Kerry blasts Bush with Bible
2004-10-25 11:28
Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Democratic challenger John Kerry on Sunday turned the Bible against born-again Methodist President George W Bush, arguing that his policies ran counter to America's moral foundation.
In a major speech on faith and morality, just nine days before the too-close-to-call election, Kerry implied that Bush's social, economic and health policies were immoral, unethical, and, by extension, un-American.
Quoting from the Bible, Kerry said his faith had taught him that "'whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me'".
"This means we have a moral obligation to one another, to the forgotten, and to those who live in the shadows," he said at an arts centre in Broward county.
"This is a moral obligation at the heart of all our great religious traditions. It is also the vision of America ... the ethical test of a good society is how it treats its most vulnerable members."
Kerry's speech appeared to be an attempt to chip away at the president's perceived edge among US worshippers, reflected in Bush's frequent use of religious imagery in speeches, his definition of his anti-terror campaign as a battle of good against evil, and support for faith-based social groups.
The veteran senator has cranked up the pace of his campaign, with visits planned to 10 states in a 48-hour swing from Monday through to Wednesday, including stops in hotly-contested Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and New Hampshire.