Whoppdie-doo, it’s Monday. I hope you have a happy and productive day. Me? I think I’ll go take a nap.
Posted by pjsauter on September 18, 2006
Posted in Uncategorized | 93 Comments
Whoppdie-doo, it’s Monday. I hope you have a happy and productive day. Me? I think I’ll go take a nap.
Ready for the 1 hour Riley show
:?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?:
❓ whatever :sheep: le
:eek::eek::eek::rant1:
Tropical Depression MIRIAM
http://tinyurl.com/qgb7b
==============================
Mother nature does not like southern California
Well.. I can’t seem to find anything news worthy so far this morning. 😮
This has to be about the third day in a row not much is happening :paranoid:
You can watch a live web video cast of the young turks here ..
http://www.theyoungturks.com/
Ewwww .. The young turks have AAR’s porno music on their video stream Ewwww. :rant1:
Fred, don’t complain about nothing much happening – check out Josh Marshall’s talkingpointsmemo.com today- we might be getting set to hit iran as an October surprise – these guys might be more desperate to keep the house than we think.
and as for the Young Turks, you’ve died and gone to heaven compared to the Armstrong Williams crap we NY’ers have to listen to.
morning! :joe:
the photo page doesn’t want me to log in with my info. 😕
good morning – :sheep:le. yeah, I just put on the radio reflexively – which I can barely hear by the way – and then remembered that Armstrong Williams is my Morning Person. Streaming Young Turks now. Whatever, let me give them a chance. Makes me realize that the reason AA has the hots for Young Turks is the reason they should have kept Maron 🙁
oh, you have to register. got it. i listen to xm so guess it’s the young turks for me. I’ll give them a chance, but i STILL can’t figure out why we don’t have marc maron on the radio. :rant1:
I’m giving the Young Turks a shot too. So far I’m ten minutes into it and they haven’t pissed me off yet, although opposing torture is probably not the boldest stand they could take. But it’s early.
:pup:
Good Lord, these guys suck. And THIS is what they thought would revive the spirit of Morning Sedition? Ugh. :sammy::barf:
I’m doing the XM shuffle. Bob Edwards had a good interview with the Bush/Rove biographer guys but then followed up with some innocous crap. My local AAR broadcaster is doing Bill Press instead of Young Turks who seems way more dull. This is like wandering around a wasteland.
I landed on Joe Madison, The Black Eagle.
i’m doing the xm dance, too, web. :doh:
Well if AAR needed a big shove toward the center the Young Turks should do that and make them lose all their lefty listeners although they may attract some moderate Republicans .. :eek::yuck::paranoid::fustrate:
If the Busheviks attack Iran before the election and retain control it will be fine with me for all of them to be in DC when ten or so SS27’s from the Russians come in. They wanted to be raptured anyhow.
Iran may be a great testing ground for the Russians and for the Chinese to test their military technologies on us before they swat us like a fly on the wall.:yuck::yuck::crap::paranoid:
I’m XM dancing around the Young Turks because I had heard that Cenk had called all of Islam violent. But then I read the post in question and he seems to provoke all religions equally:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/vicious-muslims-and-the-a_b_29239.html
The Black Eagle is attacking the Pope right now.
I’m listening to Seditionist Radio. 🙂
Al Qaeda vows jihad over Pope remarks
AL-QAEDA in Iraq has said in response to remarks by Pope Benedict XVI linking Islam with violence that it will wage jihad until the West is defeated, in a statement posted on the Internet today.
“We say to the servant of the cross (the Pope): wait for defeat … We say to infidels and tyrants: wait for what will afflict you. “We continue our jihad. We will not stop until the banner of unicity flies throughout the world,” said the statement attributed to the Mujahideen consultative council.
“We will smash the cross … (you will have no choice but) Islam or death,” the statement added, citing a hadith (saying of the Prophet Mohammed) promising Muslims they would “conquer Rome … as they conquered Constantinople”.
Two other armed groups in Iraq, Jaish al-Mujahideen and Asaeb al-Iraq al-Jihadiya, have already threatened the Vatican with reprisals in statements posted on Islamist websites.
http://tinyurl.com/eqzb2
==============================
Woops :eek::yuck::yuck:
Ahmet Ali Agca! Watch your ass, Ratzinger.
chatter… chatter… chatter .. its… chatter.. chatter chatter.. like 42 in my office chatter.. chatter this morning… chatter… chatter… chatter ,,
Need heat not AC… need heat… chatter… chatter… chatter…:eek::eek::paranoid:
Good Morning, I’m listening to Sedotionist Radio and it feels FINE.
