Public Theologian?

I just read an interview today at Faithful Progressive with Tim Simpson. Tim is a Presbyterian minister and writes at his blog, Public Theologian. I was quite dismayed at some of the things that Tim had to say.

"Right now the Democrats have the moral high ground: Bush and his disatrous war, his rich man's tax cuts, his gay bashing are easy targets for moral critique. So the challenge is actually not in showing America why this adminstration is so misguided -- although I intend to keep doing it every day!--the real dificulty lies in trying to tend the weeds in the left's own garden, trying to get our own house in order so that if and when the current occupants are sent back to Crawford that what takes their place will not be so corrupt and self-serving."

The moral high ground? How is a statement like this any less arrogant than the arrogance that Democrats accuse conservatives of? I don't think that either party has the moral high ground, except for maybe on the issue of abortion. I'm assuming that Tim thinks that he is preaching to the choir here, but the language he is using is very inflammatory and divisive. Gay bashing? While I am leaning against supporting the FMA, I'm not sure what Bush has said that could be construed as "gay bashing".

"The right has these people so scared that the gays are all going to be raping their children and that you'll be able to get an abortion as easy as picking up your dry cleaning that they will spare no expense to try and stop what they fear. The liberals have got to get some of that zeal and start talking to their followers in such stark terms as well."

Unless I am misunderstanding what Tim is saying here, it seems like he is advocating a further dividing of our country. He is clearly mistaken to assume that the right is simply using scare tactics to get out the vote. believe that it is a myth that Republicans came out to vote becaue of homophobia.

I've had some nice back and forth with Faithful Progressive and he seems to have a true desire for genuine dialog. But I'm having some trouble seeing it with an interview like this.