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WHAT WOULD BARACK OBAMA DO?
Jul. 3rd, 2008 11:45 pmNothing to report from Sydney today, unless you REALLY want to hear about all the PowerPoints I slept through, or about the fact that, against all odds, I found a Borders close to the hotel and spent an hour there. Also, Agent N turned out to be too swamped with deadlines to make it out, though she had the best excuse ever – she had to write up her interview with Henry Rollins.
Yes, THAT one.
And that pretty much did it for today. But we have a city tour lined up in the morning, so stand by for excitement.
In the meantime, let me get this off my chest, because I saw this Tuesday just before I left for the airport, and it’s been gnawing at me:
ITEM: Barack Obama is announcing plans that would expand President Bush's program steering federal social service dollars to religious groups.
Wait, what?
To be fair, Obama’s version differs from Bush’s Department Of Faith in that if you want federal money, you can’t discriminate in yr hiring and firing practices based on yr religious beliefs. On the other hand, Bush’s version didn’t allow such groups to proselytize or discriminate on faith, and by most accounts those rules were almost never enforced.
As to why Obama would back anything dreamed up by one of the worst presidents in history, I’m guessing he is doing this to prove to voters that he’s Jesus-y enough to be president (as opposed to, you know, Muslim, or whatever his former pastors were). Which I think is what really bugs me about this. Why why WHY is it now a prerequisite for presidential candidates to prove they’re Christian enough to qualify for the job? When did that happen?
It’s even more bizarre when considering that if this is Obama’s attempt to woo evangelicals, it’ll never work in a million years until he declares himself pro-life, anti-gay, promises to put prayer back in school where it belongs and backs a Constitutional amendment making Christianity the Official Religion Of America.
Maybe Obama is more clever than we ever dreamed, and we just can’t see where he’s going with this. Either way, between this and his other “compromise” on wiretapping America’s phones, Obama is really starting to worry me.
Too bad. And just when I was seriously considering changing my middle name to Hussein.
I don't pray that way,
This is dF
Yes, THAT one.
And that pretty much did it for today. But we have a city tour lined up in the morning, so stand by for excitement.
In the meantime, let me get this off my chest, because I saw this Tuesday just before I left for the airport, and it’s been gnawing at me:
ITEM: Barack Obama is announcing plans that would expand President Bush's program steering federal social service dollars to religious groups.
Wait, what?
To be fair, Obama’s version differs from Bush’s Department Of Faith in that if you want federal money, you can’t discriminate in yr hiring and firing practices based on yr religious beliefs. On the other hand, Bush’s version didn’t allow such groups to proselytize or discriminate on faith, and by most accounts those rules were almost never enforced.
As to why Obama would back anything dreamed up by one of the worst presidents in history, I’m guessing he is doing this to prove to voters that he’s Jesus-y enough to be president (as opposed to, you know, Muslim, or whatever his former pastors were). Which I think is what really bugs me about this. Why why WHY is it now a prerequisite for presidential candidates to prove they’re Christian enough to qualify for the job? When did that happen?
It’s even more bizarre when considering that if this is Obama’s attempt to woo evangelicals, it’ll never work in a million years until he declares himself pro-life, anti-gay, promises to put prayer back in school where it belongs and backs a Constitutional amendment making Christianity the Official Religion Of America.
Maybe Obama is more clever than we ever dreamed, and we just can’t see where he’s going with this. Either way, between this and his other “compromise” on wiretapping America’s phones, Obama is really starting to worry me.
Too bad. And just when I was seriously considering changing my middle name to Hussein.
I don't pray that way,
This is dF
