New Book "Tempting Faith"

[MrsSpringsteen]

Wow-the hits just keep on coming


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15228489/

"More than five years after President Bush created the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, the former second-in-command of that office is going public with an insider’s tell-all account that portrays an office used almost exclusively to win political points with both evangelical Christians and traditionally Democratic minorities.

Tempting Faith’s” author is David Kuo, who served as special assistant to the president from 2001 to 2003. A self-described conservative Christian, Kuo’s previous experience includes work for prominent conservatives including former Education Secretary and federal drug czar Bill Bennett and former Attorney General John Ashcroft.

He says some of the nation’s most prominent evangelical leaders were known in the office of presidential political strategist Karl Rove as “the nuts.”

“National Christian leaders received hugs and smiles in person and then were dismissed behind their backs and described as ‘ridiculous,’ ‘out of control,’ and just plain ‘goofy,’” Kuo writes.

More seriously, Kuo alleges that then-White House political affairs director Ken Mehlman knowingly participated in a scheme to use the office, and taxpayer funds, to mount ostensibly “nonpartisan” events that were, in reality, designed with the intent of mobilizing religious voters in 20 targeted races."

 

[melon]

Yup...that sounds like the Republican Party alright.

Melon

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/10/11/olbermann-exclusive-dissecting-new-book-tempting-faith/

Kuo relates one faith-based promise after another — billions of dollars in funding and tax credits — that goes unfulfilled year after promise after year.

He recounts one specific funding exchange with Mr. Bush:

Bush: "Eight billion in new dollars?"

Kuo: "No sir. Eight billion in existing dollars for which groups will find it technically easier to apply. But faith-based groups have been getting that money for years."

Bush: "Eight billion. That's what we'll tell them. Eight billion in new funds for faith-based groups."

Why bother lying?

Kuo says, "The faith-based initiative had the potential to successfully evangelize more voters than any other."





"By that time, Kuo had left the White House, concluding that "it was mocking the millions of faithful Christians who had put their trust and hope in the President and his administration. Bush knew his so-called compassion agenda was languishing and had no problem with that.

If you would question Mr. Kuo's credibility, you should know his former boss also quit the White House complaining in his one public interview that politics drove absolutely everything in the Bush administration. There is more, much more revealed in Tempting Faith… how Jack Kemp was tricked into sounding like a religious conservative without even knowing it; Jerry Falwell's astonishing behavior at the 9/11 Day of Remembrance and considerably more as our Countdown exclusive of Tempting Faith continues here tomorrow night."

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

I assume that by "the nuts" they refer to them being the "winning points".

 

[deep]

this is good

to me
these things have been obvious, all along

this administration is the lowest of the low

this author, has nothing to gain
but cleansing his guilty conscious for his involvement with this bunch




I expected some books from insiders that are sick of the stench, after 2008

hopefully, there will be more honorable people of conscience, speaking up

 

[BVS]

David Kuo is just another polished Michael Moore.

 

[verte76]

This doesn't surprise me.

 

[LPU2]

This is interesting. Anyone else feel that their "gut" is almost never wrong?

Before this administration took office in 2000 I'd read that part of Karl Rove's strategy for Bush back in Texas was to gather support among the most unwavering and loyal consituency in the United States: evangelicals. It would help them as they moved on to the national level, too, because evangelicals were also the fastest growing group of voters in the country. He knew if they could get them, they couldn't lose.

My gut told me back in 2000 that casting Bush as this devout evangelical was nothing more than Rovian policial strategy and that Bush was probably no more devout than anyone.

But I'm a fair guy. I also knew that just because you appeal to Christians for political purposes doesn't necessarily mean you disagree with them. In other words, it doesn't necessarily mean you're a hypocrite. And then I started getting confirmation of Bush's devotion to his faith from people whom I trust: Bob Woodward, for example. Even Bono to a degree. So I thought my gut was wrong. He's an idiot, most of his policies have been failures, but clearly his faith is beyond reproach.

And then...you start seeing Bush when he thinks the cameras are off, swearing like a truck driver and flipping people off. Nah...doesn't mean anything. And then you look at his policies—not the ones he talked about, but the ones he got through. None of them seem very "faith-based."

And then you hear from the #2 guy in his faith-based program, who says that Bush gave only lip-service to these programs and often ridiculed their leaders.

What's going on here? It's impossible to know for sure what really happens in the White House, but from now on I'm just trusting my gut.

 

[trevster2k]

David Kuo is just another polished Michael Moore.

Way to beat them to the punch!! You knew it would be coming!!

 

[BVS]

Way to beat them to the punch!! You knew it would be coming!!

Of course.

 

[najeena]

I doubt there are many people on the earth that Bush truly respects. This seems to go both ways.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Did anyone see him on 60 Minutes last night?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/14/60minutes/main2089778.shtml

"I have this burden on my heart that the name of God is just being destroyed in the name of politics," Kuo says. "I felt like I had to write this."

"You’re calling for a fast. That’s your expression," Stahl remarks.

"Yes. I think that Christians, particularly evangelical Christians need to take a step back. To have a fast from politics," he replies. "People are being manipulated. Good well-meaning people are being told, ‘Send your money to this Christian advocacy group or that.’ And that’s the answer. It’s just not the answer. It’s not the answer."


Excerpt in Time

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1546374,00.html?cnn=yes

 

[deep]

more evidence the Bush Administration is sticking it to their "conservative christian base."

FAITH UNDER FIRE
New U.S. dollar coins hide 'In God We Trust'
On gold-colored presidential pieces, national motto relegated to thin edge

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: November 27, 2006
1:52 a.m. Eastern


New dollar coins place 'In God We Trust' along thin edge instead of front or back.

WASHINGTON – "In God We Trust," the official national motto since 1956 and a familiar sight on U.S. coins and currency, will be hard to find on the new presidential dollar coins scheduled for release to the public Feb. 15, 2007.

The new gold-colored dollar pieces, featuring images of U.S. presidents, will move the inscription from the face of the coin to the thin edge.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Dump the bloody thing, if these men were deists in the 18th Century they would be agnostics or atheists today.