What's With Democrats And Funerals?

[Shady]

KING FUNERAL TURNS POLITICAL: BUSH BASHED BY FORMER PRESIDENT, REVEREND

Today's memorial service for civil rights activist Coretta Scott King -- billed as a "celebration" of her life -- turned suddenly political as one former president took a swipe at the current president, who was also lashed by an outspoken black pastor!

The outspoken Rev. Joseph Lowery, co-founder of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, ripped into President Bush during his short speech, ostensibly about the wife of Martin Luther King Jr.

"She extended Martin's message against poverty, racism and war. She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. We know now that there were no weapons of mass destruction over there," Lowery said.

The mostly black crowd applauded, then rose to its feet and cheered in a two-minute-long standing ovation.

A closed-circuit television in the mega-church outside Atlanta showed the president smiling uncomfortably.

"But Coretta knew, and we know," Lowery continued, "That there are weapons of misdirection right down here," he said, nodding his head toward the row of presidents past and present. "For war, billions more, but no more for the poor!" The crowd again cheered wildly.

Former President Jimmy Carter later swung at Bush as well, not once but twice. As he talked about the Kings, he said: "It was difficult for them then personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretaps." The crowd cheered as Bush, under fire for a secret wiretapping program he ordered after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, again smiled weakly.

Link

And

Tone of Wellstone memorial generates anger

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- The partisan tone of the memorial service for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone stirred anger Wednesday in some Republicans, political consultants and radio talk show hosts who say some of the comments and behavior were inappropriate

Link

Can somebody please explain to me their boorish behavior? Because I don't get it. I absolutely don't understand how some people can think it's perfactly appropriate to transform someone's funeral/memorial into a political convention. It's disgusting, and if I have to see that miserable failure of an ex-President Jimmy Carter grandstanding again, I'm gonna throw up. Somebody needs to tell that petty little man to go measure the misery index and report back. The index specifically created because of his pathetic administration.

[Zues]

KING FUNERAL TURNS POLITICAL: BUSH BASHED BY FORMER PRESIDENT, REVEREND

Today's memorial service for civil rights activist Coretta Scott King -- billed as a "celebration" of her life -- turned suddenly political as one former president took a swipe at the current president, who was also lashed by an outspoken black pastor!

The outspoken Rev. Joseph Lowery, co-founder of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, ripped into President Bush during his short speech, ostensibly about the wife of Martin Luther King Jr.

"She extended Martin's message against poverty, racism and war. She deplored the terror inflicted by our smart bombs on missions way afar. We know now that there were no weapons of mass destruction over there," Lowery said.

The mostly black crowd applauded, then rose to its feet and cheered in a two-minute-long standing ovation.

A closed-circuit television in the mega-church outside Atlanta showed the president smiling uncomfortably.

"But Coretta knew, and we know," Lowery continued, "That there are weapons of misdirection right down here," he said, nodding his head toward the row of presidents past and present. "For war, billions more, but no more for the poor!" The crowd again cheered wildly.

Former President Jimmy Carter later swung at Bush as well, not once but twice. As he talked about the Kings, he said: "It was difficult for them then personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated as they became the target of secret government wiretaps." The crowd cheered as Bush, under fire for a secret wiretapping program he ordered after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, again smiled weakly.

Link

And

Tone of Wellstone memorial generates anger

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- The partisan tone of the memorial service for the late Sen. Paul Wellstone stirred anger Wednesday in some Republicans, political consultants and radio talk show hosts who say some of the comments and behavior were inappropriate

Link

Can somebody please explain to me their boorish behavior? Because I don't get it. I absolutely don't understand how some people can think it's perfactly appropriate to transform someone's funeral/memorial into a political convention. It's disgusting, and if I have to see that miserable failure of an ex-President Jimmy Carter grandstanding again, I'm gonna throw up. Somebody needs to tell that petty little man to go measure the misery index and report back. The index specifically created because of his pathetic administration.

Has anyone ever accused the Democrats of ever having class?

