Fox News figures outraged over Obama's "Christian nation" comment
SUMMARY: Several Fox News media figures have paraphrased or replayed President Obama's remarks in Turkey, during which he said, in part: "[W]e do not consider ourselves a Christian nation," in order to criticize Obama.
Several Fox News media figures, including Fox News contributor Karl Rove, Hannity host Sean Hannity, America's Newsroom co-host Megan Kelly, and Fox News analyst Newt Gingrich, have paraphrased or replayed President Obama's remarks during an April 6 press availability with the president of Turkey, during which he made factual comments about religion in America, saying, in part: "[W]e do not consider ourselves a Christian nation," and used those comments to criticize Obama and generate outrage. For example, Gingrich asserted Obama "was fundamentally misleading about the nature of America"; Hannity stated that he was "offended" and that Obama is "out of touch with the principles that have made this country great"; Rove suggested that Obama denied the reality that "we have historically had, you know, a robust presence of faith in our public square"; and Kelly asked if Obama had "step[ped] on a political landmine" and suggested that Obama was "obviously just pandering" when he suggested "[w]e're not a Christian country." In fact, Obama was making a broader point about the ecumenical nature of our country.
During the press availability, Obama stated:
I think that where -- where there's the most promise of building stronger U.S.-Turkish relations is in the recognition that Turkey and the United States can build a model partnership in which a predominantly Christian nation and a predominantly Muslim nation, a Western nation and a nation that straddles two continents -- that we can create a modern international community that is respectful, that is secure, that is prosperous; that there are not tensions, inevitable tensions, between cultures, which I think is extraordinarily important.
That's something that's very important to me. And I've said before that one of the great strengths of the United States is -- although as I mentioned, we have a very large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation; we consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.
I think Turkey was -- modern Turkey was founded with a similar set of principles, and yet what we're seeing is in both countries that promise of a secular country that is respectful of religious freedom, respectful of rule of law, respectful of freedom, upholding these values and being willing to stand up for them in the international stage. If we are joined together in delivering that message, East and West, to -- to the world, then I think that we can have an extraordinary impact. And I'm very much looking forward to that partnership in the days to come.
On April 8, Fox News media figures made the following comments about Obama's remarks:
- On Hannity, Gingrich stated that Obama "went to Turkey, and I think was fundamentally misleading about the nature of America. We are not a secular country. We're a country which was founded with a Declaration of Independence which says we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. Now how can you say all of your rights as an American come from your creator and then pretend that you're a secular society? We're not."
- Hannity responded to Gingrich by stating: "How insulted should the average American be? Because I'm offended, because I don't think we're an arrogant nation. We're the nation that actually saved Europe from Europe and totalitarianism, and we paid a very heavy price. My father fought in World War II. You know -- and then for him to say, obviously, clearly not reading our framers and our founders, because they all refer to the Judeo-Christian ethic as the foundation of this country. How -- what does that say about this president and his world view that he's that out of touch with the principles that have made this country great? And why is president -- isn't he selling that and defining that for the world?"
- Later during the same edition of his show, Hannity introduced a segment with Rove by stating, "And as Christians celebrate their Holy Week, President Obama is busy out there telling the world this is not a Christian nation." During the segment, Rove asserted: "Yeah, look, America is a nation built on faith. I mean, we can be Christian, we can be Jew, we can be Mormon, we can be, you know, any variety of things. We're a country that prizes faith and believes that we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights; among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Rove added: "And to somehow go to Turkey, and in order to sort of identify yourself with this Turkish secular movement that began in the early part of the previous century, and trying to somehow making Turkey and America equivalent, is to deny each nation's reality. And Turkey is a country that adopted a certain attitude towards the role of religion in the public arena, and America has a different attitude. And we have historically had, you know, a robust presence of faith in our public square, and to deny that that's a reality is, you know, very strange, I think."
- During On the Record, guest host Kelly asserted: "Obama says we are no longer a Christian nation. Is that true? And did the president just step on a political landmine?" Later, during a discussion with nationally syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham, Kelly stated that "some people say, listen, he was obviously just pandering. He was in this Muslim nation saying, look, we're not a Christian country."
From the April 8 edition of Fox News' Hannity:
HANNITY: But -- so then he talks about how we will begin universal disarmament, as you just pointed out. But then he come -- he's coming off a tour where he's constantly apologizing for America, referring to us as an arrogant country, dictating to the world our views, and that we're not a Christian nation.
