Political Posturing at King Funeral Draws Cheers, Jeers

Leave it to the liberal left to take the funeral of an outstanding icon of American freedom and turn it into a political "Bush bashing" session. Will the left never learn that as long as they continue to use these tactics, they will continue to loose support from mainstream America? Apparently not.

Political Posturing at King Funeral Draws Cheers, Jeers
Susan JonesSenior Editor
(CNSNews.com) - President Bush rearranged his schedule to attend the funeral of Coretta Scott King on Tuesday, only to hear liberal Democrats, including former President Jimmy Carter, take political potshots at him. Stoking anger about the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, former President Carter said, "The struggle for equal rights is not over. We only have to recall the color of the faces of those in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi, those who were most devastated by Katrina, to know that there are not yet equal opportunities for all Americans."The crowd roared its approval.
And in a reference to President Bush's much-criticized NSA surveillance program, Carter brought up the "secret government wiretapping" of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. many years ago.Many in the crowd stood to applaud Carter.The Rev. Joseph Lowery, a civil rights leader who is now 85 years old, drew cheers when he criticized the U.S.-led war in Iraq.He began by mentioning that Coretta Scott King "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, but Coretta knew, and we know, that there are weapons of misdirection right down here."For war, billions more -- but no more for the poor!" Lowery added.President Bush and his father, sitting on the dais, shook their heads slightly at some of the criticism. Video footage of the president showed the political criticism made both him and his wife uncomfortable.But press reports noted that President Bush shook Lowery's hand when he finished his speech.Former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to the funeral with the Bushes on Air Force One.While Bill Clinton confined his remarks to the life and legacy of Mrs. King, he drew a thunderous ovation from the crowd, a stark contrast to the polite applause for President Bush.

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