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Obama's First Major Mis-Step
Feb. 5th, 2009 11:39 amNo, not the misbegotten "bail-out" package, which wasn't right when Bush proposed it and isn't right now.
No, not having Tom Daschle do a face-plant during his confirmation hearings; anyone can pick a loser by looking at what they do right instead of what they do wrong.
Obama's first major mis-step is establishing a White House office of faith-based initiatives. Oh sure, he swears that it will maintain the separation of church and state. Uh-huh.
This was a bad idea when Al Gore first proposed it, a bad idea when Dubya did it, and a worse idea with Obama expanding it.
At best, this is charity at the point of a gun. At worst, this will be the kind of paranoid nightmare that the bigots screamed about "the gay agenda": government dictates of what is or isn't allowed in a religious institution.
No, I take that back. At worst, it will be religious dictates of what is or isn't allowed in government.
And for those of you who are Obama supporters and don't think this will be that bad: do you really want this office still in existence when the Republicans next take control of the White House?
No, not having Tom Daschle do a face-plant during his confirmation hearings; anyone can pick a loser by looking at what they do right instead of what they do wrong.
Obama's first major mis-step is establishing a White House office of faith-based initiatives. Oh sure, he swears that it will maintain the separation of church and state. Uh-huh.
This was a bad idea when Al Gore first proposed it, a bad idea when Dubya did it, and a worse idea with Obama expanding it.
Obama's advisers want to be certain tax dollars sent to the faith-based social service groups are used for secular purposes, such as feeding the hungry or housing the homeless, and not for religious evangelism. The administration doesn't want to be perceived as managing the groups yet does want transparency and accountability.
At best, this is charity at the point of a gun. At worst, this will be the kind of paranoid nightmare that the bigots screamed about "the gay agenda": government dictates of what is or isn't allowed in a religious institution.
No, I take that back. At worst, it will be religious dictates of what is or isn't allowed in government.
And for those of you who are Obama supporters and don't think this will be that bad: do you really want this office still in existence when the Republicans next take control of the White House?
