CNN News - Jay Sekulow Discusses Role of Evangelicals in Politics

CNN LIVE TODAY

February 3, 2005

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-HOST: President Bush rallied his base at the 53rd annual National Prayer Breakfast this morning at the Washington Hilton. He told an audience that included Christian evangelicals that prayer is the great equalizer in American life. He called on Americans to embrace compassion and hear the cry of the poor and the less fortunate.

Evangelicals are no doubt surging as a political force in American politics. These social conservatives are driven by moral issues like gay marriage, and abortion, and school prayer and pornography. Their turnout in November is widely credited with giving President Bush a new four-year term, or certainly having played a major role in it.

Values voters are such a strong constituency in 21st Century America, that "TIME" magazine names the 25 most influential evangelicals in this particular cover.

Among them, lawyer Jay Sekulow, whose Washington-based American Center for Law and Justice is conservative counterpoint to the liberal ACLU, certainly something often considered liberal. "TIME" calls him, in fact, "the Almighty's attorney."

Mr. Sekulow, it certainly is a pleasure to have you here, sir.

JAY SEKULOW, ATTORNEY: Thank you very much.

SANCHEZ: Are those...

SEKULOW: Not that God needs a lawyer, but...

SANCHEZ: You're on retainer, right?

SEKULOW: Sure.

SANCHEZ: You're on retainer. Did those voters that we just spoke of get what they wanted to hear last night when they heard the president's State of the Union speech?

SEKULOW: You know, Rick, I think they really did. The president talked about the importance of the judicial nomination process and the need for the up and down vote on the judges. That was -- that's a huge issue with the American people, social conservatives in particular. So that was big.

Another issue, of course, that you can't ignore is the life issue. And the president made reference to that in the speech, and then the issue of marriage and what is defined as marriage in the United States.

So I think, really, the president has been consistent since he's been in office on all of these points. And again, reiterated them yesterday at the State of the Union. And I think that all of us that share those convictions are very pleased with what he's done and what he's delivered so far. SANCHEZ: Is that all you think values voters want to hear, the words? Or are they expecting an action to follow it up?

SEKULOW: No, definitely there's -- action has to be associated with the statements. And interestingly...

SANCHEZ: Are you -- let me just stop you there if I could for just a moment. Are you confident that there will be action to follow it up? And what are the ramifications if there isn't?

SEKULOW: Well, No. 1, I think the actions will be there, because I just look at history. I'm a lawyer. I deal with evidence. And you just look at the president and what his team has delivered over the last four years. And you say, look, if the kind of judges he's nominating for the court of appeals become the kind of judges he's nominating for the Supreme Court of the United States, those that share my convictions are going to be very happy.

You know, there's been some discussion about the marriage issue and the marriage amendment.

SANCHEZ: Yes, that's a good question. Do you think he's going to go to Congress and say to them, "Look, I want you guys to back me up on this and pass this constitutional amendment to ensure marriage between a man and a woman"?

SEKULOW: I think -- I think he's going to go back to Congress. But he's also being politically -- the reality of the situation is the votes right now in the Senate don't appear to be there.

And that's in part because so far, the courts have upheld what's called the Defense of Marriage Act so that states aren't being compelled to recognize what happened in Massachusetts.

But that could change at a moment's notice. And he's concerned about that.

So I believe the president is going to do exactly what he said, and that is he's going to go to Congress again, ask for the vote. And from our side, we want him to continue to work on those issues. And of course, on the life issue, this president, I think, of all the presidents we've had that have talked about the issue of life, he's been the most supportive both in action and deed.

SANCHEZ: Are values voters all Republicans?

SEKULOW: No, I don't think so. And you look at a cross-section of American people, there are people that have values that are not Republicans. They're independents; they're Democrats.

So no, I think there's -- some of these issues are transcending above the political process. And I think you saw some of that in the last election.

And I don't think it's fair to tag and say only Democrats or only Republicans have values. American people have values. And it's how those values are shaped and how the public policy comes out of those values which is so important.

SANCHEZ: Jay Sekulow, it's a pleasure to talk to you, sir. We certainly appreciate it.

SEKULOW: Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.