Putting public funds in the hands of private religious charities is a two-edged sword. It sets a dangerous precedent that leads down the road to state-sponsored religion. For the charities themselves, it can create a dependence on those public funds that can have a chilling effect on their ability to practice in freedom. When Bush circumvents Congress and implements his faith-based plan by executive fiat, he avoids the most controversial portions of his original plan -- more tax cuts and enabling anti-gay discrimination, for example. But it's a step in the wrong direction, and he ignores the proper legislative process to do it. 12-11-2002 Washington Post Bush signals an increased willingness to use nuclear weapons. Is "nuclear war bad" not a clear enough proposition for President Bush? Shouldn't it be one of the top priorities of U.S. presidents to avoid nuclear conflict at all costs? But Bush keeps inching closer to the big red button, as he does when his administration issues a new military strategy emphasizing its willingness to strike first against enemies and an enthusiasm toward nuclear retaliation that any American -- or citizen of any other country -- should find frightening. 12-10-2002 New York Times Bush makes it easier for companies to screw older workers. "Cash-balance" pension plans are cheaper for companies. But these savings come at a price, and that price is paid by workers -- in this case, older workers. This type of pension plan is so disadvantageous for older workers that they're subject to age-discrimination suits. Well, they used to be, anyway. Bush's Treasury Department issues new rules that chart a path for companies to implement cash-balance pension plans while avoiding the age-discrimination suits they engender. Big corporations save a few bucks, and older workers pay the price. That's Bush administration policy in a nutshell. 12-4-2002 New York Times Bush kills rule allowing new parents to collect unemployment. Conservative Republicans are the ones voters can depend on when it comes to helping mothers stay home from work and take care of children, right? Not if it gets in the way of making money. The Clinton administration created a rule that would allow new parents to collect unemployment benefits after their children were born, giving the parents a chance to stay home from work without worrying about losing an income. But President Bush kills the rule before any states put it into effect because business groups opposed it, proving once and for all that conservative Republicans will never let their social agenda get in the way of helping business at the expense of families. 12-4-2002 New York Times Bush restores cash bonuses to political appointees. Just days after President Bush says the war on terror means the government can't afford tax cuts for the rich -- no wait, that's not right. Just days after President Bush says the war on terror means the government can't afford a full pay raise for government workers (see 11-30-2002 below), the New York Times reveals that the administration had secretly restored a policy of awarding cash bonuses to political appointees. The policy had been discontinued under the Clinton administration for the obvious reason that the bonuses could be given just as much for political loyalty and corruption as for genuine