New Quaker Notebook

God is Republican. This would be unbelievable if it weren't true. The New York Times reported today that on April 24 Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will join several Christian conservatives at the mega Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, KY, for "Justice Sunday," a nationwide telecast depicting Democrats as "against people of faith" for their opposition to Bush nominees.[1] Joining this group of like-minded American Christians will be Dr James C. Dobson from Focus on the Family, Chuck Colson from Prison Fellowship Ministries, and Dr Albert Mohler, of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville.[2]

And so that the perversion is rendered complete:

So all of this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Republican," which is translated, "God with us."[3]

1. New York Times, April 15, 2005.
2. See also the urgent news release by the Family Research Council (FRC). Warns FRC President Tony Perkins: "We must stop this unprecedented filibuster of people of faith. Join us on Sunday, April 24, as we observe Justice Sunday. On that date, just around the corner, FRC will host a nationwide, live simulcast to engage values voters in this all-important issue of reining in our out-of-control courts."
3. Let's never forget the unperverted version. "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel'—which means, 'God with us.'" [Matt 1:22-23]

Bush rambles while faux newspaper editors snooze. This is why mainstream American journalism just can't get out of bed. On Thursday afternoon the president spoke for the second time in four years to the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE), at their annual conference in the Washington, DC, Marriott Hotel. As is usual for the occasion, he first had some remarks and jokes and simple banter to give, and then answered questions from the audience. Somehow 14 questions got fired off, but not one of them hit any target. Here's how bad it got. In response to a question about First Amendment freedoms and access to government information, Mr. Bush said, "There needs to be balance when it comes to freedom of information laws ... blah, blah ... There's some things that when I discuss in the privacy of the Oval Office or national security matters that just should not be in the national arena.... On the other hand, my administration will cooperate fully with freedom of information requests if it doesn't jeopardize national security ... blah, blah...." And then he declared:

"And to answer your question, I believe in open government. I've always believed in open government. Rich is right. You know, I don't email, however. And there's a reason. I don't want you reading my personal stuff. There has got to be a certain sense of privacy. You know, you're entitled to how I make decisions. And you're entitled to ask questions, which I answer. I don't think you're entitled to be able to read my mail between my daughters and me."[1]

Important stuff. Interesting stuff, too. He doesn't email anymore. He's speaking to the leadership in newspaper journalism AND NOT ONE OF THEM NOTICED THAT HE SAID THE SAME THING TO THEM FOUR YEARS AGO. This is what he said at the ASNE in 2001:

"I'll give you one area, though, where I'm very cautious, and that's about e-mailing. I used to be an avid e-mailer, and I e-mailed to my daughters or e-mailed to my father, for example. And I don't want those e-mails to be in public—in the public domain. So I don't e-mail any more, out of concern for freedom of information laws, but also concern for my privacy."[2]

Admittedly, at least one of the associates had the occasion pegged. Said Rich Somerville, president of the consulting firm Media Foresights Associates, "When he comes to ASNE, he just speaks off the cuff and rambles around and doesn't have anything substantial to say."[3] But, Dude, whose fault is that, really? How does a roomful of newspaper editors let the man get away with it?

Oh, well. The UK issue of Reuters let its story on the ASNE conference lead off with this newsworthy line: "President George W. Bush said on Thursday he does not send e-mail, not even to his twin daughters, because he fears 'my personal stuff' would be made public."[4] I guess yawning really is infectious.

Bush is reborn, maybe. I'm so excited after learning that Mr. Bush is going to begin undoing the terrible deeds our government has committed in Iraq and Afghanistan—and here at home, too.

Here's what I think happened. On his recent visit to Rome for the funeral of Pope John Paul II, as an image of the US president was flashed on a large monitor in St. Peter's Square, the crowd reacted with boos and whistles.[1] The sting of embarrassment got him to thinking:

"Hmm, maybe these Italian people have figured out that I really am a Christian fraud. I guess I'd better do something about that before those idiots, um, I mean the American people, catch on."

So as the funeral ceremony went on and on and on, he had the chance to reflect on the life of this Bishop of Rome and what he had preached as a Christian leader. Said Mr. Bush in his radio address yesterday:

"The Pope held a special affection for America. During his many visits to our country, he spoke of our providential Constitution, the self-evident truths about human dignity enshrined in our Declaration, and the blessings of liberty that followed from them. It is these timeless truths about man, enshrined in our founding, the Pope said, that have led freedom-loving people around the world to look to America with hope and respect. And he challenged America always to live up to its lofty calling. The Pope taught us that the foundation for human freedom is a universal respect for human dignity. On all his travels, John Paul preached that even the least among us bears the image of our Creator, so we must work for a society where the most vulnerable among us have the greatest claim on our protection."[2]

So an energized Bush returned to Washington, DC, with a reborn attitude. Now the Busheviks will be moving toward a progressive agenda to protect the disabled, the homeless, the poor, our children. That should evidence itself in legislation toward greater human rights, national healthcare, an aggressive national plan for job creation, and a national standard for nutrition among all disadvantaged in America, among other ambitious ideas. Since "a society where the most vulnerable among us have the greatest claim on our protection" presumes a sliding scale, that should mean the least vulnerable among us will have far fewer protections. So I suppose, then, that we will see an undoing of agricultural, livestock, and corporate subsidies, as well as a repeal of tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans, among other great ideas.

Hey, it won't stop there! Finally, after bringing real peace and prosperity to American cities, we can then effect real change in countries where we have in fact done the least. So, for example, instead of paying millions to Blackwater mercenaries in Iraq and Afghanistan,[3] the generous monies provided by Congress for war-time endeavors will instead go toward feeding the starving Middle East children,[4] and developing private sector jobs for the millions of disaffected victims of the invasion by Coalition forces. Then our soldiers can return home, the back-door draft ended, and the evil stop-loss provisions abandoned. Who knows, maybe the Busheviks will even start moving toward real international disarmament—shedding nuclear weapons, curtailing sales to foreign countries of US-manufactured weapons of mass destruction, taking up again our agreements with the United Nations and those written into the Geneva Conventions....

Oh, yeah, sure.

1. See Der Spiegel, April 8, 2005: "Auf die Großaufnahme mit Bushs Gesicht reagierte die Menge vor dem Petersplatz mit Buhrufen und Pfiffen."
2. President's Radio Address, April 9, 2005.
3. It is not widely reported that a growing presence in Iraq and Afghanistan is the private military force. Chief among these federal contracts is Blackwater USA, a corporation made up of five companies: Blackwater Training Center, Blackwater Target Systems, Blackwater Security Consulting, Blackwater K-9, and Blackwater Air (AWS). For a background, see "Mercenaries 'R' Us," AlterNet, March 24, 2004; "Soldiers of Good Fortune," Mother Jones, May 2003; Democracy Now!, Thursday, April 1, 2004. In 2004 Gary Jackson, president of Blackwater, was astounded by his company's growth: "The numbers are actually staggering. In the past 18 months we've had over 600 percent growth," he said. On this see the AP news article (October 13, 2004) at the International Peace Operations Association.
4. The BBC reported last month that the malnutrition rates for children in Iraq have doubled since the US-led invasion of the country (twice what it was under Saddam Hussein), according to a report that was prepared for the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva. See BBC News, March 30, 2005; article is archived at Truthout.org, March 31, 2005.