Gonazles gets backing from Christian right

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. attorney general nominee Alberto Gonzales has won the backing of the Christian Coalition, which urged its members Thursday to contact the Senate.

The group, founded in the late '80s by evangelist Pat Robertson, is now a shadow of its former self. Nevertheless, it is urging its activists to reach out to members of the Senate encouraging them to vote for Gonzales' confirmation in the face of opposition from "left-wing groups" working to defeat him.

Calling Gonzales "a great example of the American success story," the group's president, Roberta Combs, said her group believes "Judge Gonzales will serve with excellence just as the current attorney general, John Ashcroft, has done during the past four years."