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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Road Walker who wrote (180862)	1/18/2004 2:59:22 PM
From: tejek	Respond to of 1576346

They say spending under Bush is growing too fast. And rather than impose restraint on Congress, as fellow Republicans had expected, Bush has enacted costly new legislation, including a sweeping Medicare prescription drug plan, that will put additional strain on the budget. Bush alienated fiscal conservatives further with costly election-year initiatives, including one to send manned spacecraft back to the moon and ultimately on to Mars . Everything coming out of this White House is part of an elaborate re-election game. Bush brings up the moon and Mars to take our minds off the devastation going on in Iraq. Its a joke! As for the conservatives, they won't keep Bush honest. They like winning too much; to whit, DR. ted

To: Road Walker who wrote (180862)	1/18/2004 3:14:38 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1576346

<font color=brown>John, At least blacks are not fooled by Bush..............<font color=black> ted *********************************************************** Friday, January 16, 2004 - Page updated at 12:17 A.M. Protesters boo Bush at King's gravesite By William Douglas Knight Ridder Newspapers ATLANTA — President Bush placed a wreath at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s grave yesterday to a chorus of boos from hundreds of mostly black demonstrators, who thought Bush's policies run counter to King's beliefs. Bush's visit to King's gravesite on what would have been the slain civil-rights leader's 75th birthday also bothered some black lawmakers, who characterized the appearance as a hollow gesture from a president who, in their view, has done little for the African-American community. The president won 9 percent of the black vote in 2000, and his appearance yesterday suggested it might be difficult for him to do better in 2004. "It's hypocrisy for George Bush to come down here, raise money and do a drive-by at the gravesite," said Democratic state Rep. Tyrone Brooks, president of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials. "It's not about Dr. King's legacy, it's about getting re-elected." Bush was received more warmly yesterday morning at New Orleans' Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where parishioners applauded his entry and departure and laughed at his jokes. Bush attended fund-raisers in both cities, collecting $2.3 million for his re-election campaign. White House officials said the thrust of the president's trip was to pay homage to King and to spread the word about his faith-based initiative, which encourages religious organizations to seek federal money for social-service programs. In New Orleans, more than 100 demonstrators chanted "Down with Bush" from behind barricades a block away from the D-Day Museum, site of the Bush fund-raiser. Many protesters wore T-shirts with the words "one-term president." An effigy of Bush was set afire and had to be stamped out by police. The discord over the president's visit began this week when the Secret Service told organizers of a tribute to King that the event, planned months ago at Ebenezer Baptist Church next door to the crypt, would have to end at 2 p.m. — two hours early — to accommodate the president's visit. On Wednesday, organizers reached a compromise with the Secret Service that allowed the event to continue as planned with restricted public access. Sheriee Bowman of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference said the organization founded by King respected the president's right to pay tribute but questioned the timing. White House spokesman Scott McClellan didn't address whether Bush had been invited. King Center officials said they extended no formal invitation to Bush but accepted his offer to come. "We are pleased that Mrs. King and the King Center welcome the president's visit today as he pays tribute to Dr. King's legacy and his vision and his lifetime of service," McClellan said. The president's visit to King's resting place lasted less than 15 minutes. Escorted by Coretta Scott King and Christine Farris, King's sister, Bush placed a wreath before King's tomb, bowed his head in prayer briefly and departed. An estimated 800 protesters, black and white, stood across the street from the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, bearing signs that read, "Impeach The Liar," "Bush Zionist Puppet" and "Money For Jobs And Housing, Not War." Protesters pushed past Secret Service barricades. They pounded on the sides of five Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority buses parked on the street in front of King's tomb to block them from the president's motorcade. Police in riot gear stood atop the vehicles. Two people were arrested for stepping into the street and refusing to move. Before Bush arrived, the protesters chanted "Bush Go Home" and "Peace, Not War." They booed loudly as the president placed the wreath at King's tomb. King's widow declined to comment but has been vocal about her opposition to the war in Iraq. In Washington, D.C., Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said not one policy decision made by the Bush administration — from the war in Iraq to the economy, from education to the environment — has mirrored King's dream. "The president needs to be more embracing of elected African-American officials and the entire African-American community every day of the year, not just on January 15th," Cummings said. Administration officials said Bush has been sensitive to the needs of blacks. They cited his "No Child Left Behind" initiative, intended to make schools more accountable for student performance, and his faith-based initiative. "Today would have been (King's) 75th birthday. It's important for our country to honor his life and what he stood for," the president said in New Orleans. "Dr. King understood that faith is a power greater than all others. That's what he knew." In this year's presidential race, Bush probably will garner only slightly more of the black vote, predicted David Bositis, a Washington political analyst who focuses on black issues. "Nine percent is the lowest for a Republican candidate since Barry Goldwater," he said. "When you get a zero on a test and you take it a second time, the odds are that you're going to do a little better." Details on the protests and the comments by Cummings and Bositis were provided by The Associated Press and the Chicago Tribune. Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company seattletimes.nwsource.com