Friday, March 12, 2010
Was Dobson forced out?
Talking Points Memo is asking whether Focus on the Family founder James Dobson was pushed out of his longtime position with the Colorado ministry.
It quotes Dobson friend and former professional football player Ken Hutcherson, a pastor in Washington state, who thought it odd that Focus gave Dobson $1 million to help start his new radio program, "Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson.''
"Dr. Dobson gets off the radio in February, and he's starting a new program in May. It just didn't make sense. Why get off if you don't want to get off?" Hutcherson asked in a phone interview with TPMmuckraker.
The report notes that Dobson himself commented on this matter back in November on his show:
"(T)he board of directors voted privately on Wednesday - before we got there - to ask for my resignation, although their request was made with kindness and respect. We can only guess the reason for their decision because frankly I don't fully know," Dobson said. "But it apparently has to do with the desire for closure on my tenure and the beginning of another."
In response to the hubbub, Focus spokeswoman Joanna Brown issued this statement:
"We admire Rev. Hutcherson and the good work he has done for the cause of Christ and in support of families. He is, of course, entitled to his own opinion about the work we do, whether we agree with that opinion or not."
The TPM report links to a post from November from People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch that reported how Dobson shared with listeners that he'd been asked to resign.
Posted by Adelle M. Banks at 4:26 pm
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