Washington Watch
Robertson's Exit
Evangelist stepping down does not mean a
weakening of the Christian right.
servative Christians, said it
would be a mistake to
write off the religious
ast week's sur-
right insurgents. Other
prise resignation
groups — including the
of televangelist
Traditional Values
Pat Robertson
Coalition and the
from the Christian
Campaign for Working
Coalition could be a mor-
Families, headed by for-
tal blow to the once-pow-
mer GOP presidential
erful political organization
contender Gary Bauer, are
that at one time claimed
growing.
Pat Robertson
1.8 million members.
Some of these groups,
But experts say that
he said, hope to gain
some of the group's problems are a
ground by shifting much of their focus
function of the overall movement's suc- from the anti-abortion crusade —
cesses.
where their efforts have produced only
"In many ways, it's a paradox," said
limited success — to the fight against
Marshall Wittmann, a senior fellow at
homosexual rights.
the Hudson Institute and the Christian
"The gay rights issue could be useful
Coalition's former head lobbyist.
to them, because it is something that
"At a time of institutional decline for
provides them with a visible demon."
individual groups, the movement has
He predicted that religious conserva-
become part of the Republican estab-
tives will also shift more resources to
lishment."
the fight for school vouchers, where
Once, religious conservatives needed
they may make common cause with
groups like the Christian Coalition and Catholics, inner-city blacks and
the defunct Moral Majority because
Orthodox Jewish groups.
they were on the outside looking in;
Green pointed to another possibility:
today, he said, religious conservatives
Robertson's withdrawal from the politi-
are tightly integrated into GOP insti-
cal scene may be temporary. "He's
tutions in both Congress and the exec-
done this before," he said. "He could
utive branch.
be stepping back just for tactical rea-
sons."
Despite that achievement, he said,
the Christian Coalition and the other
Hate Alliance
major religious right groups were not
able to advance their domestic agendas.
It may be harder than ever to find
Palestinian sympathizers in
"They began with an interest in
counteracting liberals on abortion and
Washington these days, but one group
prayer in schools, but that agenda has
is speaking up firmly for the cause.
gone nowhere," Wirtmann said.
The National Alliance defines itself
"They helped elect a Republican
as the nation's "foremost patriotic
Congress in 1994, but that Congress
organization." The Anti-Defamation
couldn't deliver on their agenda. Now,
League has a different definition, call-•
they have a conservative Christian in
ing the Alliance "America's most dan-
the White House, but the most sweep-
gerous organized hate group" and cit-
ing religious initiative he has pushed is
ing it for anti-Semitism, Holocaust
a modest faith-based package."
revisionism and racism.
The Coalition also suffered from the
The Alliance will be holding a
departure of longtime executive direc-
demonstration in front of the Israeli
tor Ralph Reed in 1997 and from
embassy next week. The group plans to
Robertson's "unfortunate remarks" after chant things like "No More Terror, No
the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Wittmann
More War, Let's Stop Being Israel's
said.
Whore!," according to an E-mail flier.
In a television broadcast, Robertson
David L. Bernstein, regional director
seemed to agree with the Rev. Jerry
of the American Jewish Committee,
Falwell's claim that feminists, abortion
said the neo-nazi group is trying to
and gay rights advocates and the
cloak its anti-Semitism in more moder-
ate rhetoric.
ACLU deserved some of the blame for
the tragedy.
"They make it sound like they are
John Green, a University of Akron
simply critical of Israel," he said. "But
political scientist who studies the con-
that's just a more diplomatic way for
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
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