Religious Conservatives
Unmoved by Scooter Indicted
By Joshua Harford, 11.03.05

Religious conservatives are taking a risk by faithfully supporting the Republican Party, in the midst of indictments and accusations, according to Dr. Christopher Soper, a Professor of Social Science at Pepperdine University.

Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff, was indicted on Friday, Oct. 28 after a 2-year investigation into who leaked the name of a covert CIA agent, Valerie Plame, to the press. Libby has since resigned from his position and has pleaded not guilty to indictment charges. The motive for the leak is unclear, but analysts said it was to discredit Joe Wilson, Plame’s husband.

The CIA sent Wilson to Africa to investigate claims that Iraq was trying buy uranium for nuclear weapons. Wilson received the assignment at the request of his wife. Wilson then wrote in the New York Times that the uranium story was “highly doubtful”.

Democrats on Capitol Hill criticized the leak, saying it endangered the life of Plame and her associates. Some conservative Christians, however, have defended Libby.

Pointofview.net, a Christian website covering current events, suggests that Libby acted properly. They link to an article written by Michael Barone, senior writer for “U.S.News & World Report” and principal coauthor of “The Almanac of American Politics.” It points out the leak is probably not a crime. It then goes on to praise Libby for discrediting Wilson.

“True, Rove and Libby did seek to discredit Joseph Wilson -- as they should well have done. As the Senate Intelligence Committee concluded in a bipartisan report in July 2004, just about everything Wilson said publicly about his trip to Niger was untrue,” Barone said in an article “The error of a political indictment.”

Soper, cautions against people acting hastily in their support of Libby.

“In the end, the [Republican] party's interests may not coincide with those of the movement," Soper said. "The independence of the movement is too easily dismissed."

Soper cites the indictment of Lewis Libby, Vice-Presidential Chief of Staff, as an example. Soper said conservative Catholics and Protestants are unlikely to question the current administration, even though a member of the Vice-President's staff was indicted.

Holly Georgopulos, 23, a Catholic high school theology teacher, is an example of Soper’s view. She first heard about the indictment from a fellow teacher, but assumed it was unfair.

“I didn’t want to ask him [fellow teacher] questions because he would have a biased opinion,” Georgopulos said. "It gives the liberals something else to attack George Bush."

She admits the indictments won't affect her support of the President's administration.

"I would support him because of his efforts in the pro-life movement," Georgopulos said.

Soper is not surprised by the steadfast support that conservative Christians have for the President. "They [religious conservatives] will only waiver if he doesn't behave in a consistent, conservative manner," Soper said. "It isn’t going to be on the indictment"

Barone Article can be found at Townhall.com

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