Book: Bush Aides Called Evangelicals 'Nuts' (1 Viewer)

[aps]

Book: Bush Aides Called Evangelicals 'Nuts'
White House advisors sought the support of conservative Christians but mocked them in private, writes a onetime administration official.

By Peter Wallsten, Times Staff Writer
October 13, 2006

WASHINGTON — A new book by a former White House official says that President Bush's top political advisors privately ridiculed evangelical supporters as "nuts" and "goofy" while embracing them in public and using their votes to help win elections.

The former official also writes that the White House office of faith-based initiatives, which Bush promoted as a nonpolitical effort to support religious social-service organizations, was told to host pre-election events designed to mobilize religious voters who would most likely favor Republican candidates.

The assertions by David Kuo, a top official in the faith-based initiatives program, have rattled Republican strategists already struggling to persuade evangelical voters to turn out this fall for the GOP. . . .

Kuo is scheduled to appear Sunday on CBS' "60 Minutes" as part of a rollout arranged by his publisher, Simon & Schuster, which shares a corporate parent with CBS. . . .

http://www.latimes.com/news/printed...t13,0,1366214.story?track=mostviewed-homepage

Now why am I not remotely surprised by these reports? This book is coming out just at the right time, ain't it? :lol: Can't wait to watch 60 Minutes this Sunday.

I wonder what kind of impact this could have with the evangelicals.

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

I wonder what kind of impact this could have with the evangelicals.

Not much, I reckon. Who else are they going to vote for, after all?

 

[aps]

Not much, I reckon. Who else are they going to vote for, after all?

They'll stay home instead. The facts that Kuo lays out are pretty detailed. I am guessing that some evangelical leaders will recognize them and see the White House for what it is.

 

[Spartacus FPV]

They'll stay home instead. The facts that Kuo lays out are pretty detailed. I am guessing that some evangelical leaders will recognize them and see the White House for what it is.

They wont stay home, and for once I agree with the Bushies.

 

[aps]

They wont stay home, and for once I agree with the Bushies.

I'm glad you're able to predict so many people's behavior. That's impressive.

 

[aps]

LMAO! I notice that the Bush supporters are ignoring this thread. :mrgreen:

 

[Spartacus FPV]

I'm glad you're able to predict so many people's behavior. That's impressive.

It shouldnt be, did you not presume to have the same capacity when you said, "They'll stay home instead"?

I think its safe to say that American evangelicals will not quit politics simply because the Bush crowd made a few cracks behind closed doors.

 

[aps]

It shouldnt be, did you not presume to have the same capacity when you said, "They'll stay home instead"?

I think its safe to say that American evangelicals will not quit politics simply because the Bush crowd made a few cracks behind closed doors.

I was hypothesizing--I wasn't being matter-of-fact. Evangelicals came out in droves in 2004 because of how many states had gay marriage as one of the issues on the ballot.

 

[Navy Seal Patriot]

"I had marching orders from the president to keep the faith-based initiative nonpolitical, and I did."

LOL. No you didn't.

Kuo is not the first insider to accuse the White House of politicizing the faith-based program. John J. DiIulio Jr., the first director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, resigned after seven months and was quoted as saying that the White House was run by "Mayberry Machiavellians" who sometimes put politics ahead of other causes

Straight up.

White House used the program to build alliances with prominent African American ministers, some of whom switched political allegiances to back Bush.

But I thought I was just told it was non-political? Dems + GOP= Lying sack of BS--time to get rid of them all.

 

[RightinNYC]

LMAO! I notice that the Bush supporters are ignoring this thread. :mrgreen:

....3 hours of no response for a fairly uninteresting gossip story = sincere effort by Bush supporters to avoid comment on the story?

 

[aps]

....3 hours of no response for a fairly uninteresting gossip story = sincere effort by Bush supporters to avoid comment on the story?

Yup. It does. Why not dismiss the book? Why not attack the author? Or maybe they're too busy giving Foley and the war in Iraq excuses.

 

[aps]

From an article today:

The former head of the office of faith-based initiatives, John DiIulio, resigned after a few months and later gave Esquire magazine an indictment of the functioning of the White House. "There is no precedent in any modern White House for what is going on in this one: a complete lack of a policy apparatus," he said. "What you've got is everything - and I mean everything - being run by the political arm."

The Republican party is already scrambling to hold on to its white evangelical supporters after revelations that a Florida congressman, Mark Foley, made indecent approaches to young male pages and that the party hierarchy turned a blind eye to his behaviour for several years. Paul Weyrich, a religious conservative with close ties to the White House, said the continual flow of unflattering stories would stop "embarrassed Republicans" from turning up at the polls on November 7.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1922408,00.html

I really hope they stay home. Republicans need a slap in the face for their abhorrent behavior.

 

[BWG]

....3 hours of no response for a fairly uninteresting gossip story = sincere effort by Bush supporters to avoid comment on the story?

3 hours?

aps first posted this @ 05:24 AM
Your response above @ 07:23 PM

:lol:

 

[CurrentAffairs]

I'm glad you're able to predict so many people's behavior. That's impressive.

What is with this site? You all just bicker and post snide remarks all day. :lol: Aps: why try and cut this person down for predicting voter turnout? You did the exact same thing in post #3 when you predicted that voters will stay home. Why are you people so quick to insult one another?