Pope remarks worry Christians in Mideast
By ANNA JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
CAIRO, Egypt – Extra security guards around churches in Egypt and Lebanon. Armed officers surrounding at least one. With the tensions over Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks on Islam still high, many in the Mideast’s large Christian communities are worried about a backlash.
“We are afraid,” said Sonia Kobatazi, a Christian Lebanese, after Sunday morning Mass at the Maronite Christian St. George Cathedral in Beirut, Lebanon, where about a dozen policemen carrying automatic weapons stood guard outside.
Christians — a minority in the Mideast that varies from nearly 40 percent in Lebanon to tiny communities in the Gulf states — generally live in peace with the majority Muslims.
But relations are sometimes strained and outbreaks of violence have occurred in recent years. Some worry the flap over the pope will lead to a new round.
http://tinyurl.com/jydcq
==============================
Woops again :eek::eek:
Ewww the temperature is going down as the sun comes up. It was 42 at 6 am and now it is 33..chatter… chatter… chatter :eek::paranoid:
Lucky you. It’s gonna be too damn hot here today.
Sam Seder on the radio! New music!!
Sammy time.
Yay! Sammy! :sammy:
I’m in a pinch cuz now there are 3 shows on at the same time that I want to listen to and my Replay AV is on my other computer. 😕
Well I’m going to buck the trend and say I like the Young Turks. I first saw them when the did their filibuster for the filibuster.
It’s been a long time since I listened to AAR at this time.
When Ramjet takes a Proton Pill
The crooks begin to worry
They can’t escape their awful fate
From Proton’s mighty fury
Roger Ramjet, he’s our man
Hero of our nation
For his adventures just be sure
And stay tuned to this station
:omg:
Sam did a great job on his first opening segment in the AM! :pup:
“Mr. Poopy Pants” :rofl2:
Okay, I’ve chosen to listen to Goyette and he’s talking about the story about the Air Force Secretary suggesting that they test their microwave weapons on the American public before using them on foreigners. 😡
This is so hilarious. Janeane is calling in to correct Sam on his quirky speech!! :rofl2:
Okay, I’m listening to Sam now.
News Daddy! Woo Hoo!! :nixon:
Good link Kristapea! God, what’s next?
Very good Read.
British Army expert casts doubt on ‘liquid explosives’ threat, Al Qaeda network in UK Identified
Lieutenant-Colonel (ret.) Nigel Wylde, a former senior British Army Intelligence Officer, has suggested that the police and government story about the “terror plot” revealed on 10th August was part of a “pattern of lies and deceit.”
http://tinyurl.com/h8xht
==============================
:shock::shock::yawn::yawn:
Navy told to be ready to deploy to blockade Iran by Oct 1
The first message was routine enough: a “Prepare to Deploy” order sent through naval communications channels to a submarine, an Aegis-class cruiser, two minesweepers and two mine hunters. The orders didn’t actually command the ships out of port; they just said to be ready to move by Oct. 1. But inside the Navy those messages generated more buzz than usual last week when a second request, from the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), asked for fresh eyes on long-standing U.S. plans to blockade two Iranian oil ports on the Persian Gulf.
http://tinyurl.com/qb4s2
=============================
This sounds like more of a what if than an actual oder to do it.. Putin and HU will not be happy. 😮
Iran says Pope’s speech “in line with” U.S. policy
TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that Pope Benedict’s remarks on Islam were in line with what he said was the United States’ “crusade” against the religion, state television reported.
…
“The Pope’s remarks were the latest chain of the crusade against Islam started by America’s (President George W.) Bush,” Khamenei said in a televised speech.
“The Great Satan (United States) is playing its role in this issue.”
Bush upset many Muslims after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 by referring early on to the global war against terrorism as a “crusade”, a term which for many Muslims equates with a Christian battle against Islam
http://tinyurl.com/megb8
=============================
Now if Bush doesn’t get a war with Iran maybe the Pope will. 😮
Ex-U.S. president revered by many in Poland for role in end of communism
WARSAW, Poland – Polish admirers of Ronald Reagan plan to raise a statue of the former U.S. president in Warsaw, where he is revered for his role in the downfall of communism in Europe.
The 3.8-yard stone-and-bronze statue will stand across from the U.S. Embassy, the head of the group raising money for the memorial said on Monday. The group includes Poles living in Poland, Canada and the United States.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14891745/
==============================
:barf::barf::barf::barf:
They really need to put up a statue of OBL.
