Bush Campaign Blasts Kerry's Bible Quote

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 3-29-2004 | Nedra Pickler

[blam]

Bush Campaign Blasts Kerry's Bible Quote

Monday March 29, 2004 3:16 AM

By NEDRA PICKLER

Associated Press Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) - John Kerry cited a Bible verse Sunday to criticize leaders who have ``faith but has no deeds,'' prompting President Bush's spokesman to accuse Kerry of exploiting Scripture for a political attack.

Kerry never mentioned Bush by name during his speech at New North Side Baptist Church, but aimed his criticism at ``our present national leadership.'' Kerry cited Scripture in his appeal for the worshippers, including James 2:14, ``What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?''

``The Scriptures say, what does it profit, my brother, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?'' Kerry said. ``When we look at what is happening in America today, were are the works of compassion?''

Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt said Kerry's comment ``was beyond the bounds of acceptable discourse and a sad exploitation of Scripture for a political attack.''

Kerry told worshippers in the largely black congregation that the country's leadership has served the privileged while ignoring people across America who live in neighborhoods like theirs.

``Today we are told that, after 3 million lost jobs and so many lost hopes, America is now turning a corner,'' the pending Democratic presidential nominee said. ``But those who say that, they're not standing on the corner of Highland Street, where two 15-year-old teenagers were hit in a drive-by shooting last week.''

Kerry is Roman Catholic, but his support for abortion rights is at odds with Vatican teachings.

``I don't tell church officials what to do, and church officials shouldn't tell American politicians what to do in the context of our public life,'' Kerry said in an interview with Time posted on the magazine's Web site Sunday.

Kerry spent the weekend campaigning in Missouri, a state he hopes to take from Bush's win column in the November election. Bush defeated Gore 50 percent to 47 percent in the state in 2000.

Before church, Kerry stopped at Chris' Pancakes & Dining, where his physical appearance seemed to be the top concern among diners who agreed that he looked better in person than on television.

``That's the third time this morning I've heard that!'' Kerry said after being complimented by diner Eda Grassi. He replied that he'd have to start working on his camera angles.

``You look like a good Italian in this neighborhood,'' said Caesar Valli. Then, taking a glance over Kerry's thin 6-foot-4 physique he said, ``You need a little flesh on.''

Kerry agreed. ``I know. I'm working on it,'' he said.

[JimSEA]

No one has said much about this but just immagine for a moment that Bush had done something similar. How many hours of "right wing Christian conspiracy" would be broadcast. Yet Kerry will get a pass by all the press.

[arbee4bush]

``That's the third time this morning I've heard that!'' Kerry said after being complimented by diner Eda Grassi. He replied that he'd have to start working on his camera angles

Yeah, the first two times he was telling himself that in the mirror. Arrogant and egotistical as always.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Kerry told worshippers in the largely black congregation that the country's leadership has served the privileged while ignoring people across America who live in neighborhoods like theirs.

So Kerry thinks it's more compassionate to just abort them instead? Wonder what the Bible says about that?

[Qwinn]

"I don't tell church officials what to do, and church officials shouldn't tell American politicians what to do in the context of our public life,"

Except when you make a huge show of your Catholicism in your public life, Mr. Kerry. If you didn't do that, the Church would have no grounds on which to tell you to do anything. But if you're going to claim to be a Catholic, they have every right to say, "Um, no, not even remotely."

Qwinn

[cricket]

Sounds like Kerry is 'judging, where he should not'.

I know we keep saying, 'no low, is too low', for these people; and we know that Kerry will surprise us every day, with his 'depth'..

I pray thta Kerry's audience of the Faithful understand just what it means to be a modern-day pharisee.

[cookcounty]

How much did Kerry give in contributions to charity? Was it "o" as in "zero" or ""0" as in "Nada?"

[kdot]

That's what I was thinking. "Mirror, mirror on the wall..."

[cookcounty]

"``I don't tell church officials what to do, and church officials shouldn't tell American politicians what to do in the context of our public life,''

The topic for the John Kerry Lecture on Practical Theology this year is entitled "What Shouldn't Jesus Do?"

