Free Republic

Hoping to attract support among black voters in his re-election race, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is aggressively courting black clergy by luring them to the same after-school aid program that was a springboard for his political career. About $500 million in state grant money for schools, nonprofit groups and faith-based institutions is available this year for the first time under Proposition 49, the initiative Schwarzenegger promoted in 2002. That effort lay the groundwork for his entry into the recall campaign the following year. In recent months, the governor's staff has been offering black churches help in applying for the competitive grants...