And here is Ms. Harris' latest spin on her comments:..
Katherine Harris tries to defuse 'sin' controversy
Says words were directed at a specific Christian audience
11:27 AM CDT on Sunday, August 27, 2006
The Orlando Sentinel
ORLANDO, Fla. – Rep. Katherine Harris sought Saturday to smother a campaign brushfire stoked by an earlier claim that failure to elect Christians to public office would allow lawmakers to "legislate sin."
Harris, appearing at a gun show in Orlando, said she did not mean to offend non-Christians in her comments to the Florida Baptist Witness last week. She explained that she referred exclusively – and repeatedly – to Christians because she was being interviewed by the weekly journal of the Florida Baptist State Convention.
"My comments were specifically directed toward a Christian group," said Harris, a Republican senate candidate from Longboat Key.
To reinforce that message, Harris' campaign also released a statement Saturday. It described her strong support of Israel and said when Harris called the separation of church and state a "lie" she was addressing "a common misperception that people of faith should not be actively involved in government."
"My rallying cry," she said, "has always been people of all faiths should be involved."
Harris ignited a furor with her Witness interview. She sounded a fervent evangelical tone, saying that God "chooses our rulers," that voters needed to send Christians to political office and that God did not intend for the United States to be a "nation of secular laws."
Speaking to Witness editors, Harris said:
"If you are not electing Christians, tried and true, under public scrutiny and pressure, if you're not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin."
"If we are the ones not actively involved in electing those godly men and women," then "we're going to have a nation of secular laws. That's not what our founding fathers intended and that's (sic) certainly isn't what God intended."
On Friday, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Democrats and Republicans blasted the comments, saying Harris was suggesting non-Christians were less suited to govern or should be excluded altogether.
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Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said she was "disgusted" by the remarks and "deeply disappointed in Rep. Harris personally."
And Jillian Hasner, executive director of the Florida chapter of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said Harris' statements were not "representative of the Republican Party at all."
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Saturday, two of Harris' primary opponents joined the chorus of critical voices. Orlando lawyer Will McBride said Harris, deliberately or not, excluded people.
"I'm a Christian, and I'm a Republican and I don't share her views," said McBride, a lay minister and son of a pastor. "There are people of other faiths and backgrounds of outstanding integrity who know how to tell the truth."
Recently, McBride said Harris "has problems with the truth."
Another Harris opponent, developer Peter Monroe, called on Harris to drop out of the Senate race and resign from Congress. He said her comments were "warped, twisted and disgraceful."
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Monroe took particular aim at this Harris comment from the Witness interview: "Whenever we legislate sin, and say abortion is permissible and we say gay unions are permissible, then average citizens who are not Christians, because they don't know better, we are leading them astray and it's wrong . . ."
Monroe said Harris' statement that non-Christians "don't know better" were "contemptible arrogant and wicked . . ."
Harris, said Monroe, "is no longer fit to serve."
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Monroe, McBride, Harris and LeRoy Collins are seeking the Republican nomination to take on Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in the November general election.
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Saturday, Harris did not apologize but said, "it breaks my heart" if people were upset with her interview. She said "it wasn't my intent" to "section out Christians."
Though Harris directly addressed her remarks about church and state, she was less clear explaining her comments about God not intending for the United States to be "a nation of secular laws."
Asked if the U.S. should be a secular country, Harris said: "I think that our laws, I mean, I look at how the law originated, even from Moses, the 10 Commandments. And I don't believe, that uh . . . That's how all of our laws originated in the United States, period. I think that's the basis of our rule of law."
Harris' clarification seemed to satisfy Pasco County Republican Party Chairman Bill Bunting. Bunting, Saturday's gun show organizer, served as Harris' host for the day.
Before she arrived at the gun show, Bunting said he was concerned about her comments because Republicans "need to be inclusive of everyone."
But after talking with Harris for a few moments, Bunting said all was right.
"She cleared it up," he said. "I'm comfortable now."
Harris found a receptive crowd Saturday as she made her way from vendor to vendor, a small group of reporters trailing behind. Though her campaign has struggled to gain momentum, she remains popular among a core group of Republican voters, including gun owners.
Jo Jordan, an alligator trapper from Titusville, was typical.
"I like that she's here and that she's pro-gun," said Jordan, who had his picture taken with Harris and got an autographed T-shirt. "I'm supporting her." |
