David Barton might be a sought-after political speaker and right-wing propaganda artist, but his record in supporting candidates for office hasn’t been very good this year. Barton, who argues that our government and laws should be based on fundamentalist Christian principles, sent out a mass e-mail in February endorsing a slate of five religious-right candidates in Texas State Board of Education races. Following yesterday’s Republican runoff elections, only one of Barton’s preferred state board candidates remains standing. (Check out our recap of the March 2 primary elections for the state board here.) Here are the Barton Five, with the names of losing candidates crossed out:

District 3: Joan Muenzler, R-San Antonio District 5: Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio District 9: Don McLeroy, R-College Station District 10: Brian Russell, R-Austin District 15: Randy Rives, R-Odessa

If Mercer loses to Democrat Rebecca Bell-Metereau in the November general election, the religious right’s slate will be 0-5 for the year. In addition, Barton heartily endorsed his employee at WallBuilders, Rick Green, in yesterday’s GOP runoff for a seat on the Texas Supreme Court. Green lost.… Read More

Texas voters on Tuesday dealt two big blows to the religious right in Republican nomination battles for the State Board of Education and the state Supreme Court. Perhaps the state board loss stings the most for the religious right, which effectively took control of the important education panel after the 2006 elections -- and it's hard to escape the conclusion that controversial actions by the board's fringe-right members in recent years angered and mobilized voters in opposition, even in GOP contests this year. Read More

From today’s TFN News Clips:

“Here’s what we gotta realize as Christians, every student on every campus in this country that gets that philosophy of a godless Constitution — keep religion out of this political process and out of civil government — every one of those students is gonna impact you.”

— Rick Green, who could be the Republican nominee for a Texas Supreme Court seat if he beats Fort Worth family district court judge Debra Lehrmann in Tuesday’s primary runoff.

Stay informed with TFN News Clips, a daily digest of news about politics and the religious right. Subscribe here.… Read More

Religious-right candidates in two key Republican runoff elections on April 13 are badly trailing their opponents in the campaign funding race. But will that mean much on election day?…… Read More

The Texas Tribune, an online news site launched just last fall, has done a great job covering the disaster commonly called the State Board of Education. Two stories in the last few days are particularly revealing of the political agendas that corrupt the board's job of ensuring that Texas students get a sound education. Read More