Barack Obama will LOSE against McCain. McCain will do further invaisions. Therefore, HILLARY CLINTON must be ellected PRESIDENT.

[rayhc1]

It does not matter what HILLARY CLINTON''''S religious backgroud amounts to. What matters: Can she (HILLARY) handle what is necessary for the future of the WORLD? The answer: "YES"!

HILLARY CLINTON has the contacts and the experience to accomplish the objectives concerning IRAQ and the rest of the NEAR EAST/MIDDLE EAST situations. IRAQ needs a TROOP withdraw to a POINT. After that is done, N.A.T.O. bases are required to continue the stabilization of the region. Hopefully, HILLARY will accommodate this requirement.

Currently, the MAJORITY (SOME MASONS) want McCain as PRESIDENT to initiate further invaisions to purpetuate the THE NEW ROMAN EMPIRE--currently the "EUROPEAN UNION". They want Barack Obama to win against HILLARY and LOSE against McCain.

Then they want more invaisons to acquire the SEVENTH KINGDOM OF BABYLON (NEW ROMAN EMPIRE/"EUROPEAN UNION"). For this to occur, the UNITED STATES must be annihilated by the RUSSIANS and the CHINESE, after an invaision of IRAN or another TRIGGER. Bottom line, HILLARY must be ellected PRESIDENT. Furthermore, PRESIDENT BUSH was supposed to invade IRAN, during 2006, to start the process. Therefore, a mess is going to occur!

[tazmjam]

This is pathetic. Conspiracy theories abound, top people in Washington belong to some secret organization called %u201CThe Fellowship.%u201D This %u201CFamily%u201D participate in conservative bible study and prayer circles. (gasp) They also run religious ***-segregated group homes for young people. (And this is evil why?) The tone of this article brings to mind the movie %u201CThe Firm.%u201D Lets make it more sinister by bringing up whom the %u201CFirm%u201D whoops I mean the %u201CFamily%u201D associated with 60 years ago. I don%u2019t know why I am surprised when I see this kind of trash on CBS, if anything this election season has opened my eyes to how %u201CJerry Springer%u201D like the %u201Ctypical%u201D news media has become.
In case anyone doesn%u2019t know who %u201CThe Nation%u201D is%u2026they are a FAR left news magazine which got a lot of attention a few years back when one of their columnist named Hitchens quit after the magazine published a HUGE number of letters from readers blaming the US for the 9/11 attacks.

[phillysage]

Interesting, the major media''s desire to prop up this dude, Obama, knows no limits! They will even post stories on their websites from The Nation, a magazine known to print off-the-wall stories that trash with loads of inaccuracies anyone who''s not to the right of Ralph Nader.

[chotchkies-2009]

This is a fear-mongering piece largely based on innuendo and vague assumption, and I am having a hard time why CBS would claim such writing. I hope readers will see this for what it is.

I am in no way a Clinton supporter.

[hungry1968]

Just because people bring up race in this election does not make them racist. After all Obama IS the first black man to run for president and Hillary the first woman. We are supposed to ignore that?

Posted by scottyusa at 07:39 AM : Mar 22, 2008




Are you voting for someone because of their stand on the issues? Their vision for a better America?

Or are you voting based on the color of their skin or gender?

If you''re voting based on prejudice, then do us all a favor - stay home on election day. You''re too f''ing ignorant for your vote to be counted anyway!!

[hungry1968]

How much is Obama paying this media writer to try and shift the focus away from him?

What a crock of BS! Stop playing games Obama! No racists in this race!

Posted by sincityq at 12:08 AM : Mar 22, 2008





Why is Obama getting the blame for this? He doesn''t stoop to Hillary or McCain''s dirty politics - he runs on the issues.

Who created and distributed the video of Obama''s minister?

Grow up!! If she''s ashamed or embarrassed by her association to controversial people / groups, that''s her problem - not Obama''s.

[scottyusa]

Just because people bring up race in this election does not make them racist. After all Obama IS the first black man to run for president and Hillary the first woman. We are supposed to ignore that? Now Obama''s pastor, Mr. wright, who is actually Mr. Wrong, is the epitamy of racism. It is what is said that counts, not the fact that something was said. In this new world of political correctness stamping out free speech is happening right before our eyes. The fact that we cannot talk about Obama being black but his pastor can publicly rant racist remarks til the cows come home is a clear example of this fact.

[ramos937]

Magazines like The Nation and The National Review are nothing but right wing GOP rags. For years, they have been anti Clinton and are frustrated that their efforts have had such little effect with the electorate. No reasonable person expects them to ever write something true about the Clintons.

[basant1-2009]

Finaly Racist Wright found his long lost sister Barbara. I wonder she ever preched in trinity church next to Wright.

[basant1-2009]

Why CBS is degrading themselves by putting this garbage?

[talk2chief]

Like it or not, YOU are the company you keep. Perception is 100% reality, and in politics, your blemished past always returns to haunt your political future. Keep that in mind you aspiring girls gone wild types. Ask yourself this question, if someone does something you don''t like, do you cut the ties, or look the other way? Life is full of tough decisions, but those decisions define you as a person for the rest of your life. All of the vices we are addicted to, most of the dumb stuff we did as kids could have been avoided if we just did not succumb to the pressure of the company we keep.

[wiglaf1]

Your kidding, right? Far more innuendo than substance. And I don''t even LIKE Hilary!

Barbara Ehrenreich, the author of this piece, is an atheist with a lifelong axe to grind against people of faith. In 1999 she won the Freethought Heroine Award, from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. You can read her acceptance speech here: It''s called, "My Family Values Atheism".

http://ffrf.org/fttoday/2000/april2000/ehrenreich.html

Frankly, Hilary at ANY Bible Study is NOT going to be a plus for Barbara!

[rickozzy-2009]

Hillaryous Definition: When someone describes a situation in a way that benefits their selfish goals, rather than it actually is in relatity (despite all of evidence to the contrary).

Hillary + hilarious = Hillaryous


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Realista

[b-easy63]

This is such garbage. Who is behind this? Obama or McCain? I want to say more, but why waste the space.

Posted by beader59 at 03:27 PM : Mar 21, 2008


This may be the time...for all of us to start judging our leaders by what they do and how they treat others, instead of making everyone in their lives a litmus test. Face it, if we all had to come clean about the people in our own lives, many of us would be fired from our jobs based on what friends, relatives or others we know have said or done. Time to grow up America or keep thinking we are God''s gift to the rest of the world, to remake, invade and destroy as we see the need for them to be "free".

[kesac4650]

Talk about nonsense built on innuendo, half truths and intentional deciets. This is the most grabage item I have read in my life. A group is slandered by Harper''s years back, with no evidence, and now Hillary is tied to that, and it''s motives and alleged history greatly expanded.
I detest Hillary Clinton. I detest even more such tripe as this author has chosen to dish out for our consumption.

[destardi]

pastors shortcoming its a "desperation move" and a "smear campaign"?
Come on ... if a one persons church leader is up for scrutiny then the others is fair game.
Mind you, I don''''t believe that any of their church leaders are all that influential on candidates actions.


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Posted by cyberus at 05:04 PM : Mar 21, 2008
+ report abuse

What is the shortcomings of praying with republicans?

I failed to understand how that compares with calling white people "cigar chomping crackers" or saying the white government created HIV to give to blacks?

Seriously, which story do YOU think will beg questioning from the true, blue dem, and the rest of America?

Hint, it''s not the people quietly praying, in a bipartisan group.

GD AMERICA!