OMG, Politico is reporting, in a front-of-the-site, top of the page
story by Ben Smith and Brian Tau: “Obama’s stimulus pours millions into
faith-based groups.” And some of those groups were pleased at the manna
from heaven! Who knew? Thanks for toting it up, Politico.

But let’s see what all that pouring has amounted to. The millions, 140
or them to be exact, represent less than 2/100ths of one percent of the
$787 billion stimulus package. I’d say the money changers on Wall Street
are still quite a bit ahead of faith-based social service providers,
stimulus-wise.

Smith and Tau pretend to be astonished that the Obama administration has
continued to provide support for agencies like Catholic Charities. As
if that hadn’t been going on long before the faith-based initiative was a
gleam in the eye of George W. Bush. And they make a little trouble by
(unsuccessfully) seeking comment from faith-based Republican members of
Congress who otherwise despise the stimulus package.

But as stories go, this is, as the lawyers say, de minimis.