Katherine Harris - Please Go Away

How can somebody go from GOP rock star to complete wacko in just six years? Katherine Harris, once the darling of the GOP for her work during the 2000 Florida recount, is now running for Senate despite the desires of every prominent Republican in the state who want her out of the race. Harris seems to change staff about every 30 minutes, and has done a lot of silly things during the campaign, but these statements will hurt not only her, but every other Republican in the state:

U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris told a religious journal that separation of church and state is "a lie" and God and the nation's founding fathers did not intend the country be "a nation of secular laws."

The Florida Republican candidate for U.S. Senate also said that if Christians are not elected, politicians will "legislate sin," including abortion and gay marriage.

Harris made the comments - which she clarified Saturday - in the Florida Baptist Witness, the weekly journal of the Florida Baptist State Convention, which interviewed political candidates and asked them about religion and their positions on issues.

Separation of church and state is "a lie we have been told," Harris said in the interview, published Thursday, saying separating religion and politics is "wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers."

"If you're not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin," Harris said.

I certainly agree that the concept of separation of church and state cannot be found in the Constitution, and in fact came from a letter that I believe Thomas Jefferson wrote, and that concept has been bastardized by the courts to rule against a lot of innocent religious displays and activities. However, taking the extreme position that only Christians can serve in positions of leadership is something akin to what we hear from the religious radicals in other parts of the world.

Would I prefer that only Christians be elected? Not always. I've seen many good Christians who would make bad leaders and politicians, and I'd rather have somebody capable to doing a good job than somebody who happens to share my religious belief.

We are not supposed to have religious tests for political leadership in this country, and what Harris is promoting is the idea that only certain religions need apply for elected office. That's nonsense.