Our Republican friends holding their convention in New York let a little light shine on their real agenda this week. A special meeting of conservative Christians sponsored by the Bush campaign took place where the main speaker, US Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas, told the audience Bush intended to win the “culture war.” Brownback, speaking on behalf of the president, laid out the elements of exactly what Bush’s culture war look like. The New York Times reports:

At a closed, invitation-only Bush campaign rally for Christian conservatives yesterday, Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas called for a broad social conservative agenda notably different from the televised presentations at the Republican convention, including adopting requirements that pregnant women considering abortions be offered anesthetics for their fetuses and loosening requirements on the separation of church and state. "We must win this culture war," Senator Brownback urged a crowd of several hundred in a packed ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, reprising a theme of a speech by Patrick J. Buchanan from the podium of the 1992 Republican convention that many political experts say alienated moderate voters in that election.

Called "the Family, Faith and Freedom Rally" in e-mail invitations sent to Christian conservatives in New York for the convention, the event was organized by the Bush-Cheney campaign "to celebrate America and President George W. Bush," according to a copy of the invitation. The e-mail called Mr. Bush "a conservative leader who shares our values, who takes a strong stand for his faith."

Ralph Reed, a senior campaign adviser and liaison to conservative Christians, also addressed the crowd. Several campaign staff members, including the deputy political director, Christian Myers, attended, along with Timothy Goeglein, the White House liaison to Christian groups. One invited participant said the rally, which was closed to the news media, was the main event sponsored by the campaign for social conservatives attending the convention.

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Bush’s call for a culture war is notably different than the public face of his “compassionate conservative” campaign themes and stands in stark contrast to the platform of John Kerry and John Edwards. However, Bush’s record in office reflects his culture war views with attacks on affirmative action, civil rights for gays and lesbians, and fierce assaults on reproductive rights for women. Bush truly believes he is waging war against the values of the American people on behalf of his God. Let’s put an end to his war in November.