Alan Keyes excluded from FRC event

Alan Keyes

"When the salt loses its savor, it is fit only to be thrown out and trampled upon," said Jesus Christ, referring to the Pharisees and "gatekeepers of power" in his day. Today's paraphrase: When our own church leaders forsake truth, God insists they be replaced.

Some of you know I've endorsed Ambassador Alan Keyes for president, because I believe he's the most Christ-like candidate we have in the Republican primary. Alan bears the political scars to prove his deep commitment to the cause of righteousness and freedom in America. Nobody can dispute his decades-long sacrifice of personal fortune and reputation to fight tirelessly beside pro-life protesters, pro-marriage families, Minutemen border guards, Ten-Commandments judges, tax-cut conservatives, strict Constitutionalists and, yes, chaplains who pray in Jesus' name.

So why did the Family Research Council, or FRC, intentionally exclude Alan Keyes from their "open invitation to all candidates, even Democrats" event this weekend in Washington, D.C.? While giving the prime-time speaking slot to Mitt Romney, FRC not only excluded Alan Keyes from the speaker's podium, even after repeated requests to include him, they didn't even list him as a choice in their straw poll.

Other Republican "gatekeepers" have recently kept Alan off their ballots, including the Republican chairman of the Michigan GOP – who helped prevented Alan from appearing at the NBC televised debate.

And the Florida GOP chairman likewise arbitrarily kept Alan off stage at the Fox News debate in Orlando this week.

Now the South Carolina GOP chairman is holding out his hand for $35,000 in extortion money to put Alan's name on the ballot before allowing Palmetto State citizens any choice. This "entry fee" costs more than fees charged by al the other states combined. Maybe someone can explain to me how this differs from an illegal poll tax.

These internal "gatekeepers" erect barriers to enhance their own power. They require candidates bow to them before allowing access to their "owned" pool of voters, which are "sold" by party-hacks to everybody except Alan Keyes who will not pay them bribes. They move our system toward a Soviet-Communist version of pre-ordained "elections" that allow people to vote, but only for their pre-selected candidates.

So did FRC exclude Alan Keyes this weekend because of his pro-life record? No candidate has fought harder for babies' right to live than Alan, but pro-abortion Rudy Giuliani was invited and spoke, added to the FRC schedule at the last minute with great fanfare, even bumping other speakers.

Did they exclude Alan because his pro-marriage views are insufficient? No, FRC invited Barack Obama, the champion of homosexual marriage and legalized infanticide, and added his name to their straw poll (and he got votes).

Did Alan declare his candidacy too late? No, the "anti-marriage amendment" candidate Fred Thompson declared the same week Alan Keyes did and was quickly added to the event's speaking roster by FRC.

Was Alan's schedule already booked? No, he flew across the country from California to Washington ready to speak at FRC anytime this weekend.

Was there "not enough room" on the FRC speaking schedule? No, the same FRC staffer who told me Alan wasn't invited somehow found enough time to give her own speech during prime C-SPAN TV time.

Not only did FRC staffers falsely advertise that "all" candidates were invited to speak, their media coordinator with C-SPAN falsely listed Alan Keyes as an invited speaker at their event, perhaps to somehow cover their tracks, or attract Alan's viewers.

When I quietly and privately notified three FRC vice presidents of these apparent discrepancies, they didn't investigate or fix anything. Instead one shot back at me (the messenger) with an angry e-mail.

Were there too many other candidates speaking? No, many non-candidates spoke at FRC, including lesser-known pundits like Myrna Blyth, Jim Daly, John Fund, Frank Gaffney, Roger Hedgecock, Mark Levin, Rich Lowry and Robert Rector.

Was it Alan's stand on pro-family issues? No, Alan is one of only two remaining candidates to score 100 percent in the Values Voter Presidential Debate, opposite Ron Paul who voted against censoring activist judges, protecting Terry Schiavo's right to eat, opposing slavery of Christians in Sudan, enforcing laws against pornography or indecency on cable TV, and limiting trade with Muslim persecutors or Chinese lead-toy makers. But, of course, Ron Paul spoke prime-time at FRC.

Is it Alan's PhD in government from Harvard, or dissertation on the Constitution? No. Was it Alan's loyal service to (and praise by) President Ronald Reagan, or eleven years State Department experience as U.N. ambassador and assistant secretary of state? No.

Is it Alan's fiery rhetoric? Maybe. Alan does occasionally violate Ronald Reagan's eleventh commandment, by exposing the weaknesses of other GOP candidates. It's no secret other candidates don't want Alan on the same stage, to answer his sharp questions.

Dr. Keyes has voiced his own opinion: "Why such an effort to assure that the so-called top-tier candidates don't have to face me? Do they fear me because they're not good enough for the job that needs to be done, or because they don't represent the conscience and heart of the Republican Party, or of the American people?"

And I've reached my own conclusion. In Matthew 15:11, when Pontius Pilate held a special election between Jesus and Barabbas, to crucify one and release the other, the gatekeepers and "the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas." Manipulated by exclusionists, the people voted for Barabbas.

It appears some GOP gatekeepers would rather have pro-abortion, pro-homosexual, anti-Jesus candidates on their ballots, in South Carolina, Michigan, Florida and even at the Family Research Council straw poll (who listed Hillary Clinton, and she got votes).

Some GOP gatekeepers have lost their saltiness, become deceivers and are worthy only to be replaced, thrown out or trampled underfoot by citizens who respect equal opportunity and truth. If you wish to discuss this, please sign the pledge and join the discussion board.

While Alan Keyes remains (thus far) too loyal to the GOP to take my advice, I hereby advise him to lead an exodus with approximately one million Americans who voted for him in 2000, and seek the nomination of a third party.

Gordon James Klingenschmitt is a former Navy chaplain who sacrificed his career to help change national policy, restoring the rights of military chaplains to publicly pray "in Jesus' name" – even in uniform. He continues his fight to be reinstated. Klingenschmitt travels to speak at churches, and can be invited via e-mail. He encourages readers to sign the petition to reinstate Chaplain Danny Harvey, the hospital chaplain fired for praying in Jesus' name.