The friends on the curvy couch of Fox & Friends pride themselves on being Jesus' best friends which, in their particular version of Christianity, means that they are free to engage in not very Christian attacks against those whom fellow Christian warrior Roger Ailes is seeking to smite. In its ongoing crusade to never waste an opportunity to attack the President, Steve Doocy, on this morning's Fox & Friends used a discussion of the Office of Faith Based Initiatives to attack President Obama for taking this office down the road to perdition - unlike the Office's Founder, George W Bush who, according to Doocy's guest, was a truly sainted figure who cared about "community." (Warning: This video could produce a gag reflex or even worse...!!!)
The Fox video, titled "Can faith tackle nation's toughest problems?" plays to Fox propaganda before the pressing of the play button. Its visual is a stained glass window with a Christian cross which underscores how Fox News plays to a particular religious demographic. In opening, good Christian Steve Doocy provided some statistics on the percentage of money donated to Christian charities. As the chyron read "The quiet revolution, how faith transforms lives and communities," he introduced his guest, Jay Hein who was director of the US Office of Faith Based Initiatives under George W Bush.
To Doocy's question of why this office was established, Hein waxed ridiculous poetic. He said that Bush was "part of a long line of Unites States presidents that understood what our Founders said which was that citizens are at the center of problem solving in America." (Is that why Bush's response to Katrina was so abysmal?) He continued while sporting a great big grin: "and that's why he understood why faith is the number one predictor of giving and serving in America so he wanted to lift up their arms and strengthen their service." He described the effect of the office as "profound" because it forced government to "end religious discrimination" (Huh?) because the government had "shrunk the religious charities space to solve problems in communities."
Still grinning, Hein said the "most profound effect was the culture change" and referenced (stifle the gag reflex) the "iconic image" of Bush, standing with his arm around a firefighter, after 9/11. (How bout that image of "Mission Accomplished?") He spoke of how Bush put his arms around inner city pastors while telling them that if "they serve their community, they serve the nation" and "that made faith part of the problems solving in America." A photo of Bush was shown over "compassionate agenda, WH program tackles nation's toughest problems."
Doocy then skillfully sequed, from sweetness and light, to the perfunctory Obama bashing when he said that while the program still exists, "it's changed a lot." Hein started the propaganda ball rolling by describing how Obama has changed the program. He invoked the patented Christian right claim that Obama discriminates against Christians with his reference to the Hobby Lobby case. He made the bogus Hobby Lobby claim that they are being made to cover abortion drugs. He claimed that Obama wants to reduce the charitable tax credit to OMG pay for health care which "disincentivises" giving. He lamented that Obama is engaging in inappropriate politicking in reaching out to pastors "to support legislation." (But it was fine when Bush was in cahoots with the religious right?)
Doocy, used Hein's claim about the reduction in the tax deduction on charitable giving, to smear Obama: "Ultimately, he wants to raise money to spend on something; but, at the end of the day, it's something that helps so many people, it would be crazy to take it away." Hein validated the talking point with more anti-Obama agitprop about how Obama sees the OMG "state as the solution" and "when you increase taxes to provide more government is his point of view, Pres. Bush thought we need to put the power in the hands of the citizens to care for their neighbors in need."
Because Fox & Friends is a low information show that keeps things simple, neither Doocy nor his Bush fanboy guest explained that Obama is calling for deductions to be capped at 28% which, according to Obama, would affect only those in the top 3%. Neither Doocy nor Hein mentioned that Obama wants expand the Earned Income Tax Credit - something that has more tangible results, for poor people, than what pastor doles out. So in addition to every other terrible thing that Obama has done, he is perverting the sainted Office of Faith Based Initiatives. OMG!!!!