[Black Dog]

Can somebody please explain to me their boorish behavior? Because I don't get it. I absolutely don't understand how some people can think it's perfactly appropriate to transform someone's funeral/memorial into a political convention.

"Ah do declah, these heah Dehm-o-crats are such beastly creetchas. It's just so unseemly the way these culluhed folk behave at their funerahls, all dancin' and talkin' poltics, insteada demurely sippin' mint juleps on the verhandah."

[BHS]

I think it would be difficult, perhaps impossible to hold a memorial for a politician or a well known political activist without politics creeping in. It's to be expected that Jimmy Carter would use the opportunity a eulogy presents to make ill-conceived swipes at the President. (Did he really mean to compare the Kings to terrorists?) . I think the line is crossed when the mourners turn en masse to cheering and jeering.

[Shakeyhands]

Can somebody please explain to me their boorish behavior? Because I don't get it. I absolutely don't understand how some people can think it's perfactly appropriate to transform someone's funeral/memorial into a political convention.

"Ah do declah, these heah Dehm-o-crats are such beastly creetchas. It's just so unseemly the way these culluhed folk behave at their funerahls, all dancin' and talkin' poltics, insteada demurely sippin' mint juleps on the verhandah."

ha...

[Zues]

What upset me about the whole damn affair was the constant coverage ad nauseem! All that talk by all those gas bags! If we could have harnessed all that hot air to drive wind turbines we would have cured the world's energy crisis!

And the hyposcrisy of Carter! You had to have loved it! Show me a single picture of Coretta at a Carter family cook out or at one of Coretta Chitlins and bar b que get togethers! About the only thing he didn't do was don black face and come out tap danicing while singing mammy!

Oh... Black Dog... ah do dey clare dat wasn a reel goodn im mah ta shun ofa sudden gen tul man... I rather enjoyed that!

[tml12]

Can somebody please explain to me their boorish behavior? Because I don't get it. I absolutely don't understand how some people can think it's perfactly appropriate to transform someone's funeral/memorial into a political convention.

"Ah do declah, these heah Dehm-o-crats are such beastly creetchas. It's just so unseemly the way these culluhed folk behave at their funerahls, all dancin' and talkin' poltics, insteada demurely sippin' mint juleps on the verhandah."

Damn I haven't had mint juleps since my last trip to Kentucky!!!

I'll give it to you BD, the post was creative...

[Black Dog]

It's to be expected that Jimmy Carter would use the opportunity a eulogy presents to make ill-conceived swipes at the President. (Did he really mean to compare the Kings to terrorists?)

What terrorists?

I think the line is crossed when the mourners turn en masse to cheering and jeering.

What line is thta? More to the point: what fucking business is it of anyone if soemone's funeral is turned into a political rally, especially if that person was, ah, political? Where do the Republicans get off dictating what's proper? Who appointed the conservative punditocracy Miss Manners?

[Shady]

"Ah do declah, these heah Dehm-o-crats are such beastly creetchas. It's just so unseemly the way these culluhed folk behave at their funerahls, all dancin' and talkin' poltics, insteada demurely sippin' mint juleps on the verhandah."

Strawman alert! Strawman alert! Not sure where "dancin" and "talkin politics" and "demurely sippin" mint juleps came from, anyone have any ideas? Ah Black Dog, as usual, full of symbolism, empty of substance.

And the hyposcrisy of Carter!

You're quite right. It's all about hypocrisy. Some morally bankrupt people find it perfectly acceptable to turn funerals into political conventions, however, thankfully, most regular people find it appalling. Can you imagine if President Bush took to the microphone and started into a political speech defending his policies at Mrs. King's funeral? Do you know what the kook-left would say? Do you know what colossal hypocrites like Black Dog would say? It's sad when one's hatred for President Bush so consumes them, that they lose all precepts of civility. Especially at funerals.

Mantra to the left, lose the hate!

It's bad for you.

[Guest American Woman]

I think the line is crossed when the mourners turn en masse to cheering and jeering.

