Grants Flow To Bush Allies On Social Issues

Federal Programs Direct At Least $157 Million

By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 22, 2006; Page A01

For years, conservatives have complained about what they saw as the liberal tilt of federal grant money. Taxpayer funds went to abortion rights groups such as Planned Parenthood to promote birth control, and groups closely aligned with the AFL-CIO got Labor Department grants to run worker-training programs.

In the Bush administration, conservatives are discovering that turnabout is fair play: Millions of dollars in taxpayer funds have flowed to groups that support President Bush's agenda on abortion and other social issues.