:shock::shock::yawn::yawn:
In a year or two it will give them something to do to topple it and pull it around behind an army truck.:growl::growl:
Crystal cartels alter face of U.S. meth epidemic
International gangs fill void after cops crack down on makeshift home labs
After years of raiding “redneck labs” and arresting local methamphetamine cooks, drug squads in Georgia appeared to be gaining the upper hand on the makeshift operations in 2004, when the number of busts declined sharply from a peak of more than 800 the previous year.
But the glow of success quickly faded as international drug cartels distributing a purer form of the drug known as “ice” rushed in to fill the void.
“The labs start to decline and you’re happy,” said Phil Price, special agent in charge of regional drug enforcement for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “But the imported meth has really hit us hard. … It’s cheaper now to buy it on the streets.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14817871/
=============================
They say it comes in from Mexico.. now one would think that controlling the border would fix that problem but then the Carlyle group would not be happy. :jason::jason::jason::gate::omg::jason::jason:
Re # 40 WTF!!! I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or scream every obscenity I know.:rant1::rant1: I don’t think this is just:tinfoil: stuff. The timing of the “revelations” of the “plot” was just too, too convenient.
And if this article is correct and really dangerous guys are being allowed to operate with impunity, I don’t think I need to put on my :tinfoil: to speculate that another really bad attack is going to be allowed to happen. October surprise, anyone?
Gotta love the baddies’ MI5, CIA, etc. connections.
Meanwhile, sheeple here and elsewhere are getting more and more inflamed against all Muslims and ready to say yes to GWB’s “crusade” against “Islamo Fascists.”:growl: Not to mention impugning the patriotism of innocent toothpaste, shampoo, and moisturizer. :rant1::growl::rant1::mad::rant1:
I need :40:
I need a happy post, just for the hell of it. :pup::pup::pup::pup::cat::cat::cat::cat::banana::banana::banana::cake::alc:
Ahhhh. Now I feel better. Well, not really. But I love the :pup: and the :cat: and the :banana:.
So apparently scientists have discovered a new species of shark that can walk on its fins and a new species of shrimp that looks like a praying mantis. Surely the End Times are nigh:shock: Where is Cardinal Milfington when we need him? :priest: Tell us what it means, Your Grace.
Now if Bush doesn’t get a war with Iran maybe the Pope will.
Comment by fred — September 18, 2006 @ 1:51 pm
I’m picturing a squadron of F-16’s piloted by the Swiss Guards. Ratzinger might as well surrender NOW.
:rofl2:
Papal Insults
A Bavarian Provocation
by Tariq Ali
http://www.counterpunch.org/tariq09162006.html
The reaction in the Muslim world was predictable, but depressingly insufficient. Islamic civilization cannot be reduced to the power of the sword. It was the vital bridge between the Ancient world and the European Renaissance.
It was no accident, what the Pope said. There is a plan to demonize Islam and paint it all with a broad brush. The ability to make war. To have economic power over the region. The Pope supposedly wants peace but is talking the language that leads to war. Very odd.
The next time someone tells you that Bush is a unique species of malignancy, and how Nixon wasn’t so bad, and he opened the door to China, blah blah blah, tell him about this:
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060916_daniel_ellsberg_drive_out_bush/
My children, evil is always with us. If Bush and Cheney are driven from office tomorrow, there are countless other Little Roves to take their place.
Kinda what the constitution is for, you dig?
Now let us pray. :sammy:
The fool is playing right into the hands of enemies (and critics). Why didn’t he throw in a quote that criticized his church for past violent behavior. That’s what a good spiritual leader would have done. By citing Muslims, he seems very biased. Tariq Ali’s brief shows this.
they have REALLY cute uniforms, too!
#40 not surprised not surprised. 👿
A good spiritual leader wouldn’t trash people of another religion in that manner, end of story. Everything that followed is kind of expected.
Crest two. You are right. If Bush is driven from office, kingmakers will foist another equally bad president for the people to endorse. If we are lucky, we may get another Reagan.
The Constitution was written to protect elite power from the majority. One huge monster question: why isn’t Bush on trial for crimes against humanity? You try to break the law the way he (and Nixon) did. and see if you can avoid prosecution. The majority needs to get clear on this contradiction, and demand change. Don’t stop until change comes about. Nixon and Bush only acted within the framework of the Constitution. Open up those markets.
I have no problem with scholars citing obscure sources to make a point. Benedict is a scholar.But he should have anticipated the flack. Take the beam out of your eye, Baruch, then chide the Muslims for the speck in their eye.
