Bush Booed at Martin Luther King Gravesite
By Randall Mikkelsen
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?
tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040116/pl_nm/bush_dc
ATLANTA (Reuters) - In a sign of the difficulty President Bush faces
as he tries to win black support for his reelection, several hundred
protesters loudly booed him on Thursday as he laid a wreath at the
grave of civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
"Bush go home" and "peace not war" the predominantly black crowd of
protesters shouted from behind a barrier of buses, as Bush paid
tribute to King on the 75th anniversary of his birth.
Bush wants to improve his standing among black voters this reelection
year, after winning less than 10 percent of the African-American vote
in 2000.
The president was accompanied by King's widow Coretta Scott King, and
sister, Christine King Farris. He placed the wreath, bowed his head
for a few moments, and departed without speaking or facing the
protesters as the boos from the
crowd increased.
The protesters carried signs with slogans like "Money for jobs and
housing, not war" and "It's not a photo-op George."
A White House spokesman defended Bush's visit to the grave of the
assassinated civil rights icon.
"This is about paying tribute to someone who had a tremendously
positive influence in shaping the world that we live in today ...
it's a solemn moment, a nice way to honor Dr. King," spokesman Scott
McClellan told reporters.
Bush was in Atlanta as part of a two-state swing during which he also
raised $2.3 million in campaign funds, trumpeted a reelection
endorsement from Georgia Democratic Sen. Zell Miller, and promoted
government aid for religious
charities.
King's birthday is commemorated by a national holiday on Monday,
recognizing his non-violent leadership of the black civil rights
struggle in the 1950s and 1960s.
"Today, all Americans benefit from Dr. King's work and his legacy of
courage, dignity, and moral clarity," Bush said in a written
statement proclaiming the annual holiday.
Bush faces a stiff challenge in wooing black voters.
"Bush's policies contradict everything Dr. King stood for," said Ann
Mauney, a member of the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition.
U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Maryland Democrat and chairman of the
Congressional Black Caucus, criticized the grave visit as "yet
another symbolic gesture that lacks any real substance."
"Every policy decision of the Bush Administration including the war
in Iraq, healthcare, jobs, the economy, judicial nominations,
housing, the environment, as well as secondary and higher education,
has done nothing to strengthen Dr. King's dream," Cummings said.
Earlier on Thursday, Bush hailed King's legacy during a visit to the
predominantly black Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal church
in New Orleans. "I'm really not worthy to stand here, when I think
about the fact that ... this is the very place where Martin Luther
King stood, as well, some 42 years ago."
He also promoted his program of government aid for religious
charities, which is popular among some black clergy. He announced new
rules that help "faith-based" charities compete for $3.7 billion in
Justice Department funding.
Bush raised $1 million at a New Orleans campaign fundraiser, and $1.3
million in Atlanta.
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Bush Booed at Martin Luther King Gravesite
By Randall Mikkelsen
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?
tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040116/pl_nm/bush_dc
ATLANTA (Reuters) - In a sign of the difficulty President Bush faces
as he tries to win black support for his reelection, several hundred
protesters loudly booed him on Thursday as he laid a wreath at the
grave of civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
"Bush go home" and "peace not war" the predominantly black crowd of
protesters shouted from behind a barrier of buses, as Bush paid
tribute to King on the 75th anniversary of his birth.
Bush wants to improve his standing among black voters this reelection
year, after winning less than 10 percent of the African-American vote
in 2000.
The president was accompanied by King's widow Coretta Scott King, and
sister, Christine King Farris. He placed the wreath, bowed his head
for a few moments, and departed without speaking or facing the
protesters as the boos from the
crowd increased.
The protesters carried signs with slogans like "Money for jobs and
housing, not war" and "It's not a photo-op George."
A White House spokesman defended Bush's visit to the grave of the
assassinated civil rights icon.
"This is about paying tribute to someone who had a tremendously
positive influence in shaping the world that we live in today ...
it's a solemn moment, a nice way to honor Dr. King," spokesman Scott
McClellan told reporters.
Bush was in Atlanta as part of a two-state swing during which he also
raised $2.3 million in campaign funds, trumpeted a reelection
endorsement from Georgia Democratic Sen. Zell Miller, and promoted
government aid for religious
charities.
