DiIulio became famous by attacking liberals for their reluctance to jail violent criminals, then turned on conservatives for being addicted to locking people up. DiIulio's toughest battles may be yet to come. Now he's running the controversial centerpiece of Bush's domestic agenda. But the other half says, if you can't get it done at the local level . . . Critics say it's not quite so simple.
Civil libertarians worry that the program blurs the line between church and state.
Religious groups fret about conforming to secular federal rules. DiIulio, however, seems more interested in the scholars who say there's no formal proof that religious groups are better than government or secular groups at carrying out social programs. The U.S. Olympic Committee once blocked rower Anita DeFrantz 's chance for glory at the games. Times have changed. Just over a week ago the group, which had ordered an unhappy DeFrantz and other athletes to boycott the 1980 Moscow games, unanimously endorsed her quest for a greater prize.