Tuesday will begin what apparently is being billed as a series (how can you have a tour if it’s just to one place only? Must be a series…) of specials on religion and politics on MSNBC’s Hardball. Billed as the “Hardball Church Tour” this particular special will originate at Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee according to this release….
“The Hardball Church Tour” brings together in this one-hour program the principals atthe center of the fight for the hearts, souls and as well as the votes of the American people. We will feature three of the people at the center of the biggest culture war battles of the last year including Judge Roy Moore of Alabama, George Felos, attorney for Michael Schiavo, and Mickey Weinstein, an Air Force cadet parent who complained about religious intolerance at the academy.
The nation’s top religious leaders will debate the role of religion in U.S. politics including Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Reverend Albert Pennybacker, of the Clergy and Leity Network, Dr. Richard Land, from the Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. Jerry Sutton, Pastor of Two Rivers Baptist Church and Reza Aslam, a Muslim religious scholar.
UPDATE: This release was issued before it was announced that MSNBC would be carrying the President’s Iraq speech live at 8 pm Tuesday. While there is no direct conflict between the two programs, there is a logistical problem in that Mathews will not be in Washington to cover the speech. Perhaps the duty of covering the speech will fall to newly minted Chief Washington correspondent Norah O’Donnell?
