“I’ve found Jesus Christ – It’s that simple. He’s made a difference.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FR) – GOP chairman, Lee Atwater, the man behind the hard-ball political tactics of George Bush’s 1988 presidential campaign, announced recently that he has “found Jesus Christ.”

“It’s that simple,” said Atwater shortly after being treated for an inoperable brain tumor. “He’s made a difference, and I’m glad I’ve found Him while there’s still time.” Now the man who turned the release of rapist Willie Horton and the Pledge of Allegiance into national issues in an unrelenting attack on Michael Dukakis during the 1988 presidential campaign wants the world to know about his change toward compassion.

After having destroyed the political reputation of the Democratic candidate, Atwater testified: “I don’t hate anyone anymore. For the first time in my life I don’t hate somebody. I have nothing but good feelings toward people.”

In the most dramatic, spiritual conversion since that of President Richard Nixon’s hatchet man, Chuck Colson, Lee Atwater has promised to make peace with those he has mistreated. He now admits that having made disparaging remarks about Columbia attorney Tom Turnispeed’s clinical treatment for depression was one of the “low points” of his career.

Atwater’s circumstances have made his dramatic turnabout understandable. Yet he has indicated that his is a genuine and lasting change. After having made remarkable progress in his treatment for brain cancer, which came shortly after his conversion, Atwater announced that he will stand for re-election to his party post.