Demagogue

The Washington Post's Dan Froomkin writes:

President Bush told the Washington Times yesterday he doesn't "see how you can be president without a relationship with the Lord."

"I fully understand that the job of the president is and must always be protecting the great right of people to worship or not worship as they see fit," Bush said. "That's what distinguishes us from the Taliban. The greatest freedom we have or one of the greatest freedoms is the right to worship the way you see fit.

"On the other hand, I don't see how you can be president at least from my perspective, how you can be president, without a relationship with the Lord."

Bush has often said that he is a religious man who supports freedom of religion, but yesterday may be the first time he has so clearly suggested in his use of words that he harbors the feeling that these two principles are to some degree in conflict.

You don't use the "other hand" construction for two concepts that complement each other. And his suggestion that someone is not qualified to be president unless they are religious is sure to spark some further discussion.

Discussion? From what corner of our infomercial-style news media would such a thing as discussion occur?

At the "fair and balanced" Fox News? And thoughtful discussion about Bush's remarks is unlikely to come from MSNBC, unless Joe Scarborough wishes to complain that the president didn't go far enough in blasting non-Christians for even thinking of seeking public office.