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October 16, 2006
Kuo Charges Of Politicization Of 'Faith-Based' Initiative Is Supported
By Americans United Research
AU Director's New Book, Piety & Politics, Details Effort
By White House Office To Use Initiative For Partisan Purposes
A key assertion by former White House staffer David Kuo his claim
that the "faith-based" initiative was used for partisan
purposes is supported by information in Americans United Executive
Director Barry W. Lynn's new book Piety & Politics: The
Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom.
In the book, which was published Oct. 3, Lynn writes, "James
Towey, until recently the head of the White House faith-based office,
denies there is a political dimension to the initiative. Unfortunately
for Towey, there is and he's up to his neck in it. In 2002 and
2004 Towey made a series of campaign appearances alongside Republican
congressional and gubernatorial candidates whom polls showed were
locked in tight races."
Lynn's information is based in part on a story that ran in
AU's Church & State magazine in October of 2002. That piece,
"Faith-Based Flimflam," detailed how the White House was
using the initiative to sway religious voters in a series of close
House and Senate races.
Reads the story, "While the administration continues to advocate
for the faith-based initiative, it does so while quietly concentrating
on partisan political goals in the 2002 election. In fact,
Bush's White House seems especially focused on using the larger
endeavor as part of an aggressive outreach effort to African-American
voters in competitive political states and districts."
White House staffers and their political allies in the Religious Right
have tried to downplay the significance of Kuo's charges, as
detailed in his new book Tempting Faith. But Lynn said the allegations
of partisanship are well documented.
"Americans United noticed this pattern of partisanship as far
back as the summer of 2002," said Lynn. "We suspected it
was no coincidence that James Towey, then running the program for the
White House, was speaking on behalf of so many candidates who were
locked in right races."
During the events, Towey appeared alongside several Republican
candidates and often presented them with checks for faith-based grants
awarded to local religious groups.
Kuo reports in his book that the strategy was deliberate. It was
adopted by party strategists inside the White House and used in 20
competitive races, with Republicans winning 19 of them.
Lynn said the information in Kuo's book, as supported by the AU
report, prove that the faith-based initiative was never about helping
those in need. In fact, it was just another partisan tool for the
White House.
"The faith-based initiative has been so sullied by these
revelations that I see it as beyond redemption," Lynn said.
"The office should be shut down before more religious leaders
are manipulated."
Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in
Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans
about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding
religious freedom.
Note to the media: To read AU's 2002 report, go to: www.au.org/flimflam.
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You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Hampton Roads [Virginia] SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
[Its not just Hampton Roads folks who are members, there are members from
all over the US and a couple from overseas as well]
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.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why "a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v. Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
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USAF LT. COL (Ret) Buffman (Glen P. Goffin) wrote
"You pilot always into an unknown future;
facts are your only clue. Get the facts!"
That philosophy 'snipit' helped to get me, and my crew, through a good
many combat missions and far too many scary, inflight, emergencies.
It has also played a significant role in helping me to expose the
plethora of radical Christian propaganda and lies that we find at
almost every media turn.
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THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
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