Bush, Under Fire, Reaches Out to Muslims

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1896&ncid=1896&e=9&u=/nm/20031028/us_nm/bush_muslims_dc_1

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush invited Muslim leaders to the White House for a Ramadan-season dinner on Tuesday, acknowledging the United States has an image problem but stopping short of directly criticizing a Pentagon official who said Muslims do not worship "a real God."

Some Muslim leaders said they had turned down the White House invitation in protest. CAIR, America's largest Islamic civil liberties organization, said it was never invited to the dinner, which it called "window dressing." It said the groups would hold a protest dinner across the street.

Bush said improving relations with the Muslim world, which have been frayed by the Iraq war and U.S. support for Israel, would be a diplomatic priority.

Before opening the White House for an Iftar dinner honoring Ramadan, Bush said remarks by Army Lt. Gen. William Boykin, the deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and war-fighting support, did not "reflect my point of view or the view of this administration."

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[thebigidea]

1. snicker

"did not "reflect my point of view or the view of this administration."


so why not fire him, ya dimwit? I thought Team Bush prized loyalty and groupthink above all else. BURN THE WITCH!

[Fovea]

2. Translation

"Here is a chance for a real goodwill tour, NO, not you Colin we need you in the U.N., yeah, that's it. We are sending Rummy, Wolfie, and Perle over to do this. We are designating them our goodwill ambassadors to the oil producing world."

[treefrogjohn]

3. What's on the menu?

Texas barbecued pork for our honored Muslim guests?

[cliss]

4. he heh

whew, that was a dagger.

Looks like Ole Bush has gotta sit on the fence. The question is, what to do now? Should he try to please the muslims by telling them Boykin is a lunatic?

Or, should he keeps his Fundie constituents happy by praising Boykin and thereby infuriating the muslims?

Looks like there's no easy way to land on top here. But knowing Bush, he'll try to satisfy both sides.

[Kinkistyle]

5. Why won't they publish the names of the guests who accepted?

Why don't they report who the guests are who accepted the invitations? Afraid they will be exposed as shills or be villified by the rest of the Muslim world?