July 02, 2008
Dems Changing Tune On Faith-Based Programs
Proposing his “Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships” this week, Barack Obama said he knew some people who would “bristle at the notion that faith has a place in the public square.” He does. Many of them are members of his party.
Democrats spoke against President Bush's 2001 push for expanding faith-based programs to allow religious organizations to use federal funds for charitable initiatives.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said the White House-backed proposal would lead to government “meddling” with religion. "There is an old saying about a certain road that is paved with good intentions," he said. "Charitable choice may be well intentioned, but I have grave concerns about where it may lead us."
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) said the bill was “wrong for America.”
“Allowing religious organizations to provide much-needed social services to disadvantaged people or people in need sounds like an innocent way to solve many of our problems,” Lewis said. “But the truth is that it allows these organizations to use federal dollars, the taxpayers' dollars, to discriminate in their hiring. This is not right. It is not fair. It is not just.”
Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS) said it “offer(s) us a false choice and fail(s) to protect our constitutional rights.”
The president eventually created his “Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives” by Executive Order.
Fast forward to this week and Obama's announcement, which prompted a warmer reaction from his fellow Democrats.
Moore told On Call today in an e-mailed statement: “I know well the vital role that churches, mosques, synagogues and other religious institutions play in our communities. But legislation authorizing faith-based programs must include meaningful safeguards and oversight to ensure that we continue to protect religious freedom by upholding each Americans’ right to free exercise of religion and maintain a separation between church and state.”
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), who voted against the 2001 bill, said in an interview with On Call that the original Bush proposal would have only funded organizations that were already eligible for federal money. “Catholic Charities has been getting a billion dollars a year for as long as anybody can remember,” he said.
Scott said he opposed the Bush-era plan because it allowed for discrimination in hiring, which Obama’s would not.
“I think the funding in the normal course of legislative process would be much healthier,” Scott added. “It’s a little unclear in this administration exactly how people get funding. There have been allegations made that many times the best program is not the best-funded.”
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), then a representative in the MD-03, said in 2001 that the Bush bill “promotes government-funded religious discrimination, turning the President's campaign proposal on its head.”
But Cardin spokeswoman Sue Walitsky this week echoed Scott’s support of the Obama program.
“If you take a look at the Obama plan, it is very, very clear that federal dollars would only go toward secular programs,” she told On Call. “It separates the church and the state. [Bush] basically used it as a cover to be able to extend religious-based anti-discrimination exemptions into non-religious areas.”
Meanwhile, former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD), a top Obama adviser, issued this statement today to On Call:
"Senator Obama’s proposed Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships is an exciting new plan. Senator Obama is exactly right about the need for getting 'all hands on deck' to address America’s challenges. We cannot – nor should we – rely on government to solve all of our problems. Recognizing the importance of faith and community in the lives of most Americans, and harnessing this energy and those networks to address our shared challenges, is just one more example of how Senator Obama’s campaign is about restoring power to the people."
Calls to Leahy’s and Lewis’ offices were not returned.
(Hotline's NICHOLAS TABOR)
Posted at 04:06 PM
Comments
Distrusting GWB to run an unconstitutionally discriminatory program, while trusting Obama to run a similar program after he's explicitly added Constitutional safeguards against discrimination: I think the term for that is "Common Sense."
Alex Fl | 07.03.08 03:02 AM
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Alecki Says:
Obama is an embarrassment and has been very deceptive since the beginning of the primary season. Those that once supported him are wondering if he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Clinton supporters have know about his unfair tactics all along. With God’s help the Obamanuts will wake up?
Obama has lied and changed his story repeatedly throughout this primary season.During the weeks of the Pastor Wright episode alone, Obama displayed a lack of credibility and character.
1.)Obama lied repeatedly about his relationship with Reverend Wright and his church.
Obam lied about what he knew, when he knew it, and majestically said he couldn’t disown Wright or his church, any more than he could disown his own grandmother or the entire black community.
However, in the end, Obama disowned both Wright and his church when it became to his political advantage to do so
The press actually praised his attempt to wriggle out from under the lies by giving a speech in Philadelphia.
2.)Obama lied to the people of Ohio about his position on NAFTA
3.) Obama misrepresented his position on Iraq which was revealed by one of his former foreign policies
4.) Obama lied during the Florida and Michigan controversy, running on a campaign slogan that “voices must be heard". Somehow the press minimized Obama doing everything he could to keep the voices in Florida and Michgian from counting. Again Obama was viewed as honorable by spitting on Michigan and Florida voters when it was simply to further his own personal ambitions.
The press chose to ignore all this dishonesty and instead of holding Obama accountable, the press perceived him as a “winner”, his dishonesty meant nothing.
5.) Then we had this great line from Obama’s Memorial Day speech, something Im sure even any comedian would envy:
“On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors it’s unbroken line of fallen heroes, and I see many of them in the audience today…”
Maybe now super delegates are starting to see why the majority of the party voted against him in the first place. Or did we forget that 18 million voters that saw through his web of deception and wanted Senator Clinton in the White House. An then we wonder why Clinton supporters kept using the term “drinking the Kool-Aid".
Hillary Clinton has not withdrawn her name as a candidate. She hasn’t released her delegates.
