Ralph Reed

The Orange County Republicans are bringing in former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed to lead the battle to unseat Rep. Loretta Sanchez (Aug. 17). You would think after losing two presidential elections where the Christian Coalition was a major force, the Republicans would have learned that for every vote Reed brings to their party, he drives away two or three of us who are not as “conservative” (narrow-minded, bigoted, etc.) as his army of Christian soldiers.

RICHARD W. MERRITT

San Juan Capistrano

What surprises me more than young Christian leaders jumping into the political arena after serving God is your article which clearly states that Reed’s Christian Coalition “distributed 45 million voter guides through 125,000 churches in the 1996 election season.” Pardon me? Has anyone contacted the IRS? Does this now mean that because I hang a cross over my own house that I too am tax-exempt, even with very narrow, but personal political opinions?

Do you think former Rep. Bob Dornan, or Reed for that matter, would mind if Loretta Sanchez handed out voter guides in Catholic churches? You bet they would!

MICHAEL BOLGER

San Diego