US:BARACK OBAMA has promised to expand US president George Bush's programme of channelling federal resources to religious groups to run social services, saying such partnerships do not threaten the separation of church and state, writes Denis Stauntonin Washington
Mr Obama's proposal comes as the Democratic presidential candidate is preparing to woo evangelical Christian voters with hundreds of faith-based house parties and dozens of Christian rock concerts. "The fact is, the challenges we face today - from saving our planet to ending poverty - are simply too big for government to solve alone. We need all hands on deck," Mr Obama said during a visit to a community ministry in Zanesville, Ohio.
"I'm not saying that faith-based groups are an alternative to government or secular non-profit. And I'm not saying that they're somehow better at lifting people up. What I'm saying is that we all have to work together - Christian and Jew, Hindu and Muslim, believer and non-believer alike - to meet the challenges of the 21st century."
Mr Obama said federal funds would come with strict conditions and could not be used to promote religion at taxpayers' expense.
"You can't use that grant money to proselytise to the people you help and you can't discriminate against them - or against the people you hire - on the basis of their religion. Second, federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples, and mosques can only be used on secular programmes," he said.
Mr Obama's courtship of religious voters comes as opinion polls show him leading Republican John McCain by about six points but with almost one in four Americans saying they have not yet decided how to vote in November.
Many conservative Christians remain cool towards Mr McCain, who once described leading evangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as "agents of intolerance".
Mr McCain has sought to shore up support among religious voters in recent days with a visit to veteran evangelist Billy Graham and his son, Franklin Graham.
Mr Obama's effort to unite Democrats behind him took an important step forward on Monday when he spoke to former US president Bill Clinton for the first time since the end of the primary contest. Both sides described the 20-minute phone call, which was initiated by Mr Obama, in warm terms.
"Senator Obama had a terrific conversation with president Clinton and is honoured to have his support in this campaign," Mr Obama's spokesman, Bill Burton, said. "He has always believed that Bill Clinton is one of this nation's great leaders and most brilliant minds, and looks forward to seeing him on the campaign trail and receiving his counsel in the months to come."
Mr Clinton's spokesman, Matt McKenna, said: "President Clinton continues to be impressed by senator Obama and the campaign he has run, and looks forward to campaigning for and with him in the months to come.
"The president believes that senator Obama has been a great inspiration for millions of people around the country and he knows that he will bring the change America needs as our next president."
Mr McCain's campaign yesterday kept up pressure on Mr Obama over remarks by former Nato commander Wesley Clark suggesting that the Republican's wartime experience did not qualify him to be president.
"It's clear that the Obama campaign isn't telling Wes Clark to apologise, and are either encouraging or tolerating his attacks on John McCain's military service," said Mr McCain's spokesman, Brian Rogers.