WASHINGTON, USA - Religious leaders who tend toward the liberal or moderate side have formed a new organization in the latest effort to counter the political clout of the Christian Coalition and other Christian conservatives.
The effort comes as many suggest interest groups are about to gain a more prominent role in politics because of a possible overhaul of campaign finance laws that could shift the flow of political money.
The new religious group, the Progressive Religious Partnership, will not be set up initially to join the political wars with lobbying and issue advertising. It will consider whether to take a more politically active role later.
The partnership will be a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that could take tax-deductible donations and provide an outlet for religious groups and leaders to educate and advocate their political positions.
But the group has left open the possibility of adding ``a political advocacy component'' in the future to take a position on legislative measures before Congress.
``It's vitally important to have a counterbalance to the voice of the religious right,'' said Ralph Neas, president of People for the American Way, which helped form the new religious group. ``We want to bring progressive voices more powerfully and effectively to the public debate.''
This is not the first time moderate-to-liberal religious groups have attempted to form a counterbalance to the Christian Coalition, one of the most successful of the interest groups at political mobilization. One of the most recent was in the mid-1990s, after Republicans gained control of Congress.
``This doesn't bother us at all,'' said Roberta Combs, executive director of the Christian Coalition. ``Every election cycle they do this.''
The Christian Coalition, with about 2 million supporters, is preparing to go through states across the country this summer ``to activate, educate and train people in the political process.'' The coalition long has published its voter guides that point out candidates' stands on issues that are of critical interest to conservatives, such as abortion.
Many believe the already powerful role that interest groups play in politics could grow if campaign finance laws are overhauled.
Those with the highest stakes are the most politically active such as more narrowly focused groups such as the National Rifle Association, the Sierra Club and groups on both sides of the abortion issue.
The legislation that passed the Senate and awaits House action would ban millions of dollars in unregulated soft money that now goes to the political parties. Some believe at least part of that money would eventually make its way to interest groups.
``The involvement of interest groups in campaigns has gradually increased over the last 25 years,'' said Dwight Morris of the independent Campaign Study Group. ``It's about to explode. If the law passes fairly much intact and if it is upheld by the court, two very big ifs, interest group politics has been given a gift from the heavens.
``People will have money that they can't give to parties and they'll give to these groups or form new ones.''
Others are skeptical how much money now given to parties will end up with the interest groups.
The campaign finance bill passed by the Senate would prevent groups from taking out issue ads that mention a candidate for up to 60 days before the election. But it is uncertain whether that prohibition would hold up under a court challenge or even survive before passage in Congress.
``If it's held constitutional, the question everyone will have to ask themselves: Is it worth doing if we can't mention the candidate's name?'' said Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics. ``It's a big unknown.''
The influence of interest groups in educating and advocating among potential voters - or what parties refer to as the grassroots - has clearly increased over the decades. The Progressive Religious Partnership was formed as a way of balancing extensive efforts on the right.
``We're not going to demonize the religious right,'' said Rabbi Steven Jacobs of Temple Kol Tikvah in Los Angeles. ``They raise a lot of the same questions we do. It's their answers that we disagree with.''
EDITOR'S NOTE - Will Lester covers polling and politics for The Associated Press.