The Hindu : Bush mourns American deaths

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 20, 2003

International

International

Bush mourns American deaths

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON APRIL 19. The U.S. President, George W. Bush, mourned the loss of American lives in Iraq and has said that this year's holy season of Easter and Passover has `special meaning."

The President talked about the Iraq war in the context of the holy season in the course of his weekly radio address. Mr. Bush is spending the Easter holiday break at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he is expected to attend Sunday services at Fort Hood.

Mr. Bush is also likely to visit two pilots based out of Fort Hood who were prisoners of war in Iraq prior to being rescued.

"This year Easter and Passover have special meaning for the families of our men and women in uniform who feel so intensely the absence of their loved ones during these days. The holy season reminds us of the value of freedom and the power of a love stronger than death." Mr. Bush said. For a President who places strong emphasis on religion, Mr. Bush said that America mourned "those who have been called home" and remarked that God's purposes were "not always clear."

Even as the President took to Iraq with a tinge of religion and reflection, the Democrats used their weekly Saturday response to lash out at the Republican budget and the tax cuts.

Mr. Bush called for $726 billions in tax cuts but finally settled for $550 billions, a figure that is still too high for many Democrats. Elijah Cummings, Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus argued that the Republican plan just amounted to saying that tax cuts to benefit wealthy Americans was more important than educating children or in making sure that all children had health insurance. Mr. Cummings argued that the Democrats had offered a plan that would have created one million jobs this year, or five times more than the Republican proposal.

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