We are a nation that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. Now, I'm looking at his world view, and I'm thinking, OK, this sounds a lot like he learned something sitting in Reverend Wright's pews and hanging out with --
GINGRICH: Well, I --
HANNITY: -- palling around with Bill Ayers.
GINGRICH: And I think he learned an awful lot reading Revelry [sic: Reveille] for Radicals and studying left-wing activists in South Side Chicago. I think it's very important to recognize that what you're watching is the most radical left-wing administration in American history.
The foreign policy trip, I think, was pretty pathetic. He went and he promised the Europeans everything; they gave him nothing. He went and made a speech that nobody thought was realistic about nuclear weapons, while the North Koreans showed their contempt for him.
He went to Turkey, and I think was fundamentally misleading about the nature of America. We are not a secular country. We're a country which was founded with a Declaration of Independence which says we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights.
Now how can you say all of your rights as an American come from your creator and then pretend that you're a secular society? We're not.
HANNITY: How insulted should the average American be? Because I'm offended, because I don't think we're an arrogant nation. We're the nation that actually saved Europe from Europe and totalitarianism, and we paid a very heavy price.
My father fought in World War II. You know -- and then for him to say, obviously, clearly not reading our framers and our founders, because they all refer to the Judeo-Christian ethic as the foundation of this country.
How -- what does that say about this president and his world view that he's that out of touch with the principles that have made this country great? And why is president -- isn't he selling that and defining that for the world?
[...]
HANNITY: And tonight in "Your America," we're taking a look at Obama's America. Now on the economic front, a new congressional report is recommending the firing of more top executives and says the economic crisis may only be in the early stages. And as Christians celebrate their Holy Week, President Obama is busy out there telling the world this is not a Christian nation.
All right, joining us now with a reaction to all of this is Fox News contributor Karl Rove -- the architect. Karl, all right, so we're an arrogant country, and we're not a Christian nation, and we bow before the Saudi king.
[...]
HANNITY: You know, one of the things that every past president has done -- first of all, most -- Harry Truman, Wilson, our framers -- they all acknowledged that America is a Christian nation. But more importantly, when a president goes abroad and apologizes for America and doesn't tell the great story of America -- what makes us great, why so many people want to come here -- were you as offended as I was and Newt Gingrich obviously?
ROVE: Yeah, look, America is a nation built on faith. I mean, we can be Christian, we can be Jew, we can be Mormon, we can be, you know, any variety of things. We're a country that prizes faith and believes that we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights; among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
And to somehow go to Turkey, and in order to sort of identify yourself with this Turkish secular movement that began in the early part of the previous century, and trying to somehow making Turkey and America equivalent, is to deny each nation's reality. And Turkey is a country that adopted a certain attitude towards the role of religion in the public arena, and America has a different attitude. And we have historically had, you know, a robust presence of faith in our public square, and to deny that that's a reality is, you know, very strange, I think.
HANNITY: Well, I think it was a disgrace, as he goes on his apologizing for America tour and bowing before the king.
From the April 8 edition of On the Record with Greta Van Susteren:
KELLY: Coming up next: President Obama says we are no longer a Christian nation. Is that true? And did the president just step on a political landmine? Answers coming up with Laura Ingraham, right after this break.
[...]
KELLY: Well, is America no longer a Christian nation? President Obama raised some eyebrows while talking about religion in America during a speech in the Muslim nation of Turkey.
OBAMA [video clip]: We can create a modern, international community that is respectful, that is secure, that is prosperous; that there are not tensions -- inevitable tensions -- between cultures, which I think is extraordinarily important. That is something that is very important to me.
You know, I have said before that one of the great strengths of the United States is -- although, as I have mentioned, that we have a very large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation; we consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.
KELLY: Well, some say the president has been reading too much Newsweek, which is under fire for its latest cover declaring, quote, "The Decline and Fall of Christian America."
According to a poll in that magazine and its related article, the number of people who consider the U.S. a Christian nation has fallen to 62 percent, which is down from 69 percent last year. So is America, in fact, abandoning its Christian roots? Nationally syndicated radio host Laura Ingraham joins me now with answers by phone.
[...]
INGRAHAM: I think, obviously, President Obama was trying to ingratiate himself with the Muslim world, and, you know, we'll see if that works out for us.
KELLY: Well, what do you think about that? I mean, some people say, listen, he was obviously just pandering. He was in this Muslim nation saying, look, we're not a Christian country -- and by the way this is not the first time he's said this. He gave a speech back in June of 2006, according to our records, where he said exactly this, and then again he repeated it the following year.
