Idaho Christian Coalition disavows voter guide in judicial race

Church & State, Jun 2000

The leadership of Idaho's Christian Coalition has disavowed a controversial voter guide that quizzed candidates for the state supreme court on their religious views.

The Coalition produced the guide and delivered thousands of copies to conservative churches in Idaho, but officials with the group now say they have asked churches to discard the guides and not hand them out. "This guide is not the official guide of the Idaho Christian Coalition," David Ferdinand, a member of the group's board of directors, told the Idaho Statesman in Boise.

The guide was based on a 31-question survey that the Coalition distributed to several political hopefuls recently, including to two candidates for the state supreme court. Questions on the survey included: "Do God's Laws or Natural Laws have a high [sic] authority than laws enacted by the United States Congress or the Idaho Legislature?"; "Do you agree that the United States Constitution is Christian-based?"; "Does hell exist as described in the Bible?"; "Do you believe in the fact that God created all the heavens, earth, creatures, plants and man?"; "Do you believe that God inspired the writing of the United States Constitution?"; "Vis a vis abortion, are you `Pro-Life'?" and "Will you approve the displaying of the Ten Commandments in your court room?".

Incumbent Justice Kathy Silak refused to fill out the questionnaire, saying it would be unethical for her to state her views on issues that might come before the court. "It is very important to keep church matters and state matters separated because when they start to become mixed, government starts interfering with religion," said Silak, a Roman Catholic.

But her opponent, state Judge Daniel Eismann, an evangelical Christian who has been courting the Religious Right, filled out the survey and sent it back.

Eismann later told reporters that he saw no problem with giving his views on numerous social issues. During the campaign, he has stated his anti-abortion views upfront, lauded the Ten Commandments and said he has studied evolution and concluded that "you can prove scientifically that evolution has not and cannot occur."

Americans United and other organizations were quick to criticize the Coalition. In a May 10 press release, Americans United called the survey "an outrageous stunt that smacks of the Inquisition."

As the controversy escalated, the Coalition tried furiously to distance itself from its own voter guide. Ferdinand told the Associated Press that the questionnaire was compiled by a volunteer named Matt Roetter and claimed that he did not know what person or organization paid for their printing.

AU asserted that the Coalition is simply trying to cover up its misdeeds and said that the organization's claim - that voter guides were compiled, printed and distributed in the group's name but without its knowledge - is too fantastic to believe.

Complicating matters, Kelly Walton, the former head of the Idaho Christian Coalition, told Boise television station KTVB May 14 that the guides are appropriate and will be distributed through churches after all.

Walton promised to distribute the guides in "every conservative, evangelical, Catholic and Mormon church in the state." Walton said he would distribute the guides through a separate group called the American Conservative Coalition, even though they still carry the name of the Christian Coalition.

Meanwhile, a lawyer in Coeur d'Alene has asked the Idaho Judicial Council, which oversees the state's judges, to investigate the matter. Scott Reed charges that Eismann violated the law by disclosing how he would vote on matters that may come before the court.

Silak has also filed a separate complaint, asserting that a Pennsylvania firm has been conducting a telephone campaign against her under the guise of legitimate polling. Such "push polling" is illegal under Idaho law. Eismann said he did not authorize the push poll and told reporters he supports Silak's complaint.

In other news about the Christian Coalition:

Coalition President Pat Robertson has put GOP presidential hopeful George W. Bush on notice that U.S. Sen. John McCain would not be a suitable running mate. Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press" May 7, Robertson said the decision was up to Bush but added, "I was saying to folks back in the green room, I said, `If Bush would like to have somebody screaming curses at him about three times a week at the other end of the White House, then McCain is his man.' I think other than that, if he wants harmony in his official family, I think he might look elsewhere."

Robertson added that he would be "very concerned" if McCain were vice president, adding, "I don't think he would make a good president." Robertson implied that McCain is not stable enough to have his "hand on the nuclear trigger."

Continued Robertson, "This is very dangerous. Can you imagine dealing with our foreign powers and you get mad and fly off the handle? It could be very dangerous. And I'm serious. It would be very dangerous. And I think we should have balanced leaders."