[Mike Bates]

``When we look at what is happening in America today, where are the works of compassion?''

Compassion? Let's talk compassion. Per Byron York at National Review: "In 1995, according to published reports, Kerry reported a taxable income of $126,179, and charitable contributions of $0."

Michael M. Bates: My Side of the Swamp

[cookcounty]

The Book of James. John Kerry's 2nd most favorite book of the New Testament ----right after Job.

[Political Junkie Too]

No one has said much about this but just immagine for a moment that Bush had done something similar. How many hours of "right wing Christian conspiracy" would be broadcast.

But Bush did, during the 2000 primary.

Bush was asked who his favorite philospher was, and he replied "Jesus." That set off a firestorm, one for ridiculing him that Jesus wasn't a philosopher, and two for bringing religion into the presidential campaign.

Of course, they lauded Lieberman when he was chosen as Gore's VP candidate and he started quoting scripture at his campaign stops.

-PJ

[pubmom]

Banging my head against my monitor PING!

[Richard Kimball]

just imagine for a moment that Bush had done something similar

Kerry gets a pass for the same reason Clinton got a pass when he'd walk out of Church on Sunday with a Bible big enough to kill a dog if it fell off the refrigerator. They know he's not serious. They understand that it's just window-dressing for the yokels.

[cookcounty]

"Kerry told worshippers in the largely black congregation that the country's leadership has served the privileged while ignoring people across America who live in neighborhoods like theirs. "

Kerry, who insists that the largely black congregation be worshippers be denied the opportunity to send their kids to private schools, assured the plantation folk that he had their best interests at heart.

[doug from upland]

The three greatest threats to this nation:

1. Islamist terrorism

2. Hillary Clinton

3. The leftist America-hating press

[Iowa Granny]

Good Grief. Thanks for the ping,,,, I think.

[kayak]

Kerry never mentioned Bush by name during his speech at New North Side Baptist Church, but aimed his criticism at ``our present national leadership.''

Another case of the media and others looking the other way while a 'rat campaigns in church?

I'm not saying it was (though this article certainly makes it sound that way) ... I'm asking the nature of the event when he spoke.

[Hand em their arse]

These aren't in the correct order I assume, right?

[bayourod]

" diners who agreed that he looked better in person than on television. "

Everyone told Herman Munster the same thing.

"looking better" does not mean that you look "good"

[kitkat]

***"I don't tell church officials what to do,...***

What a stupid statement! If everybody could tell the church officials what to do, there'd be no sense having a church.

[JimSEA]

There was Bob Jones University as well.

[VadeRetro]

``What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?''

Bush has "no deeds?" This from Mister "We'd better check it out with Jaques and Kofi before we do anything?"

[Lijahsbubbe]

Next we'll see Kerry high-fiving little black children in school, like Bill Clinton did.

They claim to be such a champion of Black people, and are so condescending and insulting to them.

[JimSEA]

Clinton got a pass when he'd walk out of Church on Sunday with a Bible big enough to kill a dog if it fell off the refrigerator.

LOL I can see it in my minds eye right now. Too bad he got a giggling fit at Ron Browns funeral.

[Moonmad27]

LOL about the refrigerator. Wonder if Bill is loaning Kerry his trusty old five-pound Bible for the campaign? It's in good shape -- it's not like Bill actually read it (unless he was looking for the naughty bits)!

[muawiyah]

My goodness, Kerry went into a Baptist church and accused President Bush of being a Protestant!

Does this presuage Catholic riots on the streets of Boston, or what?!

All America wants to know.

[feedback doctor]

``The Scriptures say, what does it profit, my brother, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?''

Johm Kerry's 'faith' is to take money away from people. Why isn't he using his own, err Theresa's I mean.

[RBroadfoot]

It's not zero; it's 1/2 of one percent for 1991 - 1995, back when he was a divorced single.

Complete figures are not available for the years following his nuptuals with Ms. Heinz. For the years when he filed separately from her, deductible contributions were on the order of 10-12% of his own $125-200k income. This is peanuts, though, compared to their joint income, which is probably north of $25,000,000 per year.