Gore calls for elimination of payroll taxes, CO2 freeze
09/18/2006 @ 4:03 pm
Filed by RAW STORY
Former Vice President Al Gore has called for the end of the payroll tax and a freeze on CO2 emissions to “solve the climate crisis,” RAW STORY has learned.
Advertisement
“My purpose,” Gore told a crowd at NYU, “is not to present a comprehensive and detailed blueprint, for that is a task for our democracy as a whole.” Gore is calling on lawmakers to “expand the limits of what is politically possible” and take major action to halt global warming.
“We should start by immediately freezing CO2 emissions,” Gore indicated, “and then beginning sharp reductions.” Gore also called for a ratification of the Kyoto Treaty.
“Third, a responsible approach to solutions would avoid the mistake of trying to find a single magic ‘silver bullet,'” he elaborated, “and recognize that the answer will involve what Bill McKibben has called ‘silver-buckshot’ — numerous important solutions, all of which are hard, but no one of which is by itself the full answer for our problem.”
The former Vice President also called for a “revenue-neutral tax-swap,” eliminating all payroll taxes in exchange for pollutant taxes.
“For the last fourteen years,” he claimed, “I have advocated the elimination of all payroll taxes — including those for social security and unemployment compensation — and the replacement of that revenue in the form of pollution taxes, principally on CO2.”
But Gore said it’s up to the American people to demand action.
“When the politicians are paralyzed in the face of a great threat,” he explained, “our nation needs a popular movement, a rallying cry, a standard, a mandate that is broadly supported on a bipartisan basis.”
The former Presidential candidate plans to spend the next year campaigning for the cause.
Halliburton to Wounded Employee: You’ll Get a Medal — If You Don’t Sue
By Justin Rood – September 18, 2006, 2:10 PM
Halliburton will help its combat-zone employees get the honors and recognition they deserve — if they promise not to sue the company. That’s according to new documents released today by Senate Democrats.
Ray Stannard was a truck driver in Iraq for Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown and Root. In 2003, he was part of a fuel convoy that was ambushed by insurgents. Seven Americans died in the attack and 26 were injured, including Stanner. He is suing the company.
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001548.php
Taxing pollution from private companies especially coal fired power plants would cause the private companies to shut the plants down and go home..With only about 40% of the power being generated by private companies the cities/states would then inherit those plants ( alternatively you could choose to live in the dark and the cold) and if taxed also would have to raise utility rates/state/local taxes to pay for the taxes on their pollution.. Private automobiles are second biggest cause of CO/CO2 pollution. It looks like what you don’t pay for one way you get to pay for some other way. Gore’s tax on pollution makes absolutely no sense at all.
hey, I like the turks. The AMis much more managable without AA mornin gs
Im at the PT hospital…really crazy a out this pope thing….
but…most interesting is that I acually caught The View and as annoying as she is, Rosie kicks ass.
I’ve been at my desk all day today, and for the first time in longer than I can recall, I listened to the AAR stream from Sam’s show on (except when I was out with the dog, so I missed about half of his show). Not bad, really. Although I find Rachel kind of dull at the moment. I forgot to watch Al Gore’s webcast speech, though; have to see if they ahve the replay up.
Didn’t listen to the Turds, though. Sometimes they’re OK, but I’m not too crazy about these “used to be Republican” types. Glad they’ve seen the light and all, but can’t they get hosts who are now and always have been liberal? Still pisses me off that Yank or whatever his name is got all huffy over somebody referring to the bushies as fascists. Puhleeze.
The thing I find amazing about the pope is that anybody gives a shit what he has to say. Besides, he looks like should be running around looking for fresh brains to eat or something. Definitely has that creepy zombie look going.
Oh, yeah, archived webcast (that’s a RealMedia link) and transcript at NYU.
Not to mention that the poop, I mean pope, would be better served if he would get his own house in order before criticizing other religions. Such as persuading his priests to STOP SODOMIZING BOYS.:jason:
:mad::mad::mad:
I see Susan is in a good mood this PM..:growl: I don’t suppose a :banana: will fix it either 😮
I fucking hate people.
there’s an old adage, ignore somebody and they get all the attention
I don’t think many American Catholics think to much of the churches hierarchical top down structure.. It wouldn’t take a whole lot to cause the Catholic church in America to split into two churches. 😮
dumb catholic church.people who invent such systems should be WHIPPED and BEATEN SENSELESS for their views. SPANKED until they are crying with pain
Claiming that politicians like the incumbent Brad Miller (D-NC) voted to allow illegal immigrants to burn the American flag, candidate Vernon Robinson has issued an advertisement with images of illegal immigrants grabbing their crotches, burning flags and taking public benefits.
