Lifted from Newsalert:

The Chicago Sun-Times reports on Obama friend Eric Whitaker:

Based on a recommendation from Obama, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich hired Whitaker to be the state’s director of Public Health in 2003. Like other major state posts in those days, it was screened by Tony Rezko, who has since been convicted of influence-peddling.

A federal grand jury is investigating the department’s funding of several faith-based initiatives that Whitaker helped start, though, as Whitaker emphasized today, “The organizations the subpoenas were about — they received funding in the last month of my tenure at the Illinois Department of Public Health.

There’s more:

Is sending government money to pastors to talk about chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension good public policy? Whitaker said “yes.”

Who’s says Democrats are for separation of church and state?

Not I.  Do we expect churchly influence to be ignored by political movers and shakers?

I recall the Baptist pastor I interviewed in the 70s on Chicago’s South Side.  He had just run a two-hour service for a devoted congregation.  We talked in his office, among other things about office-seekers wanting to use his pulpit.  He did not surrender it to them, and so did not have his sidewalk repaired.

Separation?  You kidding?