Hope Bush was a little uncomfortable!!!

[whidbey]

[whidbey]

February 7th, 2006 5:52 pm

King eulogists jab Bush at funeral

 

 

By Karen Jacobs and Tabassum Zakaria / Reuters

 

LITHONIA, Georgia - Speakers took a rare opportunity to criticize U.S. President George W. Bush's policies to his face at the funeral on Tuesday of Coretta Scott King, widow of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Civil-rights leader the Rev. Joseph Lowery and former President Jimmy Carter cited Mrs. King's legacy as a leader in her own right and advocate of nonviolence as they launched barbs over the Iraq war, government social policies and Bush's domestic eavesdropping program.

 

Bush sat watching the long service before an audience of 10,000 including politicians, civil rights leaders and entertainers at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, and a national cable television audience.

 

Lowery, former head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which King helped found in 1957, gave a playful reading of a poem in eulogy of Mrs. King.

 

"She extended Martin's message against poverty, racism and war/She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar," he said.

 

"We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there/But Coretta knew and we knew that there are weapons of misdirection right down here/Millions without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war billions more but no more for the poor."

 

The mourners gave a standing ovation. Bush's reaction could not be seen on the television coverage, but after Lowery finished speaking, the president shook his hand and laughed.

 

Mrs. King, seen by many as the "first lady" of the American civil rights movement, died last week in a Mexican alternative health clinic at the age of 78, after complications from ovarian cancer and a recent stroke and heart attack.

 

Bush, speaking before his critics, said, "By going forward with a strong and forgiving heart, Coretta Scott King not only secured her husband's legacy, she built her own."

 

With Washington debating the legality of Bush's domestic eavesdropping on Americans suspected of al Qaeda ties, Carter also drew applause with pointed comments on federal efforts to spy on the Kings.

 

"It was difficult for them personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated, and they became the targets of secret government wiretapping and other surveillance," he said.

 

Speaking later, Bush's father, former President George Bush, broke any tension by recalling his own meetings as president with Lowery and gave a score: "Lowery 21, Bush 3, it wasn't a fair fight."

 

Former President Bill Clinton, a favorite among mainstream civil rights leaders, was able to offer a teasing hint of the possible presidential candidacy of his wife, New York Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

[marylou]

 

Listening to clips from CSK's funeral services, are we?

[whidbey]

I just like that he had no place to run and hide.... No prepared speech he could read. He had to use his own brain and well.. when that happens it's not all that amazing.

Edited February 8, 2006 by whidbey

[whidbey]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/02/07.html#a7056 This speech is amazing.. almost makes me want to go to church... almost! Damn good speaker.

[Dru]

"Mexican alternative health"

[JayB]

Using the funeral-pulpit as a political platform - classy indeed.

[Alpinfox]

Using the funeral-pulpit as a political platform - classy indeed.

 

I bet CSK would not have had a problem with it.

[dt_3pin]

Using the funeral-pulpit as a political platform - classy indeed.

 

Yeah, 'cause she didn't live a political life or anything . . .

[whidbey]

Alpinfox... my thoughts... she would be pleased.

[whidbey]

Speaking later, Bush's father, former President George Bush, broke any tension by recalling his own meetings as president with Lowery and gave a score: "Lowery 21, Bush 3, it wasn't a fair fight."

[JayB]

I still think it's in poor taste, and it's more a manners issue than a political one.

 

Some members of my family went to a funeral where the passing of the deceased was especially tragic - really, really terrible - and some of the survivors turned it into an invitation for everyone in the audience to accept Jesus as their personal savior etc. The plea may have been entirely in keeping with the deceased's wishes, but I thought that using was in incredibly poor taste nonetheless.

[whidbey]

I do not agree but do appreciate your point. We shall disagree.

[cj001f]

I still think it's in poor taste, and it's more a manners issue than a political one.

 

Some members of my family went to a funeral where the passing of the deceased was especially tragic - really, really terrible - and some of the survivors turned it into an invitation for everyone in the audience to accept Jesus as their personal savior etc. The plea may have been entirely in keeping with the deceased's wishes, but I thought that using was in incredibly poor taste nonetheless.