What line is thta? More to the point: what fucking business is it of anyone if soemone's funeral is turned into a political rally, especially if that person was, ah, political? Where do the Republicans get off dictating what's proper? Who appointed the conservative punditocracy Miss Manners?

If anyone used the funeral to their own personal advantage, it was Bush, so I think it's hilarious that he finally had to meet people face-to-face that he had been avoiding throughout his presidency and I'm betting the Kings would agree.

A funeral is to elegize a person's life and Coretta King's life was about civil rights. She was, as you said, political. So it seems to me that it's fitting that her funeral would raise the issues that she concerned herself with throughout her life. I don't see the Kings as bowing down to someone else's definintion of "proper." In fact, I have to laugh at the idea.

Seems to me the Bush supporters are whining because for once Bush was among people who aren't his supporters. But this funeral wasn't about Bush or respecting Bush. It was about Coretta King and respecting what she and her family have worked for.

I wasn't sure what to make of things at first either, but the more I think about it, the more I like it and the more I'm sure Coretta would have liked it too.

[Zues]

I think the line is crossed when the mourners turn en masse to cheering and jeering.

What line is thta? More to the point: what fucking business is it of anyone if soemone's funeral is turned into a political rally, especially if that person was, ah, political? Where do the Republicans get off dictating what's proper? Who appointed the conservative punditocracy Miss Manners?

If anyone used the funeral to their own personal advantage, it was Bush. I think it's hilarious that he finally had to meet people face-to-face that he had been avoiding throughout his presidency and I'm betting the Kings would agree.

A funeral is to elegize a person's life and Coretta King's life was about civil rights. She was, as you said, political. So it seems to me that it's fitting that her funeral would raise the issues that she concerned herself with throughout her life. I don't see the Kings as bowing down to someone else's definintion of "proper." In fact, I have to laugh at the idea.

Seems to me the Bush supporters are whining because for once Bush was among people who aren't his supporters. But this funeral wasn't about Bush or respecting Bush. It was about Coretta King and respecting what she and her family have worked for.

I wasn't sure what to make of things at first either, but the more I think about it, the more I like it and the more I'm sure Coretta would have liked it too.

I'm no fan of Bush... as a matter of fact... I can't stand the sight of the s-o-b... but... in all fairness to him... had he not gone it would have been another "Katrina affair" all over again. But after they started bringing in the Iraq war and complaining about and comparing it to the N.O. response by FEMA... I think that he should have got up and left... he could have told everyone that he thought that the funeral part was over and that he didn't feel it appropriate to attend a democratic black vote gettin' rally!

The dems have once again made Bush look good and themselves... well to quote the original poster of this topic... CLASSLESS!

[Guest American Woman]

Bush was there for his own agenda. His own political gain. The Democrats were all going on about what was important to Coretta. That's as it should be. I guess what it all comes down to is that "classless" is a matter of opinion.

As a side note, you claim to dislike Bush, but I'm guessing you're a Republican.

[Black Dog]

Strawman alert! Strawman alert! Not sure where "dancin" and "talkin politics" and "demurely sippin" mint juleps came from, anyone have any ideas? Ah Black Dog, as usual, full of symbolism, empty of substance.

No it's not a starwman. If anything the raging hypocricy is from moronic right wingers like you who faint whenever a Democrat does soemthing you decree undecorous, even as you champion mouth breathers like Ann Coulter, Dick "GFY" Cheney, etc etc. In short: Republicans set the bar for sleaze, but you lap it up like its bad chocolate.

You're quite right. It's all about hypocrisy. Some morally bankrupt people find it perfectly acceptable to turn funerals into political conventions, however, thankfully, most regular people find it appalling. Can you imagine if President Bush took to the microphone and started into a political speech defending his policies at Mrs. King's funeral? Do you know what the kook-left would say? Do you know what colossal hypocrites like Black Dog would say? It's sad when one's hatred for President Bush so consumes them, that they lose all precepts of civility. Especially at funerals

Hmm. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King spent their lives fighting poverty, racial injustice and war. They lived and breathed politics, and in the former's case, died because of them. So for mincing little pricks like you to declare that the event celebrating the life's work of one of these political activists should be free of politics (not to mention the titanic arrogance of presuming that you know civility from a hole in the ground) is ridiculous. The fact that it comes from a political party known for tarring its opponnents with every imaginable smear renders their sudden outrage an air of comic stupidity.

