The Captive President (WaPo - Froomkin)

[stevedeshazer]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2006/02/08/BL2006020801337.html

<snip>

President Bush almost never hears criticism to his face. Certainly not in public.

But yesterday, at the widely-watched funeral of civil rights icon Coretta Scott King, a fidgety president had no choice but to sit quietly and listen as several speakers reproached him for not having learned the lessons that King and her martyred husband, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., spent their lives teaching.

The Rev. Joseph Lowery, who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with King's husband, opened his eulogy with this question: "How marvelous presidents and governors come to mourn and praise, but in the morning, will words become deeds that meet needs?"

Then he read a poem about King: "She extended Martin's message against poverty, racism and war. She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. 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."

more - long

[SeattleRob]

1. Froomkin is always an excellent read! NT

[Stephanie]

2. odd photo of Bush & Lowery

WTF?



President Bush rests his head on the shoulder of Rev. Joseph Lowery, who keep the crowd smiling as he honored King.

http://lpe.ajc.com/gallery/view/metro/0206/funeralvips/18