Politico still focused on Obama's -- but not Bush's -- church attendance
SUMMARY: Politico's Ben Smith contrasted President-elect Barack Obama and President George W. Bush's church attendance in the weeks after their elections, but Smith failed to note numerous reports of Bush's infrequent church attendance over the past eight years, as well as Bush's reported lack of membership in a Washington, D.C., congregation. Smith cited another Politico article that also ignored reports about Bush's church attendance.
On December 7, Politico senior political writer Ben Smith contrasted President-elect Barack Obama and President George W. Bush's church attendance in the weeks after their elections, but ignored numerous reports of Bush's infrequent church attendance over the past eight years, as well as Bush's reported lack of membership in a Washington, D.C., congregation. Smith cited a November 23 article by Politico senior political writer Jonathan Martin and White House reporter Carol E. Lee, which also ignored the reports about Bush's church attendance.
Senior political writer Ben Smith wrote in a December 7 blog post: "As my colleagues Jonathan Martin and Carol Lee noted last week, Barack Obama -- despite undergoing a campaign maelstrom over his pastor -- isn't a regular churchgoer. He didn't often attend Sunday services on the trail, and -- unlike Presidents-elect Bush and Clinton -- hadn't been since his election. He extended that streak this morning." By contrast, in articles discussing where the Obamas might attend church, the Associated Press, Time and The Hill reported that Bush has attended church infrequently over the past eight years, as Media Matters for America previously noted. The Time article also reported that "George W. Bush never became a regular member of any local church, preferring to worship most often at the chapel at Camp David."
Smith's December 7 Politico.com post titled "Another Sunday without church" in its entirety:
As my colleagues Jonathan Martin and Carol Lee noted last week, Barack Obama -- despite undergoing a campaign maelstrom over his pastor -- isn't a regular churchgoer. He didn't often attend Sunday services on the trail, and -- unlike Presidents-elect Bush and Clinton -- hadn't been since his election.
He extended that streak this morning, with the pool report saying only that he'd been a bit late for his regular workout this morning.
He is reportedly shopping for a Washington, D.C., church, and his aides have said he's concerned about drawing "unwelcome or inappropriate" attention to another Chicago congregation.
"He didn't often attend Sunday services on the trail..."
And this effects the nation, how?
It angers the right wing base, which in turn gives them a desperate claim of "he's really not reaching out to all of us" to cling bitterly to.
Ben Smith's comments and $2.00 will get you on the subway in New York City.
Media Matters should send an investigator to track down Ben Smith church's attendance or lack of thereof every Sunday, and write an article about it.
Yeah, whats that saying about people who live in glass houses?
And let's not forget the type of message his pastor sends every Sunday ;)
I'm too busy researching profound Religious questions, to find the time to gutcheck our new President's Faith.
There are two great Religious questions keeping me up at night, seeking their answers:
1. What was the true reason that televangelist Robert H. Schuller removed his son, Robert A. Schuller, from the HOUR OF POWER television weekly service?
I was just getting used to the son's chiselled features and baritone voice, and then WHAM he was replaced by the elder's now sagging face and now straining voice... why?
I'm not sending any more "gifts" in to the Ministry, until I find out the true reason.
The other profound Religious question I am researching is:
I heard a U.S. Senator from North Carolina tried to win her seat in a re-election campaign, by calling her opponent "godless"...
How did that work out?
I live in NC, and BOY did that campaign backfire! Ms. Dole, the incumbent, isn't from here and doesn't really live here, unlike Ms. Hagan who is third generation Carolinian and third generation at the same church where she teaches Sunday school! The votes were so overwhelming for Ms. Hagan that she was annouced the winner before 9:30EST. Funny thing, most people weren't as upset that it was a complete lie, they were more upset that instead of sticking to the issues Dole tried smear tactics, that's what lost it for her.
There is hope for us yet.
It just might be possible that the President-Elect has something more important on his dancecard than frittering away a couple of hours fellating some mythical superhero like the tooth fairy or Santy Claus or Jesus or whatever.
That's one way of putting it. You forgot Superman. :o)
For me, religion was always about your personal relationship with God. You don't have to go to church to have faith, and or to be religious. That being said, I'm really not that religious, OK, not at all, but back when I was, that's how I felt about it. I didn't need to go to church to "prove" how Christian I was, and Obama, and anyone else for that matter, doesn't need to either (Bush, et all included).
Today, I'd rather have Obama be an atheist, but that's going to happen.
Please keep projecting... because ALL that's gonna happen' ... ummmm, yinz people an' at
and by me saying all that I was trying to be funny... umm, well..., I'm done
I agree. I'm not religious, and I'm not a person who is drawn to social clubs and organizations, so church never had much to offer me. I attended when I was young and wanted to meet girls, but that's about it.
Church has always been a self-perpetuating social institution. People can be pious and virtuous without it, but some need and enjoy the social invironment offered by a gathering of like-minded followers. That's fine for those who are so inclined.
It's interesting to note that Jesus never seemed all that concerned with attending worship services, and even spoke against public displays of faith. Church as we know it was formulated by those who came later and fabricated Christian doctrine, especially those Priests who had a financial interest in gathering their flocks on a regular basis.
I just heard deeppockets Chopra on CNN today talking about the "missing" years of Jesus and it being written in the Dead Sea scrolls about him (Jesus) debating concepts with the monks in India. Were they formulating collection strategies for services? This religious thing has gotten way out of hand. Did Jesus adopt concepts from those meetings in his teachings? I would feel a lot more comfortable if Obama was a Hindu or a Buddhist than a christian
No surprise. Politico has made the calculation that they will play to the right wing trifecta of FoxNews, AM radio and Drudge. Let us not forget that Politico writers are very friendly with Matt Drudge and worship the soil he steps on.
Also, MMFA should also note that the lead story tonight on Politico is about the supposed wild crazy right-wing driven "whisper" campaign that Obama is not an American. So crazy it is that Politico leads on their site with that baloney.
That should be all you ever need to know about Politico.com and their credibility issue.
This is going to be a problem for Sean Hannity, who insisted that Obama sat in somebody's pew for twenty years. Seems like a good explanation for how he could have missed some scary sermons.
Really, I respect everybody's right to worship whatever they want, but I'd like my president to be doing something more practical with his weekends.
Sean Hannity is a Rush Limbaugh "wannabe"! He is shaking in his boots because he is so afraid that he may one day have to prove some of those wild and untruthful opinions that he spews on a daily basis!
.............But he is going green. He has a hybrid Escalade. I kind of wish he would drive it off a cliff but, he is so fun to watch and go" What the F***"!!!! He is inshannity cause he screwed Goofy!
Please! Of all the important issues out there, surely Ben Smith can find something of more immediate importance than when and how much does Barack attend church!
These phoney republican conservatives....they always want to get into what God you are serving and what you are doing in your bedroom.....Oh, they know the right God and what is Moral! Ask that pervert from the wide stance Bathroom incident!
Also see David Sirota who mentions Jonathan Martin's distortion of what Obama said on Meet the Press yesterday about the tax cuts being ended for those who earn over 250,000.
Politico is like the NY Post, gossipy and not credible. Since they are so gossipy I will say John Martin looks like a fat frat boy who gets stimulated when he is hazing other frat boys.