Obama borrowing from JFK and Bush

By Mary Sanchez

McClatchy-Tribune

Barack Obama is channeling JFK these days. Oddly, he's doing it through one of George W. Bush's more controversial policies. ”I won't just ask for your vote as a candidate. I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States,“ Obama told audiences in conservative Colorado Springs, Colo.

Sounds a lot like that famous quote of Kennedy from his 1961 inaugural address: ”Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.“ And, just as Kennedy established the Peace Corps as soon as he took office, Obama has promised to establish new citizens corps to make it easier for Americans to volunteer. Of late, Obama has tried to re-position himself as the ”more patriotic than you thought“ candidate. He needs to convince voters stuck on whether he wears a flag lapel pin or not that he is red, white and blue enough to be their president.

Now, for extra leverage, he also seems to be cozying up to so-called values voters. That makes a certain amount of sense. Only a political fool would cede the evangelical and Catholic vote to the Republicans without a fight.

He is embracing — planning on expanding, even — a controversial program of the Bush administration that invited religious groups to provide social services. Bush's first executive order was to create the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. All cabinet agencies were ordered to eliminate barriers that could prohibit religious groups from tapping government coffers for their social service programs.

Obama dismissed the Bush program as a mere ”photo op,“ but surprised many supporters by suggesting he'd establish a similar one, the Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. He claims his effort will not allow proselytizing and that federal money will only go to secular programs.

Obama is walking a fine line here. Polling shows that about two-thirds of Americans support allowing faith groups some slice of federal dollars. But they are rightly leery of the devil lurking in the details. Obama is emphasizing that he would ensure that religious groups getting funding did not discriminate in hiring, and they would have to prove their worth.

Which means that church-run charities would have to hire folks who don't necessarily conform to their ideals of godliness. And those abstinence-only programs that sucked millions from the U.S. Treasury in the last seven years would have to prove that their programs are keeping virgins virginal. To make his program work, Obama will need to strike a delicate balance.

If he delves into the preachy realm, he will be labeled a phony and irk voters rightfully skittish about crossing the boundary between church and state. If he delivers on his pledge to ferret out religious groups that do not meet a high level of accountability, he'll risk being accused of political favoritism.

In theory, nothing is wrong with harnessing the power of faith to promote good works within the U.S. The problem comes in fairness. Who and what efforts receive the blessing of funding, and who gets cast out? But if Obama spreads the funding around — say, by ensuring that true religious diversity is represented — he could find some extra benefits for the nation.

The comparisons to Kennedy are apt in this respect: His eloquence and sincerity will be necessary to inspire a new generation of Americans to lend their effort and resources to society. With extensive experience in community organizing, Obama knows how to motivate people to tackle problems.

What matters most to the day-to-day health of the nation is that people commit some portion of their lives to aiding those in need. Bless all those who do — and if federal policies can enhance the outcomes of their good works, Amen.

Reach Mary Sanchez at msanchez@kcstar.com.

The Kansas City Star