King's birthday is commemorated by a national holiday on Monday,
recognizing his non-violent leadership of the black civil rights
struggle in the 1950s and 1960s.
"Today, all Americans benefit from Dr. King's work and his legacy of
courage, dignity, and moral clarity," Bush said in a written
statement proclaiming the annual holiday.
Bush faces a stiff challenge in wooing black voters.
"Bush's policies contradict everything Dr. King stood for," said Ann
Mauney, a member of the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition.
U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Maryland Democrat and chairman of the
Congressional Black Caucus, criticized the grave visit as "yet
another symbolic gesture that lacks any real substance."
"Every policy decision of the Bush Administration including the war
in Iraq, healthcare, jobs, the economy, judicial nominations,
housing, the environment, as well as secondary and higher education,
has done nothing to strengthen Dr. King's dream," Cummings said.
Earlier on Thursday, Bush hailed King's legacy during a visit to the
predominantly black Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal church
in New Orleans. "I'm really not worthy to stand here, when I think
about the fact that ... this is the very place where Martin Luther
King stood, as well, some 42 years ago."
He also promoted his program of government aid for religious
charities, which is popular among some black clergy. He announced new
rules that help "faith-based" charities compete for $3.7 billion in
Justice Department funding.
Bush raised $1 million at a New Orleans campaign fundraiser, and $1.3
million in Atlanta.
By Randall Mikkelsen
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?
tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040116/pl_nm/bush_dc
ATLANTA (Reuters) - In a sign of the difficulty President Bush faces
as he tries to win black support for his reelection, several hundred
protesters loudly booed him on Thursday as he laid a wreath at the
grave of civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
"Bush go home" and "peace not war" the predominantly black crowd of
protesters shouted from behind a barrier of buses, as Bush paid
tribute to King on the 75th anniversary of his birth.
Bush wants to improve his standing among black voters this reelection
year, after winning less than 10 percent of the African-American vote
in 2000.
The president was accompanied by King's widow Coretta Scott King, and
sister, Christine King Farris. He placed the wreath, bowed his head
for a few moments, and departed without speaking or facing the
protesters as the boos from the
crowd increased.
The protesters carried signs with slogans like "Money for jobs and
housing, not war" and "It's not a photo-op George."
A White House spokesman defended Bush's visit to the grave of the
assassinated civil rights icon.
"This is about paying tribute to someone who had a tremendously
positive influence in shaping the world that we live in today ...
it's a solemn moment, a nice way to honor Dr. King," spokesman Scott
McClellan told reporters.
Bush was in Atlanta as part of a two-state swing during which he also
raised $2.3 million in campaign funds, trumpeted a reelection
endorsement from Georgia Democratic Sen. Zell Miller, and promoted
government aid for religious
charities.
King's birthday is commemorated by a national holiday on Monday,
recognizing his non-violent leadership of the black civil rights
struggle in the 1950s and 1960s.
"Today, all Americans benefit from Dr. King's work and his legacy of
courage, dignity, and moral clarity," Bush said in a written
statement proclaiming the annual holiday.
Bush faces a stiff challenge in wooing black voters.
"Bush's policies contradict everything Dr. King stood for," said Ann
Mauney, a member of the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition.
U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Maryland Democrat and chairman of the
Congressional Black Caucus, criticized the grave visit as "yet
another symbolic gesture that lacks any real substance."
"Every policy decision of the Bush Administration including the war
in Iraq, healthcare, jobs, the economy, judicial nominations,
housing, the environment, as well as secondary and higher education,
has done nothing to strengthen Dr. King's dream," Cummings said.
Earlier on Thursday, Bush hailed King's legacy during a visit to the
predominantly black Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal church
in New Orleans. "I'm really not worthy to stand here, when I think
about the fact that ... this is the very place where Martin Luther
King stood, as well, some 42 years ago."
He also promoted his program of government aid for religious
charities, which is popular among some black clergy. He announced new
rules that help "faith-based" charities compete for $3.7 billion in
Justice Department funding.
Bush raised $1 million at a New Orleans campaign fundraiser, and $1.3
million in Atlanta.
