Oct. 15, 2006
A Loss Of Faith
Former White House Insider Tells Lesley Stahl Staffers Called Evangelicals "Nuts" And "Goofy"
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Play CBS Video Video A Loss Of Faith David Kuo was once the deputy director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. But Kuo says religious leaders were manipulated for political gain. Lesley Stahl reports.
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David Kuo (CBS)
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Kuo himself often confused the two. He was a pioneer of the compassionate conservative movement, but began to go off the tracks when he, like other evangelical speechwriters, wrote for some of the stars of the Republican party, with hidden snippets of hymns and biblical phrases.
"A way to talk about faith without having people in the mainstream media identify it as faith," he explains.
As in this speech, delivered by President Bush, which Kuo didn’t write: "There’s power, wonder-working power in the good and idealism and faith of the American people."
If "wonder working power" sailed over your head, most evangelicals recognize it from a famous hymn.
"God and politics had become very much fused together into a sort of a single entity. Where, in a way, politics was the fourth part of the trinity. God the father, God the son, God the holy spirit, God the politician," says Kuo.
"You’re blowing the whistle on you. You’re the one who did this," Stahl remarks.
"I say this as someone who has lived it, not as someone who preaches it, as though I’m holier than thou. I am the least holy among thou," he replies.
Kuo actually left politics for a while. But then he was summoned to Austin, Texas to meet then-Governor Bush.
Kuo thought they’d talk for 15 or 20 minutes; instead he says they talked for hours and he admits he was "dazzled" by Bush’s compassion.
But once in the White House, he says President Bush and his team let the compassion agenda "languish."
"Well, they say they tried. They say they wanted these programs. And this is the give and take of political life. And that you’re being unfair," Stahl says.
"It all comes down to the fact that if the president wanted it, he would have gotten it," Kuo replies.
The White House calls Kuo’s book "ridiculous," and Kuo’s old boss, Jim Towey, who ran the faith based office until this past June says Kuo is "naïve and simplistic."
"I think it's dangerous to take a snapshot of a few months or even a year and draw conclusions," Towey says. "Ya know, I can look you in the eye and say the president did what he could do."
Kuo says Towey and the White House were embarrassed when the Washington Post ran an article in September 2002 saying they were using the faith office to woo voters, even though the president had repeatedly pledged it was not political.
The White House shot down the Washington Post story, but now Kuo reveals it was all true, and what’s more – he’s the one who thought up the idea.
"This is your idea to tie this office, that was supposed to be non-partisan, you come up with this idea to tie it to the campaign?" Stahl asks.
"Uh-huh," Kuo affirms. "I want this initiative to work."
"And you think if you can get it tied – hooked in with the political people, that they’ll then come back and support you, is that the thinking?" Stahl asks.
"This is not rocket science or brain surgery, this is a matter of survival," says Kuo.
He says he went to the White House political affairs office, then run by Ken Mehlman, and offered to hold events at taxpayer expense for Republicans in tight races as a way of energizing religious voters.
Kuo says Mehlman was "thrilled."
"He just whipped off a bunch a names of particular races and said, 'We need to go there, there, there, there and there,'" Kuo says.
Events in 20 key races, Kuo says, were eventually held. Jim Towey disputes that, though he does confirm the meeting with Ken Mehlman. "But never, never was I going to go out there and politicize this initiative," Towey tells Stahl.
Asked if Mehlman crossed the line in even discussing it, Towey says "No."
"Did you cross over the line in discussing it with Ken Mehlman?" Stahl asks.
"When I came to the White House, I came with my eyes wide open. I knew there were going to be political pressures from Republicans, from Democrats. And the reality is President Bush gave me very clear marching orders not to politicize the initiative," Towey says.
Towey says he was evenhanded in running the events, organizing some at the request of Democrats. But Kuo stands by his version.
Produced By Rich Bonin
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 49 Commentshttp://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen
Bush skirts legality by violating the separation of church and state and the churches violate their unacceptable tax exempt status by electioneering for their supposed benefactor.
It's amazing how you can spin this to try and make people believe that more than two years ago when he started writing his book, David Kuo anticipated all the OTHER scandals in US politics would lead to the POSSIBILITY of Democrats taking over the House and MAYBE the Senate so he timed it so his book would come out now. That theory is just ludicrous!
Republicans are scared because they've made a whole bunch of big mistakes that are now coming up to bite them on their butts. Who's fault is it? Democrats, who haven't held power since '94? Please, get real.
Wake up Church you've made a deal with the devil.
To then respond that Christians would do no better under Democrats, shows how much some have bought the "faith," and turned they're backs on a genuine spiritual vision. To circumscribe God within the confines of a human agenda may be comforting, especially when its one's own agenda, but any sense of an Almighty and transcendent is lost.
Think a minute...
Unlike Chistians, Jewish and Muslim people have totally integrated their religion with politics:
Isreal = Jewish state.
Iran = Muslim state.
(I think Buddhists have no state though.)
Did everyone on staff during the Clinton presidency cheat on their spouse? Even Nixon's staff had a few that weren't arrested...!
Doesn't sound any worse (or better) then a Democratic White House would, does it?
It should go back to the citizens before it lines the pockets of any religious leaders.
"Religion can still send us the truly delicious sins. The fine flower of unholiness can grow only in the close neighbourhood of the Holy. Nowhere do we tempt more successfully as on the very steps of the altar."
These days I am reluctant to call myself a Christian because I don't want anyone to associate me and my beliefs with the "conservatives" or the "right". I think "follower of Jesus Christ" is more appropriate since he is the leader.
To expand on what grumpas said earlier, the "right" wants to shove their Christian ideology and their style of laws on those of us who don't practice Christianity the way they do as well as those who aren't Christian. There are many of every denomination who are fearful of retribution from their fellow church members if they express their true beliefs.
Please go to the polls and vote against every candidate whose slogan includes the word "right" such as The Right Candidate" or "Right for You". Take all your friends to vote too. We can make a political statement against theirs. It is our duty as free Americans and essential to keeping our Constitutional freedoms.
Most religions exist today, not to have an open philosophical conversation, but to create political alignment within society.
Rome converted to Christianity back in 2 A.D. when the Jews were overpowering them POLITICALY.
We as a people need to return our religious beliefs back to their philosophical origins so as to open the discussion about why we are alive, once again.
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