Today's Cultural Warfare Update

Focus on the Family on Alito: "It's all over now but the voting"; includes the usual ACTION ITEM to support;

FotF ACTION ITEM to send "encouraging notes" to Alito via an email collector they're running;

FotF plugs Monday as "Religious Freedom Day" instead of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, of which no mention is made;

FotF demands "yes" vote from Sen. Landrieu (D-Louisiana) after she complains about their radio ad barrage in Louisiana;

Virginia House of Delegates passes anti-marriage amendment; sends to Senate;

Another article on the measure as passed by the Virginia House of Delegates; it appears to ban civil unions as well, though this article does not have the text; attempts to amend to limit to the "marriage" word and to protect contract rights defeated overwhelmingly; Govenor-elect Tim Kaine (D) supports it, opposes CUs, pledges to sign;

Text of Virginia's anti-marriage-rights amendment; it is ambiguously written enough that it could be read to limit governmental recognition of private contracts; this wouldn't be the first time Virginia's done that to queers;

Bill filed in Virginia to prohibit reproductive medical aid for unmarried woman; a second bill would also prohibit same-sex couples from being listed as parents for children adopted in another jurisdiction;

Focus on the Family news item on DC Domestic Partnership recognition; they describe in detail the process that Congress can use to override it; expect more on this soon;

FotF supports Virginia anti-gay bills, of course;

FotF ACTION ITEM to generate "grass roots" support for Alito in a shortlist of states;

FotF criticises questioning of Alito, sends ACTION ITEM to support Alito, and specifically to get a QUICK VOTE on him so that he'll be on the bench for some anti-abortion cases and anti-gay cases coming up to the court soon; they want him on the court, not O'Connor, for those cases;

FotF attacks Brokeback Mountain again, and Brokeback Mountain-watching audiences, plus "ex-gay" group "Love Won Out";

Pope condemns marriage rights for GBLT-folk, RU-486, to political leaders in Rome;

Utah legislature likely to pass parental-notification law;

Concerned Women for America and "Project 535," their legislation lobby group, work all January on pushing Alito's confirmation;

CWA: Alito "Awesome," "A+";

Agape Press: fundamentalists ("Pro-family") groups are pissed off at Ford; American Family Association wants response from Ford by January 20th;

LifeNews.com article on support for a quick Alito confirmation from anti-abortion fundamentalist groups, specifically calling abortion-rights court cases as the basis for the need for urgency; says 1985 comments are "as valid today as then";

American Family Association/Agape Press newsbriefs: President Bush's support for a Palestinian state is a result of FAULTY THEOLOGY, specifically "replacement theology," and that he needs to be better educated to see "the biblical significance of Israel today"; meanwhile, Canadian "pro-family activists" are pleased with strong Conservative polling, even as (not mentioned in this article) Harper distances himself as hard and as fast as he can from US theoconservatives - however, Tory numbers are certainly climbing. But who would they form a coalition with? The Bloc Quebecois? Certainly not the Greens or the NDP;

Traditional Values Coalition ACTION ITEM to support Alito;

RenewAmerica/Christian Underground: science is a religion; uses all the usual buzzwords;

Alan Keyes: "Why Bush picks stealth nominees";

Family Research Council: Stop picking on Alito, you meanie Democrats;

FRC calls Alito "One of Us," urges quick confirmation;

Harper defends himself over eight-year-old remarks to US conservative group;

Harper pledges not to re-open abortion debate in Canada, saying the matter has been "put to rest."

( Articles and excerpts )