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Theresa
Lux Mihi Deus
Joined: 17 Jun 2001
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Location: United States of America
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 Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:36 pm Politics Makes an Appearance at King Funeral |
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| Quote: | Some Speakers Take Shots at Bush's Policies
By Karen Jacobs and Tabassum Zakaria, Reuters
LITHONIA, Ga. (Feb. 8 ) - Speakers seized on the presence of President Bush to attack his policies on Tuesday at the funeral of Coretta Scott King, the first lady of the U.S. civil rights movement.
Jimmy Carter, one of four presidents to speak, took a jab at Bush's domestic eavesdropping program during six hours of sermons, speeches and song for the late widow of Nobel peace laureate Martin Luther King Jr., assassinated in 1968.
The 10,000 mourners also heard the Rev. Joseph Lowery, a civil-rights leader, cite Mrs. King's legacy as a champion of racial equality while launching barbs at Bush administration policies on Iraq and health care.
Mrs. King, 78, died on Jan. 30 of complications from ovarian cancer. Her funeral at a Baptist church in Lithonia, Georgia, drew a "who's who" of the political and entertainment worlds and the U.S. civil rights community.
She was due to be buried alongside her husband at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change she founded in nearby Atlanta.
With Washington debating the legality of Bush's domestic eavesdropping on Americans suspected of ties to al Qaeda, Carter drew spirited applause with comments on federal efforts to spy on the Kings decades ago.
"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," Carter said.
Former President Bill Clinton, a favorite among mainstream civil rights leaders, offered a teasing hint of the possible presidential candidacy of his wife, New York Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who stood smiling at his side.
"I'm honored to be here with my president and my former presidents and ...," he trailed off, motioning in his wife's direction to loud and sustained applause.
Speaking first, ahead of his critics, Bush said: "I've come today to offer the sympathy of our entire nation at the passing of a woman who worked to make our nation whole.
"Having loved a leader she became a leader. And when she spoke Americans listened closely, because her voice carried the wisdom and goodness of a life well-lived," he said.
Lowery, former head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which Martin Luther King helped found in 1957, gave a playful reading of a poem in eulogy of Mrs. King and made a none-too-veiled reference to the Iraq war launched by Bush.
"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," Lowery said.
The mourners responded with a standing ovation. Bush's immediate reaction could not be seen on television, but after Lowery finished speaking, the president -- who sat behind the speakers -- shook his hand and laughed.
Bush's father George Bush, the fourth president at the funeral, 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."
The service, billed as a celebration of Mrs. King's life, featured performances by Stevie Wonder and Michael Bolton. Mourners joined a choir in singing some of King's favorite gospel songs, among them "Amazing Grace."
Mrs. King's daughter Bernice, a minister, gave the eulogy, saying of her mother: "She was not just a national figure, she was a global leader."
Born April 27, 1927, near Marion, Alabama, Coretta Scott King played a back-up role in the civil rights movement until her husband, a Baptist minister, was gunned down in Memphis on April 4, 1968.
As she recalled in her autobiography "My Life With Martin Luther King Jr.," she felt she had to step fully into the civil rights movement. She last appeared in public on the weekend of the annual holiday last month that honors his legacy.
02/08/06 01:06 ET
Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited |
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IntrepidIsMe
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Joined: 14 Jun 2002
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 4:32 pm |
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Wow, disrepectful (to King) and uncouth. People shouldn't try to drag modern-day politics into situations where they don't belong.
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"Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."
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Theresa
Lux Mihi Deus
Joined: 17 Jun 2001
Posts: 27256
Location: United States of America
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 4:35 pm |
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Yeah, according to the AOL poll, 70% of the subscribers said it was out of line.
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Lord Borg
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Joined: 27 May 2003
Posts: 11214
Location: Vulcan Capital City, Vulcan
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 4:59 pm |
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It is out of line. To do something like that at someones funeral 
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Republican_Man
STV's Premier Conservative
Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 14823
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:04 pm |
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I agree. No matter WHAT the president is, doing such a thing, at a FUNERAL--and especially this funeral! Out of the question, over the line.
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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teya
Commander
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:26 pm |
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I disagree. It was perfectly *in* line, considering that Dr. and Mrs. King were the targets of domestic wiretapping by the FBI themselves.
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Republican_Man
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:28 pm |
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At a funeral? I think not. And besides--there were different reasons for that than this now--wrong reasons.
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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Superman
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:32 pm |
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There's a time and a place for everything. A funeral isn't one of those places.
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teya
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:40 pm |
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A funeral is the place to celebrate the life of the deceased. Mrs. King was a civil rights leader. You can't talk about her life without putting politics into it.
Besides, Bush took it like a champ. And his dad got a LOL moment out of it.
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Superman
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:46 pm |
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I'm sorry, I couldn't agree less. Yes, she did great things in life, and politics enters into it. I just don't think ANY funeral is the place to have a political debate.
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Republican_Man
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:52 pm |
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| teya wrote: | A funeral is the place to celebrate the life of the deceased. Mrs. King was a civil rights leader. You can't talk about her life without putting politics into it.
