Longtime Moonie for Dubya's team?

George W. Bush has raised some eyebrows by nominating a former V.I.P. from the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church to a top government position.

MSNBC News/April 22, 2003
By Jeanette Walls with Ashley Pearson

For his new Deputy of U. S. Trade, Bush has selected Josette Shiner, a longtime member of the Unification Church, whose members are sometimes derisively called "The Moonies." Shiner was also the managing editor for Moon's Washington Times newspaper.

In December, Bush gave another longtime Moon follower a plum appointment. He named David Caprara to head AmeriCorps at VISTA, leading some to question whether Bush is paying back the reverend for his generosity to the Bush family.

Shiner joined the Unification Church in 1975, and although she has said that she became a practicing Episcopalian in 1996, she has never publicly repudiated Moon, whose followers believe that he is the true Messiah.

If appointed, Shiner will have tremendous influence over trade in Africa and Asia, including, of course, Moon's homeland of Korea, where he has extensive business interests.