Hmmm, about that "comma" statement from Bush

[Ocotillo]

American Prospect

Greg Sargent writes:

BUSH AGAIN SAYS IRAQ WILL BE "JUST A COMMA." President Bush's speech yesterday got tons of attention for its attack on Dems, but there was another key moment that's passed unnoticed. Bush again used the phrase "just a comma" to describe the Iraq war. From the speech:

We're going to help the Iraqi people. Remember, 12 million of them voted in elections last December. That probably seems like a decade ago to you, but when the history is finally written, it will be just a comma. Twelve million people stood up in the face of assassins and car bombers and said, we want to be free.

Bush's repe ion of the phrase suggests that it is a calculated one, and we may be hearing it again and again between now and November. But what does it mean? As this blog noted the other day, Greg Mitc of Editor and Publisher did some digging and found that Bush was likely alluding to comedienne Gracie Allen's famous quip, "never place a period where God has placed a comma." Why would Bush quote this line from a comedienne? Because the phrase has become a widely quoted part of current Christian teaching.

As best as I can determine from reading a bunch of religious web sites, the phrase "never place a period where God has placed a comma" appears to mean that God is in control, that even if humans want to control events, or say something conclusive about them, or have the last word about them, it won't matter, because God is "still speaking." The phrase "God is still speaking" turns up again and again next to the "comma" line on religious web sites. In essence, then, the remark appears to mean that God will have the last word. Here's how Rev. Allen Heckman of St. John's United Church of Christ describes the meaning of the phrase:

Problem with our periods, though, is they don't stop God. Those periods only stop the ones who put the period where God has a comma. You see, God is not ready to stop moving. He won't use a period until the end of time. He is still moving.

I'm the first to admit that I'm woefully out of my depth on this stuff. So I'd love to hear from any readers who have a better idea of what this means. But it seems clear that Bush is using coded language to reassure his evangelical base. Or if not, he at least seems to be saying that we shouldn't put a period on our Iraq adventure because God has put a comma on it -- God is "still speaking" about it. We shouldn't worry about the catastrophe in Iraq because God hasn't yet told us what's going to happen. God will sort it out.

[jman3000]

he could just be meaning that it's not over yet and the conclusion has yet to play out... but whatever.

[RandomGuy]

Yeah, here is what God has in store after that comma:

The Iraqi election, was shortly before the civil war, a war which could have been prevented by a competant US administration


That is somewhat facetious, but I truly doubt GW will like what God really puts after that comma in 5-10 years.

[boutons_]

For all intensive porpoises, I'm going to assume dubya clearly stated "just a comma" based on a mis-hearing. It's of no concern to him that it makes no sense. These kinds of innocent errors are made all the time ... by pre-schoolers.

"12 million of them voted in elections last December. "

hey, dubya, let's have a referendum for these 12 millions Iraqis:

"Should the Americans leave Iraq comletely by the end of 2007?"

And what if up to 15M braved the ish insecurity your phony invasion created to vote your ass out? Would you take that as a compliment to "your" democracy ?

Would you abide by the results if 8 of 12 million Iraqis voted your lying, murderous ass out of Iraq? That's the way freedom and democracy works.

Better get those Diebold voting machines over to Iraq soon if you want the result to go your way.

[PixelPusher]

"...Iraq, Iran..."

[Nbadan]

"...Iraq, Iran..."

Yeah, I was about to say, if we invade Iran it will be !#@!@#!!!$!!!!!

So Iraq will be just a ,