Subj : Now for something more serious...
To   : All
From : Rachel L. Akers
Date : Fri Jan 19 2001 10:02 pm

Found at http://www.bergen.com/campaign/bushmin200012214.htm
                                                                        
                 Bush kicks off 'faith-based' initiative 

                     Thursday, December 21, 2000

             By DANA MILBANK and HAMIL R. HARRIS
             Washington Post News Service

        WASHINGTON -- President-elect Bush met with a group of 
        religious leaders in Austin on Wednesday to kick off his 
        "faith-based" initiative, which will seek to give religious
        organizations more power to administer programs for the poor 
        and disadvantaged.

        The event, a lunch and talk at Austin's First Baptist Church,
        was also intended as a way for the president-elect to build 
        support among black voters, after winning only nine percent 
        of their votes last month.

        "My hope is that when people who may not have supported me 
        get to know me, they realize that I am just as intent upon 
        being a good president for them as for those folks who 
        supported me," Bush said before the meeting. Bush 
        acknowledged that he has "a lot of work to do" to convince 
        African-Americans, but "I look forward to the chance of
        healing a nation that has been divided as a result of an 
        election."

        Addressing the religious leaders, Bush acknowledged his 
        plight. "Not everybody here voted for me," Bush said, 
        provoking laughter. "I'm hoping to find one or two."

        The group of about 30 included a rabbi, academics, and 
        representatives of the National Conference of Catholic 
        Bishops and the Islamic Center of America. But the largest
        representation came from African-American religious leaders 
        from across the country.

        "It was a bridgebuilding meeting where Bush reached out to 
        the unconverted," said the Rev. Eugene Rivers, who runs a 
        faith-based social program in Boston called the Ten Point 
        Coalition. Rivers said he was particularly pleased that Bush 
        "made a commitment to focus on Africa and the AIDS crisis."

        Bush spoke relatively little, preferring to listen to his 
        guests, who included the Rev. Floyd Flake, a former 
        Democratic congressman from New York who has been mentioned 
        as a possible education secretary, and former Indianapolis 
        Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, Bush's domestic policy adviser, who 
        may head a White House office of "faith-based action," which 
        Bush intends to create. "We're hoping that Goldsmith is the
        guy," said the Rev. Herb Lusk, a Bush supporter who attended 
        the meeting. "I think the president-elect is leaning in that 
        direction."

        The session provoked complaints of exclusion from civil 
        rights leaders and some representatives of the nation's 
        largest denominations of black churches. "I know the subplot:
        this is an attempt to play one group against the other," 
        Jesse L. Jackson said in an interview. "Meeting with 
        political leaders is one thing and meeting with ministers is
        another. It would have been great for him [Bush] to meet with 
        the Congressional Black Caucus while he was in Washington." 
        Jackson said he and Bush plan to meet.

        The Congress of National Black Churches, which represents 
        major African-American denominations, complained that its 
        leaders weren't invited, although two of the attendees, Flake 
        and the Rev. Cheryl Sanders of the Third Street Church of God
        in Washington, were from the group's denominations. Rep. 
        Bobby Scott, D-Va., called the "charitable choice" program, 
        which Bush would expand, "a substitute for racial discrimination."

        Among others, though, the meeting had the desired effect. In 
        Washington, the Rev. Imogene Stewart expressed support for 
        Bush's effort on her radio show. "Bush is president," she 
        said. "I don't care how you fix it, the man is the president,
        we have to get past this." Stewart added: "Bush knows these 
        preachers, he has studied Clinton, he has studied his style, 
        he knows what to do to get over with black folks: Go to the
        church."

        Bush's "faith-based" effort, long one of his favorite 
        initiatives, would seek to ease regulations that prevent 
        religious organizations from participating in federal 
        programs. He would also expand the federal charitable 
        deduction and promote a charity tax credit for contributions 
        to groups that work with the poor.

        Many of Wednesday's participants rose to prominence because 
        of huge multimedia operations and ministries. Bishop Charles 
        Blake, who is a top official in the Church of God In Christ, 
        has almost completed the construction of a $60 million 
        sanctuary in South Central Los Angeles and among his members 
        are Magic Johnson and Denzel Washington. Pastor Tony Evans, 
        another participant, is one of the biggest names in Christian
        radio, while Bishop Carlton Pearson is a top gospel recording
        artist.

                                 Copyright ¸ 2000 Bergen Record Corp. 

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