Her campaign is suspended, not over. Obama’s actual pledged delegate lead over Clinton is only 1% And lets not forget that Hillary Clinton is the winner of the popular vote. Hopefully, the superdelegates and pledged delegates will wake up before the convention.
Obama as the Democratic Presidential candidate has already become the bad joke that over 18 million people thought he would be. And it should be obvious by now that he is not going to leave anyone laughing when he loses in November.
Al from NJ | 07.03.08 06:25 AM
|
Alecki Says:
Obama is an embarrassment and has been very deceptive since the beginning of the primary season. Those that once supported him are wondering if he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Clinton supporters have know about his unfair tactics all along. With God’s help the Obamanuts will wake up?
Obama has lied and changed his story repeatedly throughout this primary season.During the weeks of the Pastor Wright episode alone, Obama displayed a lack of credibility and character.
1.)Obama lied repeatedly about his relationship with Reverend Wright and his church.
Obam lied about what he knew, when he knew it, and majestically said he couldn’t disown Wright or his church, any more than he could disown his own grandmother or the entire black community.
However, in the end, Obama disowned both Wright and his church when it became to his political advantage to do so
The press actually praised his attempt to wriggle out from under the lies by giving a speech in Philadelphia.
2.)Obama lied to the people of Ohio about his position on NAFTA
3.) Obama misrepresented his position on Iraq which was revealed by one of his former foreign policies
4.) Obama lied during the Florida and Michigan controversy, running on a campaign slogan that “voices must be heard". Somehow the press minimized Obama doing everything he could to keep the voices in Florida and Michgian from counting. Again Obama was viewed as honorable by spitting on Michigan and Florida voters when it was simply to further his own personal ambitions.
The press chose to ignore all this dishonesty and instead of holding Obama accountable, the press perceived him as a “winner”, his dishonesty meant nothing.
5.) Then we had this great line from Obama’s Memorial Day speech, something Im sure even any comedian would envy:
“On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors it’s unbroken line of fallen heroes, and I see many of them in the audience today…”
Maybe now super delegates are starting to see why the majority of the party voted against him in the first place. Or did we forget that 18 million voters that saw through his web of deception and wanted Senator Clinton in the White House. An then we wonder why Clinton supporters kept using the term “drinking the Kool-Aid".
Hillary Clinton has not withdrawn her name as a candidate. She hasn’t released her delegates.
Her campaign is suspended, not over. Obama’s actual pledged delegate lead over Clinton is only 1% And lets not forget that Hillary Clinton is the winner of the popular vote. Hopefully, the superdelegates and pledged delegates will wake up before the convention.
Obama as the Democratic Presidential candidate has already become the bad joke that over 18 million people thought he would be. And it should be obvious by now that he is not going to leave anyone laughing when he loses in November.
Rick from Pa | 07.03.08 06:26 AM
|
Alecki Says:
Obama is an embarrassment and has been very deceptive since the beginning of the primary season. Those that once supported him are wondering if he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Clinton supporters have know about his unfair tactics all along. With God’s help the Obamanuts will wake up?
Obama has lied and changed his story repeatedly throughout this primary season.During the weeks of the Pastor Wright episode alone, Obama displayed a lack of credibility and character.
1.)Obama lied repeatedly about his relationship with Reverend Wright and his church.
Obam lied about what he knew, when he knew it, and majestically said he couldn’t disown Wright or his church, any more than he could disown his own grandmother or the entire black community.
However, in the end, Obama disowned both Wright and his church when it became to his political advantage to do so
The press actually praised his attempt to wriggle out from under the lies by giving a speech in Philadelphia.
2.)Obama lied to the people of Ohio about his position on NAFTA
3.) Obama misrepresented his position on Iraq which was revealed by one of his former foreign policies
4.) Obama lied during the Florida and Michigan controversy, running on a campaign slogan that “voices must be heard". Somehow the press minimized Obama doing everything he could to keep the voices in Florida and Michgian from counting. Again Obama was viewed as honorable by spitting on Michigan and Florida voters when it was simply to further his own personal ambitions.
The press chose to ignore all this dishonesty and instead of holding Obama accountable, the press perceived him as a “winner”, his dishonesty meant nothing.
5.) Then we had this great line from Obama’s Memorial Day speech, something Im sure even any comedian would envy:
“On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors it’s unbroken line of fallen heroes, and I see many of them in the audience today…”
Maybe now super delegates are starting to see why the majority of the party voted against him in the first place. Or did we forget that 18 million voters that saw through his web of deception and wanted Senator Clinton in the White House. An then we wonder why Clinton supporters kept using the term “drinking the Kool-Aid".
Hillary Clinton has not withdrawn her name as a candidate. She hasn’t released her delegates.
Her campaign is suspended, not over. Obama’s actual pledged delegate lead over Clinton is only 1% And lets not forget that Hillary Clinton is the winner of the popular vote. Hopefully, the superdelegates and pledged delegates will wake up before the convention.
Obama as the Democratic Presidential candidate has already become the bad joke that over 18 million people thought he would be. And it should be obvious by now that he is not going to leave anyone laughing when he loses in November.
Rick from Pa | 07.03.08 06:26 AM
|
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