[Shady]

Bush was there for his own agenda

No he wasn't. That's nonsense. As the current American President, his attendance at such an important national event, for such an important national citizen was absolutely manditory. Even the most rapid Bush opponent will concede that fact. You're way off base.

No it's not a starwman

Description of Straw Man

The Straw Man fallacy is committed when a person simply ignores a person's actual position and substitutes a distorted, exaggerated or misrepresented version of that position. This sort of "reasoning" has the following pattern:

Person A has position X.

Person B presents position Y (which is a distorted version of X).

Person B attacks position Y.

Therefore X is false/incorrect/flawed.

Link

Nope. It's a classic strawman.

Hmm. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King spent their lives fighting poverty, racial injustice and war. They lived and breathed politics, and in the former's case, died because of them. So for mincing little pricks like you to declare that the event celebrating the life's work of one of these political activists should be free of politics (not to mention the titanic arrogance of presuming that you know civility from a hole in the ground) is ridiculous

That's all well and good regarding MLK Jr and CSK's lives, but it doesn't dispute the fact that turning a funeral into a political convention is wrong. If it's not wrong, then you must agree that if President Bush delivered a political speech defending terrorist wire-taps and the removal of Saddam Hussein at Coretta Scott King's funeral, it would have been perfectly acceptable given the other speakers presentations. Correct?

[Zues]

Bush was there for his own agenda. His own political gain. The Democrats were all going on about what was important to Coretta. That's as it should be. I guess what it all comes down to is that "classless" is a matter of opinion.

As a side note, you claim to dislike Bush, but I'm guessing you're a Republican.

Guess again AW! You demorepublicraticans have been so programmed with that dialectic thought that it's incredible. You are nothing but two sides of the same coin.

I have landed here after leaving another forum where because of my constant criticisms of Bush had me labled a "liberal"... now... my first day here and trying to get my feet wet... you call me a Republican! Tsk, tsk, tsk!

There's a large Patriotic and Chrisitan right in the U.S. that has never had any desire for nor do they want anything to do with Bush. As a matter of fact... I can't understand why the left doesn't adore Devious Dubya! Spends more money than any two democrats, is clearly a social-democrat and a globalist. He's on the same side as the Democrats on the illegal alien issue and immigration... hell... he's even as articualte and mentally astute as Lurch Kerry... he's your perfect "Manchurian candidate."

I agree that Bush had his own agenda... and that was not to LOSE more ground with blacks in this country. He had nothing to gain... regardless of what he did he was going to be criticized. They probably figured that it was less of a lost to go as opposed to not.

Presuming you are a Democrat... because you've backed so heavily the actions of some that criticized Bush policy at the funeral... What do you think of Bill Clinton's comments? Did he not dig a bit on those of his own party?

[Melanie_]

That's all well and good regarding MLK Jr and CSK's lives, but it doesn't dispute the fact that turning a funeral into a political convention is wrong. If it's not wrong, then you must agree that if President Bush delivered a political speech defending terrorist wire-taps and the removal of Saddam Hussein at Coretta Scott King's funeral, it would have been perfectly acceptable given the other speakers presentations. Correct?

It certainly would have been inappropriate for Bush to talk at Mrs. King's funeral about politics she wasn't involved in. Advocating for her life's work was completely appropriate, on the other hand.

[tml12]

Bush was there for his own agenda. His own political gain. The Democrats were all going on about what was important to Coretta. That's as it should be. I guess what it all comes down to is that "classless" is a matter of opinion.

As a side note, you claim to dislike Bush, but I'm guessing you're a Republican.

Guess again AW! You demorepublicraticans have been so programmed with that dialectic thought that it's incredible. You are nothing but two sides of the same coin.

