Ted Haggard and the White House

Yesterday’s Rocky Mountain News talks about the relationship of scandal-plagued Rev. Ted Haggard to the White House. Haggard resigned Friday as head of the National Association of Evangelicals in the wake of sex and drug charges by a male prostitute in Denver. The paper says:

Haggard has advised the White House on issues ranging from judicial appointments to steel tariffs. But he also sought to widen the agenda of Christian evangelicals into areas the Bush administration - and many of his Christian brethren - would rather avoid.… Haggard has angered some religious conservatives for urging Christians to protect Muslims in the days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.... Last summer, he joined an eclectic group of 27 religious leaders ... urging the government to "abolish torture now - without exception".… Haggard's recent efforts promoted through the NAE a "broad biblical agenda" that included improving health care, ending racism and addressing global warming.... through a free-market approach....

At yesterday's White House press briefing, spokesman Tony Fratto fielded questions about Haggard's relationship to the White House:

Q This Reverend Haggard out in Colorado, is he someone who is close to the White House? There had been reports that he was on the weekly call with evangelicals. Is that true?

MR. FRATTO: I'm actually told that that's not true, that he has -- in terms of a weekly call that he has? He had been on a couple of calls, but was not a weekly participant in those calls. I believe he's been to the White House one or two times. I don't want to confine it to a specific number because it would take a while to figure out how many times. But there have been a lot of people who come to the White House, and --

Q -- when was he at the White House?

MR. FRATTO: I couldn't tell you specifically. I know that there was a picture of him with the President in one of the TV reports, so obviously he met with the President at some point in time.

Look, this is a personal issue for someone. It's something that Reverend Haggard needs to deal with, with his family and his church. And I'm not sure that there's any comment beyond that that's necessary.

Q Would that make evangelicals dispirited and maybe sit out the election Tuesday?

MR. FRATTO: I doubt it. I doubt it.

Q Why?

MR. FRATTO: Well, because I think the community you're referring to understands where the Republican Party is on issues that are important to them, and someone's -- something that an individual did that affects them personally shouldn't affect their interest in advancing issues that they care about.