THEY AREN'T GOING AWAY ANY TIME SOON

Christian right groups set sights on '08
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
Posted 6/15/2005 11:19 PM Updated 6/15/2005 11:48 PM
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-06-15-christian-right-08_x.htm


WASHINGTON — Leaders of conservative Christian organizations plan to jointly interview Republican contenders for the 2008 presidential nomination, perhaps even endorsing one of them — steps that could expand their already considerable political influence.

Those who plan to participate include leading figures of the Christian right: James Dobson of Focus on the Family, Paul Weyrich of the Free Congress Foundation, the Rev. Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association, Perkins and Bauer. Others also would join them.
Their groups, which represent millions of social conservatives, have taken the lead in lobbying to restrict abortion, ban same-sex marriage and confirm conservative judges. Their top priority, Perkins said, is winning confirmation of conservative Supreme Court justices.