Teresa H. Kerry tells reporter to "shove it."

I had run across the following little piece many months ago and bookmarked it. It draws the comparison between GWB and Lincoln in their use of scriptural illustrations for emphasis:

We are working with our friends to keep the pressure on the moolahs [mullahs] to -- to listen to the demands of the free world.
-- That's the first time I've heard it pronounced that way... Thanks, Dubya. Aug. 2, 2004

There will be big differences in this campaign. They're going to raise your taxes, we're not.
-- Gross oversimplification (prevarication?) at its finest, Jul. 26, 2004

It reads like a mystery, a novel. It's well written.
-- Dubya's assessment of the 9/11 Commission's report, and a statement I'm sure will make the country feel a whole lot better, Crawford, Texas, Jul. 26, 2004

Mayor George Van Dusen of Skokie, thanks for coming, George. Great first name. Fill the potholes.
-- The latest in a long series of mayoral pothole comments, Glenview, Illinois. Jul. 22, 2004

By the way, to whom much has been given, much is owed. Not only are we leading the world in terms of encouraging freedom and peace, we're feeding the hungry. We're taking care of, as best as we possibly can, the victims of HIV/AIDS.
-- Dubya tries to quote scripture here (Luke 12:48 - "To whom much is given, much is required."), only his version means the exact opposite, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jul. 20, 2004

In the campaign, you'll hear, we're going only to tax the rich. That's what you'll hear. Now, this is from a fellow who has promised about $2 trillion of new spending thus far. And only taxing the rich, first of all, creates a huge tax gap, which means buyer beware. You see, if you can't raise enough by taxing the rich, guess who gets to pay next? Yes, the not rich. That's all of us.
-- Dubya actually tries again to convince an audience that he's from the middle class, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jul. 20, 2004

That's one of the goals we're on, is to encourage programs, community-based -- you don't have to be a faith-based program, although it turns out faith-based programs are pretty good places to find people who want to love a neighbor just like they'd like to be loved themselves.
-- I wish I had a count of the number of times Dubya has shoehorned the phrase "love a neighbor" into his public appearances. "One of the goals we're on" is a first, though. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jul. 20, 2004

I want to be the peace president.
I dare say he might be going about it the wrong way, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Jul. 20, 2004

We are building a culture of responsibility in America. We're changing the culture of America from one that has said, if it feels good do it, and if you've got a problem, blame somebody else -- to a culture in which each of us understands we are responsible for the decisions we make in life. If you are fortunate enough to be a mother or a father, you're responsible for loving your child with all your heart and all your soul.
-- Another repeat offense creeps into Dubya's campaign rhetoric, St. Charles, Missouri, Jul. 20, 2004

I appreciate the good folks from Minnesota and Iron Ridge and Northern Wisconsin who are with us today. Thanks for coming. And by the look of things, I'm in Bush-Cheney country.
-- Or in imaginary country... what he meant to say was the Iron Range, Duluth, Minnesota, Jul. 14, 2004

You cannot be pro-small business and pro-trial lawyer at the same time.
-- Dubya takes gross oversimplification to a new level, Waukesha, Wisconsin, Jul. 14, 2004

I don't think you order suiciders to kill innocent men, women, and children if you're a religious person.
-- No, I don't reckon you do, even if there were such things as suiciders, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, Jul. 14, 2004

When you hear on your TV screens, America is marching to war, it's difficult to make investment.
-- Dubya adds a sloppy yet humorous twist to this repeat offense, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, Jul. 14, 2004

I went to the United Nations and said, he's [Saddam Hussein is] a threat. And they agreed with the fact that he was a threat, by a 15 to nothing vote in the United Nations Security Council. See, the world spoke. Not only America speak, the world spoke.
-- Conjugation issues in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, Jul. 9, 2004

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate is 5.1 percent. That's good news for people who are trying to find jobs.
-- It's not exactly good news until those people have found jobs, Dubya. Smoketown, Pennsylvania, Jul. 9, 2004

And I am an optimistic person. I guess if you want to try to find something to be pessimistic about, you can find it, no matter how hard you look, you know?
-- I'm feeling a little bit confused by this one, Washington, D.C., Jun. 15, 2004

