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Christian blogger gaining influence as US election draws near

The morning meeting could have been at any news outlet, with discussion around the conference-room table about stem cells, Iraq and the presidential candidates. But afterward the members of the small group in the room bowed their heads in prayer.

"I just pray for all of us, reporters, photographers and editors," said David Brody, a reporter. "Give us the strength to get through the day. Bless our work, Lord. Give us the right words to say."

Brody, 42, writes a Web log and covers politics for the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), the television station founded by US televangelist Pat Robertson.

With the three leading Republican presidential candidates in the early going each confronting his own serious obstacles in winning over evangelical Christians, Brody occupies a position of influence in the presidential campaign as a gatekeeper to a crucial constituency.

CBN has about 1 million viewers a day on television, making it a big platform for Brody and the Republican candidates.

In addition, Brody's blog, the Brody File, which scours the conservative credentials of Republican candidates but also looks at Democrats on occasion, has become required reading for political insiders and is frequently cited by mainstream news organizations and bloggers on both ends of the political spectrum.

With its blend of reporting, jokey commentary and savvy explanations of the concerns of evangelical voters, it draws almost 100,000 hits a month, more than five times the traffic it was getting just several months ago.

Former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani recently became the latest Republican presidential candidate to appear with Brody on the network's main news program, The 700 Club, with segments posted on the Brody File. Earlier this year, Brody interviewed Senator John McCaine. He has twice sat down with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

"All three of them have questions from evangelicals about who's going to be a real conservative in the race. It plays perfectly for the Brody File. It's a three-ring circus and I'm the ringmaster," he said.

With former senator Fred Thompson taking steps to enter the race, Brody has put him under scrutiny, too. He recently posted on his blog an old questionnaire on abortion provided to him by a rival campaign, which raised questions about how long Thompson has been an opponent of abortion rights.

In the questionnaire, which dates from the mid-1990s, Thompson was asked about his philosophy regarding reproductive rights. He replied by discussing the balance between the role of the federal government and states' rights, but did not address the moral implications of the issue.

"Fred Thompson may have a perfect Senate score with the National Right to Life," Brody wrote, "but when he enters the race, he'll need to explain questionnaires like this one and others. Where was the fervent pro-life talk?"

Brody also obtained a preview of the videotaped message Thompson was set to deliver this month at the National Right to Life convention.

"Supporters of Fred Thompson gave it to the Brody File," he said. "No CNN, no Fox. Believe me, there was a thought process there."

Despite its evangelical purpose, CBN seeks to be neutral in its news coverage, said Rob Allman, the network's news director.

Part of its efforts at objectivity comes from its goal that viewers who happen upon the network's news broadcast might "stick around long enough to hear a testimony or a prayer to make a life-changing decision, or least lead them down that road," Allman said.

Brody is an example of the kind of convert CBN is seeking. He grew up in New York City in a Reform Jewish household. It was while Brody was dating his future wife in college that, as he puts it: "She started to talk to me about this Jesus character."

The couple married in 1988 and moved to Colorado. Brody rose through the ranks of the television world to become the news director of the ABC affiliate in Colorado Springs. He and his wife Lisette later moved to Washington, where he took a job as the executive sports producer for the CBS affiliate. He lost his job, however, when the station downsized.

After a year and a half of freelancing, Brody came to a career crossroads when his wife became pregnant with their third child. After what he said was much prayer, he decided to accept a position as a radio reporter with the evangelical group Focus on the Family.

"I felt the Lord leading me in that direction," he said.

A year later, he moved to CBN.

Brody's blog started about a year ago but began drawing significant attention only in November, as the presidential campaign was getting under way.

On a recent morning, he was in the CBN offices by 7:30am and already at work on his first post for the day, jumping off of another dust-up about Romney's Mormon faith. This time, Republican Senator Sam Brownback was apologizing for an e-mail message sent out by a campaign aide critical of Mormonism.

But Brody said he was interested in inquiring more deeply into the subtext of the aide's message. He asked readers whether they agreed with the thrust of the message, that the Jesus referred to by Mormons is not the same as the one professed by evangelicals.

"Judging from the e-mails in my inbox, this very well may be the crux of the argument for certain Evangelicals," Brody wrote.

But the end of the post was typical of his efforts to keep the tone on his blog light. He found a video of the song I Love You sung by Barney, the purple dinosaur.

He included the link and the admonition: "Be kind."
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