Obama Backs Expanded Faith-Based Funding

Democrat Unveils Proposal To Help Religious Charities, Expand Bush's Initiative

(CBS/AP)  Reaching out to religious voters, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called for expanding President Bush's program steering federal social service dollars to religious groups.

Obama unveiled his approach to getting religious charities more involved in government anti-poverty programs during a tour and remarks Tuesday at Eastside Community Ministry, which provides food, clothes, youth ministry and other services.

"The challenges we face today ... are simply too big for government to solve alone," Obama said.

Obama's announcement is part of a series of events leading up to Friday's Fourth of July holiday that are focused on American values.

The candidate spent Monday talking about his vision of patriotism in the battleground state of Missouri. By twinning that with Tuesday's talk about faith in another battleground state, he was attempting to settle debate in two key areas where his beliefs have come under question while also trying to make inroads with constituencies that are traditionally loyal to Republicans and oppose Obama on other grounds.

Obama does not support requiring religious tests for recipients of aid nor using federal money to proselytize, according to a campaign fact sheet. He also only supports letting religious institutions hire and fire based on faith in the non-taxpayer funded portions of their activities, said a senior adviser to the campaign, who spoke on condition of anonymity to more freely describe the new policy.

"Senator Obama's position is very clear - a faith based group that receives a dime from federal taxpayer dollars cannot do that," Obama spokesman Nick Shapiro told CBSNews.com.

Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, criticized Obama's proposed expansion of a program he said has undermined civil rights and civil liberties.

"I am disappointed that any presidential candidate would want to continue a failed policy of the Bush administration," he said. "It ought to be shut down, not continued."

John DiIulio, who in 2001 was director of Mr. Bush's White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, said Obama's plan "reminds me of much that was best in both then Vice President Al Gore's and then Texas Governor George W. Bush's respective first speeches on the subject in 1999," according to a statement from the Obama campaign.

Mr. Bush supports broader freedoms for taxpayer-funded religious charities. But he never got Congress to go along so he has conducted the program through administrative actions and executive orders.

David Kuo, a conservative Christian who was deputy director of Mr. Bush's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives until 2003 and later became a critic of Mr. Bush's commitment to the cause, said Obama's position on hiring has the potential to be a major "Sister Souljah moment" for his campaign.

This is a reference to Bill Clinton's accusation in his 1992 presidential campaign that the hip hop artist incited violence against whites. Because Clinton said this before a black audience, it fed into an image of him as a bold politician who was willing to take risks and refused to pander.

"This is a massive deal," said Kuo, who is not an Obama adviser or supporter but was contacted by the campaign to review the new plan.

Obama proposes to elevate the program to a "moral center" of his administration, by renaming it the Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and changing training from occasional huge conferences to empowering larger religious charities to mentor smaller ones in their communities.

Saying social service spending has been shortchanged under Mr. Bush, he also proposes a $500 million per year program to provide summer learning for 1 million poor children to help close achievement gaps with white and wealthier students. A campaign fact sheet said he would pay for it by better managing surplus federal properties, reducing growth in the federal travel budget and streamlining the federal procurement process.

Like Mr. Bush, Obama was arguing that religious organizations can and should play a bigger role in serving the poor and meeting other social needs. But while Mr. Bush argued that the strength of religious charities lies primarily in shared religious identity between workers and recipients, Obama was to tout the benefits of their "bottom-up" approach.

"Because they're so close to the people, they're well-placed to offer help," he said.

Kuo called Obama's approach smart, impressive and well thought-out but took a wait-and-see attitude about whether it would deliver.

"When it comes to promises to help the poor, promises are easy," said Kuo, who wrote a 2006 book describing his frustration at what he called Mr. Bush's lackluster enthusiasm for the program. "The question is commitment."

Obama also talked bluntly about the genesis of his Christian faith in his work as a community organizer in Chicago, and its importance to him now.

"In time, I came to see faith as being both a personal commitment to Christ and a commitment to my community; that while I could sit in church and pray all I want, I wouldn't be fulfilling God's will unless I went out and did the Lord's work," he said.

[rowdywicca]

Having the government loaded to the extreme left or the extreme right is a DISASTER waiting to happen!

If there''s no balance...the extremity takes us into downfall every time! You''ve seen what it''s done from 2001-2005! It''s been a disaster! If you load the government up to the extreme left...this country will take a nosedive straight to hell even further!

[rowdywicca]

Governemtn should work with private agencies, both faith-based and secular to address the most pressing problems in our society which are growing exponentiall everyday and being needed by more people from all backgrounds.


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Posted by realpatriot1 at 10:45 AM : Jul 02, 2008

NOT ONLY NO! BUT HELL NO! We need to keep government AWAY from faith-based and community charities! Or else they will have to operate under the absurd selection criteria that tries to control who is considered needy or not!