And actually when he said it in 2006 he got a little bit more controversial, saying that faith has been hijacked, partly because of the so-called leadership of the Christian right. So he hasn't made any secret about how he feels on this.
INGRAHAM: Exactly. I mean, this is happening on a trip where, you know, he was either bowing to the Saudi king or he lost a contact, OK? So, you know, this is the same man who talked about, you know, people clinging to their, you know, religion in the United States. I think it strikes a really tone-deaf -- deafness, really Megyn, when you think about it, because, you know, this is the Easter season. America is an extremely religious country -- you know, fluctuation in the polls here and there doesn't really bother me.
And we have people of all faiths, and we respect different religious traditions, and that is truly one of our great traits in this country, is that we allow people to worship any way they want. But the facts are the facts. I mean, we are 75 percent Christian, if you believe this poll, and 85 percent of Americans say religion is very important --
KELLY: Yup.
INGRAHAM: -- or fairly important in their lives. So, all is well with the people of faith.
It depends on what you mean. We are a nation where Christianity is the predominant religion, so one could easily make the case we are a Christian nation. But we don't make our laws based on Christian theology, so in that sense we are a secular nation. Each person will view it differently and I think both are fine to say.
But President Obama made it very clear in his speech that despite our large Christian population, our laws are secularly based. Hannity and company somehow think this clear statement is an attack on their religiosity. Their inability to understand the Constitutional basis of our laws demonstrates that what they say is clearly conservative (fundamentalist) misinformation
I couldn't care less what Hannity and company think, they are goons. their sole purpose is to trash Obama at every turn, their reaction to anything he says or does is of no interest to me, I don't listen to them or watch their crap ever. I was merely making a general statement.
This is much ado about nothing. All Obama meant was that we are not officially a Christian nation. (Or a Jewish nation. Or a Muslim nation.) He was saluting the success of (NATO partner) Turkey's secular government. Might some still consider us "a Christian nation." Sure. (Though they might have a hard time reconciling some Gospel values with some of what happens in this country, or with some aspects of U.S. foreign policy, or for that mattter, with some of what they hear on right-wing talk radio.) Just as some may still consider Turkey "a Muslim nation." But if you really consider what Obama meant (what a concept!), getting all worked up over his remarks (the frothy anger of Sean Hannity) seems kind of silly.
Woodrow Wilson at a Denver rally in 1911, stated, "America was born a Christian nation".
"Hannity and company somehow think this clear statement is an attack on their religiosity."
I don't believe that at all. He is pretending that is what he thinks just so he can take another shot at the President. Except to the 1% or less of the population that listens to him daily, he is a joke - and doesn't even realize it!
You can't view it differently. We're not a Christian nation. The founders could have easily set it up thay way but they chose not to.
who are you to tell me or anyone how it can be viewed? just because you don't like it, too damn bad, many people believe we are a Christian nation for the very reason I said. Now if they want to use that to base policy or discriminate against someone who doesn't share that view, then I have a problem with it. It's a label freely used by free people. Your silly objection to it is irrelevant.
To quote a poster names jimmyb, "NERVE STRIKE?"
you're right, when liberals try to tell people what they can say or what label they want used, it gets on my nerves.
You can hold any belief you want. That wasn't my point.
And it's conservative who want people to conform to their beliefs, not liberals.
Only liberals?
In your post you tried to put a false belief on the same level as a fact. No matter what some may believe, the fact is we're not a Christian nation.
if you don't like it when people use it, then don't listen for crying out loud. It's not much different than around Columbus Ohio when people label that Buckeye country, those that aren't Buckeyes don't get all bent when they hear it though, like you.
I don't care if they say it. I was responding specifically to your post that tried to put a false belief on equal footing with a fact.
so you don't care if they say it, they just can't view it that way "You can't view it differently". ahh, ok.
You gave a false belief as much legitamacy as a fact. I would expect nothing less from a conservative.
you really can't see the difference between "buckeye country" and "christian nation"? people say we are a "christian nation" because they are trying to introduce christian doctrine and practices into government. but that's "not much different" than saying buckeye country? get a clue.
and the founding fathers were pretty dismissive of christianity, in fact, downright hostile to it frequently. they talked of all the bloodshed in europe because of it. the treaty of tripoli in 1797, passed unanimously in the senate, said we were "not in any sense" founded on the christian religion. see link.