[Nachum]

I am not a Christian, but this seemed appropriate...

"the spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars." (the message, pauls first letter to timothy, page 2165; 1 timothy 4)

[Doohickey]

With all due respect to the Bush campaign, I really wish they'd quit accusing Kerry of "exploiting such and such for political gain".

Of course he is. He's a freaking professional politician. It's in the job description. Let the dummycrats corner the market on stating the obvious.

[John Thornton]

Kerry gets a pass for the same reason Clinton got a pass when he'd walk out of Church on Sunday with a Bible big enough to kill a dog if it fell off the refrigerator. They know he's not serious. They understand that it's just window-dressing for the yokels.

Bingo. You win the prize of the day.

[Nachum]

This seems to work too...

"they give the way of truth a bad name. they're only out for themselves. they'll say anything, anything, that sounds good to exploit you. they won't, of course, get by with it." (the message peter's second letter, page 2218: chapter 2)

[MamaLucci]

What is mind boggling is that while the global left is in an all out assault on the Bush administration, Ben Bradley on 60 Minutes asserts that the White House has "viciously attacked" Dick Clarke, and Bush's mostly positive TV ads are "going negative" on Kerry. Truly bizzaro world.

[SwinneySwitch]

John Fn Kerry the 2nd black president.

[jocko12]

BUSH YOU DO NOT NEED TO BLAST KERRY,THE POPE HAS ALREADY DONE THAT.

[NormsRevenge]

Democratic White House candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) (D-MA) speaks to the congregation during services at the New Northside Baptist Church on March 28, 2004. Kerry invoked scripture to portray Bush as a man of words not deeds and a divider rather than a uniter. (Gary Brady/Reuters)

[Steven W.]

partisan political campaigning from the pulpit of a black church - we've seen this before and besides how ludicrous it is IT IS ILLEGAL.

[Citizen Soldier]

Will this church lose its tax exemption for hosting a political rally? Thought not.

[torchthemummy]

"But Bush did, during the 2000 primary.

Bush was asked who his favorite philospher was, and he replied "Jesus." That set off a firestorm, one for ridiculing him that Jesus wasn't a philosopher, and two for bringing religion into the presidential campaign."

W goes to church and IS a Christian in action and faith. That is the difference. He also said it in a debate, not in a church pandering to minorities while continuing to complain about how the powerful don't pay the poor attention, something he would never say while holding a press conference in front of one of his fancy homes or fancy yacht. A heck of a difference.

[Godfollow]

Didn't you know that white Democrats are exempt from legal campaigning concerns when campaigning in black churches? I thought everybody knew that... Black Democrat Churches may campaign in their preaching from their pulpits without worry of having their tax exempt status pulled because it would be seen as racism, so they are exempt from following campaign laws... like the rest of us.

[Aggie Mama]

This man is evil. Prayer and hard work are the only things that will win this election.

[Carolinamom]

Has any dem candidate EVER spoken to a white congregation?

[muawiyah]

Actually, it's racism at the IRS that's the problem. You check out their managers and every one of them is going to tell you that it's not possible to understand what the AA preachers are saying.

Time to clear the decks at IRS.

[JohnnyZ]

From the Devil quoting scripture for his purposes Dept.

[fat city]

I assume that, as a good Catholic, Kerry also made it to mass today (especially it being Lent and all), though, oddly, there's no mention of it in the article.

[bray]

No mention of applause for Yaaaaawn Tax & Kerry??? He is the last person who should be quoting scripture. This is beyond dispicable from the Party that hates Christians?

Pray for W and The Truth

[Jorge]

It's bad enough that Kerry has been smearing Bush as somebody who doesn't really care about the average American....
But quoting scripture to do so is pretty arrogant and self-righteous.

Kerry must think God gave him the Bible to use for his own selfish political purposes, to pronounce judgments on his opponents.

[Pegita]

Serious threads get my serious prayer ...

That the Lord would render the Clintons, and ALL their minions, totally powerless and voiceless and nameless and faceless and useless and homeless and penniless ... and that He would strip them bare before the world, such is their evil, leaving only their immortal souls, and it is for these souls I pray ...