These organizations don''''t need a government $1 that will control where the rest of their money goes!

Communities know who their needy are! Keep the feds out of it!

Obama, just like BUSH wants to control who gets that money!!! NO! NO! NO!

[obama8years]

Obama is a modern-day Marxist.


Castro and Obama share many of the same values and principles for the country''s economy:

1. Redistribute the country''s wealth - Marxism 101

2. Grow the size of the government - Create new departments dedicated to supporting Item 1

3. Blame greedy American corporations for the pains of the US and the rest of the world

4 Increase taxes on those already paying the largest percentage and total amount. The top 1% already pay 39% of all taxes.

5 Nationalize healthcare

[obama8years]

6 Campaign on a principle based on appealing to the lower income 50% of the US to despise the rich and convince 45% of the other half that their life is miserable so that once convinced of their doom and gloom, they will support the doomsayer and will want bigger government

7. Convince the public, that America is perceived as evil, thus, hated by the rest of the world.

8. Abandon America''s principle of helping the world rid itself of dictatorships, thus, put our weapons down, throw our arms up, and retreat in shame from Iraq.

9. Support dictatorships throughout the world and elevate them to be recognized by the US as worthy leaders that need to be heard without preconditions - legitimize them

10. Grow the support base by expanding the lowest income class in the country by increasing and broadening entitlements; however, add to that the importation of poverty into the United States by giving Amnesty to well over 20 million illegal aliens in the country. Furthermore, promote this policy in order to attract even more illegal immigration prior to the granting of the amnesty in order to achieve the highest number of "new, uneducated, government-dependent poor class", I call the "new poor".

[obama8years]

What Muslim Charity should I donate taxpayer dollars to today. Maybe the Palestinian Childrens Fund.

11. Dictate to Americans that they should be ashamed for using 25% of the world''s energy while only having 3% of the population and that A/C thermostats in should be set at higher than 72 degrees.

12. Give up America''s sovereignty for the "good of the world" and to save the planet from "global warming" by supporting new treaties on international boundaries, not drilling in ANWR or offshore, but standing by while Castro plans to drill off the Florida coast.

13. Campaigning on a message of "change", because it sounds good.


The list can go on and on, as Castro and Obama share many principles for the formula for a failed state, but one in which the party of the "new poor" remains in power through the growth of government. As this party provides more and more entitlements for its citizens and big government prevails, the country becomes less and less productive. Eventually, America''s economy is no better off than Cuba''s. Therefore, Fidel, go ahead and send Obama that box of Cohibas, for he is a Marxist just like you.

[rowdywicca]

Governemtn should work with private agencies, both faith-based and secular to address the most pressing problems in our society which are growing exponentiall everyday and being needed by more people from all backgrounds.


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Posted by realpatriot1 at 10:45 AM : Jul 02, 2008

NOT ONLY NO! BUT HELL NO! We need to keep government AWAY from faith-based and community charities! Or else they will have to operate under the absurd selection criteria that tries to control who is considered needy or not!

These organizations don''t need a government $1 that will control where the rest of their money goes!

Communities know who their needy are! Keep the feds out of it!

[von_marko]

McCain, Hillary and Obama were walking down a Washington DC street when they came upon a homeless man.

McCain gave the man his business card and told him to come to his office for a job. He then took $20 out of his pocket and gave it to the man.

Hillary gave him directions to the welfare office. She then reached into John McCain%u2019s pocket and got out $20. She kept $15 for her administrative fees and gave the homeless man $5.

Barak told him to %u201CHave hope%u2026change is coming%u2026%u201D and gave him nothing.

Now do you understand the difference?

[realpatriot1]

mbcsmith,

Obama isn''t embracing the Bush policy. He wants to keep the program but he wants to make it operate the way it was intended by Congress which is a far cry from what the White House intention has been.

We don''t need to be spending public funds to promote abstinence without birth control or other social axes to grind. We need to be using these limited funds to leverage private donations toward the achievable goals of reducing hunger, providing more affordable housing,providing job training, providing more mental care and hospice care and domestic violence and child abuse protection,etc.

Governemtn should work with private agencies, both faith-based and secular to address the most pressing problems in our society which are growing exponentiall everyday and being needed by more people from all backgrounds.

[realpatriot1]

confused25,

Whatr welfare reform proposal are you talking about? Obama wasn''t in the Senate when welfare reform was dealt with during the Clinton Administration.

Funding for faith-based programs doesn''t have anything to do with the property tax exemptions for Churches because even if a Church forms a 501(c)3 for the purpose of operating a faith-based program it''s a separate entity from the Church with a separate Board and management and reporting requirements.

