Obama takes on the Religious Right. Jerry Falwell tries to turn in his grave but it is too tight of a fit.

Sen. Barack Obama told a church convention Saturday that some right- wing evangelical leaders have exploited and politicized religious beliefs in an effort to sow division.

"Somehow, somewhere along the way, faith stopped being used to bring us together and started being used to drive us apart. It got hijacked," the Democratic presidential candidate said in remarks prepared for delivery before the national meeting of the United Church of Christ.

"Part of it's because of the so-called leaders of the Christian Right, who've been all too eager to exploit what divides us," the Illinois senator said.

"At every opportunity, they've told evangelical Christians that Democrats disrespect their values and dislike their church, while suggesting to the rest of the country that religious Americans care only about issues like abortion and gay marriage, school prayer and intelligent design," according to an advance copy of his speech.

"There was even a time when the Christian Coalition determined that its number one legislative priority was tax cuts for the rich," Obama said. "I don't know what Bible they're reading, but it doesn't jibe with my version."

I think that this shows a great deal of chutzpah on Obama's behalf. We know that the religious right will never vote for a Democrat en mass like they will a Republican, but if Obama can make them start to doubt that their pastors are giving them good political advice then they might start to think for themselves.

And wouldn't that be just wonderful.

However he also runs the risk of getting the religious right to organize against him, and start attacking him. They might uncover some silly little fact that they can turn into a wedge to pry voters away form Obama.

And that would just suck!