The Morning Sneeze: Praying back the economy

Hey, don’t laugh.

Remember when you laugh that they prayed for the oil leak to go away? Soon after that, the White House informed us that God has granted 72% of their prayer.

So, why not use these proven methods on the economy as well? This is what startled me this morning

Obama's faith-based stimulus. http://politi.co/eLgc2D—
POLITICO (@politico) December 03, 2010

I mean, why should Wall Street bogart it all?

Politico’s headline goes

Faith-based groups get millions from stimulus

How many, you ask? Oh, about a billion and a half

But an analysis by POLITICO found that at least $140 million in stimulus money has gone to faith-based groups, the result of an unpublicized White House decision to spend government money, where legal, supporting religiously-inspired nonprofit groups. And that decision was just the beginning.

Mind you, the entire piece is written from the POV of the Rs, it’s trying to curry their favor

Other observers, though, see more continuity with Bush’s program. Obama’s approach to spending government money on faith-based initiatives has been “almost entirely identical” to the Bush policy, said Robert Tuttle, a professor of law and religion at George Washington University.

And this is viewed as a good thing. Not just by Politico, but by Obama who commissioned this PR

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“It is something the Obama administration should get credit for and more people should know about — even if there are some folks on the left who this would disturb,” said Nathan Diament, the director of public affairs at the right-leaning Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, who also sits on the Faith Advisory Council.

He added that he believed the new White House chief of staff, Pete Rouse, “is looking for new opportunities to highlight policies of the administration that do shatter some of the narratives.”

Hence the writing of this article.

Funny, the ones they used to call Obama’s base aren’t even a target for propaganda anymore.

This piece is addressed to Bush’s base, asking them to appreciate Jr.jr and his “continuum”.

Which frankly is probably more honest that selling “achievements” to the Os. But also totally futile.

On many levels.

Morning Sneeze: Yes, even women can avoid STDs !Thanks, Pope!

My morning sneeze comes from Roger Ebert’s tweet. He tweets often, on many subjects, relevant and funny.

On this one I am afraid he put the emphasis on the wrong thing though

Pope sez female sex workers can use condoms. Yes, he said "sex workers." http://j.mp/fkMCzf—
Roger Ebert (@ebertchicago) November 24, 2010

He should have said : “He said “women”

The article at the link sets it straight from the headline

Female sex workers can use condoms too, says Pope

This is a clarification of prior “game changing” statements

Pope Benedict XVI was quoted at the weekend saying condom use by male prostitutes could be a good thing, indicating the user’s intention to protect others from a deadly infection, apparently condoning the use of contraceptives for the first time. The Vatican yesterday confirmed that the same message applied to women sex workers.

In other words, when sticking his nose in other people’s bedrooms (or cars, or dark  street corners), the Pope decided preventing disease is an acceptable reason for condom use.

But only if sex is traded for money, mind you.

I think some of his advisers since the original statement informed him shockingly, not only some priests go for adult males, but for some, women are of interest as well.

And, voila! Women are allowed to not get sick too!

Another giant step for women! (provided they sell it, mind you). They can now sell sex just like the guys!

Image of the day

I was searching in my archives, and this struck me as extremely timely and expressing my feelings

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Obama has no regrets for being both for and against the Mosque – cartoon, video

Interestingly enough he is still trying to appear principled on the matter.

Obama: ‘no regrets’ on Islamic Center

Here’s what he said at a fundraiser (the paragraph has been since deleted from the CNN piece on “no regrets”)

“I actually have pollsters, so I know when things aren’t popular. I know when they don’t poll well. But I was not sent to Washington just to do what was popular. I was sent to do what was right.”

It’s ironic and idealism is the first thing coming to mind when Michael Bloombarg and Barack Obama take identical actions.

Jon Stewart figured it too

Praying for the oil kill to stop – whose idea?

From CNN, comes this headline

Louisiana lawmakers propose prayer to stop oil disaster

State senators designated Sunday as a day for citizens to ask for God’s help dealing with the oil disaster.

“Thus far efforts made by mortals to try to solve the crisis have been to no avail,” state Sen. Robert Adley said in a statement released after last week’s unanimous vote for the day of prayer. “It is clearly time for a miracle for us.”

The resolution names Sunday as a statewide day of prayer in Louisiana and calls on people of all religions throughout the Gulf Coast “to pray for an end to this environmental emergency, sparing us all from the destruction of both culture and livelihood.”

Something here seems amiss… Oh, that pesky separation of state and church again.

Something here seems insane. Oh, yeah, that magical thinking again.

Something here seems familiar. Where did we hear – 6 paragraphs out of 32 speech on this?

Apparently B0bots forgot that part because they are all jumping on this.

A few great lines too

As a friend noted yesterday

“Does this mean they think that God wanted this to happen to begin with?”

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and

10. I wanna help god

Where do I send my money?

But no one remembers the six paragraphs in teh speech. You know, the stuff that made Andrew Sullivan’s father cry

And while I approve of prayer as  as much as I approve of yacht racing for stopping the oil, the state legislators were no more removed from reason than Obama  in his speach to the nation.

So, if we’re going to mock, let’s give credit where credit is due.

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