I’m not shocked, I’m not outraged, I’m just very, very weary . . .
NY Times, May 12—Mixing piety with Republican politics, Gov. George E. Pataki welcomed Laura Bush as the guest of honor at his annual prayer breakfast on Tuesday, using the occasion to praise both God and the president. “God is good to America because America is good to its people,” the governor said, to applause from a hall packed with 1,500 guests, some having paid as much as $1,000 a table to join in the prayers. Turning to the first lady, Mr. Pataki said he was “very grateful to you and to the president for his tremendous leadership.”
The governor and Mrs. Bush said God would help lead America to victory in Iraq. “We pray for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, that they may live in peace and freedom,” Mrs. Bush said. Democrats and government watchdog groups view Mr. Pataki’s prayer breakfasts as little more than political exercises dressed up in religious clothing. This year, after it was announced that Mrs. Bush would be the guest of honor and ticket prices were increased, the state’s attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, began looking into the matter.
In his speech, Mr. Pataki noted that the breakfast was not meant to support any one faith. “When you think of our country, we are a country of faith,” he said. “When you think of our state, we are state of faith. Not one faith, but many faiths. Christians and Jews, Muslims and Hindus, Buddhist and Sikh.” Each guest was given a CD produced by the American Bible Society to celebrate the occasion: “God’s Word Changes Lives: A Gospel of Mark Audio Dramatization.”
Eve, you know I’m an ardent atheist, but prayer breakfasts are just a meaningless ritual every politician engages in for fundraising. It appeases the credulous and gives even the most venal political hack an air of piety. After all, a canny pol knows to bow down to the local idols.
I think the only thing noteworthy in this story is the fact that Spitzer, a man whowill investigate anything if it will give him political advantage, is opening up a file on this.
I think what disgusted me most was the “Our God can beat up your God” rhetoric (the last thing we need right now) and the amusing juxtaposition of, “When you think of our country, we are a country of faith," he said. "When you think of our state, we are state of faith. Not one faith, but many faiths. Christians and Jews, Muslims and Hindus, Buddhist and Sikh.” and Each guest was given a CD produced by the American Bible Society to celebrate the occasion: "God’s Word Changes Lives: A Gospel of Mark Audio Dramatization."
I think the Hypocrats need some new watchdogs. People in glass houses and whatnot. During the Michigan Caucuses, for example:
“Kerry’s appearance at a Detroit prayer breakfast with the ministers was designed to counter criticism that the Democratic candidates had ignored vote-rich Detroit before the caucuses. Voter turnout in the city is critical to Democratic presidential candidates.”
Oh, I don’t let the Democrats off the hook, either. Remember when Howard Dean put himself forth as the secular candidate, till his numbers dropped? Then it was “Jesus Jesus Jesus!” day and night.
At the behest of an environmental group I wrote letters to 2 Texas politicos. The guys are on a committee that could change rules regarding landfills, without public input.
Anyway, at the end of the letters I added the phrase “May God continue to bless Texas and the USA”. I never say things like that, and I never include it in writings, but in Texas that sort of thing plays well. Since so much of politics is about lip-service and window dressing, I don’t doubt that some (many?) candidates play the religion card. And as long as they don’t support teaching scientific creation or crap like that, I don’t really care.
I wonder if the good governor tithed those donations.
And Lib, I cen remember Eve being quite outspoken in hor opposition to Joe Lieberman’s “Godding about” in the 2000 presidential campaign. She’s not being hypocritical.
But only below 59th Street, above which we have the whole width of Central Park keeping east as east and west as west, with the twain not meeting unless you take the M79 bus.
No, no . . . Iraq’s god is trying to be good to Iraqis, but our god can whup their god’s ass and leave him in the alley, whimpering like a leedle girl.