Democrats and funerals
When Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone died several years ago, his funeral was not about him, it was about Democrat politics. A genial guy who was liked by even his political opponents was used to paint Republicans as evil. When it came to deciding whether to remember Wellstone or attack Republicans, too often attack Republicans won out.
Today it happened again at the funeral service for Correta Scott King. Instead of memorializing a life well lived, Rev. Joseph Lowery of the Souther Christian Leadership Conference thought it was an appropriate time to attack President Bush.
"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.
And Lowery wasn't the only one there who was more interested in scoring political points than remembering King.
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.
Later, Carter said Hurricane Katrina showed that all are not yet equal in America.
Frankly, this is just sad and it does the Democrats no good. The rage toward President Bush and Republicans is so all-consuming that even the death of a great civil rights icon like Correta Scott King cannot overcome it.
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