I have landed here after leaving another forum where because of my constant criticisms of Bush had me labled a "liberal"... now... my first day here and trying to get my feet wet... you call me a Republican! Tsk, tsk, tsk!

There's a large Patriotic and Chrisitan right in the U.S. that has never had any desire for nor do they want anything to do with Bush. As a matter of fact... I can't understand why the left doesn't adore Devious Dubya! Spends more money than any two democrats, is clearly a social-democrat and a globalist. He's on the same side as the Democrats on the illegal alien issue and immigration... hell... he's even as articualte and mentally astute as Lurch Kerry... he's your perfect "Manchurian candidate."

I agree that Bush had his own agenda... and that was not to LOSE more ground with blacks in this country. He had nothing to gain... regardless of what he did he was going to be criticized. They probably figured that it was less of a lost to go as opposed to not.

Presuming you are a Democrat... because you've backed so heavily the actions of some that criticized Bush policy at the funeral... What do you think of Bill Clinton's comments? Did he not dig a bit on those of his own party?

Maybe this video will help...

http://whitehouse.org/media/hillary-talks.mov

[Zues]

Maybe this video will help...

http://whitehouse.org/media/hillary-talks.mov

[tml12]

Maybe this video will help...

http://whitehouse.org/media/hillary-talks.mov

Figured you'd like that...

[Guest American Woman]

Bush was there for his own agenda. His own political gain. The Democrats were all going on about what was important to Coretta. That's as it should be. I guess what it all comes down to is that "classless" is a matter of opinion.

As a side note, you claim to dislike Bush, but I'm guessing you're a Republican.

Guess again AW! You demorepublicraticans have been so programmed with that dialectic thought that it's incredible. You are nothing but two sides of the same coin.

I have landed here after leaving another forum where because of my constant criticisms of Bush had me labled a "liberal"... now... my first day here and trying to get my feet wet... you call me a Republican! Tsk, tsk, tsk!

I didn't call you a Repbulican. I said I'm guessing you are a Republican. Two very different things, so I suggest you "tsk, tsk" yourself for accusing me of something I didn't do.

There's a large Patriotic and Chrisitan right in the U.S. that has never had any desire for nor do they want anything to do with Bush. As a matter of fact... I can't understand why the left doesn't adore Devious Dubya! Spends more money than any two democrats, is clearly a social-democrat and a globalist. He's on the same side as the Democrats on the illegal alien issue and immigration... hell... he's even as articualte and mentally astute as Lurch Kerry... he's your perfect "Manchurian candidate."

Note the criticisms of Bush are all tied in with insulting the Democrats (I won't get into your comments in this thread even though you're way off base). I find it interesting that you are angry when you are referred to as a liberal yet you resented my guessing you were a conservative. I suppose you see yourself as some fair minded centrist as opposed to all of us "programmed" individuals. You're the one listing all the reconceived ideas about us, but you're the open-minded one. Is that it?

I agree that Bush had his own agenda... and that was not to LOSE more ground with blacks in this country. He had nothing to gain... regardless of what he did he was going to be criticized. They probably figured that it was less of a lost to go as opposed to not.

So you agree that Bush had his own agenda. Which is exactly what I said. Of course he had something to gain: improving his image with Blacks. This being an election year, you see that as "nothing to gain?"

Presuming you are a Democrat... because you've backed so heavily the actions of some that criticized Bush policy at the funeral... What do you think of Bill Clinton's comments? Did he not dig a bit on those of his own party?

Those who criticized Bush policy at the funeral were speaking up for Coretta King's politics. That's what I'm defending, because as I said, a funeral eulogizes the person's life. The Bush policies that were criticized were those that went against what she advocated. To not mention her life's work out of some perceived respect for Bush would have been making the funeral "political." This wasn't about Bush. It was about King.

Regarding Clinton's comments, what specific comments are you referring to?

[Guest American Woman]

Bush was there for his own agenda

No he wasn't. That's nonsense. As the current American President, his attendance at such an important national event, for such an important national citizen was absolutely manditory. Even the most rapid Bush opponent will concede that fact. You're way off base.

