Methodists battle George W. Bush over SMU Library & 'Freedom Institute'

[babylonsister]

Methodists battle George W. Bush over SMU Library & 'Freedom Institute'

Despite an architect being chosen, money being raised, and Karl Rove in the mix, opponents claim that it can still be stopped


President Bush may think it's a done deal, and First Lady Laura may be measuring for drapes. An architect has been chosen, and the project is proceeding to raise $500 million. And Karl Rove, who actually may be running the entire show, is also likely lining up a host of conservative think-tankers. Much of the media that covered the story only a few months ago appear to have lost interest. However, before the George W. Bush Library, with its attached public policy institute, are built at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, they must overcome rising objections within the nationwide United Methodist community.

On September 24, the Dallas Morning News reported that "Officially, no decision has been made on where the presidential library will be located, but SMU has long been considered the prohibitive favorite. An architectural firm was chosen last month to design the project."

Earlier in the month, the Reverend Andrew J. Weaver, an ordained United Methodist minister and research psychologist living in New York City (who also writes for this website), and one of the organizers of the campaign to keep the Bush Library off the SMU campus, sent an "Open Letter" to the more than 10,000 signers of a petition urging them to keep working to make SMU a Bush-free zone.
Final vote on Bush Library yet to come, say opponents

On September 25, opponents of the Bush Library and think tank issued a press release calling on the United Methodist Church "to deny approval to Southern Methodist University to host the Bush complex."

According to the press release, the South Central Jurisdictional Conference of the United Methodist Church will meet in Dallas from July 15-19, 2008, and will vote whether to allow the Bush Library to be built on campus. United Methodist opponents of the Bush complex will be asking the 290 elected delegates -- representing the 1.83 million United Methodists living in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Louisiana -- to the Conference "to vote against this request."

more...

http://www.mediatransparency.org/story.php?storyID=214

[Vincardog]

1. jr is in for a rude awakening when the only place he can locate his libary is a Toxic waste dump.

[kurth]

2. $500 Million for a tax-supported shrine to the evil chimp?

What a joke.

[snappyturtle]

3. Do you think the president may not get what he wants?

Does my heart good...sorry for being snarky! K&R

[babylonsister]

4. We can hope, though I'll bet there will be a lot of foot-stompin'

(tapping?!) goin' on!

[snappyturtle]

5. Good laugh just from your title and then you add....tapping!

:rofl:

When I first read this OP my visual image was of * as Lil' bush throwing a tantrum!