He denounced recent acts of violence against Muslims and Arab Americans in no uncertain terms. No sitting president had ever visited an Islamic house of worship, but Bush made clear by his words and deeds there that he considered Muslims part of the nation's diverse religious community. Soon after 9/11, he made a special trip to the Islamic Center of Washington, the very same mosque that had opened its doors to celebrate the Eisenhower inauguration a half century earlier. Hamstrung by a lack of clear direction during the administration's first months, it was quickly overshadowed by a new emphasis on national security after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.īush continued to advance his vision of a godly nation. "Church and charity, synagogue and mosque lend our communities their humanity, and they will have an honored place in our plans and in our laws." Bush promoted the initiative at his first National Prayer Breakfast as well. "America, at its best, is compassionate," he observed. Indeed, the longest section of his 2001 inaugural address was an expansive reflection on the idea. After his inauguration, Bush moved swiftly to make the proposal a reality. In his address to the 2000 Republican National Convention, Bush heralded the work of Christian charities and called upon the nation to do what it could to support them. This "faith based initiative" became the centerpiece of his campaign. In concrete terms, Bush’s “compassionate conservatism” constituted a promise to empower private religious and community organizations and thereby expand their role in the provision of social services. In a single week in October 1999, for instance, Bush criticized House Republicans for “balancing the budget on the backs of the poor” and lamented that all too often “my party has painted an image of America slouching toward Gomorrah.” (As Republican speechwriter David Frum put it, “Love conservatism but hate arguing about abortion? Try our new compassionate conservatism-great ideological taste, now with less controversy.”) But the candidate backed his words with deeds, distancing himself from the ideologues in his party. For some, the “compassionate” qualifier implicitly condemned mainstream conservatism as heartless for others, the phrase seemed an empty marketing gimmick. But many on the right took issue with the phrase. Borrowing a phrase from author Marvin Olasky, Bush called himself a “compassionate conservative” and said he would take a lighter approach to social issues including abortion and gay rights than culture warriors such as Pat Buchanan. When Republican primary candidates were asked to name their favorite philosopher in a 1999 debate, for instance, Bush immediately named Christ, “because He changed my heart.” Despite the centrality of faith in his own life, Bush assured voters that he would not implement the rigid agenda of the religious right. A born-again Christian, he shared Bill Clinton’s ability to discuss his faith openly. Bush took a similarly soft approach, though one that came from the right. When he ran for the White House, Texas governor George W. Excerpted from "One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America"
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