"If GOP is one party under Jesus, what's this Jew supposed to do?"
Fort Worth Star Telegram ace reporter and Northeast Tarrant County political kingmaker, in his own mind at least , Dave Leiber got his panties in a wad on the Fourth of July.
It seems the Texas Republican Party has said in its platform that the United States is a Christian nation. Specifically it states: "The Republican Party of Texas affirms that the United States of America is a Christian nation."
Most people know that a Constitutional provision prevents anyone from ever being compelled to embrace a certain faith. Thereby rendering the statement just so much meaningless window dressing. (The preceding sentence is for the benefit of those who are afraid they're going to be force marched down to the chuchhouse some Sunday.)
And they also realize that this means the United States is a Christian nation as opposed to say a Hindu nation, or a Muslim nation, or a nation of Satan worshippers. All of which are practiced in the United States, but not to nearly a degree as Christianity.
But not Kingmaker Dave. Nope, he agonizes over it. Well, actually he pretends to agonize. Dave practices the Jewish religion and doesn't believe that Jesus Christ was sent by God, etc. And therefore is not a Christian.
So he called up local Republicans and asked them what, what!, what! did the Republican Party intend when it said such a thing!? Did they mean to exclude him from the fold?
Most Republican leaders took him at his word, that he was honestly trying to resolve a gut wrenching dilemma.
One pointed out that in another part of the platform was the phrase: "Our nation was founded on fundamental Judeo-Christian principles based on the Holy Bible."
Others gently hinted at the real meaning."The United States is a nation that believes in God, and I think its citizens believe in God in a lot of different ways."
Still others apologized, "I guess as a member of the party I apologize to you for offending you individually as a member of the Jewish faith, and perhaps they ought to look at their language a little more carefully in that instance."
One was confused, "Wouldn't you say the United States is a Christian nation?"
Still others couldn't believe he was asking such a stupid question. "How else should we have referred to the nation? Should we have called ourselves the barbaric nation?"
But one finally saw through his mock dilemma and hit the nail squarely on the head. "You sound like a liberal that just wants to make an argument."
This is true. Dave Leiber, for all his recitations of Republican bonifides, and hypocritical touting of his Republican voting record, is a man who will search until he finds the phrase with which he can split semantic hairs in order to pick a fight with the party he supposedly supports.
Now, this is OK. Politics ain't bean bag. But Dave shouldn't pretend to be something that he is not.
We shouldn't be surprised though, most liberals pretend to be something they are not.
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