The religious right's current assault on the Bush White House for sending out "holiday" instead of "Christmas" cards prompted me to dig out my own collection of White House cards from the Reagan era.

The earliest, from 1982, wishes recipients a "Joyous Christmas and a Peaceful New Year." But all the others express "holiday wishes" or "holiday greetings."

"Funny," I thought to myself. " I don't remember the religious right accusing Reagan of selling out to the dark forces of secular humanism when he and Nancy switched from 'Christmas' to 'holiday' greetings in 1983. Maybe they didn't expect much from him because he wasn't a regular churchgoer."

But Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter made the same switch in their White House cards in 1978. And there was no furor from the fundamentalists then, either -- notwithstanding the fact that Carter was an open and avowed "born again" Christian, who taught Sunday School at his local Baptist Church. (A fine example to set for the children! Leaving Baby Jesus out of the White House Christmas card!)

And yet I don't recall any protests from Carter's born-again brethren. Nobody bragged, "I threw away my White House card as soon as I got it," as did Joseph Farah, editor of WorldNetDaily.com. And nobody accused the Carters of "political correctness run amok," as did Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association.

The only explanation I can see for the religious right's current chorus of criticism is this: It isn't about "Keeping Christ In Christmas." It's about keeping George W's feet to the fire. The fundamentalists are convinced that they elected him and, because of that, they feel they own him. So they're spreading a little holiday fear to keep him in line -- something they never dared do with either Carter or Reagan.

Happy New Year?