Senators Elizabeth Dole and Jesse Helms, and Congressmen Dick Armey and Bob Barr are among those among those listed on Robinson’s site as endorsing his campaign for congress or previous campaigns.
video at the link
http://tinyurl.com/jy7wc
==============================
How much does one want to bet Mr. Robinson has a bad accident in the near future. 😮
It looks like the whole world north of the equator is being taken over by fascists/corporatists/conservatives of one form or another.. The people in South America already had that problem and solved it.. The Canadians are yet to see what damage it does, while the Mexicans are in flux. I don’t know if the Fat , lazy complacient Amerikans will have the national fervor to fix it if things go seriously wrong next month. :eek::eek:
Invasion of the Talk Show Snatchers
by Mike Malloy on September 18, 2006 – 6:42pm.
Hi. Malloy here. It’s Monday, September 18, 2006. Well, it’s been almost three weeks since we were fired by the really, really strange pod-people who have temporarily taken over Air America. Tonight’s program will be hosted by my good friend Peter Werbe. Not sure what he’s talking about tonight, but do tune in. If you’re wondering how we’re writing and posting this mini-blog it’s simply because the airheads in Air America’s executive suites – the pod-people mentioned above – are too, um, stupid to figure out how to handle their own website access. The door’s wide open. So we dashed in just for the hell of it to post this “howdy, how is everyone?”
Frankly, we think the suits are too stupid to stop us so we’ll probably do this every day and also post a longer blog inside the site where we used to. Until they figure out what we’re doing and stop our fun. Bastards. Just mean ol’ right-wing bastard pod-people running our Air America. Well, eventually their bodies will start to react to Earth atmosphere and they’ll have to leave. Meantime, Mike and Kathy here saying, stay tuned!
http://www.airamerica.com/mikemalloy/
LOL you go Mike…
The War the SBR will lose
Time: This is how US will attack Iran
It will take a few days, with thousands of sorties, satellite and laser-guided bombs will be aimed at targets – 1,500 already planned by Pentagon – and will try to infiltrate armed concrete, under which some of nuclear sites are hidden. Meanwhile, Washington launches diplomatic blitz in attempt to promote sanctions on Tehran
more at link\
http://tinyurl.com/kn9nc
=======================
They didn’t include the part about HU and Putin saying NO:paranoid:
Well Rachel promotes :yawn::yawn: no matter what end of the day she is on :yawn::yawn:
:rofl2::rofl2::rofl2::rofl2: A coup in the making :rofl2::rofl2::rofl2:
JG and SS predicting Benders failure… well sort of :rofl2::rofl2:
Good catch, Fred.
That is so rich.
Did Keith just say “good night and good luck”…?
My God…I think we’ve entered the surreal world.
Scarborough has Mahr on…and is gonna talk about Rosie.
Ill tell you, I really dont like her…she annoys me all to hell..but she is spouting more than anyone in that timeslot has ever said…more than anyone on regular network TV is saying, for sure….
I havent had a chance to read yet…but will catch up in a little while.
I think that the Turks are worlds better than AA Mornings. They might not be as left as some here would like, but give them a chance….its a much better experience than Springer etc….and for once there are shows that I can at least stand. I liked having Sam on, though I still dont see the logic of moving him so far from the timeslot that he poineered and where his fans are….but I like that hes gonna have Marc on regularly, thus keeping Marc’s hand in at AAR and on Radio, and hopefully Marc will have a show by teh time Al leaves and Sam moves into his slot…..
Meanwhile, Im thinking hard about this Pope thing. You know….there is somthing so pre planned about this sorta thing. Its not like he makes these statements off the top of his head. Anything he says is the church speaking, supposedly God speaking through him (though this one was such a total political appointment that its hard to even begin to muse on the magic of the smoke…)
But, at a time when all the world’s religions have to stan dup and say whats gone wrong with their own religions (and Buchanan is now fighting with Arianna about the Crusades because Catholics will never agree that the Crusades were THAT bad…..) And allthe top Muslim leaders have to condem the violence….They are not doiong that strongly enough….
Extremism exists from any religion that is taken from ancient texts and written down by men and decipjhered by many different groups and leaders…..
