White House forum called off after poets plan to protest

Washington Times ^ | 1/31/03 | Joseph Curl

[kattracks]

The White House has called off a poetry symposium to have been hosted by first lady Laura Bush after one poet sought to use the event to protest military action against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

The event, scheduled for Feb. 12, was to celebrate the works of Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes and Emily Dickinson. But one poet who declined the White House's invitation sent an e-mail to other invitees and poets asking them to "make February 12 a day of Poetry Against the War."

[Redcloak]

I'll bet that some of us could fill in...

Waving a banner
I have not bathed in eight weeks
Where is my latte?

The Volvo won't start
Must be Newt Gingrich to blame
I missed the peace march

[Dan Day]

"I think it tells you a lot about White House intelligence, doesn't it?" said Mr. Hamill, noting that he has been in and out of liberal social activism all his life and "never for things the Republican Party would likely approve of."

He's right -- Republicans wouldn't likely approve of someone being invited to a party and then planning to pee on the host's carpet to "make a statement".

As for "telling a lot about White House intelligence", it tells us they believe people should be able to put aside their political differences and act like gentlemen when invited to the White House for a non-political gathering -- a quaintly understandable error.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

The left is just unbelievable. ***Shaking head***.

First of all, the lighter more hysterical things...the woman who commissioned a silk scarf with peace signs? I can just see what it looks like...let me google a pic.

Marilyn Nelson. I pictured she'd be a porker. I was right. She would look like a pig in a poke with her ugly scarf with the much smaller and more beautiful Laura. Talk about a fashion faux pas! Ack! She should kiss the ground that Laura walks on for inviting her to the WH.

Here's Sam Hamill Hmm, dare I say he looks like he's part of the Lavendar Mafia? ICK! Hmm, googled him up and WHAT A SUPRISE! He's gay! Well, well, no surprise there.

[Jeff Chandler]

Once again the Bushes are guilty of projecting-projecting their class onto others.

[Once-Ler]

"I'll bet that some of us could fill in..."

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Saddam is dead
And the anti-American protesters are about to be revealed as a bunch of commie milquetoast pant-wetting sissy girls.

I'm not so good at rhyming.

[Jeff Chandler]

Come the dawn
And the blood-cloked horizon
Scuppers its burdens
On hallowed lawn.

The angry cries
Of the muttled mass of refuse
Profanes its honor
With prattled lies.

They squirm below
The nation's eyes ever watchful
Steely, Jaundiced
And we know.

[Jeff Chandler]

cloked=cloaked

[piasa]

We ought to vut their precious NEA and watch them all starve to death. We know they couldn't survive without "substandard artist's welfare."

[LonghornFreeper]

Your poem is one of the most hilarious things I have read in a long time. You should publish an anthology.

[struwwelpeter]

He's changed his hair, but the eyes don't lie. Time to run old Grima Wormtongue out of town again.

[Bonaparte]

"Mr. Hamill — a Zen Buddhist who ran for the California State Assembly in 1968 on an anti-war, socialist ticket and once worked on the Eugene McCarthy presidential campaign — said he was a bit surprised when he received an invitation to the first lady's event."

Somebody screwed up big time. Why not just invite Saddam Hussein?

[GOPJ]

Poor blacks, illegal immigrants, artist, poets, and members of the intelligentsia have been subsidized for years with government grants. Think PBS, art in dung, and "donna who?" wanna bees.

The only words that sing with these poets is the lines on their grant proposal forms... Democrat have to pay for votes. No one gives it to liberals for free...

Mr. Hamill said the responses have "honored a long and rich tradition of thoughtful and moral opposition by poets and other artists to senseless and murderous policies, including those of our own government."

[Gracey]

I nominate YOU for a little White House poetry reading, and it won't be in the "Pink."

[Indiana Girl]

Mr. Hamill is quite the little hater.

[Charles Henrickson]

The White House had plans for the poet,
To honor his craft and to show it.
But the conf'rence, in terse,
Went from bad unto verse,
So the White House said, "Then we'll forego it."

[I_Love_My_Husband]

LOL!!!

From my favorite movie! Well that and Harry Potter!

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Democrats have to pay for votes

Couldn't agree with you more.

[Jeff Chandler]

There once was a Bard from the Bay
Whose nation he bid to betray.
His heart was revealed
By his swish and his squeal
To be vicious, seditious, and gay.

[struwwelpeter]

Speaking of poetry, if you could tell me from what author these lines come from I'd be very grateful.