You Can Have the Arsenic, Or You Can Have the Cyaninde

Pick your poison.

LaBelle sends a link to this Brilliant at Breakfast post.

In 2000, enough people voted for Ralph Nader, believing that there was no difference between George W. Bush and Al Gore, despite all evidence to the contrary, that it put us on the path to the mess in which we find ourselves today.

In 2006, Democrats won a razor-thin majority in Congress, and its approval ratings are below that of George W. Bush -- not because the Democrats aren't conservative enough, but because they are still capitulating to the Bush Administration.

And now, between Barack Obama's capitulation on FISA (which is likely to persist, Keith Olbermann's hopes notwithstanding), his jettisoning of Wesley Clark as if questioning whether being shot down was a sufficient condition by itself to warrant a free pass to the White House, and now a pledge to continue George W. Bush's program of Tax Dollars for Jeebus, I'm starting to wonder just how much daylight there is between Obama and John McCain -- and just what the hell happened.

Truth happened.

From time to time, I still like to think that Al Gore really was different. But I keep wanting to think the same thing about Obama, when in the back of my mind, that knowing little voice keeps saying: “Not where it really counts.”

I just don’t get it – who thinks it’s a good strategy for Democratic candidates to keep going to the right? They’ll never get the die-hard Republican vote, no matter how far they go, because Democrat is a dirty word to those GOPers – it means liberal, and that means evil.

But what they are doing is driving away the progressive arm of the Democratic party. And then they cry about Ralph Nader “spoiling” the election. It’s not Ralph who’s losing them votes – it’s themselves.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he would spend at least $500 million a year to promote community aid programs run by faith-based groups.

The proposal would expand an initiative put in place by President George W. Bush to aid religious organizations performing social service work, which Obama said “never fully completed its mission or fulfilled its promise.''

[...]

Obama, a former community organizer in Chicago, would create a new White House office for the President's Council for Faith- Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Among other things, the council would help train faith-based groups on how to apply for federal grants.

[...]

Obama, 46, an Illinois senator, called for rules to ensure that the council wouldn't breach the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. Federal money could only be spent on non-religious activities and groups couldn't discriminate when deciding who will get their aid.

  Bloomberg

So tell me then, why is this a Council for Faith-Based programs? Sounds like bogus hocus pocus to me. Why don’t faith-based folks just organize into secular organizations that help the poor? Why can’t they do their thing under a Neighborhood Partnership? Why do they need the faith-based coverage if they’re not going to be able to have anything religious in their activities?

And since Bush organized this affront on the separation of church and state without Congressional approval, is Obama taking advantage of a program so initiated?

I smell fish.

As today's Daily Twain (sidebar) reminds us:

History has tried hard to teach us that we can't have good government under politicians. Now, to go and stick one at the very head of the government couldn't be wise. --Mark Twain

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

P.S.

And from the comments on that post:

FranIAm said...

Obama is really upsetting me. As a practicing Christian the last thing that I want is more faith based crap.

This is not a Christian nation (I already believe this but I am also quoting my parish priest from a class he taught at church last night...)- it is a nation founded on religious freedom.

A.
Big.
Difference.

As he said - and I agree, if we want to be a Christian nation then fine. That would mean being compassionate to all, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, bringing justice to the oppressed, you know... Shit like that.

All the posturing is many things - it is not Christian.

Quite.