What would Jesus do? Probably help the poor.
10.16.06 - Posted by AsiansVote
Angela at APAforProgress.com recently posted about Republican efforts in Texas to appeal to Asian Americans by using socially conservative wedge issues. So I'm happy to see that an Asian American member of the religious right has come out against the Republican Party and the Bush Administration on religious grounds.
Last night, 60 Minutes ran a report on David Kuo, former "number two guy in the White House Faith Based office," whose new book, "Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction," slams the Bush Administration for contempt for evangelicals. Kuo's book has gotten the most attention for claiming that Bush's staff referred to evangelicals as "insane," "ridiculous," and "nuts." But Kuo's most damning claim is that the President almost completely ignored his "compassionate conservative" promise to devote $8 billion to fighting poverty. From the transcript:
Kuo says he took candidate Bush at his word during the 2000 campaign.
At the time, Bush proposed for the first time that he would spend $8 billion dollars on programs for the poor.
"I think it's one of the most important political speeches given in the last generation. I really do," says Kuo. "It laid out a whole new philosophy for Republicans."
After the election, to much fanfare, President Bush created the office of faith-based initiatives to increase funds to religious charities.
But Kuo says there were problems right off the bat. For one, he says the office dropped very quickly down the list of priorities.
Asked how much money finally went to them, Kuo says laughing, “Oh, in the first two years, first two years I think $60 million.”
"When you hold it up to a promise of $8 billion, I don't know how good I am at math, but I know that's less than one percent of a promise," says Kuo.
Kudos to Kuo for having the guts to speak out for the Christian injunction to help the poor. He provides a great reminder to Asian Americans of all faiths: if you're committed to helping the poor, Republican politicians might not be your best choice in November.
10.16.06 |
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Religion
