A Mystery Solved

From the time George W. Bush first appeared on the national scene there has been one big question: Does he actually believe all the Evangelical Christian rhetoric he uses, or is he just playing religious voters for fools. As reported last night by Keith Olbermann, it's the latter:

OLBERMANN: When President Bush touched on Iraq at his news conference this morning, he may have been revealing more than he knew.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The stakes couldn't be any higher, as I said earlier, in the world in which we live. There are there are--there are extreme elements that use religion to achieve objectives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OLBERMANN: He was talking, of course, about extreme elements using religion in Iraq. But an hour later, Mr. Bush posed with officials from the Southern Baptist Convention. It is described as the largest, most influential Evangelical denomination in a new book by the former number two man in Bush's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives. The book, “Tempting Faith,” not out until Monday.

In our third story tonight, a COUNTDOWN exclusive, we've obtained a copy and it is a devastating work. Author David Kuo's conservative Christian credentials are impeccable, his resume sprinkled with names like Bennett and Ashcroft.

Now as the Foley cover-up has many Evangelical Christians wondering whether the GOP is really in sync with their values, “Tempting Faith,” provides the answer--no way. Kuo citing one example after another of a White House that repeatedly uses Evangelical Christians for their votes, while consistently giving them nothing in return, a White House which routinely speaks of the nation's most famous Evangelical leaders behind their backs with contempt and derision.

Furthermore, Faith-Based Initiatives were not only stiffed on one public promise after another by Mr. Bush, the office itself was eventually forced to answer an even higher calling, electing Republican politicians.

Kuo's bottom line: the Bush White House is playing millions of American Christians for suckers.

I can't wait to read Kuo's book. Oddly, I'm not sure if my opinion of Bush just went up or down, a sentiment I notice echoed Dynamics of Cats..