Republicans Use Katrina to Promote Right Wing Agenda

The Republican Taliban continues to try to break down the separation of church and state. Last week we reported on the House approving hiring of workers based upon religion. Today the Washington Post reports on a plan for FEMA to reimburse religious groups for assistance they provided to Katrina and Rita survivors.

According to the Washington Post, “FEMA officials said it would mark the first time that the government has made large-scale payments to religious groups for helping to cope with a domestic natural disaster.” Civil liberties groups see this as both violation of the separation of church and state and as an act of pandering to the religious right to attempt to gain support for FEMA.

Just as after 9/11 the Bush Administration used the terrorist attacks for partisan gain and to promote pre-9/11 goals such as the invasion of Iraq, the Republicans are attempting to use the hurricanes to promote the right wing agenda. Fortunately this time a majority is seeing through their tactics and questioning their competence to govern.