In his speech to 2,500 Notre Dame graduates Sunday, President Bush offered his most detailed defense to date of his desire to let religious groups receive more federal money. In his appearance at this Catholic institution, Bush also aggressively courted Roman Catholics, a bloc of swing voters who make up about a quarter of the electorate and narrowly favored former Vice President Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election. He noted that six of the 10 largest corporate givers in the country forbid or restrict donations to religious groups and he urged them not to do so, saying that he would convene a summit meeting this fall to ask philanthropic leaders to review these policies. Child care vouchers for low-income families are redeemed every day at houses of worship across America.
Government loans send countless students to religious colleges.
Of course not. Bush's efforts have met considerable resistance. Both civil libertarians and some religious leaders charge that Bush is dangerously blurring the boundary between church and state, and the legislation associated with Bush's efforts is plodding through Congress. With his remarks Sunday, Bush was trying to give it a momentum it has yet to gather. Bush was also trying to put an extra emphasis on the compassion that he links to his conservatism.