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Then again, perhaps Obama is playing with GOP fears . . . can you IMAGINE the sound of GOP heads exploding at the mere thought that Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson or Jeremiah Wright being named Director of the OFBI. OMG!!
I have David Kuo's book here on the shelf, read it early last year. Bush's "Office of Faith Based Initiatives" (OFBI) was just a campaign ploy to get the votes of the idiot evango-fascists who listen to Rove, Haggard, Robertson, Falwell[d] and the other evil doers of the American Taliban.
In the 2000 presidential election, Rove/Bush promised the "evangelicals" up to $6B in federal money for OFBI programs and once elected the OFBI actually had their office in the White House. However, EVERY budget request from John DiIulio, and his deputy David Kuo, were lined out by Rove and other White House budgeteers. After 8 years, the total sum spent amounted to a paltry $26M, and as noted already, it mostly went to churches politically connected to Bush/Rove.
Followers of current events may recall when Kuo's book came out. It caused a bit of a stir when Kuo blew the whistle on Bush/Rove for referring to the evango-fascist whack jobs as "useful idiots" for having swallowed the hollow promises yet still brought votes and money to the GOP. For his part, Bush and Rove toyed with the concept of a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the fundies insisted. It was a joke of an effort, didn't have a prayer of passing, made our nation the laughing stock of the world (one of many times these past 8 years) but it fulfilled a hollow promise to the wingnuts of the American Taliban.
IMO, there should be NO use of taxpayer funds for ANY church-based do-gooder stuff. The "church" is already tax exempt, gets free money from the donations of most Americans, pays no taxes on any of it, and is free to spend it any way they want. To add taxpayer funds to this rule-less world of easy money makes no sense and seems to be an outright violation of the church/state separation. The wingnuts on this board will deny that any separation of church and state ever existed, but hey, they're wingnuts, some are truly insane, the rest are ridiculous and cannot be reasoned with as their world is based on myth, superstition and total fabrication.
I suspect Obama is doing this for good PR and to pull some of the milder religious votes from the right, nothing more. Is any good comes of it, that is okay, but I don't expect much more than a continuation of the Bush/Rove window dressing.
Agree that the Bush FBIs were a payback to the Religious Right and encouraged mutual support. And I do agree about church and state. OTOH, no future president will ever dare try to end this project. It's here to stay.... especially now, when people en masse are going to be turning to their churches for comfort (I hope before their guns)....
I hope the Obama version will be strict. Dont like the word "expand" either. The points you remind us of from Kuo's book/that era are vital for the Obama team to remember and avoid like the plague.
Agree that the Bush FBIs were a payback to the Religious Right and encouraged mutual support. And I do agree about church and state. OTOH, no future president will ever dare try to end this project. It's here to stay.... especially now, when people en masse are going to be turning to their churches for comfort (I hope before their guns)....
I hope the Obama version will be strict. Dont like the word "expand" either. The points you remind us of from Kuo's book/that era are vital for the Obama team to remember and avoid like the plague.
I admit to liking the concept/theory of this. I may be assuming, but what I like the idea that clergy and church volunteers who are close to the street-level issues of poverty or homelessness are actually in a good position to help, given that they see this in their neighborhoods everyday, especially in the inner cities and small rural towns. A secondary aspect is that churches typically are not bound up in a lot of bureaucracy regarding use of funds, may be more nimble at helping, and don't have the overhead of for-profit firms or state and county bureaucracies. Still, the leeway for poor usage of funds is concerning, and from my own experience there is a lot of wackiness as church elders argue among themselves about the best course of action for any given issue - whatever we do, it's going to need some structure.
Edit: Funny thing is, when I sat in a Baptist church back in the mid 1970's, our preacher told us at least once per month that the Pentecostals were NOT getting into heaven since "the bible says" that we shall not speak in tongues, then he'd go on to tell us that the Methodists were NOT getting into heaven since "the bible says" that we shall not enter the kingdom "by works alone." Then he go on for another several minutes telling us who wasn't getting in and why WE were about the only ones who would get in. Sure.
Excerpt:
- Our village was overrun by the goofy bastards, who began building "churches" on cheap vacant lots: glass and metal mega-shrines to themselves, high-energy palaces with Hollywood sound and lighting and video systems and big-screen projection TVs so the throngs could get a better glimpse of the guy in the $4,000 suit telling them how to think.
- They preached forgiveness and did not forgive. They preached tolerance and were savagely intolerant. They opened their arms to welcome anyone who looked, acted, talked and believed exactly as they did. They preached Jesus but foamed like the anti-Christ. Jesus taught love. They taught hate.
- Mostly — because this issue rakes in the money when you pass the plate — they ranted against the devil of homosexuality. And guess what? Some of the men have spent time sneaking around at night and putting their hands in the cookie jar — a euphemism for "another guy's pants."
These are NOT the guys Obama needs to implement anything related to faith, these guys are just the opposite. Hopefully Obama can find people of faith who live their faith, not use it to condemn others.
Expand it?
Very sad/bad in a lot of ways...why can't all these do-gooder "christians" take care of their own?
Explains why I am not so sure Obama is really a Democrat...I DIDN'T vote for more Bush BS !!!!!!!!
Hmmm the needy are our own. Jesus lived and walked with the needy and doing his work is doing what Obama has a calling for also.
Do you really mean that one of the criteria for being a Democrat is to be without faith? If so please contact Mike Steele, I am sure he can use you in a 30 second spot.
Heh, loving every minute of this. It's just downright fun to see the religion-phobic libs get worried and try to comfort themselves by forcing interpretations on Obama's actions. Oh, and a PENTECOSTAL MINISTER is in charge! Hahahahahahaha, weren't you the people freaking out all over Palin's Pentecostal affiliations? Oh, but I guess an Obama-linked Pentecostal is way, way different, right?
This is just awesome! I had no idea I'd enjoy an Obama presidency so much! Btw, he gave an excellent (albeit VERY idealistic) speech at the prayer breakfast. It's a topsy-turvy world!
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