THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 11, 1995 TAG: 9505110430
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 114 lines
The Christian Coalition plans to unveil a 10-point ``Contract with the American Family'' next week, aimed at pressuring Congress to adopt laws that would restrict abortions, allow prayer in schools and foster private education.
The founder of the group, religious broadcaster M.G. ``Pat'' Robertson of Virginia Beach, has complained that the Republican-controlled Congress has been preoccupied with budgetary issues at the expense of advancing a conservative social agenda. ``Congress is ignoring the concerns of Christian and pro-family voters,'' he wrote recently to his 1.6 million members.
The release of the contract will kick off a massive national lobbying effort by the Coalition to refocus debate on ``family issues,'' according to Mike Russell, a spokesman for the organization.
The political clout of the organization was demonstrated this week as its executive director, Ralph Reed, was featured on the cover of Time magazine.
Several political consultants, noting that the Coalition played a key role in helping to elect a GOP majority in Congress last year, said the time is ripe for Robertson's group to seek a payoff. But they warned that the organization could rapidly lose its influence if it pressures congressional allies to adopt ideologically rigid positions.
Aware of those concerns, Russell said the Coalition may not insist on adoption of its agenda before the 1996 presidential and congressional elections. ``These are 10 suggestions, they are not 10 commandments,'' he said. ``We're imposing no deadlines. Right now, we'd like to see favorable reactions from the leadership.''
Russell said a final version of the contract has not been drafted, making it impossible to discuss all the particulars of the document. ``We're looking at issues that already enjoy support from 70 to 80 percent of the public,'' he said.
The contract will call for an end to taxpayer-financed abortions and endorse a parental consent law for teenagers seeking to end pregnancies, Russell said. It's possible, he added, that the Coalition will also seek to ban late-term abortions. ``We're definitely looking at that,'' he said.
But the Coalition, which has long espoused outlawing practically all abortions, will stop short of calling for a constitutional amendment outlawing them. In doing so, the group will place itself in accord with House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., who recently said an amendment would not succeed until public attitudes on abortion changed.
``There are many elements to the abortion debate, and we're looking for something we can begin working on with this Congress,'' Russell said. ``The constitutional amendment may take too long.''
Several political analysts said the contract, on its face, does not appear threatening to Republicans and demonstrates a growing commitment by the Coalition to enter mainstream politics.
``This is a striking document, because what it communicates is that the Christian Coalition is more intent on being a player at the table than a pressure group,'' said William Schneider, a political scientist for the American Enterprise Institute. ``What the Christian Coalition is trying to say to the GOP is, `You can live with us.'
``The items they're talking about are not extreme or over the edge,'' Schneider added. ``There's no argument against gay rights or for a total ban on abortion. This sounds to me like something Republicans can live with.''
Schneider said the Coalition gained stature in the GOP last year by strongly endorsing Gingrich's ``Contract With America.''
He credited executive director Reed for pragmatically expanding the group's focus. The Time story involving Reed outlines the growing power of his Chesapeake-based coalition as a presidential election nears.
``In the past, the Christian Coalition never got involved in financial issues,'' Schneider said.
But Claiborne Darden, a Republican pollster from Atlanta, questioned whether the Coalition's evangelical following will support the group's moderate shift. He noted that Reed, in an apparent effort to appease hardliners, recently said that opposition to abortion should be a litmus test for the 1996 GOP vice presidential nominee.
``Potentially, the religious right is every bit as dangerous to the Republican Party as the radical left has been to the Democratic Party,'' he said. ``They seem to be learning, but the danger is still there. If they can control their fanaticism, they can gain support. If they don't, they will bankrupt the party.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo
[Ralph Reed on cover of Time]
Ralph Reed, executive director of the Chesapeake-based Christian
Coalition: Time's coverage points to the group's influence.
THE CHRISTIAN COALITION'S CONTRACT
A preliminary position paper calls for the following:
An end to taxpayer-financed abortions and an endorsement of a
parental consent law for teenagers seeking to end pregnancies.
Support for a Religious Equality Act that would legalize
organized prayer in public places, including schools.
Tax vouchers for private education and home schooling.
Ending federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts,
public radio and public television.
Allowing tax-free retirement savings for homemakers.
A dismantling of the federal Department of Education and the
return of most school and curriculum policies to states and
localities.
A requirement that prison inmates be literate before they are
paroled.
KEYWORDS: CHRISTIAN COALITION CONTRACT WITH THE AMERICAN FAMILY by CNB