Barack Obama will be speaking today in Ohio, where he will deliver a speech calling for an expansion of government cooperation with faith-based programs.

Okay, I'm officially getting disgusted with the level of pandering to which Obama is stooping. What's next? - privatizing the FDA? Rethinking the gas tax holiday? Lunch with the NRA?

This one isn't pandering; it's who Obama genuinely is. Not that that makes it easier to take.

I'd add that that the government has always cooperated with private religious groups — they have infrastructure in place, a lot of eager and willing volunteers and staff.

The distinction with Bush is that he basically scrapped all the anti-discrimination clauses and rules against them actively proselytizing. If Obama rolls that back, it's a big improvement in the status quo.

Love that the NRA is wasting 15 million dollars to go against a candidate that recently supported the Supreme Courts decision on the 2nd amendment just last week.

I have pretty much lost interest in Obama's campaign. Ever since he clinched the nomination, it's just more of the same old same old.

I mean, yeah it wsa predictable, but that doesn't make it any less disappointing.

There's a pretty good overview of Obama's Faith-Based Social Programs and their limitations at

http://www.jedreport.com/

It made me feel a tiny bit better about it all.

I might be a little more sympathetic if the Obama campaign had spent the last two weeks smacking hell out of the Republicans, but along with all this veering right, they have adopted the toxic rhetoric of bipartisanship and let the media frame the issues. Screw 'em.

Obama never pretended to be a liberal DEM . . . I have been ranting about his Mitt Romeny-like tendancies for months BUT I will be sending him a copy of the US Constitution this evening. Perhaps he while get beyond the Audacity and read the book.

Respectfully,
Just another American proud to be voting against continuing Republican control come November . . .

"Second, federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples, and mosques"

Name one mosque that receives federal aid.

If you are opposed to the faith-based initiative, are you also opposed to giving financial aid to students at Georgetown? This is the same thing. Catholic and other religious schools are faith-based initiatives. For that matter so is Harvard.

In fact, Obama has been a beneficiary of federal aid to a faith-based initiative. He recieved financial aid to attend Harvard. Yes we don't really think of most private universities as faith-based, but that is how most started. The more they entangle themselves with the government, the less religious they become. This is all to the good.

Similarly, the secularization of Christmas was greatly advanced by the fact that it is a national holiday.

For many years, United Way organizations have funded social programs provided by religious organizations...and done an excellent job of it.

They key is that UW's are locally based and typically prohibit religious adherence as a price for social services; and, in all fairness, the religious organizations involved (notably The Salvation Army and various missions; Catholic Social Services, etc.) are usually cooperative.

However, I would be dubious about the "faith based" organizations supported by the Bush initiatives. This administration has embraced (and bent down for) so many "whackos and, since local control is lacking, there is a strong likelihood that there is little, if any, SEPARATION of church and state. PLUS the various Prayer Camps and other mind control activities seen in right-wing America is exactly how extremists (like the Taliban)gain control of sizable portions of the "stupid" population.

Before the advent of television, we had only minor incidences of "whacko" religions; and, if only our FCC had banned "television evangelists" (think "Elmer Gantry") the country would be far more sane. These vultures scam lonely "little old ladies" out of vast sums of money virtually without regulation and are a pus-filled sore on our democracy.

Is this REALLY what Obama wants to promote?????

This sucks - I don't know if he believes it or what. I guess my funny feeling in the primaries about him is why I supported Edwards and then voted eventually for Clinton. I've even sent him money, because another Republican would obliterate the constitution.

I guess a boot in the ass is better than getting your ass completely shot off.