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V.P. selection brings Focus on Family on board

By David Montero, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published September 3, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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James Dobson went from not supporting John McCain to becoming an enthusiastic cheerleader for the Republican presidential ticket in six short months.

What happened? Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, that's what.

While an unknown quantity to many Americans, Palin has been on Focus on the Family's radar since at least 2006.

Kevin Clarkson, an Anchorage attorney who does work for the Alliance Defense Fund - loosely linked to Focus on the Family - knew of Palin's work dating back to 1998 when she supported Alaska's ballot measure outlawing gay marriage.

Focus Action, the political arm of Focus on the Family, helped with that campaign, though Palin at the time was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, and may have only crossed paths with the group.

According to a recent Time magazine story, Palin turned the 1996 mayoral race into a partisan affair - injecting such issues as abortion into the race.

But it was when she beat Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski in the 2006 primary that Clarkson got a call from Focus on the Family asking him questions about the strength of her social conservative credentials.

"There had been some entries made under her name in Wikipedia that were of concern to them (Focus on the Family)," Clarkson said. "The main one cited in Wikipedia was her veto of a bill that would've limited marriage benefits to married couples."

Clarkson said it was a convoluted process that led to the veto. Acting as legal counsel, Clarkson advised Palin to veto the bill that, he said, because of confusing legislative machinations and existing court challenges, would've had the opposite effect and locked in benefits for all couples.

Clarkson said he had to explain the whole decision to Focus on the Family to put minds at ease.

"She is on the conservative side of all issues," Clarkson said. "She is in favor of marriage being defined as between a man and a woman and she is pro-life. There is no doubt about it."

Tom Minnery, senior vice president of Focus Action, agreed.

He said Dobson's evolution from being anti-McCain to adamantly supportive of the Republican ticket can be attributed to three things - McCain's "strong responses" at Pastor Rick Warren's summit in California, "the pro-life, pro-family platform adopted by the party," and the selection of Palin.

Despite the change of heart, Minnery said Dobson has not had a meeting with McCain since he became a presidential candidate last year and that he hasn't met personally with Palin.

That could change Saturday when McCain and Palin arrive in Colorado Springs for a rally. While the McCain campaign and Minnery said no meeting is scheduled, neither left the option off the table.

monterod@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5236

Comments

  • September 3, 2008

    8:51 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    GeeTee writes:

    So Dobson is a flip-flopper on McCain. He'll have to go out a buy a new dress if he meets with McCain.

  • September 3, 2008

    11:16 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    solar_satellite writes:

    How contemptible it is that our state houses the headquarters of this extremist organization, that a sign on the interstate notes that fact, that any self-respecting person identifies with it, and that the DPRMN runs articles giving voice to its opinions.