WESTERN SKIES - August 30, 2005

*** AL SHARPTON COMES TO TOWN ***

ERIC WHITNEY: The state's Democrats converged in Colorado Springs last weekend to develop strategies for the 2006 elections. The keynote address was delivered by former presidential candidate Reverend Al Sharpton, who has drawn praise from some liberal activists, but is also criticized by Democrats for his theatrics and passionate rhetoric. Stephen Raher has this report on what Sharpton had to say.

STEPHEN RAHER: The Saturday evening dinner at the Democratic Party summit filled the ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel in Colorado Springs. The sold-out crowd first enjoyed gospel music courtesy of the Colorado Springs Gospel Workshop.

[sound of gospel choir]

RAHER: During the meal a steady stream of party leaders and elected Democrats gave speeches, but most of the crowd had come to see Reverend Al Sharpton, who not only ran for President, but enjoyed a resurgence in popularity after his speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. Sharpton was introduced by former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, who shared his recollection of the convention.

WELLINGTON WEBB: I have never seen so much security and people with stop-watches. Because everybody had a time, so they were all worried not only about what Reverend Sharpton was going to say, but how long was it going to take him to say it. Then once he started talking, they forgot to look at their watches because they were enjoying the conversation of what he was saying.

RAHER: But at this event, Sharpton had no such time constraints. He spoke for over twenty minutes, during which the audience enthusiastically responded to his pointed criticisms leveled both at President Bush and evangelical Christian leaders, many of them based in Colorado Springs.

REV. AL SHARPTON: While he gives a tax cut to the rich, he takes away programs from the veterans that he just sent to war and made veterans. And some right-wing preachers have the nerve to walk over broken limbs and dead bodies and anoint a wicked policy. And call it Christian. You can't put a Christian face on sinful social policy.

RAHER: Earlier in the day at a press conference, Sharpton elaborated on his differences with the religious right.

SHARPTON: There is, in my judgment, nothing wrong with people in the faith community engaging in politics. I think there is a line that you cross though. And I think that what's happened is that we have fudged the line between where you say, "I am a Baptist (or Methodist or Muslim or Jewish) and I have a political point of view", and when you stand in the pulpit and say that God wants certain social policy or certain people in office.

RAHER: While much of Sharpton's message was overtly political, he also talked about scripture, Christian ethics, and what he called a crisis of values in America, directly challenging the philosophy of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson and other religious leaders.

SHARPTON: We're preaching what we want, rather than preaching the truth. And that's the values we must return to. What was the fuel of the civil rights movement, the flag and the Bible. We've allowed the Falwells and the Pat Robertsons to hijack religion, and distort it. It's time to bring the Bible and the flag back to the American people that know how to use it.

RAHER: Although most of Sharpton's barbs were reserved for conservatives, he did have one withering criticism of his own party, based on the 2004 elections.

SHARPTON: And what the Democratic Party must stop doing, and what the leadership must stop doing, is apologizing for being right. If you're scared, say that. Don't act like you've got a new Democratic strategy by trying to act Republican on the sly. If you're afraid to stand up to these right wing extremists, say that, and sit down and shut up and let some Democrats that aren't scared stand up and fight back.

RAHER: The very presence of Sharpton at the event elicited disapproval from some moderate Democrats. They worry that Sharpton's far-left leanings would alienate Coloradoans who voted the Democrats into control of the legislature in the last election.

But former state senator and 2003 Denver Mayoral Candidate Penfield Tate said the weekend event was about promoting core party values, not selecting candidates who conform with a certain set of beliefs.

PENFIELD TATE: It's been this way ever since I can remember coming to an annual dinner. Every speaker has always said something I agreed with, and always said something I disagreed with. That's just the nature of the beast. None of us agree with one another on every single issue, nor should we. That's part of the beauty of our system.

RAHER: Sharpton was scheduled to preach Sunday morning at Emanuel Baptist Church, but had to cancel at the last minute. He left Colorado Springs early Sunday morning to travel to Crawford, Texas, where he was preaching at the anti-war protest led by Cindy Sheehan. He said he was scheduling a return trip to Colorado Springs so that he could preach at Emanuel.

For Western Skies, I'm Stephen Raher.