Minnesota Independent

Pawlenty: America was founded under God

By Andy Birkey | 01.27.11 | 12:51 pm

In an interview released in Christianity Today Thursday, Tim Pawlenty asserted that the United States was “founded under God” and that the founding fathers put that into the nation’s founding documents. In the wide-ranging interview, Pawlenty talked about his faith, his reversal on cap and trade, and the possibility of running against Rep. Michele Bachmann for the 2012 Republican nomination for president.

Bachmann, Kline: Obama’s not saying ‘God’ enough

By Andy Birkey | 12.07.10 | 9:45 am

Republican Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline, as part of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, chastised President Obama for not portraying America as a more Christian-like nation to the rest of the world. In a letter on Monday, the caucus complained that Obama omitted the word “God” five times during his recent trip to Indonesia and called on him to correct the record.

Meet David Barton, Bachmann’s Constitution class teacher

By Andy Birkey | 11.16.10 | 9:27 am

Rep. Michele Bachmann announced last month that she wants to hold “Constitution classes” for new members of Congress in the hopes of preventing them from being “co-opted into the Washington system.” She’s already announced several people she wants to teach the classes, including Pastor David Barton, a controversial figure whose ideas about the constitution and the founding fathers have drawn sharp criticism from both the religious and secular communities.

Kline to push for controversial religious school vouchers

By Andy Birkey | 11.11.10 | 11:55 am

Republican Rep. John Kline is likely to chair the powerful House Education and Labor Committee in the new Congress and already he’s drawing fire from both sides of the aisle. Kline caught praise from religious conservatives when he expressed his support for educational vouchers for Washington, DC, parents that will allow them to spend taxpayer money on religious schooling. But he also has drawn the ire of fiscal conservatives by saying he doesn’t intend to push for the elimination of the Department of Education.

Dan Severson, Minnesota Independent file photo

Sec. of State candidate Severson: There’s no such thing as separation of church and state

By Andy Birkey | 10.19.10 | 1:17 pm

Republican Secretary of State candidate Dan Severson has been hitting the religious right radio circuit over the past few weeks, doing interviews with headline-making figures like Bradlee Dean of You Can Run But You Cannot Hide and Pastor Brad Brandon of Berean Bible Baptist Church in Hastings. Severson told his interviewers that he believes the constitutional clause calling for the separation of church and state doesn’t exist, and that he feels there was “fraud, in a major way” in the U.S. Senate recount of 2008.

Americans United files IRS complaint against church that endorsed Emmer

By Andy Birkey | 10.18.10 | 3:04 pm

Citing reporting by the Minnesota Independent, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service Monday against Hastings’ Berean Bible Baptist Church and its pastor, Brad Brandon, for violating the ban on tax-exempt churches endorsing candidates. Brandon endorsed a slate of Republican, Constitution and independent candidates during his Sunday sermon after challenging the “liberal media” to report on his activities. AU urged the IRS to “investigate this matter and fully enforce our laws.”

Hastings pastor endorses Emmer from pulpit

By Andy Birkey | 10.18.10 | 5:30 am

Pastor Brad Brandon of Berean Bible Baptist Church in Hastings followed through on his recent promise: On Sunday he endorsed a slew of conservative candidates from his pulpit, including Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, in apparent violation of laws governing tax-exempt organizations. Brandon’s church is also distributing an endorsement list that includes nine Republican and two Constitution Party candidates in races across the state. He noted that he arrived at his choices based on the candidates posititions on bringing God into the classroom, opposing abortion and homosexuality, and support for Israel.

Minnesota pastors plan to endorse candidates from pulpit

By Andy Birkey | 10.15.10 | 6:00 am

Two Minnesota pastors say they will endorse political candidates from the pulpit this Sunday, in direct defiance of federal law that prohibits such politicking at tax-exempt churches: Brad Brandon of Berean Bible Baptist Church in Hastings announced his intentions on his KKMS radio show earlier this week, while Greg Stone of Jesus Assembly of God in St. Peter outlined his plans on Facebook. Stone writes that, unlike most of his sermons, this Sunday’s won’t be available as a podcast. Brandon taunts the “liberal media” to file an IRS complaint against his church. “Do it out of hatred for me,” he urged.

Kline: It’s a Judeo-Christian nation

By Andy Birkey | 09.13.10 | 8:30 am

Rep. John Kline spoke of the need to get back to Judeo-Christian values during a non-partisan forum in Watertown on Thursday evening. The Second District Republican blamed “nameless, faceless people” who he said are trying to “erase God from…

Americans United investigating Bachmann and Associates funding

By Andy Birkey | 07.07.10 | 4:11 pm

The watchdog group Americans United for Separation of Church and State says it’s opening an investigation into taxpayer funds going to Bachmann and Associates, Inc., a Christian mental health counseling clinic owned by Rep. Michele Bachmann and her husband, Marcus.…