Goldsmith called to service

During his eight years as Indianapolis mayor, Stephen Goldsmith sought ways to get private charities more involved in providing social services.\nPresident George W. Bush is now calling on Goldsmith to take his crusade to the national level. \nBush tapped him Monday to head the Corporation for National Service, which former President Bill Clinton created in 1993 to oversee service efforts such as AmeriCorps. Goldsmith will report directly to Bush and serve on the advisory board of a new office that will distribute federal money to religious groups and charities.\n"A person who needs help should have a secular provider to go to as an option at their choice," Goldsmith said at the announcement, according to the Associated Press. "Government should never use its authority to force someone through the door of a religious organization in order to help."\nMike McDaniel, Indiana's GOP chairman, said the state stands to gain from having a strong connection in the Bush administration.\n"He knows what's here," he said. "He knows what programs are here, and he'll draw on that familiarity."\nGoldsmith served as a domestic policy adviser during Bush's presidential campaign, helping him shape his faith-based charities policy. As mayor, Goldsmith created the Front Porch Alliance, a collaboration between the city and religious groups.\n"He was the Moses of compassionate conservatives," said Marshall Wittman, a senior fellow of the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank based out of Indianapolis. "He led it out of the desert."\nCoordinating city services and offering $5,000 grants to charity groups, it was a small initiative, which had a $450,000 annual budget and a nine-person staff. But it garnered national attention for its innovation and caught Bush's eye. \nWith Goldsmith at his side at a rally in Indianapolis last year, Bush first announced his plan to reform the tax code to encourage private charities. \nThe faith-based charities initiative has come under fire in some circles, which say it violates separation of church and state and drains money away from government programs.\nGoldsmith was rumored to be a top candidate for secretary of housing or labor. \n"I think it's probably not the position he should have been selected for," said Joe Lottus, Goldsmith's former deputy mayor. "But he'll bring a lot of energy and leadership to the government."\nWhile Indiana Republicans said they are disappointed he didn't end up with a cabinet position, they expressed joy at his appointment.\n"(Goldsmith) was an excellent choice," said Shirley Baker, vice chairman of the state Republican party. "He did some very innovative, very creative things in Indianapolis, especially with privatization. His leadership will come in useful."\nOther Indiana Republicans were expected to find prominent positions in the Bush administration, including former Rep. David McIntosh and former Sen. Dan Coats.\nCoats was considered a top choice for defense secretary, which ultimately went to Donald Rumsfeld. Newsweek reported Bush decided against Coats when he expressed his desire to scale back the integration of gays in the military during a private meeting with Bush.\n"I'm disappointed that we didn't end up with more Hoosiers in the cabinet," Baker said. "He made excellent choices, though, and I don't know his reasons for his decisions."\nBesides his two terms as mayor, Goldsmith served as Marion County prosecutor for 11 years. He lost the 1996 gubernatorial election to Gov. Frank O'Bannon.\nGoldsmith said he will work for the Bush administration on a volunteer basis. A spokesman with the Washington-based Baker & Daniels law firm, which employs Goldsmith, confirmed he would stay on as an attorney.