Freedom frightens people who are terrorists.
-- When saying "Freedom frightens terrorists" just isn't enough, try this one on for size, Hershey, Pennsylvania, Apr. 19, 2004

The Oval Office is an interesting place to meet, particularly, people who are beginning to struggle with democracy and freedom because it's a reminder that the institutions, at least in this country, are always bigger than the people. Sometime we've got an all-right President, sometimes not all right. But the presidency, itself, exists.
-- Dubya's observation on democracy, Roswell, New Mexico, Jan. 22, 2004

By mentoring a child, you shape the character of a child. And it's a high calling in life, because that influence reaches to eternity.
-- ???, Dallas, Texas, Oct. 29, 2003

By making the right choices, we can make the right choice for our future.
-- Flawless logic, Dallas, Texas, Jul. 18, 2003

People can read everything they want into it when they hear "faith-based initiative." That all of a sudden opens everybody's imagination in the world to vast possibilities, some which exist and some which don't.
-- On faith-based initiatives, Washington, D.C., Jul. 16, 2003

I had the opportunity to go out to Goree Island and talk about what slavery meant to America. It's very interesting when you think about it, the slaves who left here to go to America, because of their steadfast and their religion and their belief in freedom, helped change America. America is what it is today because of what went on in the past.
-- I know he's trying to be profound or something here, but he's considerably more "something" than profound (slavery is "interesting" and people have "steadfast"), Dakar, Senegal, Jul. 8, 2003

I think war is a dangerous place.
-- Washington, D.C., May 7, 2003

We can help somebody who hurts by hugging a neighbor in need.
-- Is this help by association or the power of hugging or something? I'm confused. Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Apr. 4, 2003

Sometimes, Washington is one of these towns where the person -- people who think they've got the sharp elbow is the most effective person.
-- New Orleans, Louisiana, Dec. 4, 2002

The solid truth of the matter is, when you find -- if you want to help heal the hurt -- if you want to hurt people and help people in pain, the best way to do so is to call upon the great strength of the country, which is the compassion of our fellow Americans.
-- I'm hoping that the advocation for hurting people here is accidental, Bentonville, Arkansas, Nov. 4, 2002

All of us here in America should believe, and I think we do, that we should be, as I mentioned, a nation of owners. Owning something is freedom, as far as I'm concerned. It's part of a free society... It's a part of -- it's of being a -- it's a part of -- an important part of America.
-- Washington, D.C., Oct. 15, 2002

There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once -- shame on -- shame on you. You fool me, you can't get fooled again.
-- Dubya attempting to co-opt Texas and Tennessee into his verbal wreckage. The saying he was trying to dredge up was "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Even better, Dubya was speaking at a literature magnet school. I'm sure it was a learning experience for the kids. East Literature Magnet School, Nashville, Tennessee, Sep. 17, 2002

Every life matters, whether it be an American life or the life of an Afghan girl.
-- Little Rock, Arkansas, Aug. 29, 2002

I think work is incredibly important. Work leads to dignity.
-- So apparently, if you don't have a job, you don't have any dignity, Stockton, California, Aug. 23, 2002

A strong America is America based upon strong families.
-- Green Tree, Pennsylvania, Aug. 5, 2002

People in America understand that we're into a different era, we're heading to a different culture. ...It means that you of course make a living for your family. But it also means that when you find a neighbor in need, you love that person.
-- I know I'm reading too much into the wording, but still... weird, West Ashley High School, Charleston, South Carolina, July 29, 2002

In order to defeat evil, you can do so by loving your neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself.
-- Dubya mixing and matching two of his favorite concepts (unconvincingly), Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, June 24, 2002

A country which has been under attack can respond by loving your neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself.
-- Atlanta, Georgia, June 17, 2002

Walking across the street to a shut-in, saying, "I love you, what can I do to help you?" is part of loving your neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself.
-- A neighbor coming out of the blue and telling a shut-in "I love you" seems more likely to be a sure fire way to scare the living daylights out of them, Des Moines, June 7, 2002

