Grassley and The Family

Heard on Thom Hartman today that Grassley is the spokesperson or go to person for the Family.

"The movement was founded in Seattle in 1935 by Abraham Vereide, a Norwegian immigrant and traveling preacher who had been working with the city's poor. He opposed FDR's New Deal and was worried that socialist politicians were about to take over Seattle's municipal government.<1><3> Prominent members of Seattle's business community recognized his success with those who were "down and out" and asked him to give spiritual direction to their group who were "up and out." He organized prayer breakfasts for politicians and businessmen that included anti-Communism and anti-union discussions. He was subsequently invited to set up similar meetings among political and business leaders in San Francisco and Chicago."

That explains a lot.

Also just saw that Senator Franken will be the guest at the Harkin Steak Fry this year. Sounds good to me.

he just does it quietly.

It was on last night. I'm glad she's talking about it since I don't hear it mentioned anywhere else.

By Lindsay Beyerstein, AlterNet. Posted June 12, 2008

http://www.alternet.org/rights/87665/worse_than_fascists%3A_christian_political_group_%27the_family%27_openly_reveres_hitler/?page=1


Snip

In his new book, The Family, author Jeff Sharlet reveals sordid details about this power-hungry, inside-the-Beltway fundamentalist group

The Family was founded 70 years ago by Abraham Vereide, a Norwegian immigrant evangelist based in Seattle. In 1935, Vereide said, God appeared to him in a vision and revealed where Christianity had gone wrong: preoccupation with the poor, the weak and the suffering.

The down-and-out were in no position to bring about the Kingdom of God, Vereide realized. Some Christians believe that the rapture is imminent, but not the Family. They're convinced that Jesus won't return until we get our collective house in order. If they were to wait for the down-and-out to remake the world in God's image, we could be here forever.

Besides, in Seattle in the 1930s, union agitators were making a play for the down-and-out. Christianity promised rewards in the hereafter, but workers in the Pacific Northwest were starting to wonder why they had to wait so long. Instead of competing for market share with the Industrial Workers of the World, Vereide sought a different niche.

His new plan was to target men who were already powerful and turn them to God -- and wouldn't you know it, God hated unions, too.

End snip

Chucks kind of people