“Mr. Bush, you should heed the words of those you quote”.

Whoever writes speeches for President Bush either went to seminary or wanted to.

Bush’s major addresses are minor sermons filled with religious rhetoric…. Bush talked about “the weapons of the spirit” in a speech two Sundays ago. He was at the University of Notre Dame making a pitch for his faith-based initiative.

The President attributed the “weapons” phrase to Dorothy Day, who was a socialist, a pacifist, and co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement. She died in 1980… It’s difficult to say what Day might have thought about being quoted by a man who made $14 million just for buying and selling a baseball team.

Day’s daughter and granddaughter didn’t care for it. In a May 23 letter to the Rutland (Vt.) Herald, Tamar and Martha Hennessy wrote:

“Dorothy’s life’s work was dedicated to picking up the pieces of human wreckage, the result of policies that continue to be perpetuated by the Bush administration.

It is shameful to have her efforts associated with an administration that gives priority to corporate profiteering over human needs…”

Memphis Commercial Appeal [via higgy’s page]