Freedom Federation

The latest thing on the religious right is called the Freedom Federation. Rolled out at the National Press Club yesterday, it’s being greeted on the left with ridicule and incredulity. In WaPo, Dana Milbank yuks it up with an extended Star Wars treatment. Meanwhile, People For’s Right Wing Watch has the membership list (just about […]

The latest thing on the religious right is called the Freedom Federation. Rolled out at the National Press Club yesterday, it’s being greeted on the left with ridicule and incredulity. In WaPo, Dana Milbank yuks it up with an extended Star Wars treatment. Meanwhile, People For’s Right Wing Watch has the membership list (just about every organization on the Watch’s watchlist) and manifesto (a Declaration of American Values) interspersed with snark. The Values are pretty much what you’d expect–the social conservative agenda up front with the economic one trailing behind plus a tip of the hat to a strong military and no foreign entanglements. No abortions! No progressive income tax!

So what’s the raison d’etre?

The Freedom Federation is a new and unique federation of some of the
largest multi-ethnic and transgenerational faith-based organizations in
the country committed to plan, strategize, and work together on common
interests within the Judeo-Christian tradition to mobilize their
grassroots constituencies and to communicate faith and values to the
religious, social, cultural, and policymaking institutions.

Other than helping the gang look busy (hey, we held a press conference!), the Federation seems to be distinguished mostly by a desire to prove that this is not your father’s old white religious right. The young! The Black! The Hispanic! But with no money, staff, or website of its own, it looks mostly like a one-day wonder.


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