May 21, 2006

 Non-Profit KCPT's "Ruckus" Show Used for Free Political Advertisement?
Mary O'Halloran fails to disclose relationship to group she plugged.

According to the KCPT  web site:

Ruckus is a lively roundtable about the big ticket issues that face our community today. Moderator Mike Shanin leads the ensemble of conservatives and liberals as they duke it out over whose view will stand.

During this week's "Roast and Toast" segment liberal "ruckette" Mary O'Halloran toasted Rev. Bob Meneilly and the new MAINstream (also known as "Moderate Alliance of Informed Neighbors Coalition") "Voices of Faith" group and their recent rally.  

• Rally, May 7th:  St. Andrew Christian Church, Olathe.  
  Text of Dr. Bob Meneilly's "Reclaiming our Faith" comments

O'Halloran used talking points from the MAINstream Voices of Faith in her toast to boast about the group's membership of  700 members, which was mentioned in the March-April 2006 The Messenger (see. bottom of p. 2), the MAINstream Coalition newsletter:

Our MAINstream Voices of Faith (MVOF), ... was developed as an organizing tool to help organize, educate and mobilize moderate & progressive people of faith. Over 700 of you have already added your name to this project, with faith that we would create a movement of which you can be a part. 

The owner of the MAINSTREAMVoicesOfFaith.com web site is Boo Tyson, the Executive Director of MAINstream Coalition.

As a follow-up to the May 7th rally, this MAINstream Coalition group is holding a "Reclaiming Our Faith Take Action Workshop," apparently to promote the separation of church and state. 

• Workshop, June 11, Colonial Church, Prairie Village

Also in the March-April 2006 The Messenger (top left of p. 2), there is this list of members of MAINstream Coalition's Board of Directors:

Board of Directors
Executive Committee

• Rev. Bob Meneilly, Chairman Emeritus

• Penny Moeller, President

• Mary O’Halloran. Vice-President

• Maurine Kierl, Secretary

• Janis McMillen, Treasurer

• Steve Baru, Jim Borthwick, MAIN*PAC Co-Chairs

• Ellen Laner, At Large

• Eleanor Lowe, At Large

• Bill McEachen, Immediate Past President

Did the tax-exempt, non-profit KCPT allow Mary O'Halloran as MAINstream's Vice-President to blatantly give a political ad for a group she supports WITHOUT ANY DISCLOSURE of her involvement in the same group?  "Toasting" a group as commentary by a "ruckette" is one thing, but doing this without any disclosure of one's  involvement in that same group is quite deceptive.  KCPT, and/or Mary O'Halloran herself, should apologize for this deceptive practice.  

The KCPT Ruckus web page gives a bio for Mary O'Halloran, but does not disclose that she is the Vice President of the Executive Committee of MAINstream Coaltion:

Mary O'Halloran 

Political activist and media consultant, O'Halloran is a former Catholic nun, college professor, member of the Iowa House of Representatives, Carter Administration appointee to the Department of Energy and former co-host of a radio talk show for KMBZ.

And in its push for separation of church and state, isn't the Mainstream Coalition being a bit disingenuous when they once called for church political monitors, but now are using churches themselves for their own political purpose?  The intentions of Mainstream Coalition in the last election cycle were reported widely, including this note that is still online from San Diego:

THE THOUGHT POLICE ARE COMING

‘Churches in Kansas and Missouri which oppose homosexual marriage go to the top of the coalition’s target list for some monitoring.’

“The Mainstream Coalition calls itself a political watchdog, saying they monitor sermons for evidence of pastors endorsing specific political candidates — which is against the law according to the Internal Revenue Service. In fact, the Mainstream Coalition’s website reveals its leftist agenda of pro-abortion support, homosexual activism, and anti-prayer in schools, among others. Many of the members of the Mainstream Coalition are current or former members of the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood and the National Education Association.’”

Will MAINstream Coalition now be calling for the IRS to investigate the non-profit KCPT, and to monitor St. Andrew Christian Church in Olathe, and Colonial Church in Prairie Village for political activities inconsistent with their tax-exempt status?

K a n s a s M e a d o w l a r k @ e f g 2 . c o m