Posted on 09/09/2004 5:20:42 PM PDT by nypokerface
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Democratic candidate John Kerry warned black Americans on Thursday to beware of George W. Bush's overtures and called the Republican president a false prophet who "traffics in the politics of division."
In a tough speech to the National Baptist Convention laced with Biblical allusions, the Democratic presidential nominee rejected Bush's claim to be a "compassionate conservative," likening him instead to the two men in the story of the Good Samaritan who passed by when they came upon a robbed and beaten man.
"They felt compassion but there were no deeds," Kerry said to a standing ovation. "It is clear: for four years George W. Bush may have talked about compassion but he's walked right by. He's seen people in need but he's crossed over to the other side of the street."
Kerry also heaped scorn Bush's campaign slogans and compared him unfavorably to those who fought for civil rights in the United States.
"In the hardest passages of the long march ... amid lynchings and unyielding discrimination, the stalwart foot soldiers of justice did not look around and say, as we have heard so often from Washington these days, that we've 'turned the corner' or the job was 'getting done' or that this was the best we could do."
The senator from Massachusetts, who is struggling to catch up with Bush in national polls two months before the Nov. 2 election, cited lost jobs, rising health care costs, record federal budget deficits and "miscalculations" in Iraq that had resulted in "shredded" alliances and challenges to U.S. influence.
Bush has questioned whether Democrats, who traditionally garner about 90 percent of the black vote in presidential elections, have taken one of their staunchest constituencies for granted and suggested blacks look at his policies.
CITES SCRIPTURE
"As the book of Matthew reminds us, beware of false prophets that come to you in sheep's clothing," Kerry said, citing Bush's failure to meet with leaders of major black organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Congressional Black Caucus.
"The president who scorns economic justice and affirmative action, who traffics in the politics of division and then claims he is a friend of black America cannot conceal his identity no matter what clothes he wears," he said.
Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt denounced what he called Kerry's "pessimistic vision," saying it was full of "misleading, baseless attacks and attempts to divide Americans."
Earlier in Des Moines, Iowa, Kerry accused the administration of enabling U.S. drug companies to raise prices and declare "open season" on American consumers.
He painted Bush as out of touch with the "real life stories" of people who were struggling to afford health care, doing without it altogether or paying many times more for the same prescription drugs than Canadians.
He also berated Bush for telling Americans the war in Iraq would be "a piece of cake" and said the $200 billion cost of the conflict and its aftermath had weakened the United States domestically.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan disputed the figure, saying about $119 billion had been spent related to Iraq. "This is coming from the same person who, a year ago, said he wanted to increase costs for Iraq," McClellan said of the Democrat.
Kerry told a town hall meeting that, unlike Bush, he would allow reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada and elsewhere.
"The Bush administration has empowered, enabled and assisted some of those people (drug companies) to raise their prices," Kerry said during a meeting with four Iowans grappling with health care issues. "Here, it's open season on all of you."
Did you hear somebody say something? Huh, it must be my imagination running away with me.
Wonder if the Reverend Henry Lyons is still heading up the National Baptist Convention?
Pavlov's dogs might start to think when they get home that Kerry was talking about "I feel your pain" Clinton.
I seriously doubt Kerry has gotten a standing ovation in weeks. Somebody run a LexisNexis search to see how many standing ovations Bush recieved in the last 4 years according to Reuters.
As the book of Judges reminds me, Kerry is the jawbone of an ass.
... whistling in the wind ...
I sure am glad that the Left doesn't use religion and blur the line between church and state!
Remember, there is no such thing as the Religious Left.
If you wanns see a prime example watch this video by Slick Willie himself-- if you can make it through the fawning intro by the "Preacher."
http://www.cspan.org/search/basic.asp?ResultStart=1&ResultCount=10&BasicQueryText=Bill+Clinton+Riverside+Church&image1.x=20&image1.y=10
Here we go with the Al Gore replay.
Rev. 3:17 "Because you say,'I am rich,have become wealthy,and have need of nothing'-and do not know that you are wretched,miserable,poor,blind,and naked-
John 16:3 nails these people.
I'd like to know the last time outside of a political context he had the "book of Matthew" open.
Did he talk about the passage in the Bible that says "I knew you before you were formed"? That really jives with his pro-death position on the unborn.
John Kerry thy name is hyprocrite, you would have fit well as a pharisee.
This emperor has no clothes, no matter how much scripture he quotes.
There's nothing very compassionate about stealing from some in order to promise goodies to others. Jesus' message was to "take what YOU have and give to the poor." Don't recall his teachings ever wanting me to take from my neighbor and call it love when I give what I have taken to someone else.
The Democrats have pulled this stunt for years, calling themselves the Party that cares for people. They have kept Black voters in bondage to them, but that is changing, and Kerry is sensing it.
Hey Kerry...what's the Bible's position regarding blaming a Secret Service agent for your skiing accident and then calling him a "son of a _itch"?
And what have you done, Mr. Kerry?
Like people who preach politics from a church pulpit instead of pointing people to what's eternal (Christ).
Precisely,Scott.
What were Kerry's charitable contributions in the last ten years? And what were Bush's?
My bet is that skinflint Kerry didn't do anywhere near what he could have or should have.
Bump!
"The Democrats have pulled this stunt for years, calling themselves the Party that cares for people. They have kept Black voters in bondage to them, but that is changing, and Kerry is sensing it."
It can't be said much better than this.
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