Slight of hand

Conservatives, led by neocons who have a completely different agenda, have been bemoaning a US House resolution's passage regarding Ramadan. In some twisted logic, they see it as endorsing Islam over Christianity, even though a similar resolution was passed regarding Christmas. In their clamor against Islam, they neglect to tell you that a resolution recognizing the Hindu/Indian celebration Diwali was also passed by both Houses of Congress, without the attendant cries of Hinduism/Buddhism subverting the American political process.

The neocons, however have seized upon this Ramadan vote and started pointing out those members who voted for it but who did not vote for the Christmas resolution. The Democratic congressman from Washington state, Jim McDermott, has publicly gone on record saying his vote against the Christmas resolution was in protest for Bush's recent vote against child health care.

Which brings us to today's news that the White House has been told by a federal judge it must turn over records of visits by conservative Christians. It appears normal sounding named Americans are questioning the Bush Administration's relationship with these leaders and their influence on his policy. Even more surprising is the supposed initial hesitation of the Administration to release those records. Resolutions supported by both parties in both Houses of Congress are quite a bit different on the scale of separation of church and state than policy formed after the consultation of one religious affiliation exclusively to others. It would appear the public watchdog group seeking these records might be on to something. That the religious holiday resolutions were being used to ferret out political targets should be obvious to the casual observer, based on the hue and cry but the larger issue is whether the Constitution's mandate of separation of Church and state is maintained by either of the three resolutions and/or by consultations of religious denominations which have the ear of the President. Of course, given America's recent foreign policy decisions this question is one most people want to avoid; it will not be given the traction that naysayers of any religious resolution receive.