Before the US elections in 2008, I complained about the Democrats, and grumbled that throwing the Republicans out was looking like it would not improve the prospects for church-state separation too much.

So far, events seem to bear me out. In some respects, we have yet another faith-based administration. Yes, informal entanglements with religion have always existed in American politics and government. But this administration is pushing beyond this. The Democrats, as always, are at best Republican-lite, and often just as bad as them.

It’s a relief to have an administration with fewer fascist tendencies, and a more positive attitude toward science. But weighed narrowly, on secularist concerns alone, it looks like this administration is not going to be a large improvement over the last.