Bush praises pope's 'profound impact'

[emad]

CNN
Saturday, April 9, 2005 Posted: 10:07 AM EDT (1407 GMT)



WACO, Texas (AP) -- President Bush praised Pope John Paul II on Saturday for facing down totalitarianism throughout his life and showing communist rulers that "moral truth had legions of its own."

Just back from the pope's funeral Friday night, Bush paid his final respects to the late leader of the Roman Catholic Church in his weekly radio address.

He said the services that brought kings, presidents and pilgrims from across the globe to Rome was a "powerful and moving reminder of the profound impact this pope had on our world."

"Everywhere he went, the pope preached that the call of freedom is for every member of the human family because the author of life wrote it into our common human nature," the president said. "Many in the West underestimated the pope's influence. But those behind the Iron Curtain knew better, and ultimately even the Berlin Wall could not withstand the gale force of this Polish pope."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/09/bush.radio.ap/

[emad]

1. Milking it:

"Today's ceremony, I bet you, for millions of people was a reaffirmation for many and a way to make sure doubts don't seep into your soul," he said.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/09/bush.radio.ap/

DOUBTS don't seep into your soul: about Shrub, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Condi......etc
Not to mention Unka Jonathan Bush and that ugly $41 million fine over at Riggs Bank...

[emad]

2. "Bush, Clinton disagree on Pope's Legacy" see DU:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1714344

[whistle]

3. Shameless political pandering to the catholic vote....

...most catholics do not embrace Bush...


<snip>

Bush: A Failure of Moral Leadership

Amidst the tragedy of September 11th, 2001, the world was graced with a gift – a moment when people around the world felt like we were “in this together,” fighting a common front for human dignity. This was a moment for bold moral leadership like America saw in the 1940’s. Instead, President Bush wasted this historic opportunity, and made this one of the most polarized, militarized worlds in modern history.

George Bush’s War in Iraq is not a just war. George Bush ignored Pope John Paul II, the U.S. Catholic Bishops, and even his own United Methodist leadership when he marched us into an unjust war in Iraq under false pretenses. His war has already killed an estimated 20,000 soldiers and civilians.

George Bush’s economic policies harm the poor and vulnerable. Instead of investing our resources in the common good, George Bush has chosen tax shifts away from the wealthiest Americans and onto our children. Meanwhile, poverty has risen every year of his Administration and over 5 million people have lost their health insurance.

George Bush has undermined the most basic standards of human dignity. The torture at Abu Ghraib has devastated America’s moral legitimacy and security. Though every person is created in the image of God, this Administration wrote legal memos validating torture, and set us back 75 years on the march towards minimum standards of human dignity on which the Pope has been such a courageous leader.
George Bush has undermined the dignity of work. George Bush is the first President since the Great Depression to preside over a net loss of jobs. He has cut job training programs, has encouraged companies to outsource jobs and refused to raise the minimum wage.
George Bush has failed as a steward of God’s creation. Bush’s administration has consistently sided with polluters instead of people. He has weakened clear air standards, supported regulations that allow more arsenic in our water, and missed a golden opportunity to wean our nation from its costly dependence on fossil fuels.

George Bush has failed to promote the sanctity of life and respect for human dignity. The U.S. Catholic Bishops urge our leadership to promote laws and social policies that protect human life and promote human dignity. New data from the conservative Fuller Theological Seminary show that abortion rates, which reached record lows in 2000, have risen every year under George Bush’s leadership. The President has taken no risks, led no workable legal initiative, and made no real effort to address the abortion issue. Because of his domestic policies, more women lack the health insurance or economic security that help them choose life.

http://www.thecatholicvote.org/Bush_Moral.html

[gratuitous]

4. Then why didn't Stupidhead listen to John Paul?

The late Pope had many pointed things to say about elective wars of imperialism and the death penalty. What does Chimpy think John Paul was talking about then?

A shiny nickel to the first reporter who can ask that question of our popular war-time preznit.

[smoogatz]

5. Pope Still Dead

Film at 11:00.

[0007]

6. I thank the Italians for showing their disgust & insight toward junior.

"Everywhere he went, the pope preached that the call of freedom is for every member of the human family because the author of life wrote it into our common human nature," the president said.

....and junior sits on the right of the author of life? And the Pope sits next to junior? Is that the point junior is trying to make to the world?

[emad]

8. Special Relationship with St Peter?

Chimpy's booking his place upstairs.....

[0007]

10. If 'ya look close you can spot junior, 'eh?

[emad]

12. Your sure that's the official pic for "upstairs" and not maybe Dante's

Inferno????(some of those dentistry looks a bit "downstairs" to me....)

[0007]

14. LOL!! Those folks may have had bad teeth but man could they see,

not a one wearing glasses!

[emad]

15. It's a promo pic for Byzantine contact lenses?

[Gregorian]

7. Drop another bomb, BUSH.

Your impact is much more profound. Too bad you can't hear the real truth. Love thy enemy. But you caused 9/11. They weren't enemies. They were your friends. But you would have done the same thing anyways.
Bush is an evil little man. He wouldn't know profound if it hit him in the face.

[Straight Shooter]

9. How many statements of praise for the Pope, by bush, before JPII died?

I don't recall bush waxing so eloquently *barf* during the Pope's reign. In fact, IIRC, bush avoided remarks about the Pope, and especially about the Pope's compassion and wisdom, blah blah blah. bush had better be careful, or he'll find a Papal sceptre thrown from heaven and aimed straight at his pointed head.

bush and his ilk are maggots. They avoid contact with real living people, but then feed on them for sustenance when they're dying or dead.

[cliss]

16. The Pope is more useful to Bush now.

Or as the old saying goes, "Dead men can't object".

Bush will use the Pope and his message, and somehow "align" himself with everything the Pope stood for, and somehow even twist around JP's objections to Bush into assets.

He'll run it into the ground.

[glarius]

11. Bush is trying to latch onto the Pope's coattails, just as he did with

Reagan. About all he has in common with the Pope is their stand against abortion....The Pope was AGAINST Bush's Iraq war, and said so publicly....The Pope was against capital punishment and Bush, I believe has some sort of record for presiding over executions while he was govenor of Texas....

[Mr_Spock]

13. Bush says fat people weigh a lot!!

What's the difference? Nothing he says means anything to me - fucking jackass that he is.