Bush needs help this November, he needs to re-elect Republicans to Congress and Republican Governors. The last thing he needs is a war with one of the factions that got him in the White House, the Christian Right. So what do you do when someone who speaks directly to one million plus social conservative Americans everyday and says something hateful? You send out the messenger.
American Presidents don't have to answer media questions everyday. Bush uses it to his fullest advantage. Evan Thomas and Richard Wolffe wrote in a Newsweek article of December 19, 2005...
"Bush may be the most isolated president in modern history, at least since the late-stage Richard Nixon."
And we all know how much Nixon liked answering questions.
Today when a prominant American makes comments that are as ludicrus as those made by the President of Iran, he can't issue a statement personally, you know something is up.
"Pat Robertson and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are probably beyond the point where they can be reached by embarrassment or shame. But they are not beyond the kind of strong condemnation that they have richly earned." - The Washington Post editorial
It was no accident that the Statement from the White House did not mention President Bush is right pissed off with Pat Robertson. Its the PR folks working overtime here. The White House spokes personTrent Duffy says ...
“Those comments are wholly inappropriate and offensive and really don’t have a place in this or any other debate.”
What debate are they talking about? They did not take Robertson to task for saying Sharon got what he had coming. They did not say these remarks are "unamerican" or even unchristian. The White House did not say President Bush was horrified that a Christian leader would say these kinds of things.
Now to hear NBC say it this was a stinging rebuke. They write ... The White House sharply criticized Christian broadcaster and former Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson on Friday for suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s stroke was divine punishment for “dividing God’s land.” “Those comments are wholly inappropriate and offensive and really don’t have a place in this or any other debate,” presidential spokesman Trent Duffy said as President Bush traveled to Chicago for a speech.
Now I am no fool, I know such a statement has to have the approval of Mr. Rove. Mr. Rove is the White House. Just notice what was not said. No news clips of Bush slamming a Christian leader months before an election. At the same time the Rove White House points to the statement and say that Bush condemned the remarks.
Bush didn't even come close to condeming Robertson for his remarks. Not a chance, in fact years from now, you won't even know what the White House meant with those words. What debate were they referring to? The one on whether god is punishing Sharon or the middle east peace process?
Going into the 2006 elections Bush won't be taking shots at people who speak to the Christian Right congregation. That would be just stupid right. Why say something when you can White Wash it from the White House.
Bush, Politics, President, Religion, Pat Robertson,Isreal, Politics, Ariel Sharon, Christian Right
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