Laura Bush's Albany appearance met by demonstrators

http://www.wrgb.com/news/local/local_news.asp?selection=article_10339

Tuesday, May 11, 2004 10:45 AM

Laura Bush's Albany appearance met by demonstrators

(Albany - AP) — First Lady Laura Bush told a gathering in Albany today that there's no better way to begin a new day than in "prayer and reflection."

Mrs. Bush spoke at Governor Pataki's annual prayer breakfast, an event that critics dubbed "pay-to-pray" because general admission tickets went for 30 dollars a head.

During the breakfast, the president's wife offered a prayer for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, saying that she hopes they live in "peace and freedom."

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Advocates for campaign finance reform joined anti-war demonstrators calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation. They marched outside the Empire State Convention Center where the breakfast was held.

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...she hopes they live in "peace and freedom." Tough to do when
you're being tortured and killed.

offering a prayer--for who, the 80 to 90 percent of Iraqi prisoners who were incarcerated and who were innocent of anything? For the elderly woman who was forced to get down on all fours and was ridden like a horse by our troops?

Offering a prayer for the tens of thousands, many of them children that her husband killed when he invaded a country on lies?

What a thoughless, Stepford whore. She needs to get her fat ass off this circuit.

I am glad she was protested. She is a worthless piece of crap.

and gets the hell out of Iraq! The US needs some good PR.
:kick:

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=247043&category=REGIONOTHER&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=5/11/2004



About two dozen advocates for campaign finance reform, joined by anti-war demonstrators calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation, marched outside the state-operated convention center near the state Capitol where the almost two-hour long breakfast was held.

One demonstrator wearing a black hood carried a sign saying, ``Rumsfeld must go.'' Another demonstrator hoisted one with the message: ``No separation of cash & state.''

``This is about packaging the re-election effort'' for President Bush, said Mark Dunlea, a leader of New York state's Green Party.

snip

The Republican governor's first nine breakfasts generated little controversy but this year's event drew extra attention after it came out that the president's wife would deliver the keynote address and that Pataki was raising ticket prices.

``We're more concerned about the separation between partisan politics and state government than we are about the separation between church and state,'' said Rachel Leon, executive director of the New York chapter of Common Cause, on the eve of the prayer breakfast.

snip

For the first time, Pataki offered VIP tables for 10, costing $1,000 or $500 per table.

About 1,500 people attended this year's event, up from about 1,200 last year.

``It certainly looks political,'' said Leon.

Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group said he expected the event to be packed with lobbyists seeking access to the governor and Mrs. Bush.

``If people want to pray, more power to them,'' Horner said Monday. ``But my guess is most of these people are praying for access.''

General admission tickets to the event sold for $30 each, up from the $25 charged in the past.

Also, an e-mail from a top state Labor Department official to fellow employees surfaced last week in which she urged colleagues to buy prayer breakfast tickets. A state Ethics Commission spokesman said there didn't appear to be any violation of state law from such a solicitation sent on the state's e-mail system.

When state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat, learned ``The Governor's Prayer Breakfast Trust Fund'' hadn't registered as a charitable organization, he ordered it to do so. Pataki said last week the trust would comply.

The registration records will outline, for at least the past six years, how much money the trust fund has raised and how the money has been spent.

That's a great phrase!

What do we want? ______
When do we want it? NOW.

and

Pray, you need it,
your cause has been defeated.

The Burning Bush



http://www.wgoeshome.com

and take your hypocritical "prayers" with you.

ANd while you're at it, bring Pataki with you too.