I would think that as the current American President, it would have been absolutely mandatory for Bush to address the NAACP, yet he's the first president since Herbert Hoover to have served a full term without having done that. I find it interesting that those who criticize the Democrats for their actions have nothing to say about that. They have made King's funeral all about the Democrats instead of about her politics and her life's work. I find that rather "classless" (since that word has already been used). Where's the concern for what she's been advocating and the criticism of Bush for his policies regarding her politics? Shouldn't that be the most important thing here?

I don't think I'm way off base for thinking Bush was at King's funeral for his own agenda. I think his past actions (inactions?) justify my feeling that way.

[YankAbroad]

What's most dishonest is that Bush would come to speak at Mrs. King's funeral, when he disagreed with virtually all of her agenda and slammed a major plank of it in his State of the Union address just a couple of days earlier.

Talk about "politicking at a funeral."

[Zues]

To American Woman...

Tsk, tsk, tsk Zues you bad boy! Okay? Feel betta? Kiss, kiss, wink, wink!

AM... I read all that you wrote and to be honest... I agree with a lot of it... there are details here and there... for example... Bush had an agenda... what politician doesn't? You belive he went there to gain... I believe he went there as a stop gap... I don't believe Bush can gain with blacks in America... I don't care what he'd do. The difference is subtle.

Most of all this will forever be... as you've stated... one's opinion. Therefore we could go on forever with you say I say... who really gives a... well... you know.

Additionally only a very foolish man would continue to converse with a woman over something that is more a matter of how one defines taste... because as I'm sure you'll agree... women out talk men by at least 4 - 1 ratio! And having been married and divorced about five different times, my experience tells me that... few seem to know when to shut up either.

And I'm never angry American Women... the written word does not reflect tone and inflection of voice nor does it pass on to others the facial expressions that indicate mood. So relax sweetheart... if you think it was classy... who am I to argue with you?

So... I'll agree... it was classy... or about as classy as one can expect from members of a loser political party like the Democrat Party of the U.S.

[YankAbroad]

Why do Republicans assume that anyone who disagrees with them must be Democrats, or vice versa?

Statistically, they're more likely to be independents (which now constitute a plurality of registered voters).

[Shady]

What's most dishonest is that Bush would come to speak at Mrs. King's funeral, when he disagreed with virtually all of her agenda and slammed a major plank of it in his State of the Union address just a couple of days earlier.

I would think that as the current American President, it would have been absolutely mandatory for Bush to address the NAACP, yet he's the first president since Herbert Hoover to have served a full term without having done that. I find it interesting that those who criticize the Democrats for their actions have nothing to say about that. They have made King's funeral all about the Democrats instead of about her politics and her life's work. I find that rather "classless" (since that word has already been used). Where's the concern for what she's been advocating and the criticism of Bush for his policies regarding her politics? Shouldn't that be the most important thing here?

I don't think I'm way off base for thinking Bush was at King's funeral for his own agenda. I think his past actions (inactions?) justify my feeling that way

Again, with people of your ilk, he loses either way. If he doesn't go to her funeral he'll be criticized, when he goes to her funeral, he gets criticized. It's a lose/lose situation for him. Like I stated previously, as the current American President, his attendance at such an important national event, for such an important national citizen was absolutely manditory.

And Zues is right. What politician doesn't have an agenda? All politicians do. Especially the Dem politicians who attended the funeral. You know how we know? Because they voiced their agenda during the service. Yes, her and President Bush disagreed on certain issues. However, they also agreed on certain issues as well. They HAVE shared a stage in the past, both respectful of eachother, which is more then I can say for certain individuals that attended her service. A total lack of class.

Why do Republicans assume that anyone who disagrees with them must be Democrats, or vice versa?

Statistically, they're more likely to be independents (which now constitute a plurality of registered voters).

Because like it or not, it's a two-party system. Besides, I've found that most "independents" are people who don't have a core set of beliefs and stances on issues.