On Tuesday, according to the Washington Post, Bush uttered the following absurdity: "Including Turkey in the EU would prove that Europe is not the exclusive club of a single religion."
If any other politician had said this, there would have been an uproar. With Bush: nothing. Its the kind of inanity to which we've become accustomed. How pathetic.
P.S. Given Bush's recent attempts to tell the EC what to do about Turkey, it's worth noting that the USA would not qualify for EC membership. No state that employs the death penalty is eligible to join. The 13th Protocol of the ECHR is the operative text. [And thanks, Gene, for pointing out my Freudian slip.]
Posted by geoff2 at July 1, 2004 12:21 AMOkay, Geoff, put your money where your mouth is. When are you going to sign up for US citizenship so you can help the rest of us boot goons like this out of office? :-)
(Well, actually, you'd probably have to become a citizen and then move to Ohio, but you get my point.)
Posted by: Chris Jackson at July 1, 2004 08:15 AMI don't think I'd be eligible ;-) Remember this?
The following exchange took place at the Chicago airport between Robert I. Sherman of American Atheist Press and George Bush, on August 27 1988. Sherman is a fully accredited reporter, and was present by invitation as a member of the press corps. The Republican presidential nominee was there to announce federal disaster relief for Illinois. The discussion turned to the presidential primary:
RS: "What will you do to win the votes of Americans who are atheists?"
GB: "I guess I'm pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me."
RS: "Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?"
GB: "No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."
RS: "Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?"
GB: "Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on atheists."
good grief
Posted by: at July 1, 2004 05:41 PM?wait a minute - date is 1988 and there's a reference to the primary. I think this a is a George Bush quote, not a George W. quote
Kate
Posted by: Kate at July 1, 2004 09:18 PMCorrect. Both Bush pere and Bush fils are jerks. It's just that Bush fils is so appalling that we look back on his dad with near-affection. But he was (is) still a jerk.
Posted by: Geoff Arnold at July 1, 2004 10:44 PMam guessing that "it's worth nothing" should be "it's worth noting" ?
maybe there's a (vote Kerry) subliminal meaning that (Vote Kerry) I'm missing?
-gb
Posted by: Gene Bob at July 2, 2004 07:18 AMThanks, Gene. Freudian slips r'us....
s/nothing/noting/
Clearly, you know, atheists shouldn't be allowed in America because the U.S. has good religious values....like executing people...or going to war...or letting those with lower incomes just die off without healthcare. What great implementation of 'faith in God'.
Posted by: DTown at July 2, 2004 02:58 PMfrom one stand point people are merely being returned to their maker, or to the better afterlife. Many religions are more concerned with what happens after death than during mortal life.
Posted by: Susan in St. Paul at July 3, 2004 08:17 PM