The battle over the filibuster of judges is really a battle over James Dobson's powerful effort to seize control of the Republican Party.

Who is James Dobson? Unfortunately most Democrats have no idea, because he is not a nutcase like Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell. Also, Dobson is based in Colorado, rather than the Washington DC area, so he gets a lot less media coverage.

Dobson used to be the third most powerful leader of the religious right. But Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition became irrelevant after Ralph Reed left to serve Mammon rather than God, according to Robertson himself.

some of Reed's past patrons -- including the Rev. Pat Robertson, the Christian broadcaster who set Reed on the national stage by hiring him to run the Christian Coalition -- say that his work with Abramoff's Indian casino clients raises questions about how he has balanced his personal ambitions with his Christian principles.

"You know that song about the Rhinestone Cowboy, 'There's been a load of compromising on the road to my horizon,' " Robertson said. "The Bible says you can't serve God and Mammon."

Jerry Falwell's heyday of power was with the Moral Majority in the 1980's, and he's mainly been riding on his reputation ever since.

But while Robertson and Falwell have been in decline, Dobson has been quietly consolidating his power through his two grassroots organizations - Focus on the Family (his covert political advocacy group, disguised as a tax-exempt charity) and the Family Research Council (the overt political advocacy group that he indirectly controls through his surrogates, first Gary Bauer and now Tony Perkins - see dKosopedia).

This Sunday, Dobson is declaring religious war on Democrats with his "Justice Sunday" telecast.

Welcome to the fight against filibuster abuse! Justice Sunday, scheduled for April 24, 2005, is a unique event designed to remind our U.S. Senators that the opportunity of public service must be fully open to people of faith. Screening potential nominees to the federal bench on the basis of their religious views and moral convictions violates the American sense of fair play.

This, of course, is an outright lie in direct violation of the Ten Commandments, which makes Dobson an evil sinner. None of the ten judicial nominees opposed by Democrats has been challenged on the basis of his or her religious views and moral convictions. All have been challenged on whether they follow the laws as written by Congress, or whether they engage in rightwing judicial activism. 

While Democrats have fought energetically to protect the filibuster, they have been slow to respond to Dobson's declaration of religious war. The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee posted a skimpy petition to Frist, but Frist is just the front man for the real power - James Dobson.

Now one Democrat is taking on Dobson directly - Senator Ken Salazar of Colorado, who represents Dobson and his Colorado Springs organizations.

Dobson started the battle last week when he began running TV ads against Salazar over the filibuster battle. And that was a big mistake for Dobson, because Salazar decided to fight back.

[Salazar] said Wednesday that the religious right is using "un-Christian" tactics in pushing the nuclear option -- and he singled out the ultra-right group Focus on the Family for special attention. "I think what has happened is Focus on the Family has been hijacking Christianity and become an appendage of the Republican Party," Salazar said. "I think it's using Christianity and religion in a very unprincipled way."

This led to a counter-attack by Dobson's mouthpiece:

Focus on the Family spokesman Tom Minnery said he was "flabbergasted" that Salazar would "call our Christianity into question." And then he returned the favor. "Some of the nominees will be filibustered by the Democrats because of their religious views," Minnery said. "As a Catholic, I would think the senator would be especially alarmed about the anti-Catholicism of some of his colleagues."

There is, of course, no anti-Catholicism among Senate Democrats. So this is another lie from a "Christian."

Once again Salazar fired back, this time with a letter to Dobson. Salazar started with a solid defense:

I read in today’s newspaper a quote from your organization that said I should be “alarmed about the anti-Catholicism of some of [my Senate] colleagues.”

Your newspaper and radio ads also target Christians like me and Senator Harry Reid. I am proud that Senator Reid is a devout Mormon Christian and strong family man and that we share the fundamental values of Christianity.

I have not encountered any feelings of anti-Catholicism from any of my fellow Senators on either side of the aisle. Indeed, we have 24 United States Senators who are Catholic, both from the Democratic and Republican parties.

Then he switched to offense:

In contrast, I understand you are helping lead the effort on a national telecast against Democrats in the United States Senate with Dr. Al Mohler, among others. In March of 2000, Dr. Mohler said “I believe that the Roman church is a false church and it teaches a false gospel. And indeed, I believe that the pope himself holds a false and unbiblical office.”

My faith is the cornerstone of my values, as I am sure it is with you as well. I call on you to repudiate Dr. Mohler’s comments and hope you distance yourself from those who serve to divide the world’s Christian churches against one another.

Finally, Salazar offered Dobson an olive branch:

I would further encourage you to cease your unfounded attacks on the faith of my Democratic colleagues. The Senate controversy over judges is simply about whether the rules should be broken in the pursuit of power. The controversy has nothing to do with the faith of any Democratic U.S. Senator. Indeed, I would ask for your prayers that the United States Senate transcend the abuse of power at the root of this controversy, and move forward in a spirit of bipartisanship on the issue of judges, as well as the monumental challenges facing our Nation such as health care, transportation, energy, education and care for our elders. I am committed to helping find a solution to these challenges that confront us.

Dr. Al Mohler quickly fired back by defending his anti-Catholicism and offering an utterly bizarre defense:

R. Albert Mohler Jr., said Thursday he stands by the comments he made in March 2000 on the cable news show Larry King Live.

"I believe that the Roman church is a false church and it teaches a false gospel," Mohler said at the time. "And indeed, I believe that the pope himself holds a false and unbiblical office."

Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminar in Louisville, Ky., said he was shocked by Salazar's letter to Dobson.

"It's either a demonstration of the most grotesque form of manipulation or evidence of absolute ignorance," he said. "Anyone who is shocked that evangelical Christians and Roman Catholics disagree on fundamental theological doctrines is simply unaware of four centuries plus of church history."

In other words, Mohler's anti-Catholicism is perfectly ok now because Protestants began attacking Catholicism four centuries ago!

Dobson also attacked Salazar, naturally by booking himself onto  FOX.

In an appearance on Fox News' Hannity and Colmes show late Thursday, he defended Mohler's past statements about Catholicism.

"This is not about Catholicism. This is about an effort in the Senate to block people of faith and also people with conservative views. It's not just those with Christian views," Dobson said. "It's not a fight against Catholicism."

Can anyone make sense of that incredibly convoluted statement? I sure can't.

All I know is that Dobson's mouthpiece introduced "anti-Catholicism" into the debate, and Salazar simply responded to it.

So now Dobson's key ally has been exposed as an unrepentent Catholic-hater. Yet Dobson refuses to condemn Mohler's views.

Salazar's defense is brilliant. Democrats of faith - Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and all other faiths - should come together and take on James Dobson directly.

If Dobson wants to end the separation of church and state and start a religious war, let's start it and finish it now, not during the next election.

Update: Armando blogged this story on Kos and linked to Colorado Luis, who is tracking the story from a progressive Colorado perspective.