Pastor Again Asks Followers to Pray for Death of Critics Who Filed IRS Complaint Over His Endorsement of Huckabee

In August, I blogged Pastor Supports Huckabee for President, Asks Followers to Pray for Death of Critics Who Filed Complaint with IRS Over His Political Activities.  The L.A. Times reports that Pastor Again Asks Prayers for Demise of Group's Leaders:

For the second time in six months, Buena Park pastor Wiley S. Drake has called on his followers to pray for the demise of leaders of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Last week, Drake learned that the IRS had launched an investigation into his endorsement of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's presidential bid, an inquiry that Americans United had urged.

The endorsement was written on church letterhead and announced during a church- affiliated Internet radio show. As tax-exempt organizations, churches are barred from campaigning for candidates. IRS officials declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy regulations.

In an e-mail Thursday, Drake urged action against Americans United and the American Civil Liberties Union.

As he had in August, Drake quoted Psalm 109, which speaks of wicked and deceitful people and asks God to let such a person's days be few and let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. "In light of the recent attack from the enemies of God, I ask the children of God to go into action with imprecatory prayer," he wrote.

• Americans United for Separation of Church and State: Americans United Deplores California Pastor's Renewed 'Death Prayer' Campaign
• Associated Press:  IRS Probes Pastor's Huckabee Endorsement
• Christianity Today:  Pastor prays for Foes' Demise; IRS Complaint Calls for God to Smite Civil Liberties Groups
• L.A. Times:  IRS Investigates Pastor's Huckabee Endorsement
• Nonprofit Law Prof Blog:  Church Asked to Pray for the Death of Those Who Dropped Dime to IRS

Update:   Linda Beale has more here.