Fatih-Based Office Hosts Meeting For Council and Invited Leaders

Today's Washington Post reports:

The Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, whose mission is to empower religious and secular groups that provide social services, is hosting more than 60 people it considers key leaders at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building for a meeting that began last night and runs through this evening.

Invited guests include the 25 members of the president's advisory council and a few dozen more insiders (almost all from faith-based groups), including people President Obama has turned to since he became a candidate for guidance on everything from torture ethics to Catholic politics to inner-city fatherhood programs.

Participants were pleased that administration officials were seeking their input on social policy issues, but fear that their agenda will get pushed aside by the economic crisis, and that funds will be diverted by state and local governments.