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Summarized by Kent Larsen
'Anti-Mormon, Anti-Catholic Bias' At Bob Jones Leads NY Representative To Drop Bush
(New York House member drops Bush, backs McCain)
CNN All Politics 21Feb00 N1
By John King: CNN
King cites Bush appearance at Bob Jones University
NEW YORK, NEW YORK -- New York Republican House member Peter King
publicly dropped his support of front-runner George W. Bush and
switched to Senator John McCain because Bush "allowed himself to
be used" when he spoke at the infamous Bob Jones University during
his campaign in South Carolina. Bob Jones University is notorious as an
ultra-conservative institution that, among other things, refers to
both the Catholic Church and the LDS Church as cults.
The University goes much further than simply calling other churches
'cults.' It is also known for prohibiting interracial dating, and
King called it "anti-black and anti-Catholic." A recent
Democratic National Committee press release also pointed out the extreme nature
of the University's policies, noting that it lost its tax-exempt
status in the 1980s over its ban on interracial marriage. It had
earlier, 1970s, lost tax-exempt status for refusing to admit
African-Americans.
The school's attitude toward Mormons has long been known, but its
attitude toward Catholics hasn't been as well publicized until
recently. King's switch from supporting Bush to supporting McCain
comes simply from his shock that Bush would even allow his name to be
associated with the school, "I happen to be a Roman Catholic
myself," King said. "And I was just shocked at the person who wants to be the leader of my party and the leader of the country would allow his
campaign to be used by anti-Catholic bigoted forces."
Bush defended speaking at the school by saying that he doesn't
support or endorse its policies, "When asked about interracial
dating, I didn't hesitate to say, of course I don't accept their
policy," Bush said Monday at a breakfast sponsored by the
Economic Club of Detroit, in response to reporter's questions on King's
statement. "But I didn't go to accept their policy. I wanted
them to accept my policy. That's why I went to give the speech."
Still, King is upset at Bush's appearance at the school, "No
matter how he tries to explain it, going to a school which is anti-Catholic
with his campaign's seal of approval on that school, on its policies
-- and as a Catholic I can no longer support Governor Bush in the
(New York) primary." King attributed Bush's appearance to the
trouncing he got from McCain in New Hampshire, saying that "he
was so desperate to be elected in South Carolina." "To me that
shows a clear lack of judgment, and also quite frankly, a lack of moral
compass," continued King.
Bush faces the issue of the Catholic vote in both the Michigan
primary being held today and in the New York primary, which will be
held March 7th.
See also:
DNC: Bush Starts Out South Carolina Swing on the 'Right' Foot
PRNewswire 4Feb00 N6
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