Rallying Cry

James Dobson, founder and chairman of Colorado Springs' Focus on the Family, is exhorting Focus constituents to cast a vote for the War on Terror.

"For the first time in the 29-year history of this ministry, I feel I must address the burgeoning threat posed by Islamic fundamentalism," he writes. "The security of our homeland and the welfare of our children are, after all, 'family values.'"

The themes in the letter, which will be mailed to more than 2.5 million constituents next week, were essentially what he talked about at last month's Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. Though he did not explicitly ask constituents to vote for a particular candidate or party, the issues he stressed -- homeland security, the war on terror, abortion, "liberal" judges and what he terms "marriage protection" acts -- are issues typically associated with the GOP. And Dobson's evangelical Christian base votes overwhelmingly for Republican candidates.

Dobson tells his readers that 21 million evangelicals failed to vote last year.

"Turnout is the key to the entire election," he writes. "May the Lord grant each of us the passion and conviction to 'vote our values' on November 7."