Matt Blunt kisses Religious Right's ass

Missouri's Gov. Matt Blunt says he thinks faith-based groups do a better job of helping people than government-funded programs. So he's created a small committee to see how Missouri can work more closely with those faith-based groups. Why now? He's looking at a 2008 run against Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, and he desperately needs that "social conservative" vote.

For those who don't live in red states, "social conservatives" are people who vote based on only three issues: (a) abortion; (b) guns; and (c) taxes. They constitute the 34% of the American public who still think George W. Bush is doing a heckuva job. In other words, they are either (a) totally misinformed, thanks to Faux News; or (b) irremediably ignorant.

Let's hope moderates and such liberals as exist in Red Country get out and vote against Blunt, the most shamelessly pandering Governor of Missouri I can recall. Turned money that was to be used to establish biotech research programs into funding for ag programs at Missouri universities. "We don't want no cell research goin' on here in Missourah." Anything that smacks of possible progress or economic benefit to the Show-Me state -- or might offend the fools who think any kind of cell research endangers "pre-born babies" -- Blunt says "NO!"

Here's a quote from the Star's story today:

At a conference of faith-based organizations, Blunt announced the creation of Faith-Based Missouri, a five-person team that will study how to further cooperation between state government and religious organizations.

Unclear, however, was what services religious groups could perform that they are not doing now, and Blunt could not offer any examples. [emphasis mine]

Asked about the line between separation of church and state, the governor agreed there is a line but said it would not be crossed.

“Clearly, this is not about forcing anybody to go through some sort of religious conversion,” Blunt said, adding, though, that “a conversion will often occur, and nobody should apologize for it when it does.” [more at link]

Clearly, Blunt is talking out his nether orifice again. He's got a handful of like-minded idiots working on figuring out how to let faith-based groups (evangelical Christian, of course -- forget Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Zoroastrian or Wiccan groups) take the lead in social services.

There is no evidence that faith-based services are more effective, or even as effective, as non-faith-based services. But who cares about facts, when there's a young man's political future at stake?