c. 2000 Religion News Service
UNDATED _ With the Iowa presidential caucuses looming ahead, a nonpartisan religious alliance is stepping up pressure on candidates to conduct clean and civil campaigns.
The Interfaith Alliance, a grassroots organization dedicated to promoting civility and respect in society, is urging candidates to abide by its”Framework for Civility,”a pledge drafted in December encouraging candidates to refrain from attempting to”mislead voters regarding your public record”and to”reject personal attacks … in describing your opponent.” The pledge also asks candidates to encourage civil behavior among their campaign staff, to”assume full responsibility for the words and actions of … campaign staff, volunteers … and other individuals working on your behalf or seeking to influence the election in your favor.” Alliance officials have said the pledge is important because they believe voters will”regain faith in our democratic process”when candidates conduct their campaigns”with integrity, civility and respect for their opponents.” Five presidential candidates have signed the pledge: Democratic Vice President Al Gore; Gov. George W. Bush, R-Texas; former Sen. Bill Bradley, D-N.J.; Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Each candidate agreed to be held accountable by the public if they violate the spirit of the pledge during their campaigns.
Pat Buchanan, Donald Trump, Steve Forbes, Gary Bauer and Alan Keyes did not sign the pledge when offered the opportunity to do so.
At a news conference Thursday (Jan. 6) in Iowa, the alliance outlined terms of the civility pledge to Iowa voters and revealed the names of candidates who signed it.
The Des Moines press conference was the alliance’s latest effort to encourage informed voting in the Jan. 24 caucuses. The group launched the initiative in September 1999 as”Call to a Faithful Decision 2000 Caucus.” The alliance has designated January as”Call to a Faithful Decision”month, and has called upon its estimated 100,000 members in chapters nationwide to monitor news stories, candidate speeches and other communications from the candidates such as direct mail.”We won’t be the civility police,”said Alicia Claypool, executive director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.”But we’re counting on the public to hold candidates accountable to their pledges, and to help keep us informed as citizens about what candidates are doing and saying.” The initiative also includes workshops to educate Iowa voters about the caucuses, and a plan to ask clergy to dedicate part of a worship service during January to, in a nonpartisan manner, encourage participation in the caucuses.
Claypool said more than 2,000 letters signed by 22 religious leaders representing 17 denominations and religious organizations across Iowa will be mailed to clergy asking that they discourage the distribution of voter guides on the premises of their houses of worship.”Our beef is with the fact that houses of worship are used for partisan political materials,”said Claypool.”Houses of worship are strictly prohibited from engaging in political activities. They can engage the public by having forums, but it is inappropriate to endorse candidates. It violates the sanctity of houses of worship and this is not how voter guides should be used.”DEA END DANCY