WP: Ex-Aide Questions Bush Vow To Back Faith-Based Efforts

[kskiska]

Tuesday, February 15, 2005; Page A01

A former White House official said yesterday that President Bush has failed to deliver on his promise to help religious groups serve the poor, the homeless and drug addicts because the administration lacks a genuine commitment to its "compassionate conservative" agenda.

David Kuo, who was deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for much of Bush's first term, said in published remarks that the White House reaped political benefits from the president's promise to help religious organizations win taxpayer funding to care for "the least, the last and the lost" in the United States. But he wrote: "There was minimal senior White House commitment to the faith-based agenda."

Analyzing Bush's failure to secure $8 billion in promised funding for the faith-based initiative during his first term, Kuo said there was "snoring indifference" among Republicans and "knee-jerk opposition" among Democrats in Congress.

"Capitol Hill gridlock could have been smashed by minimal West Wing effort," Kuo wrote on Beliefnet.com, a Web site on religion. "No administration since has had a more successful legislative record than this one. From tax cuts to Medicare, the White House gets what the White House really wants. It never really wanted the 'poor people stuff.' "

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24561-2005Feb14.html

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Fundis are right. Repubs don't back them.They should form their own party.

[porkrind]

11. Rank and file fundies believe in magic

and have abandoned rational thought. That's what makes them so easy to control. I doubt they will turn on * as long as he uses the right religous rhetoric that they love to hear.

[Old and In the Way]

3. There's no money in helping poor people.

Poor sap...he beleived this pResident. HAHAHAHAHAHA

[UL_Approved]

9. The seeds of destruction are sown

When you screw over all people that elected you, then the future will get you reserved with a rope and a tree in your beloved Texas. So far, Bush is screwing over farmers heavily, and now is cutting back revenues to the religious right.

After he screws over ALL of his constituents (except for the big money that actually got him there), then he will get the removal he so richly deserves.

The silver lining for us is that the GOP position as a whole will be lowered through outrageous shenanigans c/o the shrub.

[Colorado Blue]

28. I agree! Actually I've been hoping for something like this...

that the voters who supported * on values issues would start peeeling away once they discovered he HAS no values.

[bluestateguy]

4. The "Faith Based" programs are bad ideas anyway

That is one promise I am glad to see him break. I really don't want my tax dollars funding Focus on the Family's re-education camp for "ex-gays".

[Dr Fate]

34. But he's a "Flip Flopper" now. That is the point. n/t

n/t

[Mountainman]

5. Gee, you'd think these guys would get a clue about Bush's sincerity by now

Has he meant anything he said? There is truly a fool born every minute and they all vote Repub!

[CAG]

6. Is Kuo Dilulio's successor?

Does this make two consecutive faith-based czars who exposed the administration for who they are? Complete hypocrites taking the christian right for a ride they deserve?

[oasis]

7. "I was sure there was a pea under at least one of those shells"

Mr. Kou, be sure to read Christy Todd Whitman's new book, "We Got Played".

[Erika]

8. Bush has no interest in the poor-zilch-

But he's sure after permanent tax cuts for the wealthiest.

[BattyDem]

10. You mean Bush* lied to get their votes???

That's shocking! :eyes:

[Moderator]

12. kick

[cthrumatrix]

13. Ex-Aide Questions Bush Vow To Back Faith-Based Efforts (Wash Post)

Ex-Aide Questions Bush Vow To Back Faith-Based Efforts

By Alan Cooperman and Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, February 15, 2005; Page A01

A former White House official said yesterday that President Bush has failed to deliver on his promise to help religious groups serve the poor, the homeless and drug addicts because the administration lacks a genuine commitment to its "compassionate conservative" agenda.

David Kuo, who was deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives for much of Bush's first term, said in published remarks that the White House reaped political benefits from the president's promise to help religious organizations win taxpayer funding to care for "the least, the last and the lost" in the United States. But he wrote: "There was minimal senior White House commitment to the faith-based agenda."

snip


"Capitol Hill gridlock could have been smashed by minimal West Wing effort," Kuo wrote on Beliefnet.com, a Web site on religion. "No administration since has had a more successful legislative record than this one. From tax cuts to Medicare, the White House gets what the White House really wants. It never really wanted the 'poor people stuff.' "

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24561-2005Feb14.html


The religious right wake-up and realized they have all been "used".

[whathappened]

14. just don't no

how much helping they would do for the poor in this country anyways , when i was going to church they always had collections for the needy , but it always seemed to be for the poor in other countrys , , maybe no all faith based churches are like this one , so if i'm wrong please fill free to correct me

[rodeodance]

15. for a former Bush Director to speak out like this is significant

[charlie]

17. He's the second from the same office

Diulio had pretty much the same complaint years ago.

