Obama to expand Bush's faith based programs
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D91L5FS00&show_article=1"...announcing plans to expand President Bush's program steering federal social service dollars to religious groups and—in a move sure to cause controversy—support some ability to hire and fire based on faith"
Uh. WHAT?
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No thanks!
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26 commentsReplies
Combustible Monkey said, (58 days ago)
Son of a bitch.
We've been hoodwinked.
Was he just waiting for the nomination so he could support the FISA bill and pull this shit?
Oom Mao Mao said, (58 days ago)
Huh. All I know is that these folks, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, are about to get some of my money and energy.
DO NOT WANT
Previous Toast said, (58 days ago)
THE PURPLE LIPPED ONE SHALL BRING THE END AND HIS NUMBER SHALL BE SIX-HUNDRED THREESCORE AND SIX!
ABoyNamedArt said, (58 days ago)
What's more likely is, his advisors are advising him to appease the center/center-right so as to not be painted as a total pinko by Faux News and the like.
Previous Toast said, (58 days ago)
@Art- Wait... wait. There's a middle? But I thought... hold on, you just blew my mind. There's more to the social spectrum than the fringes?
Combustible Monkey said, (58 days ago)
@Art: I certainly hope that's the case. Because things have been looking a bit iffy lately.
Oom Mao Mao said, (58 days ago)
ughughugh
Look, after just getting back from Georgia, and seeing the stupendous amount of churches there, I realize that money might be profitably channeled to established organizations in local communities to help folks because lemme tell ya, there are some folks in Georgia that look like that need some help.
HOWEVER, faith-based hiring decisions?!?! Oh no, my sweet Jesus, no.
oimoi said, (58 days ago)
For a few months now I've been toying with the idea of finding religion so's I can find more jobs.
Superion said, (58 days ago)
I've been reading Glen Greenwald's column at Salon. I'd recommend just reading the current one. http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/07/01/obama/
I didn't trust Obama, but I hoped that he wouldn't sell out so quickly.
Combustible Monkey said, (58 days ago)
@AArtaud: What bothers me is really the expansion of the faith-based programs. The government should not be supporting religious organizations. Especially since it will be, I'm sure, almost exclusively protestant Christian sects that will benefit.
As for the faith-based hiring decisions, that actually doesn't bother me as much. They do clarify that these decisions would only affect parts of the organization that are not supported by government funds - but, to be frank, I wouldn't want to be an Atheist or Buddhist or Muslim working for, say, a Southern Baptist charity anyway. That's just asking for trouble.
No, what bothers me is MY taxes (even if it's only fractions of pennies) going to religious organizations.
Oom Mao Mao said, (58 days ago)
oimoi: Lemme know if you can find a religion you can stomach. I've so far been unsuccessful except for these guys:>
http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/index.html
oimoi said, (58 days ago)
Me? Find something I can stomach? I laugh.
I was just planning on taking the hypocrisy route like everybody else.
Oom Mao Mao said, (58 days ago)
CM: Well, that's the rub. I don't think they should be supporting faith-based programs. However, with the erosion of pretty much every New Deal program and the decimation of welfare, there is no support network for folks that need it.
Now, we could be sensible like countries like Denmark and Norway and put into place a socialist-capitalist model of social welfare that has no stigma attached to it and allows for rapid re-training in response to market conditions.
Or we can do this since founding a country on religious dissidents inevitably means that genetically a large portion of your population has a tendency to religious whack-o-ness.
I'd rather be from a country founded by convicts like Australia. Thieving I can handle better than piety.
Oom Mao Mao said, (58 days ago)
oimoi: I can't even be hypocritical about it and believe me, I've tried. It's like everyone drinks the Flavor Aid eventually.
oimoi said, (58 days ago)
I dunno, as a complete malcontent, I feel I ought to be surrounded by fuckwits.
Combustible Monkey said, (58 days ago)
I just... with every day that goes by since the end of the primary, I feel more and more like I've been suckered into putting in a down payment on the Brooklyn Bridge. And there's nothing I can do about it because no matter how bad Obama would turn out to be, McCain would be worse.
And, honestly, I believe that Clinton would have fallen somewhere between the two.
Oom Mao Mao said, (58 days ago)
I like how it's all coming apart at the seams just as I get some sort of stake in the system.
Bravo.
Oom Mao Mao said, (58 days ago)
ginger: Yup. This is why I refuse the styrofoam cup of Flavor Aid.
Always.
Mike G ("GeekyTech") said, (57 days ago)
McCain is still weak when it comes to the base of the party - so attack him at the roots ("a rear guard action") - if Obama can find a reasonable message that appeals to the right (like faith based programs), he stretches McCain. I would actually expect him to do more over the next few months to appeal to people and groups that are into community-based self-organization. I might not like where all my money goes in general - but it's a good move in terms of the political chess match...
Oh jiminy; it's John Kerry all over again.