"God" starring George W. Bush...
I just read an article about Arlen Specter. Apparently, Specter worked out a deal w/ his fellow Republicans who were trying to block him as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In short, he had to sign a "Pledge" to George W. Bush where Specter would have to show great deference to anti-abortion judicial nominations & give a de-facto rubberstamp to any Bush judicial nominees. Additionally, Specter also promised, in writing, to vote for getting rid of the fillibuster in the Senate, which would allow for Bush to get some really messed up laws passed.
The article reminded me how much conservatives like Bush. They like him enough to bully a respected Senator like Arlen Specter. They also like him enough to force Specter to sign a loyalty pledge to get a job that Senate rules already entitle him to. They even like him enough to force Specter into giving up all personal & independent judgment for essential parts of his duties in the Senate. This incident also reminded me of how many people in the red states see Bush as this quasi-religious figure who must be afforded undying loyalty similar to how a parishioner treats God. The US Constitution explicitly prohibits any loyalty oath to God or religion in order to hold public office. But, Specter was forced to sign a loyalty oath to a specific person where he would entrust all decisions in his committee's area to a "higher power," that of the President. Sounds like a de-facto religious oath to me.
If you think I'm exaggerating, here are 2 more articles that show this perception of Bush being in personal relation to God. The article of about the Arlen Specter incident reminded me of them.
The first article describes how many of Bush's supporters, voters & politicians alike, believe that God made Bush president & wanted him to be reelcted. The argument that God wants Bush to be President has a type of preverse logic that insulates him from any repsonsibility. If something goes bad, it's a "challenge" from God. If Bush does a bad job, then it's simply part of a larger plan.
The second article is even weirder b/c it describes what happened at a Bush campaign rally where those who attended recited the "Bush Pledge" at the beginning. Here's an excerpt form the article that should give you a general idea:
"I want you to stand, raise your right hands," and recite "the Bush Pledge," said Florida state Sen. Ken Pruitt. The assembled mass of about 2,000 in this Treasure Coast town about an hour north of West Palm Beach dutifully rose, arms aloft, and repeated after Pruitt: "I care about freedom and liberty. I care about my family. I care about my country. Because I care, I promise to work hard to re-elect, re-elect George W. Bush as president of the United States."...I know the Bush-Cheney campaign occasionally requires the people who attend its events to sign loyalty oaths, but this was the first time I have ever seen an audience actually stand and utter one.
Considering all the fuss about "under God" in the pledge of allegiance, the "Bush Pledge" is actually more unsettling than the belief that Bush was sent to be President by God. The latter is a subjective belief that still keeps Bush as 1 of God's followers. The "Bush Pledge," on the other hand, treats Bush as if he were God-like, an exalted figure we must pledge our undying loyalty to or risk untold harms (i.e., terrorism, gay marriage, unending war in Iraq, etc.). I may be overstating the issue, but the practical implications are clear. Bush is not going to be checked by a Congress where most of its members treat him as a messiah-like figure and will comply to his wishes. In the past, when 1 party controlled 2 branches on government, there were still checks on the President. (See Clinton 1992-94) It's amazing how much adding a little bit of religion to politics can mess up over 200 years of government. I guess this is what Thomas Jefferson was referring to when he said, "History...furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes."
For those of you who think God helped Bush get reelected, here's a quote from 1 of the articles I thought sounded cool: "After all, in the Bible, God is described as doing things for all sorts of inexplicable reasons—sometimes as a reward to the people, and sometimes as a punishment."
The article reminded me how much conservatives like Bush. They like him enough to bully a respected Senator like Arlen Specter. They also like him enough to force Specter to sign a loyalty pledge to get a job that Senate rules already entitle him to. They even like him enough to force Specter into giving up all personal & independent judgment for essential parts of his duties in the Senate. This incident also reminded me of how many people in the red states see Bush as this quasi-religious figure who must be afforded undying loyalty similar to how a parishioner treats God. The US Constitution explicitly prohibits any loyalty oath to God or religion in order to hold public office. But, Specter was forced to sign a loyalty oath to a specific person where he would entrust all decisions in his committee's area to a "higher power," that of the President. Sounds like a de-facto religious oath to me.
If you think I'm exaggerating, here are 2 more articles that show this perception of Bush being in personal relation to God. The article of about the Arlen Specter incident reminded me of them.
The first article describes how many of Bush's supporters, voters & politicians alike, believe that God made Bush president & wanted him to be reelcted. The argument that God wants Bush to be President has a type of preverse logic that insulates him from any repsonsibility. If something goes bad, it's a "challenge" from God. If Bush does a bad job, then it's simply part of a larger plan.
The second article is even weirder b/c it describes what happened at a Bush campaign rally where those who attended recited the "Bush Pledge" at the beginning. Here's an excerpt form the article that should give you a general idea:
"I want you to stand, raise your right hands," and recite "the Bush Pledge," said Florida state Sen. Ken Pruitt. The assembled mass of about 2,000 in this Treasure Coast town about an hour north of West Palm Beach dutifully rose, arms aloft, and repeated after Pruitt: "I care about freedom and liberty. I care about my family. I care about my country. Because I care, I promise to work hard to re-elect, re-elect George W. Bush as president of the United States."...I know the Bush-Cheney campaign occasionally requires the people who attend its events to sign loyalty oaths, but this was the first time I have ever seen an audience actually stand and utter one.
Considering all the fuss about "under God" in the pledge of allegiance, the "Bush Pledge" is actually more unsettling than the belief that Bush was sent to be President by God. The latter is a subjective belief that still keeps Bush as 1 of God's followers. The "Bush Pledge," on the other hand, treats Bush as if he were God-like, an exalted figure we must pledge our undying loyalty to or risk untold harms (i.e., terrorism, gay marriage, unending war in Iraq, etc.). I may be overstating the issue, but the practical implications are clear. Bush is not going to be checked by a Congress where most of its members treat him as a messiah-like figure and will comply to his wishes. In the past, when 1 party controlled 2 branches on government, there were still checks on the President. (See Clinton 1992-94) It's amazing how much adding a little bit of religion to politics can mess up over 200 years of government. I guess this is what Thomas Jefferson was referring to when he said, "History...furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes."
For those of you who think God helped Bush get reelected, here's a quote from 1 of the articles I thought sounded cool: "After all, in the Bible, God is described as doing things for all sorts of inexplicable reasons—sometimes as a reward to the people, and sometimes as a punishment."
posted by Jeff at 11/21/2004 07:19:00 AM
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