David Barton's Montana Prayer Breakfast Appearance Questioned in Helena Independent Record

Late yesterday, Sanjay Talwani revised and extended his rather uncritical reporting from Saturday concerning David Barton’s appearance at the Montana Governor’s Prayer Breakfast. Citing John Fea and me, Talwani addressed the obvious historical problems in the speech but also addressed the issue of partisanship at what is supposed to be a non-partisan event.
It is hard to imagine a more partisan figure than Barton. His book Setting the Record Straight: History in Black and White slams the current Democratic party and lauds the GOP because of the role each party played in the Civil War era and beyond. In his book and this video, however, he fails to address the damage done by Goldwater’s lack of support for the Civil Rights Act and the subsequent “southern strategy” used by the GOP.
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David Barton Tells Some Stories in Montana

According to the Helena Independent Record, David Barton delivered some predictable stories to the Montana Governor’s Prayer Breakfast earlier today.  Reporter Sanjay Talwani provides the high spots.
The two hour prayer meeting and Ben Franklin’s 14 verses (these wouldn’t be the first politicians to use religion for political purposes) are typically stretched and devoid of the rest of story. In fact, according to Franklin, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention did not following Franklin’s advice, thinking prayer unnecessary. Barton also told his standard legends about George Washington at Valley Forge and the Aitken Bible. It appears he made some of his usual claims about religion and the Constitution.
John Fea addresses the legendary Washington story and I take on the Aitken Bible here and here.
Barton criticized Coulter and me for debunking details which are not central to his arguments. However, the stories he tells are clearly central since he tells them just about wherever he goes.