Rove to Evangelicals: Suckers!

Oh goody, goody, more Jackass Schadenfreude.

The ever-swelling ranks of former Bush Administration functionaries who are either shamelessly kicking the shins of their former bosses upon leaving public services or, publicly distancing themselves from the profoundly shortsighted policies and mismanaged execution of same has expanded by one. Former Special Assistant to the President for Faith-Based initiatives, David Kuo has written a book. Kuo's tell-all unveils *suprise* an office used almost exclusively to win political points with both evangelical Christians and traditionally Democratic minorities.

Kuo, who has complained publicly in the past about the funding shortfalls, goes several steps further in his new book.

He says some of the nation’s most prominent evangelical leaders were known in the office of presidential political strategist Karl Rove as “the nuts.”

“National Christian leaders received hugs and smiles in person and then were dismissed behind their backs and described as ‘ridiculous,’ ‘out of control,’ and just plain ‘goofy,’” Kuo writes.

More seriously, Kuo alleges that then-White House political affairs director Ken Mehlman knowingly participated in a scheme to use the office, and taxpayer funds, to mount ostensibly “nonpartisan” events that were, in reality, designed with the intent of mobilizing religious voters in 20 targeted races.

According to Kuo, “Ken loved the idea and gave us our marching orders.”

Among those marching orders, Kuo says, was Mehlman’s mandate to conceal the true nature of the events.

Keith "Good Night And Good Luck" Olberman will discuss the book tonight on Countdown and so too apparently will 60 Minutes on Sunday.