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Obama Says He’ll Expand Pres. Bush’s Faith-Based Programs

By 316Networks.com

Published: July 01, 2008

In an effort to reach out to more evangelical voters, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has announced plans to expand President Bush's program of allocating federally funded social service dollars to religious groups and charities.

This new move is one many believe will cause a great deal of controversy, due in part to the present program's allowance of religious groups' ability to hire and fire based on faith.

Sen. Obama said on Tuesday, while in Zanesville, Ohio, that his decision to expland the current plan involves was getting religious charities more involved in government anti-poverty programs during.

"The challenges we face today," the Illinois Senator said, "are simply too big for government to solve alone," Obama added, "We need all hands on deck."

Obama's new announcement is part of a number of events focused on American values his campaign team has scheduled leading up to the Fourth of July holiday.

On Monday, the Democratic presidential candidate spoke about his vision of patriotism in the battleground state of Missouri, in hopes of settling the debate in two key areas where his beliefs have come under question from traditionally loyal to Republican constituencies.

According to his campaign fact sheet, Obama does not support requiring religious tests for recipients of aid. He also supports letting religious institutions hire and fire based on faith in those activities that are non-taxpayer funded portions.

Preisdent Bush supports broader freedoms for taxpayer-funded religious charities, although he never got Congress to go along with his plan.

David Kuo, a conservative Christian and former deputy director of Bush's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, said Obama's position on hiring has the potential to be a major "Sister Souljah moment."

The reference was used in compairson to Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, in which he accused the hip hop artist incited violence against whites before a black audience. Many feel it fed into an image of him as a bold politician who was willing to take risks, and that the same will be viewed about Obama.

Kuo called Obama's approach smart, impressive and well thought-out, but wants to see if Obama can deliver.

"When it comes to promises to help the poor," says Kuo, "promises are easy."

Obama promised to elevate the program to a "moral center" of his administration. He also noted that he will rename it the 'Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships,' and seek to empower larger religious charities while mentoring smaller ones in their communities.

Obama proposed a $500 million per year program to provide summer learning for 1 million poor children, saying social service spending has been shortchanged under President Bush. His campaign fact sheet said he would pay for the new program by managing surplus federal properties and reducing growth in the federal travel budget.

Like Bush, Sen. Obama said that religious organizations should play a bigger role in serving the poor and meeting the social needs of others. "Because they're so close to the people," Obama says, "they're well-placed to offer help."

Obama also stated that he planned to talk more bluntly in the weeks to come about his Christian faith, and its importance to him.

"In time, I came to see faith as being both a personal commitment to Christ and a commitment to my community," says Obama. "While I could sit in church and pray all I want, I wouldn't be fulfilling God's will unless I went out and did the Lord's work."

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