[punpirate]

19. Nope...

... this is disinformation to push further efforts to privatize social programs.

First, this former aide presumes that "faith-based" systems of support are good. They're not. Second, Bush didn't get the support from Congress that he wanted for such programs, and he's beginning a new push now, which this "ex-aide" supports.

Once most social programs have been transferred to private organizations, the money will dry up--that's the intent of this policy--completely divorce the government from social support. After the government money dries up, those religious NGOs will have to depend upon philanthropy, much as existed at the turn of the last century.

It's just another right-wing scam.

[frictionlessO]

25. ding ding ding!! You hit my nail on its head.

Thats exactly what I believe. You could smell them lining up sacrificial red herrings and faux catalysts a mile away!!

Create crisis, creater fear in public of created crisis, manipulate the public through its fear of said crisis. Rinse and of course repeat as often as possible.

[Dulcinea]

16. Boy George doesn't really care about social issues.

The problems of the poor, abortion, & gay marriage are nothing to him. His only agenda is more & more tax breaks for the rich.

Poor people barely exist on his radar except to clean his house or his pool. This has been ingrained in him...read Kitty Kelley's book.

[FuzzyDicePHL]

20. Keeping the poor poor

will clearly help his cause. Promise the poor that you'll help them (even if you never intend to deliver) and you'll have their ear. Offer to trade a hot meal and a shower for a vote and I bet they pay rapt attention for as long as you want it.

:puke:

[necso]

18. So * didn't come up the (our) cash? /nt

[Ian David]

21. Bush's faith-based agenda

1) Make everyone poor
2) Send all the jobs away
3) Destroy every government social program and safety net
4) That leaves people with two choices:
a) Join the Army
b) Receive your aid from "faith-based" sources
where they can tell you about Jesus before they give you food.

FYI: The faith-based money went almost exclusively to Christian entities-- mostly Evangelical. Including a whole bunch of money to the Moonies. There were a couple Jewish charities on the list. And they paid the Scientologists to give "pro-family" and "abstinence-only" training in public schools.

[necso]

22. But did they get all the money that they were promised?

It's not a big deal, these "faith-based" types aren't coming over to our side anyway (not in any numbers). But I am curious as to whether or not there is anything tangible underlying this. Did they not get all their money? Were they unhappy with how it was divvied up (as in: "divvied up the loot")? Or is it complete bullshit?

And yeah, we're getting more of this stuff jammed up our ass. And yeah, it's part of a program to strip away any government-based safety net (worker/environmental protections, etc, etc) -- and make one go crawling to "faith-based alternatives". And yeah, it would be a disaster.

But we knew this going in.

[Ian David]

23. They must have gotten the money. The figures are published.

Interestingly, the Jewish organizations that received funds seemed to all be earmarked for "security measures" necessitated by Bush's own foreign policy and (intentional?) failure to stop the 9-11 attacks.

I guess the big question, though is this: How much of the money received by the faith-based organizations actually went to HELPING people as opposed to CONVERTING people. And how much went into greedy pockets?

[necso]

24. Serious skim-aroni, perhaps?

We'll never know for sure (about this -- and many other things). -- But some of these "religious" types have a "surprisingly" materialistic side.

And probably just about every dollar spent had proselytization somewhere in the picture.

But I suppose that we would have little real way to know what these guys were promised (in dollar figures -- or in other terms).

[stevedeshazer]

26. Former Aide Blasts Bush's Faith-Based Plan

link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25954-2005Feb15.html?ABTest=blurb_A

By DEB RIECHMANN
The Associated Press
Tuesday, February 15, 2005; 11:31 AM

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is defending the president's faith-based agenda against criticism from a former White House staffer who alleges the president gained politically from his vow to let religious-affiliated organizations use federal money to help the needy, but lacks a commitment to the initiative.

David Kuo, former deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, says that as soon as the president announced his faith-based agenda, "hackneyed church-state scare rhetoric made the rounds," yet congressional Republicans matched Democratic hostility with "snoring indifference."

White House press secretary Scott McClellan on Tuesday took issue with Kuo's depiction of the program.

"The president has made the faith-based initiative one of his highest priorities," he said. "It was at the top of his list when he came into office and it remains on the top of the list as we move into the second term."

more:

[Freedom_from_Chains]

27. Not to mention the fact that FBI is un-constitutional

But seeing how that document has been swept into the dustbin of history, that probably isn't a valid point.

