American Taliban Ted Haggard's Boy Trouble
Among the many oversights of the Perrspectives web site is its failure to include New Life Church pastor Ted Haggard in its listing of the American Taliban. But breaking news from Colorado suggests that Haggard is about to add his name to the growing list of gay, anti-gay conservative crusaders.
AmericaBlog reports that gay escort Mike Jones detailed a three-year relationship with Haggard during an appearance on Peter Boyles KHOW 630 AM radio show. According to Jones, Haggard frequently made the pilgrimage from Colorado Springs to Denver for sex (apparently paid for) and on at least one occasion, methamphetamine. While Haggard claimed yesterday "I've never had a gay relationship with anybody," Jones responded, "Yes he is (lying). He had a relationship with me. We had gay sex." Jones claims to have a letter from Haggard as well as recorded voicemails.
Haggard, featured in the new documentary of evangelical indoctrination of children "Jesus Camp," is among the leading figures of the Christian right. (It should comes as no surprise that Haggard dislikes the film, which shows him instructing his flock, perhaps contrary to his tax-exempt status, "If the Evangelicals vote, they determine the election.") Rivaling James Dobson, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, Haggard is president of the National Association of Evangelicals. He is also a participant in the weekly White House conference calls described by former Bush faith-based crusader David Kuo.
It is too early to conclude whether or not Haggard has joined the ranks of Republican boy toys including former Congressman Mark Foley, the late former Spokane mayor Jim West, Virginia's Ed Schrock, and a host of others. Jones has promised to take a polygraph test on Friday. Until then, Haggard's unfolding horror is just a case of he said, he said.
UPDATE: The Denver Post is now reporting that Haggard is stepping down as the head of the 14,000 member New Life Church while its investigation proceeds.
Mark Foley was the leader of the Child Protection Racket of the American Taliban. While he may not have held weekly meatings with Georgejunior as Ted Haggard did, he certainly oversaw the ending of civil liberties with Jeb, even long after Jeb declared Martial Law on September 7, 2001, less than a year after Bush's handpicked Attorney General's defeat of Mel Carnahan. If you think Ashcroft's American Taliban victory over Carnahan was planned in Afghanistan, Jeb's got some swampland in Florida to sell you.