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/summer97/secular.html
The Treaty of Tripoli was signed when America had to have a treaty passed as the British were not protecting our shipping interest in Africa and the Med. The treaty was in Arabic and NONE of the senators spoke arabic. Also 8 years later when the treaty was reworked, Artilce 11 of which you speak is noticably absent. America was stronger and her navy far reaching and did not need to appease certain sultans with talk about a non-christian nation.
The english translation, rightly or wrongly including article 11, was the document ratified by the congress.
Ok, let's agree for a moment on your assertion. Then you also agree that 8 years later, Article 11 is dropped, so did we become a Christian nation now that we didn't need to hoodwink arab sultans?
If you're going to assert that we knew exactly what the senate of 1797 were thinking to include political calculations then it's within the realm to assert that we know that they changed their thinking over an eight year period.
I will also chalange the notion that this treaty claims of non-Christian in that none, not one, of the other treaties signed with other muslim pirate states included the verbage of Article 11 that was eventually dropped.
the entire treaty was reworked, but whether or not that wording was put in there again, the senate had already voted on article 11 and approved it and the entire treaty, which was not lengthy, was published in newspapers at the time. they did not vote that we were a christian nation, and many of the early leaders held christianity at arm's length. the phrase "in god we trust" never appeared on coins until the civil war.
jamesB is saying that 2+2=5 should be given the exact weight as 2+2=4. After all, one is a belief and the other is a fact, and they are just two sides of the same coin. Or, perhaps, jamesB's coin has three sides.
Its actually far different than Columbus being Buckeye Country. The state of Ohio named Ohio State its state university as an act of state. The United States never named Christianity as the national religion.
It's a label freely used by ignorant people.
I think James is right in the belief that a country tends to believe majority rules dictates a country's standing. You are right as well in that constitutionally, the government can never pass laws recognizing any one religion as the country's religion in the same manner as they pick a flag, or a national anthem, or the eagle. The only real issue is those on the right who think that has already happened, I'm of the opinion James thinks like you and I on that particular matter.
The only thing I'm disagreeing with is his attempt to say a false belief has as much legitimacy as a fact. Most Americans hold the [false] belief that this is a Christian nation and James says treat it as fact.
While the USA is not a "Christian" nation, the majority of the citizens profess to be followers of what they interpret as the "Christian" religion. There is a difference, except in the eyes of Shamity and his ilk.
one could easily make the case we are a Christian nation
Most of us are white. So by your logic, "one could easily make the case" that we are a white Christian nation. (Consider those who do.)
Most of us are in our adult years (20-64). So we're an adult white Christian nation.
A majority of us are female. So we're an adult white female Christian nation.
Based on recent election results and surveys of people's self-professed attitudes, we could add "non-conservative." So we're an adult white non-conservative female Christian nation.
Shall I go on?
The point is, for a nation to say "we are a fill-in-the-blank nation" is to say that there are certain principles and tenets that are raised both socially and legally above others.
So no, it is not correct to say the US is a "Christian" nation any more than it is correct to call it a "female" nation.
I said the label is irrelevant to me, people are free to call us whatever they want as long as they don't impose their labels or unconstitutional laws upon us as a reflection of that label. It matters to me little, and it shouldn't matter to Rove and these goons either, but it does to them, and apparently to some here.
except they do use it to impose their beliefs. that's why they insist the ten commandments belongs in the courthouse.
It's Okey dokey for the Supreme Court.
the label is irrelevant to me
Whether or not it's irrelevant to you as a particular individual is not the point. The issue is what implications it carries, what policies it says should be enacted and pursued, to declare the US is a "Christian nation."
Again, by way of illustration, I invite you to consider what it would imply if it were to be accepted that the US is a "white nation."
I was born in India. Around 80% of Indians are Hindus.
Only right wing nationalist parties over there claim (occasionally) that India is a Hindu country.
"Each person will view it differently and I think both are fine to say."
True. But only one is correct. Which one is it? Is US a christian country or a 'secular' country.
The US is a secular country, made up of a large number of Christians, Muslims, Jews, and other beliefs, as well as many with no religious belief.
So, we are a secular, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Miscellaneous, Atheistic nation.
None of which the Government is allowed to favor over any other faction.
There is a difference; claiming that we are a Christian nation implies that we, as a nation, follow Christianity, and that our laws are Christian. Saying that Christianity is the predominant religion in the US is different, it does not carry such implications.
You're right, we're a nation of "values" and "ideals", um, but sometimes (like 50%), we disagree with half the country on those values and ideals, so, um, I guess it just means whatever party is in power and whether the blogosphere or talk radio has the upper hand, and..um...
I would add to that "progression".
