Christian right icon James Dobson hasn't been secret about his distaste for John McCain. But he clearly is no fan of Barack Obama.The Colorado Springs radio host denounced the likely Democratic presidential nominee for, he says, distorting the Bible and pushing a "fruitcake interpretation" of the Constitution.
At the heart of Dobson's critique is a speech Obama gave in June 2006 to the liberal Christian group Call to Renewal. Obama was preaching tolerance. Dobson says he's engaged in a "lowest common denominator" version of morality.
In response, Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, leader of the largest Methodist congregation in the country, launched a website yesterday titled "James Dobson Does Not Speak For Me."
Caldwell's site launched a day after Dobson's Focus on the Family radio program aired a harsh assessment of Obama's speech on faith and public policy and encourages readers to sign a statement declaring that Dobson does not represent them.
"I think it's a crime and a shame that Senator Obama has had to explain the fact that he's a Christian," Caldwell said in a recent interview. "Criticize his politics. Criticize his stance on whatever, but don't question his faith. Never in the history of American politics has someone said that he is a Christian and someone came back to say, 'No you're not.'"