By Ellen Ratner
Bureau Chief, Talk Radio News Service/FOX News Political Contributor

As someone who is covering my fifth Presidential election cycle I have grown quite cynical about initiatives put out during campaign cycles but Barack Obama’s Faith-Based program is well designed and necessary.

I have seen first hand how quickly the faith-based groups were able to make huge differences in peoples lives post Hurricane Katrina while the government made mistake after mistake. What makes Senator Obama’s plan different than the Bush administration’s is both his plans for accountability and training in best practices. His plan also has a commitment to not use funds for political reasons. — The Los Angeles Times documented that right before the 2004 election it found that much of the Bush administration’s faith based grants went to swing districts.

Also, Senator Obama’s proposed program will not allow discrimination in hiring which has been a hotly debated topic.

Lastly, he promises real money and not as he says a “photo-op”. Although my gut reaction would be no more “faith based” programs it is the worth a try with real transparency and enough money to make a difference. The proposed Obama program has both.