Besides, Bush took it like a champ. And his dad got a LOL moment out of it. |
Does that make it any more right? NO!
And sure, maybe politics could get into it, but need it? No. Talk about politics then--racism, what she did. You don't need to bring modern politics into something like this.
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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Lord Borg
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| Wed Feb 08, 2006 11:02 pm |
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While they certainly had politcal centered lives, to hit out at a president over his current policys is not the thing to do. It's differnt if you were to mention the current state of civil rights, and such, the things that Dr. King and his wife worked so hard for
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IntrepidIsMe
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| Thu Feb 09, 2006 3:23 pm |
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At this funeral I can understand bringing politics of the time (50s-60s) up, but today's politics? It just lacks class.
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"Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being."
-Wuthering Heights
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Republican_Man
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| Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:25 pm |
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Yeah. Carter should be ashamed of himself. That violates all presidential protocol...
And Sharpton on O'Reilly--good debate. O'Reilly agrees that it shouldn't have been done at the funeral, but Sharpton thinks it was fair game 
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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teya
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| Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:57 pm |
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| Lord Borg wrote: | | It's differnt if you were to mention the current state of civil rights, and such, the things that Dr. King and his wife worked so hard for |
Like the lack of attention to the poor? The erosion of civil liberties under the Bush administration? It's all related, folks.
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Republican_Man
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| Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:34 pm |
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Maybe it is--from your perspective. But even if it is, does that make it appropriate--saying such things at a funeral? NO
As I said before, Bill O'Reilly spoke correctly on this. Here's his commentary from last night. I think it was really good. I also think his commentary today was as well.
| Quote: | Using a Funeral to Make Political Points
By Bill O'Reilly
Using Corretta Scott King's funeral to make political points: that is the subject of this evening's Talking Points Memo. When I die, I don't want my demise to be used as a political rally, and that's what happened yesterday to Coretta Scott King. Al Sharpton will join us in a moment. Jesse Jackson, Jimmy Carter, all used Mrs. King's memorial to make political points.
In President Carter's case, it was beyond anything many historians have ever seen. Protocol dictates that former presidents do not publicly attack sitting presidents. When President Clinton was impeached, no former president sniped at him. Gerald Ford told me personally he simply would not say anything negative about Clinton.
But there was Jimmy Carter yesterday with President Bush sitting behind him, saying this at Mrs. King's funeral.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES EARL CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT: The efforts of Martin and Coretta have changed America and was not appreciated even at the highest level of government. It was difficult for them personally when the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the targets of secret government wiretapping and other surveillance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Now, how classless, how inappropriate. And by the way, the taping Carter mentioned was done by the Kennedy administration -- Democrats. Now if you read Carter's latest book, you know he has follow the Alice into Wonderland. Mr. Carter has drifted into the far left precincts and is virtually clueless when it comes to understand the war on terror. He is all theory all the time. One vital question, is there anyone watching me right now who would want Jimmy Carter leading the terror war? Anyone? Anyone outside of the ACLU?
It's important to note Bill and Hillary Clinton did not cheap shot anyone at the funeral. They kept the focus where it belonged, on Coretta Scott King. Even those who don't like the Clintons must admit their comments were appropriate. Not so Jimmy Carter, who should rethink his entire presentation. Political disagreement is fine. Inappropriate behavior is not.
And that's "The Memo."
www.foxnews.com/oreilly |
His one tonight--and I'll post it here when it's online tomorrow night--talked about if President Bush talked about how the Democrat Kennedy Administration wiretapping the Kings, etc.--emphasising the Democrats--to make a point about WHY we should do this program, using a funeral to push his political agenda. He talked about what the far-left would be saying if HE pushed politics into it.
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"Rights are only as good as the willingness of some to exercise responsibility for those rights- Fmr. Colorado Senate Pres. John Andrews
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Founder
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Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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Location: Gamma Quadrant
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| Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:35 pm |
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| teya wrote: | | Lord Borg wrote: | | It's differnt if you were to mention the current state of civil rights, and such, the things that Dr. King and his wife worked so hard for |
Like the lack of attention to the poor? The erosion of civil liberties under the Bush administration? It's all related, folks. |
It doesn't matter. Democrats can't turn a person's funeral into a place for political attacks. Its a time to remember someone's life. What they achieved and how much they will be missed. Not how much they don't like the current administration.
Bill O'Reilly proved a good point. If Bush had commented on how evil the Democrats were when they wire tapped Dr. King, that would be an outrage. If Bush or any Republican mentioned politics, then the Democrats would say that we are evil for turning a funeral into a battleground for smearing. Nice try Democrats, but the hypocrisy runs deep.
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teya
Commander
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| Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:19 pm |
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| Republican_Man wrote: | JAMES EARL CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT: The efforts of Martin and Coretta have changed America and was not appreciated even at the highest level of government. It was difficult for them personally when the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the targets of secret government wiretapping and other surveillance.
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Okay, I'm really trying to see the problem here... A Democratic former president talks about wiretapping of the deceased--something that was traumatic for her and her husband--done by a Democratic former president.
What's the problem? Where's the dis on Bush?
And, frankly, if Mrs. King's family isn't offended, why are you?
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