Dog days for Focus

Some folks at Focus on the Family must be putting in overtime these days.

Yesterday, Focus unveiled a counterpoint to the Gill Foundation's eye-catching "mooing dog" campaign, which argues that Norman, the mooing dogs (and, by extension, gays and lesbians) are born that way. In retaliation, Focus rolled out a dog of its own (Sherman), who barks. Norman, Focus argues, must've been taught to moo, because dogs just don't do those sorts of things on their own.

Other eyes at Focus have been turned toward Capital Hill.

James Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus, blasted the U.S. House of Representatives for failing to pass the Marriage Protection Amendment -- a bill the Senate also rejected.

"We are seeing increasing signs that many ... voters are fed up with Washington," Dobson said in a written statement through the ministry's political action arm, Focus on the Family Action. "We certainly intend to tell them how their senators and congressmen voted on the Marriage Protection Amendment. We believe many of them will 'remember in November.'"

Carrie Gordon Earll, Focus' senior analyst for bioethics, also took Congress to task -- this time for opening the door for federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. Bush vetoed the bill today, as expected, but that did nothing to quell Focus' ire.

" ... some members of the Senate who should know better voted to destroy human lives -- and that goes beyond cowardice," Gordon Earll wrote. "Pro-life voters should take special note of these lawmakers' votes today."

And then, of course, there's the impending Soulforce protest, expected to culminate July 22 with a vigil and concert. Soulforce participants are, as you read this, marching down to Focus headquarters from Denver, covering the distance in four-mile patches.