Is "progression" a value? An ideal? Progress to where? To what end? Do we all agree on that "where" and "what end"?
Who Knows? Are you against society progressing?
There are a lot of conservatives that are. They would like us all to go back to Leave it to Beaver, circa 1955, you know, the "good" times.
Franklin D. Roosevelt described the United States as "The lasting concord between men and nations, founded on the principles of Christianity" in a mid-Atlantic summit with British Prime Minister Churchill before asking the crew of an American warship to join him in singing the hymn, "Onward, Christian Soldiers."
when you enter hell, go to your left, they will be on the right. :)
No you can't have your own neighborhood. What's the purpose of being punished for eternity if you can't be near Hannity?
But silly me. I thought we were a country founded by people seeking freedom from religious persecution, and that their descendants created a constitution to ensure that religion would not only be free from persecution from the government, but from other religions. Hence, we may have a religious population, but it's a secular government ergo, a secular country.
P.S. I see the number of people identifying themselves as christian has fallen 10% in the latest research polls. That should keep the right busy...
King, being I'm a good Christian & the fairest poster of them all I'll be in heaven of course. But I'll send you a care package. What do ya drink? ;-)
I guess down there anything cold will do.
great answer.
re:hell
it's not the heat, it's the humidity
Good for Obama. We aren't a Christian Nation, or a Jewish Nation, or a Muslim Nation. It's time that someone called these idiots on their "FoundingFathersCreatedANationOnJudeoChristianPrinciples" bullcrap. The first English immigrants came here to find MONEY. Others came here to escape one form of religious persecution- and to create another. Many of the "Christian" founding fathers owned slaves and denied rights to women and men without property. Others were Deists.
Enough with this crap. We aren't a Christian Nation because the Bible is not our law. Nor is the Torah or the Koran. Secular Nation, Secular Laws- and the sooner we have Secular leaders who stop boring us with this Biblical claptrap, the better.
While we may not be specifically Christian, our Declaration of Independence relies on the idea of a "Creator" as the deliverer of our natural rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
the declaration of independence is not the constitution.
Profound.
guess i have to break it down for you. the declaration was not a legal document to govern the country. the constitution is the framework of our government and it has no references to the creator.
Also, the Declaration was a nicely worded press release sent to King George basically to tell him to F' off. We're free, and you can stick that in your pipe and smoke it. The Declaration, while an important document in our country's history, carries no force of law whatsoever. They did state that there was a creator, but what does that mean actually? God? Their parents? And if God, what God? They didn't specifically state a Christian God. But it really doesn't matter, because, again, the Declaration carries nothing to enforce, or create law in our country.
They did state a creator. What does that mean? Let's ask George Washington:
Thanksgiving Proclamation by George Washington
Is it clearer now? I think we can put that "what God" question to bed.
I think we're all familiar with Washington's views. What's the connection between his personal views and the wording of the Declaration of Independence?
And how about the point that the document carries no legal power?
you can read this link and how the founding fathers views on christianity ran from indifference to outright hostility. they had the example of europe and didn't like what they saw there.
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/summer97/secular.html
I do like your link. Is this the definitive link that will put this debate to rest? On the contrary I think it adds to the mystique of our founding fathers. For every one of those quotes I can post two where the same father (Ok not Paine) supports Christianity.
If the FF's were not Christian as so many assert, then let me ask you this...
What was Congress' first act in establishing the Continetal Army? Pay for Chaplains.
What was the Congress' first act as a new Nation? Bring Christianity to the Native Americans.
No matter how much the left tries to spin this, taking obscure treaites out of context or selective quotes...if it swims like a duck, looks like a duck....
go ahead and provide those quotes. and it was not an obscure treaty. nor does the paying for chaplins bother me, then or now. if you ask people to serve and they want chaplins, fine with me. and was that first act to bring christianity under the articles of confederation?
Yeah...and? Point please?
Most of the writers of the Declaration of Independence believed in God. SO? They didn't create a Christian Nation- INTENTIONALLY. What is it about that that is so damned hard to understand?
And that "Creator" is in no way specified as a Christian creator. That is you putting words into the document that are not there.
The Declaration of Independence clearly states “Nature's God”. That is a deist term for God. NO WHERE in the Bible is the Christian’s god referred to as “Nature's God”. Thomas Jefferson was a deist and he did not believe in the false god of the bible.
CHRISTIANS NEED TO STOP FORCING THEIR FALSE GOD OF THE BIBLE ON AMERICA.
