Focused on helping the hungry and diseased in strange parts of the world

The McCain McCampaign’s latest email features a quote from a Hamas official praising Obama. McCain’s deputy campaign manager Christian Ferry (!) writes, “We need change in America, but not the kind of change that wins kind words from Hamas, surrenders in Iraq and will hold unconditional talks with Iranian President Ahmadinejad.”

Speaking of Christian ferries, Bush spoke this morning to the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, with the pope in attendance, because the pope never misses free waffles. “And I want to thank Bishop Finn, members of the clergy. Thank you for serving our country. Thank you for being men of faith.” Er, you’re welcome?


Speaking of men of faith, Chief Justice John Roberts was there, just two days after issuing the decision upholding lethal injection. Possibly the pope had some words for him (and the other four Catholic justices who voted with him). Or possibly not.

Bush praised Pope Benny yet again: “He understands that every person has value, or to use his words, ‘each of us is willed, each of us is loved, [and] each of us is necessary.’” Of course the pope probably said that before meeting Bush.


THOSE “PEOPLE” TALK TO GEORGE AGAIN: “Oftentimes people ask me, why is it that you’re so focused on helping the hungry and diseased in strange parts of the world?”

WONDERS GEORGE HAS SEEN: “During these -- as President I’ve seen some of the great wonders of compassion as a result of our Catholic citizens.” “I’ve seen these wonders of Catholic love on the Gulf Coast.” “I’ve seen wonders on the Sea of Galilee”. “I’ve seen these wonders in Africa”. Also Wonder Bread. And Wonderbras, I hasten to add before someone puts it in comments.


Later in the day he spoke at America’s Small Business Summit (is it the summit or the business that is small? Who knows?)

Just as he thanked the Catholic clergy for being men of faith, so he thanked the small business summiteers “for being dreamers and doers.”

IN OTHER WORDS: “And so, thanks to the stimulus package, she told me she’s going to purchase much of that equipment this year, instead of spacing it out over time. In other words, the incentives have encouraged Darlene to make a purchase this year.”

WHAT DARLENE HAD, TWICE: “She also had a pretty good achievement at -- and she received another good achievement, I understand.”

ONE THING CONGRESS HAS GOT TO UNDERSTAND / WHAT SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS DON’T NEED: “And one way that -- I mean, one thing Congress has got to understand is that there is -- what small business owners don’t need is uncertainty.”

HE’S CONFIDENT IN OUR FORGETFULNESS: “I’m also confident a lot of people in America may have forgotten what it was like before the tax relief.”


IN OTHER WORDS: “In other words, there’s an opportunity for Congress to say, let’s continue to have this kind of economic vitality as a result of exports permeate throughout our economy.” Those are other words, all right.

WHAT CONGRESS IS SIGNALING TO A WATCHING HEMISPHERE: On the failure to vote on the Colombian free-trade treaty: “Congress is signaling to a watching hemisphere -- people in the hemisphere, our own neighborhood, are watching to see how the United States Congress reacts to our friends.”

WHAT WE WANT PEOPLE OWNING: “We want people owning their home -- we want people owning a businesses [sic]”.

WHAT ALL HAPPENS LIKE AT A KITCHEN TABLE: “I love meeting with our entrepreneurs and I love hearing the stories about how businesses get started. And a lot of times, believe it or not, there is -- as I’m sure you know, that they all happen like at a kitchen table. And sure enough, out of that simple idea and hard work -- because I understand as well as anybody how hard it is to build a small business...” having destroyed several of them “...and it’s not -- it takes a lot of time and a lot of effort and a lot of focus and patient spouses, and sometimes spouses actually watching the money to make sure the other spouse doesn’t blow it.” Or snort it, in your case.


WHAT THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IS TO NEVER DO: “And our -- the role of government is to never stifle that spirit, is to encourage the spirit, reward the spirit, and always pay -- and always remind our citizens that we are a vibrant and prosperous and hopeful nation, because we are a land blessed with vibrant and hopeful people.”