Bush Tries To Reassert "Compassionate Conservatism"

George Bush suddenly remembered his campaign pledge from nine years ago to introduce compassion to conservatism last week. It was conveniently forgotten once he stepped into office, replaced by the typical disdain for all things compassionate. The only thing that was the least bit soft and fuzzy was a disregard for separation of church and state, an idea revered by our founding fathers and for the most part, by a nation ever since. The moment he came in, he decided that helping the least amongst us should come at a religious price. Apparently he still believes that today.

From The Washington Post:

As he noted in his speech on Thursday, Bush began talking as long ago as 1999 about loosening restrictions on the participation of religiously affiliated groups in government programs. That led to his executive order creating the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives at the White House, and a proliferation of similar offices throughout the government.

Bush said the moves were meant to "ensure that the armies of compassion play a central role in our campaign to make America more promising and more just."

But controversies have erupted regularly, usually focused on allegations of improper favoritism for the religious right or improper proselytizing. Last week, the Justice Department fired an official under investigation for her role in doling out faith-based grants after she did not show up for a House hearing.

Whether you call it holy or unholy, President Bush is full of shit. The only reason he brought up the subject is that one of his underlings was caught doing exactly what he wanted to see done. Compassion (i.e. helping the poor) was meant for those that could stomach the religious propaganda thrown at them along with a hot meal or a job training session. And being that Bush tried to garner favor with the evangelicals (a group that helped him tremendously in his quest for the White House, both to get there in 2000 and stay there in 04'), the money went to Christian groups more so than Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, you name it and specifically those groups run by his campaign contributors. Oh and you can forget about atheists or agnostics, they don't count to George Bush.

Even A Broken Clock Is Right Twice A Day

Cal Thomas would be one political character that you would classify as being on the right. This evangelical Christian is a regular on Fox News and has a column in the Washington Times. His credentials as a bonafide social conservative are well known. That is what makes his article today somewhat curious and a downright correct assessment of what it takes to be Presidential. He actually cites the Constitution, while mocking evangelical requirements to approve candidates for office.

From The Washington Times:

This election should be more about competence and less about ideology, or even faith. It shouldn't matter where — or if — a candidate goes to church, but whether he (or she) can run the country well, according to the principles in which the voter believes. And, if those principles include a person of faith, so much the better. God can be the ultimate check and balance on earthly power.

If a car hits me, I care more about whether the ambulance driver knows the way to the nearest hospital and the skills of the emergency room doctor than where they stand with God. That's the attitude we should have toward those who desire to be president of the United States in a fallen world.

Bravo Cal! Though I do not expect much more of this "American tradition" stuff from Mr. Thomas in the near future. Despite this, he isn't one to set your watch to.

Romney: Only The Believers Belong In This Country

If George Washington would have met Mitt Romney, he would have laughed him away from politics. The Founding Fathers for the most part believed that the church should be separated from the state, but not good ol' Mitt. His speech on religion showed how welcomes many different types of beliefs, but not those that do not believe or ascribe to organized religion.

From TPM Election Central:

A spokesman for the Mitt Romney campaign is thus far refusing to say whether Romney sees any positive role in America for atheists and other non-believers, after Election Central inquired about the topic yesterday

It's a sign that Romney may be seeking to submerge evangelical distaste for Mormonism by uniting the two groups together in a wider culture war. Romney's speech has come under some criticism, even from conservatives like David Brooks and Ramesh Ponnuru, for positively mentioning many prominent religions but failing to include anything positive about atheists and agnostics.

Indeed, the only mentions of non-believers were very much negative. "It is as if they're intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They're wrong," Romney said, being met by applause from the audience.

Seriously, you might want to keep those kinds of ideas underneath the surface. There are certainly plenty of Americans who think on a similar wavelength, but would rarely dare to espouse it publicly. Romney goes nuclear on religion, instead of respecting the divide between church and state he has went above and beyond the other Republican candidates who merely touch the subject lightly.

Secularism is not a religion, it is the antithesis of religion. You can get Bill O'Reilly to nod along with that speech but forget about those that can think with their heads out of the ground.