You're right--and Islam believes in a creator god, too. The Declaration does NOT say anything at all about the Christian god.
The founders had fresh memories of things like the Salem witch trials. They certainly weren't in a hurry to make us the United States of Jesus.
I certainly don't want the likes of Hannity, Rove, Gingrich, or anyone else from Fox to define what America is for me or to any other country. We've have just about enough of their "vision" of America. All they needed was Darth Cheney in between them adding his sinister opinion. What a panel of pompous pundits. Hey, I could have been a speech writer for Sprio!
I meant "Spiro"....ooops.
Gingrich was supposedly a history professor, and he doesn't know that the Declaration of Independence has no legal importance? Give me a break!
Give me a break..
Look's like you all missed the point. Not a Christian nation.
Sounds to me someone has a tattoo on his head 666
And the Declaration doesn’t say "...endowed by our creator". It says "...endowed by their creator". I think they intentionally put it that way to acknowledge that everyone has their own beliefs.
What's wrong with stating the obvious? The USA has no established religion. We are not a Christian nation, but a nation of people who largely identify themselves as Christians. This faux Fox outrage has more to do with the fact that they aren't shy about establishing Christianity as the official religion of the USA. Church and state, to them, should be a single entity. What better way to control the views and voting tendencies of the public than through compulsory worship.
Randy
These hate mongers are the furthest thing from true christians. And NO, we are NOT a Christian Nation. And hopefully not a FAKE HATE-BASED HOMOPHOBIC CHICKEN HAWK nation either. Hannity just wants to keep mentioning Rev Wright. Obama made perfect sense, AS ALWAYS.
i posted a link to that above. the treaty of tripoli, passed unanimously by the senate in 1797.
I knew as soon as I saw "Christian" in the headline that there would be around 50 posts by early evening. Nothing fires the base (both sides) like the mention of religion or guns.
I'm Jewish. Does that mean I'm not a citizen?
Welcome back to 1933 in Germany.
Are these people on Fox just stupid or acting stupid in order to please their stupid audience?
Is anyone surprised that these Fox folks have a problem understanding the Constutution?
Not really. After all, it was their Bubble Boy Bush who said it was "just a g-d piece of paper."
Has that ever been supported at all? It seemed pretty shaky from what I remember.
Yeah, it's pretty much a phony statement. I really hope more people stop buying into it. Also...organizations like politicofact.org and factcheck.org should really replace the MSM since they do more than report\parrot talking points.
The report that Bush "screamed" those words at Republican congressional leaders in November 2005 is unsubstantiated, to put it charitably.
We judge that the odds that the report is accurate hover near zero. It comes from Capitol Hill Blue, a Web site that has a history of relying on phony sources, retracting stories and apologizing to its readers.
Maybe - but, judging from the way Bush sh*t on it, he sure acted like the constitution was paper . . . toilet paper . . .
Oh come on cArn...don't let facts get in the way of a good smear! The radicals have been using that one on here since the inception of mmfa.
bush did say something to the effect that we need a dictator, as long as it was him.
I don't remember that...
I'm sure he said it in jest, but in this day of parsing every word (read conservatives) it's fair game...if he did in fact make that statement.
he said it a couple times, and considering he claimed the right to hold anyone, even a citizen, without charges....
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0012/18/nd.01.html
Well said Shadibadoo.
I agree there is a gerneral coarsening of American culture due in large part to no moral compass which religion is a central part.
Wingnuts - they just ain't happy unless they're outraged about something . . .
We may have been a country "founded" on Judeo Christian beliefs, but we were also a country that was founded by stealing land, slavery, and long progressions have come from that. We a nation of freedom of religion. Not just one or two to be lumped with every other person.
Also what is wrong with bowing to the Saudi king? Is that really the best you can come up with? I know they don't want us working with other nations, but for god sake find something else to talk about.
Get in tune with the America of today to build a better tomorow
The point of this being shown to us was to point out that hannity likes to play clips of Obama talking and reinterperet them as something else than what they were. Hannity is playing "mad libs" with present and really important speeches by
Obama. Doing this is dividing us who are happy with Obama and those opposing him further and further away from each other.If this is the hand that repubs keep reaching out with ,then they need to first drop the weapons they are holding in that same hand.
welterwill
We are not a "Christian" nation. We are not a nation of any religion, but - by history, law and our founding documents are, and always have been, a secular nation. These idiots have more in common with the Taliban, or the rulers of Saudi Arabia, tha wtih the founding fathers. Those guys - like this country's right wing nut jobs - believe in the government being in harness to religious authorities.