The Carpetbagger Report highlights an article by Michael Currie Schaffer that concludes with the following prediction about what will happen to David Kuo as a result of the publication of his new book, Tempting Faith:
If the politically dominant Bush of 2002 could lay [John] DiIulio[, former Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives] prostrate, and the somewhat weakened--but still reelectable--Bush of 2004 could wrestle a less abject gesture of contrition out of [former Treasury Secretary Paul] O'Neill, how quickly will the embattled president of 2006 have Kuo crying uncle? His supporters have every reason to reach for their shivs: Unlike, say, Bob Woodward, whose audience likely skews toward Bush-doubters, Kuo threatens to sully the president in the eyes of his most fervent supporters, the evangelical base that the GOP desperately needs next month. Himself a Christian conservative, Kuo has worked for the likes of John Ashcroft and William Bennett. He has a great reputation. Letting him keep it could be a recipe for Election Day disaster.
Kuo is scheduled to appear on "60 Minutes" Sunday night. By Monday, if Team Bush is still on its game, significant chunks of America should suspect that Kuo is an atheist, a money-grubber, a media whore, and the president of his local Hitler Youth chapter. By the end of the week, you should be hearing one of two sounds: Kuo's apology, or a very loud quacking noise.
I agree that some Bush loyalists will come after Kuo. Tony Snow began to try to undermine Kuo and his book yesterday.
But I don't expect Kuo to crack. For one reason, David Kuo did not walk into this thing unaware of what the consequences would be. He is well aware of what John DiIulio said and the White House's reaction to those comments. (Read the New Republic article if you need more details on that.) Further, while I'm only acquainted with Kuo, I know he is quite familiar with the ways of Washington. I think Kuo had a pretty good idea of what would happen to him as a result of writing this book and carefully considered that before writing it.
But the most important reason I don't expect Kuo to crack is beautifully articulated by Kuo himself here:
I had a brain tumor a few years ago. The doctors expect that it will return at some point--one that could be kind of soon. If it returns, it will likely be more aggressive than when it first appeared.
There are two ways to live with my state of uncertainty. One is to live fearfully, bracing myself for the bad news that may one day show up. The other way is to live with faith. I understand that not too long ago 'faith' was actually a verb. It was something that you did, not just something you had. I like that. I faith God.
I faith that I'll be around for decades with my three very young girls and one very perfect wife--at least that's how I see her. . . . I faith I've got a lot more writing to do about faith. I faith.
I know that God can't be maneuvered, manipulated, coaxed, or cajoled. He isn't a puppet that we can make dance by saying the right things. But I also know that God hears the prayers of his people and that he honors faith--faith like a child's.
While I want to believe living with that kind of faith can change tomorrow, I know that it can change today. I know that waking up this morning with my eyes and mind set on Jesus will orient me the right way. It will give me peace and eventually I will become much more like him.
That, then, is my goal for what I hope is the next 27 years: to know more about God and to be more like God.
I encourage you to read the whole moving piece, which is called Faith of Steel. Kuo wrote it in early 2006, I believe. (The piece isn't dated but a quick web search suggests it was written in early 2006.)
So I don't think Kuo's too concerned about Tony Perkins feeling "sorry" for him because, as Perkins said, "nobody will touch [him]" after this.
I have only read the portions of the book that have been publicly released -- I cannot offer an overall assessment of it right now. And, as I've said before, I disagree with some of the ways in which Kuo has assessed the faith-based initiative in the past. Further, as noted above, I've only spoken with Kuo a few times. But I can say what my sense is right now. It is that David Kuo is trying to tell the truth and that he is prepared to pay the price for doing so.
ADDED NOTE: I also should say two other things. First, I know and respect John DiIulio. Second, while TNR accurately reports the statements John made some time ago about the White House and the White House's official reaction to those statements, I cannot vouch for the rest of their characterization of this episode.
Comments