 

[RightinNYC]

3 hours?

aps first posted this @ 05:24 AM
Your response above @ 07:23 PM

Aps's first post: 06:24 AM
Aps's post saying "LMAO! I notice that the Bush supporters are ignoring this thread."
09:36 AM

:lol: back atcha

:2wave:

 

[danarhea]

The allegations from Kuo get a boost from John DiIulio, the first head of the faith-based initiative, who made the same claim in Esquire Magazine:

"What you've got is everything—and I mean everything—being run by the political arm. It's the reign of the Mayberry Machiavellis."

From this article.

 

[Pen]

The allegations from Kuo get a boost from John DiIulio, the first head of the faith-based initiative, who made the same claim in Esquire Magazine:



From this article.

I read in another article that the administration was not pleased (to say the least) and pressure was put on DiIulio to retract his statements. He did, and hasn't spoken about it since.

 

[aps]

Did anyone watch 60 Minutes last night? David Kuo was interviewed. He quit the White House after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. It sounded like he wrote the book to clear his conscience. He made jokes about what insiders in the White House would say about his book, but that he didn't care. He was articulate, intelligent, and confident.

His book reveals what a-holes Rove and Mehlman are, not to mention George Bush.

 

[ptsdkid]

Now why am I not remotely surprised by these reports? This book is coming out just at the right time, ain't it? :lol: Can't wait to watch 60 Minutes this Sunday.

I wonder what kind of impact this could have with the evangelicals.

**Your not surprised by these reports because you've seen it from your side every time we get close to election time. This author is either a RINO or a jumpin Jim Jeffords type that is just looking for his 15 minutes of fame, or both. Notice how Bob Woodward released his Bush bashing book just in time for the elections.

***His ridiculous assumptions will have absolutely zero affect on the evangelicals. In fact, its the silent majority of evangelicals that will once again vote enmasse to help secure the Republican majority in all phases of national leadership. Go ahead and watch your sixty minutes, but you would have a better chance of gleaning political hope for Democrats by watching Andy Rooney gloss over his altzheimers disease.

 

[Gibberish]

**Your not surprised by these reports because you've seen it from your side every time we get close to election time. This author is either a RINO or a jumpin Jim Jeffords type that is just looking for his 15 minutes of fame, or both. Notice how Bob Woodward released his Bush bashing book just in time for the elections.

I'm waitnig for the threat level to increase and Bush to give another speech talking about how we are all going to die if we don't vote republican.

***His ridiculous assumptions will have absolutely zero affect on the evangelicals. In fact, its the silent majority of evangelicals that will once again vote enmasse to help secure the Republican majority in all phases of national leadership. Go ahead and watch your sixty minutes, but you would have a better chance of gleaning political hope for Democrats by watching Andy Rooney gloss over his altzheimers disease.

They don't need facts and figures. They have faith.

 

[talloulou]

I was hypothesizing--I wasn't being matter-of-fact. Evangelicals came out in droves in 2004 because of how many states had gay marriage as one of the issues on the ballot.

I don't think there are that many Evangelicals. Especially if by the term you are referring to the radically religious. Most of the religious people in this country are moderately religious and most of them would agree that evangelicals are nuts and goofy.

 

[talloulou]

From an article today:



I really hope they stay home. Republicans need a slap in the face for their abhorrent behavior.

OMG aps is it that time of the month again?:shock:

 

[hipsterdufus]

Now why am I not remotely surprised by these reports? This book is coming out just at the right time, ain't it? :lol: Can't wait to watch 60 Minutes this Sunday.

I wonder what kind of impact this could have with the evangelicals.

I missed the 60 minutes piece, the dam Steelers kept scoring so much my DVR ran out.

Anyway, I actually give credit to the Bush admin for seeing these so called religious nut jobs for the morons that they are.

It makes me feel better that although the GOP courts the fundies, they know deep down inside, that the fundies are whackos.

Kudos to Bush and co.!

 

[hipsterdufus]

I don't think there are that many Evangelicals. Especially if by the term you are referring to the radically religious. Most of the religious people in this country are moderately religious and most of them would agree that evangelicals are nuts and goofy.

Agreed, I would like to make the point though, that the moderates lend credence to the radically religious. Sam Harris speaks quite eloquently on this in his new book - Letter To A Christian Nation.

Jesus Camp is a must see BTW! Frighteningly Hilarious.

http://www.jesuscampthemovie.com/

 

[hipsterdufus]

**Your not surprised by these reports because you've seen it from your side every time we get close to election time. This author is either a RINO or a jumpin Jim Jeffords type that is just looking for his 15 minutes of fame, or both. Notice how Bob Woodward released his Bush bashing book just in time for the elections.

***His ridiculous assumptions will have absolutely zero affect on the evangelicals. In fact, its the silent majority of evangelicals that will once again vote enmasse to help secure the Republican majority in all phases of national leadership. Go ahead and watch your sixty minutes, but you would have a better chance of gleaning political hope for Democrats by watching Andy Rooney gloss over his altzheimers disease.

Woodward blows with the political winds - an opportunist seeing that an anti Bush book will sell better now that 60% of the country doesn't support Bush.

Kind of gutless if you ask me. He had much of the material available when he wrote his second book on Bush.