Jack & Jill Politics

So this article in the Washington Post basically says that Dubya’s Faith-Based Initiative got no gravy for black churches. Even after so many African-American pastors bought into the anti-gay marriage, Bush’s-direct-line-to-God-crap during the 2004 election. Want to see what that looked like? Remember this kind of crazy talk that ministers like Rev. Clarence Page spouted to urge his parish to vote for Bush (emphasis mine):

I will vote for the reelection of President George W. Bush because:

1. He is pro-marriage. He believes marriage is between a man and a woman.
2. He is pro-life. He believes that the killing of unborn, helpless, innocent children is wrong.
3. He is willing domestically to stand for what God stands for (Faith-based initiatives prove this).
4. He has a Black woman in the White House (and she is not a maid).
5. He has a Black man as Secretary of State (and he is not a “Tom”).
6. He has a Black man as Secretary of Education (and he is not a “figurehead”).
7. He has stood by (not fired) those high profile Black cabinet members.
8. He believes that “No Child Should Be Left Behind”.
9. He has publicly honored God and welcomed the representatives of God.
10. He is willing internationally to stand for what God stands for (against sinful UN initiatives).
11. He cares about being right (though, [as all human beings] he is sometimes wrong).
12. He welcomes and seeks the advice of God’s people

Um, right. Sorry, I just need a little time to finish rolling my eyes. In the post-Hurricane Katrina America, can someone please tell me how “Christian” was it to withhold aid to storm victims as the nation watched in helpless horror? Forget “Christian” — how about just humane and decent?

Apparently only three (3) tiny percent of the many millions of dollars in this fund has actually dispersed to majority-black churches. This doesn’t even come close to proportionate — about 13% of Americans are black.

Leading pastors such as famous author T.D. Jakes have been buddy-buddy with Bush in the past and Jakes originally signed on to the Inter-Faith Katrina Relief Fund with Rev. Bill Gray, former Democratic congressman and CEO of the United Negro College Fund last December. Since then, Jakes, Gray and most of the committee members have resigned in disgust from the Fund. From CarpetBagger:

Numerous disagreements ensued, but Jakes and Gray said the last straw was the fund’s decision to cut checks to 38 houses of worship, each for $35,000, without first conducting an audit to ensure the church exists.

UGH. Sound like the Bush Administration cronyism and corruption we’ve come to know and despise? Glad to see that though Bush may have pulled the wool over some preachers’ eyes, that they might be finally starting to wake up to what this particular set of so-called-Christian conservatives really has to offer African-Americans.

Which, besides a trip to Iraq for our family members in the Armed Forces, is jack-diddly.