Read Online The Confirmation by Ralph Reed - Free Book Online

corner of the lounge and pulled up a chair, occasionally glancing at the television set while he scanned his BlackBerry. The talking heads on cable had been screaming about Stanton’s prayer all day. At moments like this, Jay reflected, everyone read their cue cards like B-grade actors in a bad movie, faces contorted, fingers jabbing, voices raised, tempers flaring. It was all for show, a charade to drive ratings. Jay was firing through his e-mails when he heard the familiar voice of Ross Lombardy of the Faith and Family Federation crossing swords with the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union.
    â€œBob Long turned his inaugural into a political payback to the religious right, and he staged a sectarian religious service,” said the ACLU spokesperson, leaning into the camera. “It violated the separation of church and state and runs counter to Supreme Court rulings.”
    â€œAre you going to file a lawsuit?” asked the anchor, eyebrows arched suggestively. His eyes danced with barely restrained joy. Please say yes, his eyes seemed to plead.
    â€œWe’re keeping all our options open. That includes litigation,” said the ACLU.
    â€œSo you’re not ruling out suing the president of the United States?”
    â€œNo. Or Andy Stanton. They are both complicit in what is clearly a violation of the constitutional separation of church and state.”
    The anchor spun in his chair. “What say you, Ross? The ACLU is threatening to sue your boss. Are you going to let them get away with that?”
    Ross folded his arms across his chest confidently. “First, the Supreme Court decision that he’s referring to is Lee v. Weisman , which involved a high school baccalaureate service, and it turned on the allegedly compulsory nature of a prayer,” he said. “An inaugural ceremony is not a school event, attendance is voluntary, and prayers have always been offered, going back to the first inaugural of George Washington. There’s no case here.”
    â€œBut the charge is that the prayer was sectarian, claiming Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior,” the anchor intoned. “Didn’t Reverend Stanton go too far at an official government occasion?”
    â€œThat’s why we have a First Amendment,” Ross shot back. “You don’t need a First Amendment to defend noncontroversial speech. You need it to defend unpopular speech.” Ross jabbed the air with his finger. “Remember, Andy was speaking in his capacity as a minister of the gospel, not in his capacity as a political figure. The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, including religious speech by a minister or rabbi.”
    Jay fired off a quick e-mail to Ross Lombardy. “Great job on TV, pal. Talked to POTUS last night. Behind you 100 percent.” Jay was not going to let any sunlight come between him and Stanton. He knew mentioning the conversation with the president would send warm fuzzies throughout Lombardy’s body and would be duly passed on to Andy.
    His Blackberry vibrated. He glanced down and noticed the prefix of the phone number indicated the call came from the White House.
    â€œJay, it’s Lisa. Do you have a minute?”
    â€œSure. What’s up?”
    â€œCharlie Hector thinks we should release a statement making it clear Andy spoke for himself, not the administration.”
    â€œWhat!? Is he out of his mind?” Jay blasted into the phone. He looked around, lowering his voice to a whisper. “You tell Charlie he wouldn’t have his job without the Faith and Family Federation. We’ve been in office for twenty-five hours, and we’re already going to kick one of our best friends in the teeth?”
    â€œJay, it chewed up half the press briefing. It’s a feeding frenzy,” Lisa explained. “The State Department is going bats. Their phones are ringing off the hook with angry calls from Arab ambassadors. There are riots in