Object
Faith-Based Soup Kitchen
Bartlet cites this soup kitchen in the Oval Office to counter Senators Schuler and Choate's push for faith-based initiatives. He argues that soup kitchens serve neutral food like soup to anyone in need, making them eligible for subsidies, unlike programs enforcing religious discrimination. No one handles or displays it; the example sharpens Bartlet's constitutional stance during tense negotiations.
2 appearances
Purpose
Provide meals to the needy through religious organizations without discriminatory barriers
Significance
Bartlet deploys it to demarcate acceptable government funding for neutral services from unconstitutional religious favoritism, exposing rifts in the faith-based policy debate and highlighting political tensions with senators.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used