LOL - WashTimes says Bush prayer/hug "worthy of religious history"

[highplainsdem]

http://www.washtimes.com/national/inbeltway.htm

This article is about a man from Montana (who I am not criticizing here) who was awarded a medal by Bush, and then, after exchanging "God bless" remarks with the president, asked Bush to pray for his mother, who was undergoing surgery for a brain tumor:

What occurred next is worthy of presidential, if not religious, history books.
"He grabbed me by the arm and took me back toward his desk as he said, 'So that's it. I could tell that something is weighing heavy on your heart today. I could see it in your eyes. This explains it,' " were the president's words to Mr. Vincent.
Mr. Bush then discussed with the award recipient the importance of family and the strength of prayer. "He said, 'If it's okay with you, we'll take care of the prayer right now. Would you pray with me?' I told him yes, and he turned to the staff that remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or leave. He said, 'Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer.'
"As they left he turned back to me and took my hands in his. I was prepared to do a traditional prayer stance — standing with each other with heads bowed. Instead, he reached for my head with his right hand and, pulling gently forward, he placed my head on his shoulder.
"With his left arm on my midback, he pulled me to him in a prayerful embrace. He started to pray softly. I started to cry. He continued his prayer for Loretta and for God's perfect will to be done. I cried some more. My body shook a bit as I cried, and he just held tighter. He closed by asking God's blessing on Loretta and the family during the coming months."


Maybe it's been too many years since I've been inside a church other than for weddings and funerals...but I'm really not familiar with the concept of a "prayerful embrace," especially between two men who've just met. I could imagine Bush hugging this man to comfort him if he was already crying, but it's pretty clear from this that he hadn't started to cry yet, that the embrace was a real surprise.

I was surprised, too, that if the man wanted prayer support, Bush wouldn't simply ask all the people present to say a quick prayer, rather than asking for privacy.

But I'm appalled, not just surprised, that the Washington Times would suggest this was "worthy of presidential, if not religious, history books." They're cheapening both religion and the office with this glaringly obvious attempt to elevate Bush to sainthood, if not godhood. This is as much propaganda as the documentary Frank Rich did a scathing review of recently, the one promoting Bush as a tireless warrior for God.

[takumi]

1. More Signs of Mental Illness

[Stephanie]

5. That's right

I think he's manic - he's hallucinating.

[aden_nak]

2. Aden says WashTimes worthy of bird cage flooring.

[Roland99]

3. Moonie Times? Pffffft

[David Dunham]

4. This report makes me wonder if Bush is gay.

[LynnTheDem]

6. LOL!!!

It ain't just BUSH that's completely FLIPPED OUT!

Next they'll be seeing tears out of the eyes of their bush portraits.

[sandnsea]

7. And then promptly forgot her

And sacrificed any chance she could afford her medications for a pharmaceutical company give-away. Typical fundie, they pray for you but forget the works part of the equation.

[northzax]

8. now there's some family values for you

the man's mother was undergoing brain surgery, and rather than be with his family and her, he goes oof fto accept and award.

I would have politly declined, even at the last minute: "Dear Mr. President. I am honoered that you have chosen me for _____. Unfortunately, due to a severa illenss in the family, I cannot accept in person next week. I feel that it is more important that I be with my mother and family in this di=fficult time. Thank you again. Sinceerely, a Freeper."

[bushisanidiot]

9. AWOL really does think he's God. I wonder what God thinks of that.

I also wonder what God thinks of AWOL giving Sadaam Hussein a 24 hour warning with the ultimatum to confess to possessing weapons of mass distruction he didn't have... and I wonder what God thinks of AWOL for his "shock and awe" that followed the next morning.

[MatrixEscape]

10. Excellent example ...

of mythmaking in progress.

So, we lower the Office of President of the United States to that of a cheap, Evangelical TV Preacher, huh? Let's see now, its a poltical office, but Rev. Bush is presiding over it?

This kind of stuff makes me wonder about how figures of the past may have been simply photo-op types, or should I say parchment-op? That is versus the wonderful depictions given of them after the fact.

[Zuni]

11. "Pray with me, Henry"---Richard nixon

there is another one for the prayer history books. Nixon and Kissinger, praying together, during Nixon's last days before resigning.