If America goes to sleep, the rest of the world is in trouble. If we blink, the rest of the world will close their eyes. So we're not blinking, and we're not going to sleep.
-- To summarize, Blinking: bad, Sleeping: bad, Los Angeles, California, Apr. 29, 2002

And we can show the world the true face of America, as well. Oh, it's a diverse face, no question about it, which is our strength, not our weakness. But it's a face that can be bound by common goals and common values. It's a face that can stand squarely in the face of evil by the collective acts of people doing good in America.
-- More extemporaneous wreckage at the First African Methodist Episcopal Renaissance Center in Los Angeles, California, Apr. 29, 2002

The other thing the volunteers do is they welcome people here, for this is the people's land. This isn't one person's land, it's the people's land, and foreign visitors about the mountain so they can enjoy their time and leave only footprints behind.
-- Whiteface Mountain Lodge, Wilmington, New York, Apr. 22, 2002

Good evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.

The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong.

A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.

America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.

Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America -- with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.

Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C. to help with local rescue efforts.

Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks.

The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington which had to be evacuated today are reopening for essential personnel tonight, and will be open for business tomorrow. Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business, as well.

The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.

I appreciate so very much the members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks. And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance.

America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism. Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me."

This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world.

Thank you. Good night, and God bless America.

I had run across the following little piece many months ago and bookmarked it. It draws the comparison between GWB and Lincoln in their use of scriptural illustrations for emphasis:

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/enquirer/4920319.htm

Making politically useful points, Bush said Muslims demonstrate "a spirit of tolerance" and their faith "brings hope and comfort to more than a billion people" as it "affirms God's justice and insists on man's moral responsibility."

Pres. GEORGE W. BUSH: This idea of America is the hope of all mankind. That hope drew millions to this harbor. That hope still lights our way. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it.

JIM WALLIS: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." Well, that's from the Gospel of John. But it's about the light of Christ and the word of God, which is the light that shines in the darkness and has never been overcome. Now, all of a sudden, it's meant to be America as a beacon of light to the world. He changed the meaning of the text. It's no longer about the word of God, the light of Christ, it's about us. It's about we being the hope of the world. That's, again, bad theology.

RICHARD LAND: I can understand that there are a lot of people on the left who think that-- who are uncomfortable with the concept that someone thinks they're doing God's will or that they're on a divine mission. That says more about the left than it does about George W. Bush. George W. Bush is standing squarely in the middle of American history and American tradition in believing in American exceptionalism. Does that mean that America's God's chosen people? No. No. Does it mean that we believe that an angel still rides in this storm, as they did at the founding? Yes. Yes.

JIM WALLIS: This language of righteous empire, of God being on our side and our having this divine mission-- I think this creates a framework for the misuse of religion. And I think the rest of the world hears this and it frightens them, particularly in the Arab world because they are afraid that we see this as a clash of civilizations and that this is a religious war.

So start looking people. See if you can find a direct quote from any credible source--not paraphrased or insinuated but a direct quote--that makes GWB look any more like a religious nut than Kerry or Clinton or any other presidential candidate or president. I already have and couldn't find anything. Maybe you all will do better.

And Lincoln said, "Because they all appear to have prohibitions, admonitions and proffered truths which cannot be established as a matter of intellect or natural law, which is reason -- simple reason -- unattended by revelation of faith. Most of them insist that you believe in certain things not because you can prove absolutely that they are so, but because you want to believe in them." Then he said, "Give me a church or a religion that has one principle: Love one another as you love yourself, and I will belong to that church."

The only ones who have a problem with George Bush's religious beliefs are those who are largely anti-religious or so partisan they will not give Bush credit for having a valid opinion, a reasonable conclusion, or a credible point of view on anything.

The only ones who have a problem with George Bush's religious beliefs are those who are largely anti-religious or so partisan they will not give Bush credit for having a valid opinion, a reasonable conclusion, or a credible point of view on anything. In other threads I have posted direct quote after quote after quote from Bill Clinton that were no more or no less 'religious' than what GWB says and nobody on the left or the right had a problem with that.

I honestly believe if GWB gave a speech tonight admitting that after careful thought he was renouncing his Christian faith and was going to put strict separation of Church and State on the front burner, the left would immediately attack him for being the godless devil taking us all straight to hell.