"James Dobson's Political Surrender," a piece by Dan Gilgoff, U.S. News & World Report's "God & Country" blogger, contains several fascinating excerpts from the good doctor's Focus on the Family radio broadcast. Of course, Dobson stepped down as chairman of the Colorado Springs-based outfit in late February -- but he remains Focus' face and voice. As a result, what he says matters a great deal to the organization as a whole, and judging by his latest comments, he doesn't have the stomach for a political fight against what he sees as a force of evil named Barack Obama.
Here's some of what he said:
I want to tell you up front that we're not going to ask you to do anything, to make a phone call or to write a letter or anything.There is nothing you can do at this time about what is taking place because there is simply no limit to what the left can do at this time. Anything they want, they get and so we can't stop them.
We tried with [Health and Human Services Secretary] Kathleen Sebelius and sent thousands of phone calls and e-mails to the Senate and they didn't pay any attention to it because they don't have to. And so what you can do is pray, pray for this great nation... As I see it, there is no other answer. There's no other answer, short term.
He added:
I've been on the air for 32 years and I've never seen a time quite like this. It just illustrates what happens when we don't have what the Founding Fathers referred to as checks and balances, where the excesses of one party or one branch of government limit the reach of power-hungry and self-serving people and keeps them form doing things that are harmful to the country. That's the way the system was designed. We have two major political parties in this country, not one. And bipartisanship is a media creation that's designed to promote one point of view instead of the debate that should occur. And that's why media doesn't talk about bipartisanship when conservatives are in power......[today] the radical left controls the executive branch through the president, and the Congress... and the Judiciary through the courts... now they control it all, including every department of government. As a result, the legislation that should shock the nation, if people were paying attention, is being rushed into law.
Of course, Dobson could just have been having a bad day and will soon take up rhetorical arms once more. But for now, a man who has shaped his life around his faith and beliefs sounds thoroughly dispirited.