[NNN0LHI]

29. Former White House Aide Blasts Bush's Faith-Based Program

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBE2V8B85E.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration is defending the president's faith-based agenda against criticism from a former White House staffer who alleges the president gained politically from his vow to let religious-affiliated organizations use federal money to help the needy, but lacks a commitment to the initiative.

David Kuo, former deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, says that as soon as the president announced his faith-based agenda, "hackneyed church-state scare rhetoric made the rounds," yet congressional Republicans matched Democratic hostility with "snoring indifference." snip

Kuo, in an article posted on the religious web site, beliefnet.com, argues that Capitol Hill gridlock could have been eased with minimal West Wing effort, but that over time, it became clear that the White House didn't need to expend Bush's political capital for "pro-poor" legislation.

"Who was going to hold them accountable? Drug addicts, alcoholics, poor moms, struggling urban social service organizations, and pastors aren't quite the NRA," Kuo said of the powerful National Rifle Association lobby.

more

[4_Legs_Good]

The point is that the fundies are being USED

and were USED to a huge extent in the 2004 election. The George Jr. Administration doesn't give a sh*t about their "priorities" either, they're just paying lip service to them, just they're trying to do to the Catholics and the Hispanics now.

All we have to do is wake up and realize that it's the PNAC calling the shots, that that's the real agenda, and all the else is just a clever (very clever) ploy to garner the votes necessary to take over the world by military might.

david

[Barrett808]

First Diullio, now this guy

At least we got the great "Mayberry Machiavellis" quote out of all this.

[UCLA Dem]

cool. maybe the fundie wing nuts will break off and kill the repuke party.

hey i can dream can't i?

[liberal N proud]

30. So you think?

former White House staffer who alleges the president gained politically from his vow to let religious-affiliated organizations use federal money to help the needy

It is more than an allegation, it is fact that he gained politically

[never cry wolf]

I don't recall the details offhand

But I read here on DU that the admin held a meeting with 70 some black ministers from Ohio (?) before the election to try to get them to buy into the admin and preach to their flocks that bunnypants wasn't so bad after all. I also believe that this group was given millions in faith based initiave cash.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

1. but this guy is a true believer

Just another conservative asshole who wants Bush to make good on his fundie support of tearing down FDR's and the Democrats' great society.

[realFedUp]

31. Missing funds....

hard to keep track of walking around money
either here or in Iraq.

[BGAL1965]

32. "A BILLION HERE A BILLION THERE"

"Pretty soon we`re talking real money." John Defenbaker Republican senator

[Dr Fate]

33. "Flip Flopper" n/t

n/t

[cyberpj]

35. Former Aide Blasts Bush's Faith-Based Plan

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration is defending the president's faith-based agenda against criticism from a former White House staffer who alleges the president gained politically from his vow to let religious-affiliated organizations use federal money to help the needy, but lacks a commitment to the initiative.

David Kuo, former deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, says that as soon as the president announced his faith-based agenda, "hackneyed church-state scare rhetoric made the rounds," yet congressional Republicans matched Democratic hostility with "snoring indifference."

White House press secretary Scott McClellan on Tuesday took issue with Kuo's depiction of the program.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050215/D88927JO0.html

[Tony_FLADEM]

36. Bush's faith based initiative is all about giving money to

Sun Myung Moon.

[Guckert]

37. religious right switched Kool-Aide for "Blood of Christ".

Even after the GOP lies to them, they will still give their full support to the GOP.
Bush........ good
Dems.........bad
Must.......Eat.....Brains
AAARRRGGGGG

[insane_cratic_gal]

38. What if Faithbased refuse services

to the public based on their faith or lack of?

Didn't that happen in India, some born-again christians refused to give them the food and blankets off the truck unless they converted right their on the spot. Or at the very least, had to listen to their ideas on Jesus. They never did give them the food and blankets.

What is to stop them from refusing service, food or shelter to someone who does not want to convert?

What happened to chruch and state.. State doesn't include Federal Money being fed to churches all of the sudden?

[MountainLaurel]

40. Already happening

I remember reading many moons ago about some of the groups getting funding in Texas, including a drug-counseling center based on the idea that prayer can solve any addiction, without any actual licensed practitioners working there. Same for services for behaviorally disordered youths: Beat the hell out of 'em, that'll cure anything.

[VegasWolf]

39. It's obvious a party designed for the wealthy can't get more than 1%

of the votes without a lot of help from the sheep, the fundies,
the pickup driving republicans. It's good for the repukes that
1 out of 2 people have low IQs.