Does Focus Action name change signify a deeper shift?

Focus on the Family Action is kaput.

At least in name.

Focus on the Family announced Wednesday that Focus Action, the lobbying arm of the family group, is now CitizenLink, the name of Focus’ online newsletter.

“We wanted to create clarity between the two organizations,” CitizenLink spokeswoman Sonja Swiatkiewicz said.

Focus on the Family is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation that can endorse ballot measures, engage in lobbying or endorse candidates only up to $250,000.

Focus founder James Dobson created Focus Action in 2004, as a 501(c)(4) that’s allowed to take political stances and endorse candidates in elections through funding that exceeds $250,000.

Swiatkiewicz said the rebranding of Focus Action is meant to end the confusion of people attributing Focus Action’s public-policy efforts to Focus on the Family. She said Focus spends its time not in the political arena but in “helping families thrive.”

Jim Pfaff, who worked at Focus for four years and now heads up the Colorado Faith and Freedom Coalition, applauded the move.

“Clearly there is some advantage to having people know exactly where those political messages are coming from,” Pfaff said.

Pfaff said Focus and CitizenLink, which has 47 employees, are needed.

“It is very important for organizations to stand for the family,” he said. “But they also need to stand up for the family in the public square. The two go hand in hand.”

Swiatkiewicz said the stances of Focus Action are identical to CitizenLink’s.

Since Dobson stepped down as Focus chairman in February 2009, Focus, under the leadership of president and CEO Jim Daly, has appeared to tone down the way it presents its views on public policy — a major departure from Dobson’s vehement stances on abortion, gay marriage and politics.

Focus’ February Super Bowl ad, for example, was a soft-sell anti-abortion message. At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington that same month, Focus distributed Daly’s essay on abortion that advocates ways to reduce abortion, such as through adoptions. Absent was a call to ban abortions.

In April, Focus co-sponsored the “Homosexuality” seminar at Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs, even though the scheduled panelists were to discuss not only Focus’ view that same-sex attraction can be treated, but also the competing view that people are born gay and changing their gender attraction can be psychologically harmful.

Michael Lindsay, author of the 2007 book “Faith in the Halls of Power,” views Focus’ rebranding of Focus Action as another effort to soften its public image.

“The desire at Focus is to be seen as less intolerant and less politically motivated in their positions,” Lindsay said.

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