T H U R S D A Y , J U N E 1 6 , 2 0 0 5Black Church Leaders To Bush: We're No Foolsby Michael in New York on 6/16/2005 12:09:00 PMBlack church leaders in the US are realizing that Bush's actionsdon't match his words. (Maybe his pro-lynching buddies in theSenate were a tip-off.) Condi Rice met with leaders to try andgain cover -- I mean support -- for Bush's actions in Africa.According to the LA Times, once they saw what Bush actuallydid -- refuse to increase aid, drag his feet on releasing themoney he has promised and de-funding international healthorganizations doing great work in Africa -- those top blackpastors have backed away from the White House.The criticism came in a letter delivered Tuesday to theWhite House from five of the nation's most high-profileAfrican American pastors.</p><p> They called on the president togive his "ardent" support to a proposal by British PrimeMinister Tony Blair under which industrialized nations woulddouble their aid to Africa by 2010.</p><p> Bush rejected theproposal last week....The pastors' letter also marked the second time this weekthat the administration has faced public criticism over itsAfrica policy.</p><p> On Monday, leaders of several African nationstold Bush at an Oval Office meeting that bureaucracy wasdelaying the delivery of needed relief funds through one ofthe president's signature programs, the MillenniumChallenge Account....The letter couched African relief as a national securityissue, saying that U.S. aid was an important defenseagainst the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.</p><p> Somepastors made that point to Rice last month, contending thata greater role for black churches in Africa would helpblock efforts by terrorist groups to recruit themillions of orphans resulting from the AIDS epidemic."Our failure as a nation to adequately support Africa isfundamentally a failure to adequately support our ownnational security," the letter said.Jakes, Blake, Long and Rivers all represent large churches,and each has developed a high profile through television,radio or books.</p><p> White House officials view the pastors andtheir large churches as a key entry point to a voting blocthat has long sided overwhelmingly with Democrats.Maybe the cynical links between the far right and African Americanreligious leaders -- based solely on their shared hatred of gays -- willcontinue to fray.</p><p> Sorry Bush, you have to actually fight poverty inAfrica if you want credit for fighting poverty in Africa.</p><p> HuffPost PoliticsMichael Likosky: Ed Rendell: Hardest Working Manin Infrastructure - At this year's National GovernorsAssociation (NGA) meeting, Governor Ed Rendell'stenure as Chair fittingly came to a close with aplenary session on infras...2 minutes ago Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Today, srkp23(pulling a double shift), ybruti, taylormattd,ItsJessMe and vcmvo2 combed through hundredsof diaries to find this powerful list.</p><p> Today's...21 minutes ago EschatonOvernight - Folk On.</p><p> Newish.38 minutes ago Crooks and LiarsOpen Thread - Open Thread below...1 hour ago FiredoglakeLate Night: Livin’ the Dolce Vita with TheLovernator - Who's got time to govern? 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