Separation of Church and State...

Looks like Huckabee is leaning on pastors in Michigan to get out the vote. Here's an excerpt from a story on Politico (sorry Jeeyum):

"He's (Huckabee) leaning heavily on an informal network of pastors. It may not be enough to win, but reports like the one below indicate that he could surprise people.

Huckabee's event last night at the Birch Run Expo Center — held with only a little over 24 hours notice — drew a crowd of nearly 1,000 very enthusiastic supporters. At this morning's rally in Grand Rapids, Huckabee addressed more than 600 people and received the endorsement of Michigan state Rep. Fulton Sheen, a former faith and values committee chair for Mitt Romney's Michigan campaign. Prior to this morning's rally, Huckabee addressed a dining hall full of more than 100 church leaders, during which he implored the group to use their contacts in the community to get out the vote for him on Tuesday. "

This is HIGHLY unethical. I am in ecclesiatical leadership in my area. I have been counseled by my other leaders that my position should never be used to promote a political idealogy, much less a specific candidate. I can't and don't use church rolls for any other purpose than official church business. This is specifically why there is a separation between Church and State.

At the very least, the IRS and Federal Election Committee needs to get involved. While I know Gov. Huckabee is trying to press the influence he has here, he does not have the right to cross these boundaries because he doesn't have a paid political apparatus in Michigan. This type of behavior is disgusting and manipulative. The relationship between a religious leader and a congregant is sacred, and should be limited to spiritual matters only. When a church leader (while speaking as such) says that they should believe in God and Mike Huckabee, that is a serious breach of trust and a violation of law. Any church that espouses this type of behavior should have their tax-exempt status revoked.

Here's the kicker- Huck knows he can get away with it because by the time the FEC got around to looking into the problem, the primary will have already occurred. What does he care if a few old ladies get their faith trampled on in the process. Slimy politics.