Political Rabbis

I just read an interesting article. A group of Rabbis got together and said the kabbalistic prayer asking for the angel of death to take sharon away. Firstly, how come I never learned that one?? What was the point of 20 years in yeshiva if they dont teach you the important stuff. I wish knew that one when the rabbi took my radio, when the rabbi took my books, when the rabbi took my CDs, when the rabbi forced me to sit in his office for hours so he could talk to me, when the rabbi laughed and told me i was suspended, when....ok, so I'm a bit bitter. Point being, I never heard of this prayer. I wonder if Madonna learned it yet. That just wouldnt be fair, if she learned that kind of stuff before me. Secondly, how did they determine he deserved death? Do they say that prayer on all people who break Shabbat, are gay, practice witchcraft, etc?
Heres another thing that bothers me. I remember learning in History Class about King Henry VIII, who wanted to divorce his wife, but the pope wouldnt let. So he made a new pope who allowed him to get divorced. I feel Rabbis in government do the same thing. Instead of asking the Rabbi if something is allowed, they tell him what they are doing, and tell him to make it permissible. When Rabbis disagree with government policy, they threaten to close down their schools. If a Rabbi feels that disengagement is forbidden halachically, he has an obligation to announce that people cant take part. People dont have to listen, but he cant sit by and allow people to break halacha.