Obama Taps Into Religious Network for Health Care
President Barack Obama plans to tap into a national religious network to advance his health care agenda with a telephone appearance on Aug. 19.A coalition of interfaith religious groups backing health care reform has launched a 40-day campaign targeting 100 Members of Congress with a variety of local faith-based events and landed Obama as the headliner for a telephone call-in event next week.The campaign also features a low-budget TV ad showing Christians advocating for reform and asking Members to do so as well. The ad says special interests are spending millions to block reform so they can keep their profits.Members of the group said Monday that they intend to fight back against what they say are lies being told about health reform.“All of God’s children [have] got to be covered now,— said Rev. Jim Wallis, the CEO of Sojourners. “This is not a partisan political move. You are going to hear the moral drumbeat throughout this debate.—The campaign is sponsored and organized by PICO National Network, Faith in Public Life, Faithful America, Sojourners and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.