501(c)3 organizations, whether they are faith-based or secular, do not pay taxes because they don''t operate for profit.

The employees who are paid pay the same employment taxes as for-profit entities. As a matter of fact, non-profits represent a significant portion of those employed in this country in jobs that can''t be outsoured and are an important part of keeping our economy afloat, beyond the fact that they often deliver needed servies more efficiently and cost effectively than either the private sector or government.

[realpatriot1]

hungrymama,

Unless you are a taxpayer making over $200,000 annually you''ve already been plucked by Bush.

Obama is proposing a tax CUT for middle income Americans and an increase for those who''ve been receiving their tax cut for 7 years.

McCain is not proposing any tax relief for middle income Americans, he''s just paying lip service to conservative anti-tax theory with no specific proposals to back it up.

[realpatriot1]

LJLJaz,

In case you didn''t notice it was Bush who invented this way to steer federal money to his political supporters.

The program is a good idea if administered properly. It''s the job of Congress to exercise oversight and assure that the process of approving grant proposals is not politicized by the administration.

Of course, when the program was implemented the Republicans controlled both the White House and the responsible Congressional Committees.

Now that we have the prospect of a Democratic President and Congress operating the same program it''s all of a sudden a bad idea. Why? Because faith-based groups other than those focused on a strictly conservative social agenda might receive the funding?

[jowand]

Obama is just another lying political *** like the rest of them, will say anything and is never held accountable by the alphabet media who are in the tank for this guy, pimping for him everyday all the way. He is as dumb as a rock too when he isn''t using a tele-promter.

[ljljaz]

His crooked community fund raiser buddy''s will like this, Obama''s buddies have been coming up with scams like this for years. Collect money, but don''t bother with your faith. Read Obama''s book, crooks, you''ll find them there, his buddy''s, the community fund raisers.

gslinger3, he talks about that type in his book as community fund raisers, this guy is sick in his ways.

[homespunlady]

If you''re curious as to HOW "faith based" religions "handle" their responsibilities concerning "aiding the community"; I''d like to suggest a book called "ANGELA''S ASHES".

It''s autobiographical and touches on that very subject as it was handled in Ireland during the Author''s childhood.

[homespunlady]

Does this mean the Buddhist, Hindu, Wiccan, Satanist, Hari Krishna, and all the OTHER "RELIGIONS" can get in on this BOUNTY OF TAXPAYERS SUBSIDIES?

My guess is that it WILL BE DISCRIMINATORY AGAINST ALL BUT THE 3 EVANGELICAL MAINSTREAM churches - Christian, Jewish and Moslem!!

WHAT kind of "FREEDOM OF RELIGION" is THAT????

[mbcsmith]

And when they eventually blow away in the changing winds; they and their destructive policies will leave behind unimaginable destruction, international famine, food shortages here, poverty, the realization of LOSS and hardship before OUR denuded land might begin to recover.


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Posted by homespunlady at 09:12 AM : Jul 02, 2008


"Changing winds"? Obama is embracing president Bush''s policies. The same policies the LIBS denounced. Change to what? You''ve been duped and are too blind to see it.

[confused25]

Again, Obama flip flops he opposed the welfare reform, now says he authored the bill. Please!!

[confused25]

If church based groups receive federal monies for programs, then it is not separation of church and state and they should not enjoy the privilege of not paying property taxes.

Churches accepting public taxpayer funds should be taxed on their properties, churches that have allow candidates to make political statements in their churches should be taxed. Candidates should meet with congregations away from the church property otherwise be subject to taxes.

[homespunlady]

Speaking of religion - it occurred to me that the NEOCONS have a LOT of resemblance to the Biblical "PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS"

They swarmed in appearing to be an "unstoppable" force.

They devoured the "wealth of our land" - the Budget SURPLUS, our international reputation, American Jobs, savings and lifestyles, privacy , the CONSTITUTION, the Bill of Rights, our National sense of Security, the legacy of our Public lands, the moral high ground, the value of the dollar and stripped clean the Middle class and poor with their insatiable HUNGER for money and Power.

They cannibalized the "weak" among themselves that didn''t keep up or "fell injured" - Ashcroft, Brownie, Rumsfeld, etc.

They DESTROYED all that stood in the way of their all consuming devouring hunger for MORE - Dissenting Generals, Iraq, those Attorneys, Plamegate, etc.

And when they eventually blow away in the changing winds; they and their destructive policies will leave behind unimaginable destruction, international famine, food shortages here, poverty, the realization of LOSS and hardship before OUR denuded land might begin to recover.

[hungryman9]

A TAXPAYER VOTING FOR OBAMA IS LIKE A CHICKEN VOTING FOR COLONEL SANDERS