SO, what we need to do is to expect and demand that all religious leaders condem all violence perpetrated int he name of God, including Hitler’s Pope, the crusades…etc…etc…
They all need to look at themselves first and demand a stop to all violence while asking the world population for forgiveness…
To look at only the past 50 or 100 years is shortsighted….these people work with thousandes of years, and to them the Crusades were like, yesterday…..so how can we point fingers….
Joe is so center lately….I hate these waffle people…
Benedict was not speaking
ex Cathedraso therefore he was not speaking for the Church. He was not speaking infallibly.check it out…there’s a new member to the group!
I like David bender. I wrote KPOJ about bringing his weekend show to the station. I hope his nightly show succeeds.(What did Janeane and Sam say about Bender)) :omg:
Malloy?
David Bender is pretty cool. I wish they made Ring of Fire a daily show but I doubt those two guys want to invest that kind of time
So funny how Janeane made Sam talk about Army Williams….
Bender was good, had a couple of kick ass guests. Desmond Tutu tomorrow. But it’s gonna take a hell of a lot more than that to win my loyalty back enough to spend money on them. The only way that will happen is if Marc comes back.
Hey everyone . . . bye everyone . . . sorry I haven’t been on the blog of late. Just sorta burned out with it all I guess. But I sneek and peek every now and then to keep one eye on you. Well I’m off to bed to dream about kicking some Republican ass. Bye folks! Later :sheep:le, party people . . .
:pup: Go Mike! :rofl2:
Analysis: Pope’s Remarks Are Consistent
By VICTOR L. SIMPSON
The Associated Press
VATICAN CITY —
Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks on Islam and holy war that have angered much of the Muslim world are in line with his efforts to spare religion from violence and extremism.
During his 17-month papacy, Benedict has lectured Muslims on the need to teach their young to shun violence, suggested that violent as well as peaceful strains are part of Islam and pressed for religious freedom _ part of efforts to extend rights to Christians in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East.
While Benedict’s comments on Islam and holy war may not have been “politically correct,” said former Vatican diplomat John-Peter Pham, “today much of our dialogue is fruitless because we feel constrained from saying what we really think.”
The source of the Islamic anger was a speech last week in which the pontiff cited a Medieval text that characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as “evil and inhuman,” particularly “his command to spread by the sword the faith.”
While the pope later said he was “deeply sorry” over the reactions to his remarks and that they did not reflect his own opinions, top churchmen rushed to his defense.
“The violent reactions in many parts of the Islamic world justified one of Pope Benedict’s main fears,” said Australian Cardinal George Pell.
“They showed the link for many Islamists between religion and violence, their refusal to respond to criticism with rational arguments, but only with demonstrations, threats and actual violence,” Pell said Monday.
In the Vatican’s first response to the Muslim criticism, papal spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said it was clear that Benedict sought to “cultivate an attitude of respect toward other religions and cultures, including of course Islam.”
But he also said it was important to the pope that there be a “clear and radical rejection of the religious motivation of violence.”
Some Vatican analysts say Benedict is taking a harder line toward Islam then his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, whose efforts for closer relations included a visit to a mosque in Syria _ the first by a pope to a Muslim house of worship.
They point to Benedict’s decision in March to merge the Vatican’s office for dialogue with Muslims with its culture office, and to send the English prelate who headed it, Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, _ considered a top Islamic expert _ to Egypt as papal envoy.
Commenting on the move, the Rev. Thomas Reese, a Jesuit authority on the Vatican, called Fitzgerald, “the smartest guy in the Vatican on relations with Muslims. You don’t exile someone like that, you listen to them.”
“If the Vatican says something dumb about Muslims, people will die in parts of Africa and churches will be burned in Indonesia, let alone what happens in the Middle East,” Reese said in April.
Benedict, aides said, wrote the speech himself that he delivered last week to an audience of professors at the University of Regensburg, where he previously taught theology.
It is not known whether any aide was alarmed at the possibility for trouble, although journalists who received advance copies of the text asked the Vatican spokesman for explanations hours before Benedict delivered the address. When reading the lines about Islam, Benedict did add “I quote” twice.
It is not unusual for popes to make last-minute changes or to drop material for reasons that are often never explained.
For example, when Benedict visited the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland in May, then spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls told reporters that the word “Shoah” _ Hebrew for the Holocaust _ would appear in the final version the pope delivered. Its omission would certainly have generated protests.
__
Rome bureau chief Victor Simpson has covered the Vatican for more than 25 years.
I’ll still never understand this Pope thing and protocols and such. Which means, I suppose, that I don’t understand the Catholic thing