The Art of Politics

This Call May Be Recorded

For book sale purposes...

Tongues will surely be wagging shortly about recently revealed audio tapes of George W. Bush talking before his Presidency about the potential campaign, discussing everything from fellow candidates to how faith plays a part in politics. And to everyone's surprise, the person with the tapes is selling something...

Having read the content - a great big yawn is forming. Sure, it's a little interesting to hear Bush before he was elected - twice - to discuss the prospect and politics around a Presidential campagin. But Bush emerges - as Bush. He expects fair play from fellow Republicans, is honest about his faith, and suprisingly candid about anti-homosexual politics among some circles.

...Mr. Bush said he did not intend to change his position. He said he told Mr. Robison: "Look, James, I got to tell you two things right off the bat. One, I'm not going to kick gays, because I'm a sinner. How can I differentiate sin?"

Later, he read aloud an aide's report from a convention of the Christian Coalition, a conservative political group: "This crowd uses gays as the enemy. It's hard to distinguish between fear of the homosexual political agenda and fear of homosexuality, however."

"This is an issue I have been trying to downplay," Mr. Bush said. "I think it is bad for Republicans to be kicking gays."

While Bush has taken alot of heat from some conservative/libertarian gay circles for supporting a constitutional amendment on gay marriage, it's seems clear that in candid moments, he understands the difference between gay baiting and gay bashing.

The picture of the President revealed is no different than the one we already have. More tapes may come out - especially if the author has more books to sell. But in the meantime, this seems more a curiousity than real revelation.

Posted by MEC2 at February 19, 2005 11:54 PM