WWWD?

"On the way to a fundraiser", George Bush stopped to lay a wreath at the grave of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this afternoon. There to meet him were throngs of adoring fans:

As hundreds of protesters shouted objections, President
Bush laid a wreath Thursday at the tomb of Martin Luther King Jr. on a
visit to mark what would have been the 75th birthday of the slain civil
rights leader.
The president bowed his head in respect at the tomb as police worked to
block protesters who pushed past barricades. Two people were arrested.
Bush, arriving from New Orleans on a day devoted to building support
among black voters, was greeted by hundreds of demonstrators. They were
beating drums, chanting "Go home, Bush" and waving signs saying, "War
is not the answer" and "Bush no more in 2004."

The article quickly glosses over the shameless photo op angle and
adopts the far more comfortable and ever-familiar "Bush/Christ '04"
platform:

Bush, in New Orleans, had pressed his plan to let
religious charities compete for more federal dollars. He said "the
miracle of salvation" is the key to solving some of society's most
intractable problems.
Bush used himself as an example of the good that religion can do,
referring to his decision to stop drinking at age 40 "because I changed
my heart."
At Union Bethel, in a speech laced with religious references - and at a
meeting with community leaders - Bush promoted his desire to open more
federal spending on social programs to religious groups.
Bush has sought legislation to give religious groups access to federal
funds as long as their services are available to anyone, but without
requiring them to make fundamental changes in their approach. The
proposal got a cold reception in Congress, and lawmakers put forward
instead a package of tax incentives for charitable giving.
While that measure awaits approval, Bush has used executive orders and
new regulations to remove many of the barriers - such as being required
to ban all religious activities and adjust hiring practices - that have
kept religious groups from competing for grants. Bush announced
Thursday that the Justice Department had finalized just such
regulations affecting $3.7 billion in funding, primarily for programs
that help crime victims, prevent child victimization and promote safe
schools.

Posted by flow Frazao on January 15, 2004 at 06:41 PM | Permalink