My Tax Dollars at Work?

In the name of chicken sandwiches, I hope my tax dollars are not being used for this:

WASHINGTON - President Bush has quite a birthday present for Pope Benedict XVI: at least 9,000 excited guests gathered on the White House's South Lawn for a 21-gun salute, a famed soprano's rendition of "The Lord's Prayer" and an emotional presidential welcome.

The pontiff turns 81 on Wednesday, the first full day of his first trip to the United States as leader of the world's Roman Catholics. He'll spend most of the day at the White House, only the second pope to do so and the first in 29 years.

The amount of media coverage for the pope's visit is astonishing and nauseating. This guy is no different than any other religious leader, but I wager that no imam or hindu swami would be given this kind of treatment. I'm hopeful that in my lifetime the influence this worthless position has on the world will diminish. Must be the hats because the only things the pope spouts are stupidity, hatred, bigotry, and nonsense.

Nauseating Update:

Bush showed off America to its important visitor, ticking off what he said are its best virtues: a nation of prayer and compassion, a nation that believes in religious liberty and welcomes the role of faith in the public square, and one that is the most "innovative, creative and dynamic country on Earth" but also among the most religious.

"Most of all, Holy Father, you will find in America people whose hearts are open to your message of hope," Bush said.

But while acting the proud father, Bush also seemed to suggest that America could use a little tough talking-to by the pontiff.

"In a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded, we need your message that all human life is sacred and that each of us is willed, each of us is loved, and each of us is necessary," the president said, drawing sustained applause from the lawn.

That this is front page news is vomitous. That I'm actually reading it is worse.