 

A patient of my mothers, lifelong activist, wished her funeral to be a rallying call. To each their own memorial.

[JayB]

As long as its clear that this is the purpose of the funeral, I'd say that's fine. That way people who harbor different outlooks, but pondered coming to pay their respects, and using their presence to comfort the survivors by showing them that the deceased were broadly loved and admired - can just send a card instead. It's just the bait-and-switch/abuse of sympathy aspect that I dislike, but advance notice would take care of that.

[whidbey]

JayB.. What would you expect from Bush showing up at a CSK Funeral? What was his real purpose? Make himself seem more compasionate?... give me a fuckin break.... This has nothing to do with Haliburton.

[whidbey]

or Oil...

[whidbey]

We all need to be glad that we had some brave few that passed before us.

[cj001f]

As long as its clear that this is the purpose of the funeral, I'd say that's fine. That way people who harbor different outlooks, but pondered coming to pay their respects, and using their presence to comfort the survivors by showing them that the deceased were broadly loved and admired - can just send a card instead. It's just the bait-and-switch/abuse of sympathy aspect that I dislike, but advance notice would take care of that.

 

So why did GWB show up? The man is almost universally disliked in the black community (see voting patterns) and his administration has spent a good bit of energy dismantling and weakening the legislation people like King worked for. Oh, I suppose W does pay lip service to King's accomplishments. Can't imagine why guests gave him a hard time.....

[whidbey]

Bravo!!!!

[underworld]

he was there and said positive things, they were there and said negative things. so lets assume for a second that bush does hate the blacks and the blacks have the similar feelings for him... who used a bit of tact and kept it to themselves? it was neither the time nor the place to soapbox it.

[JayB]

As long as its clear that this is the purpose of the funeral, I'd say that's fine. That way people who harbor different outlooks, but pondered coming to pay their respects, and using their presence to comfort the survivors by showing them that the deceased were broadly loved and admired - can just send a card instead. It's just the bait-and-switch/abuse of sympathy aspect that I dislike, but advance notice would take care of that.

 

So why did GWB show up? The man is almost universally disliked in the black community (see voting patterns) and his administration has spent a good bit of energy dismantling and weakening the legislation people like King worked for. Oh, I suppose W does pay lip service to King's accomplishments. Can't imagine why guests gave him a hard time.....

 

I was mostly referring to the notion of holding an activist funeral, like the one that you referred to above. If that's what someon wants to do, that's fine, but only if the guests know the purpose of the service in advance.

 

In the case of CSK, I think that this was almost like a state funeral, and sometimes it's incumbent upon whoever occupies the office to make an appearance in order to pay the nation's respects. While they no longer occupy the office, I'm sure that's at least part of the reason why Carter, Clinton, and GB senior felt as though they should publicly recongize her passing by attending the services.

 

It was basically a lose-lose situation for GW, as I'm sure that if he elected not to attend he'd be criticized for that as well.

[tomtom]

And not everyone is as polarized as some of you are. It is possible to respect a person and disagree with some of their opinions at the same time.

[cj001f]

And not everyone is as polarized as some of you are. It is possible to respect a person and disagree with some of their opinions at the same time.

 

It wasn't when Ronald Reagan past away - we were all supposed to canonize the imbecilic crook.

[mattp]

I don't get it. Why WOULDN'T people politicize an event of National significance like this funeral? "Respect the dead" - sure, but here is a large platform and no matter what your politics are, we all think our political beliefs are somehow "relevant" to contemplating the meaning of the life of someone like CSK.

 

The whining from Bushies and apologists like JayB is just another manipulative bit of politicizing, trying to spin a story to make their critics look bad: havn't they been absolutely shameless about attempting to exploit human tragedy of every dimension? What is Bush doing when he invites the wife of a dead soldier to the SOU and reading her husband's patriotic letter home? Terry Schiavo or 911 ring a bell?

 

It'd be different if the deceased had left behind some message asking that their memory not be tainted with a political funeral. I have not heard that CSK left such a message.