CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANS WARN REPUGS ABOUT IRAQ CONSTITUTION

In a new Newsweek story about how Iraq figures into the Pennsylvania senate race of Casey v. Santorum, this little item is buried:

Meanwhile, NEWSWEEK has learned, conservative Christian leaders privately are warning that Republicans will lose evangelical votes next year if the Iraqi constitution enshrines Islamic law at the expense of religious freedom there.

Since reports have been coming out that the U.S. is prepared to drop its opposition to such language in order to meet today's (extended) deadline, I would say that Bush can anticipate a further decline in his approval ratings.

Here's what Bush said in February 2004:

Russert: If the Iraqis choose, however, an Islamic extremist regime, would you accept that, and would that be better for the United States than Saddam Hussein?

President Bush: They're not going to develop that.  And the reason I can say that is because I'm very aware of this basic law they're writing.  They're not going to develop that because right here in the Oval Office I sat down with Mr. Pachachi and Chalabi and al Hakim, people from different parts of the country that have made the firm commitment, that they want a constitution eventually written that recognizes minority rights and freedom of religion.

Yeah, he looked into their eyes and saw their souls. They're not going to try to enshrine Islamic law because they told him that in the OVAL OFFICE, for gosh' sakes! Good as a blood oath --