Rep. Jim Moran: Bush Was Warned To Be ‘Extra Sensitive’ About Webb’s Son
Rep. Jim Moran: Bush Was Warned To Be ‘Extra Sensitive’ About Webb’s Son
At a recent White House reception, President Bush asked Sen.-elect Jim Webb (D-VA), “How’s your boy?” referring to Webb’s son Jimmy, who is serving in Iraq. Webb answered, “I’d like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President,” to which Bush responded, “That’s not what I asked you.” Webb then replied, “That’s between me and my boy, Mr. President.”
The right wing has been attacking Webb for his reaction to Bush’s question. Last night, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly said Webb was “rude,” “inappropriate,” and “disrespectful,” because Bush was merely trying to extend a “nice gesture.” The National Review’s Corner called him “classless” and conservative columnist George Will labeled him “a boor.”
But according to Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), Bush was told that Webb’s son had a recent brush with death in Iraq and was warned to be “extra sensitive” when talking to the Sen.-elect. ThinkProgress yesterday spoke with Moran’s office and confirmed the congressman’s statement, first reported by hcc in VA:
Not only did Bush know about it, he was specifically briefed on the incident before meeting with Webb, and was cautioned to be extra sensitive in speaking with Webb about his son.
After such a briefing, Bush perhaps shouldn’t have been so surprised about Webb’s unwillingness to chit-chat about his son.
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“How To Be A Disgusting Person”, By George W. Bush
December 5th, 2006 at 9:51 amPaging George Will…
December 5th, 2006 at 9:51 amDid George Will and Bill O’Lielly think it was ok for Dick Cheney to tell Patrick Leahy to go f**k himself on the floor of the Senate? Such hypocrisy.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:52 amSooooo, Bush, having been briefed on Webb’s son’s recent close call, should NOT have inquired as to his well-being???? That is absurd. If Bush hadn’t asked how Webb’s son was doing upon meeting Webb, he would have been chastised for being indifferent and unconcerned.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:52 am“My son’s life is needlessly in danger every day because of your lies, Mr. President.”
THAT’S the truthful answer. The conservatives should be happy he held his tongue.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:53 amJeez-o-PETE! How much more sensitive could Preznit Bush Jr. have BEEN about it?
How many times have you gone up to a friend whose Maw or Paw was in the recovery room after a touch-and-go operation, slapped ‘em on the back and slurred, “How’s the old man? They get all the gunk outta his ticker? And yer Maw… they chunk out that tumor yet, or is she still pissin’ the bed?” See? THAT’s sensitive, ain’t it??? And I bet they appreciated yer concern!!!
But this here big ol’ crybaby Webb… his brat has a teensy, weensy close call with death, and Daddy’s all weepy-eyed over it.
And what did he expect?
Lordy, lordy, LORD!!! I mean, he’s PREZNIT BUSH JR!!! Not Dr. Friggin’ PHIL!!!
December 5th, 2006 at 9:53 amBush is a piece of human garbage. How his supporters can admire someone who has been a failure at every stage of his life is beyond me.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:54 amThe welfare of Senator Webb’s son has absolutely no relationship to the ability of right-wing chickenhawks to feel that their finely honed sense of morality and dignity has been violated.
Surely Senator Webb was aware of that when he told W to go to hell. Good for him.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:54 amBush has no concept of war or the risks involved. His bumbling attempts to discuss Senator Webb’s son with him, despite warnings, indicates Bush’s level of arrogance and sheer stupidity. Bush is a disgrace to the White House and his holding the title of President is an insult to Americans.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:56 amIt doesn’t matter, will is a liar and a criminal. His job and o’liely’s job and the national review’s job is to smear anyone who disagress with the boy king. They are fact free and proud of it. No amount of truth can change that.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:57 am“That’s not what I asked you”
December 5th, 2006 at 9:57 amGreat response.
Not, “We appreciate your son’s service” or
“I appreciate your family’s sacrifice”
but the equivalent of
Go F*ck you and your son for daring to question my brilliance!
Exley @#4 Don’t you think a heartfelt inquiry would have been more along the lines of… “I understand your son has had it rough…” or some such?
“How’s your boy?” and “That’s not what I asked you.” Is very different from that.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:58 amPoor conservatives! Those meanie, meanie Democrats! Oooh! Oooh, they make us sooooooooo maaaad!
Talk about the feminization of a political party. All the Republican men have turned into a bunch of pussies.
Cripes!
December 5th, 2006 at 9:59 amGDumbya is classless, tasteless and clueless. If Webb is being similarly accused, it is only because he got too close to the moron presidunce and some of it spilled over and stuck to him.
Anyone criticizing Webb over this incident is totally off-base. Just remember: Webb’s son is in Iraq while the “service-eligible” drunken slut Bu$h twins are cavorting in South America and elsewhere without a care in their sheltered little world.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:00 amIt just shows that unless it’s in his script, Bush is clueless. What goes in one ear goes right out the other. His aides should have writen in down on a cue card for him and he would have said it almost perfectly.
Again this is proof that we do not have a President, simply a puppet who is pretending to be president. Remove the puppet and you see the hands of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. Time to get rid of them all. Impeachment must happen soon.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:01 amYesterday, Tom Brokaw briefly mentioned the “close call” young Webb survived where members of his unit were killed. Brokaw had been asked by a college student. The facts are out there for anyone who cares to read about what happened — unfortunately the likes of OLielly et al have big mouths with lots of listeners.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:02 amNever mind that Bush is a miscreant, a cretin, a sociopath, a boor, and insane.
Let’s give Bush a little credit. He’s remarkably consistent. Consider:
He was briefed in August 2001 that “Bin Ladin determined to attack in the US.” Did not pay attention.
He was briefed to be sensitive to Webb. Did not pay attention.
In both cases, idiocy or gall won the day. Thanks Bushie!
December 5th, 2006 at 10:04 amNo surprise here: shrub ignores good counsel, bulls ahead, and steps on his dick. We’ve seen it before and likely will again over the next 2 years.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:05 am#12 Elvisgoat….There is nothing wrong with “How’s your boy?”
“That’s not what I asked you,” does sound brusque. But quite frankly, given Dubya’s reputation as a glad-hander and schmoozer, I doubt he said that.
Webb is a prickly personality. Read “The Nightingale’s Song” by Robert Timberg and one can see that Webb can be a difficult person with whom to deal. Given their personailities and reputations, it seems much more likely that Webb was the one who was gruff and discourteous.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:07 am#14 Tom – you got it. Get to close to toxic waste, and the danger is you might get some on you.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:07 amWhat the neoconservative fanactics do not wish to address is why Webb’s response- “I’d like to get them out of Iraq’”- was a wrong thing to say. Webb’s statement was a natural response by a parent, hoping that his son and others would no longer have to be placed in harm’s way for absolutely no legitimate reason. The phrase “Ours not to reason why, ours but to do or die’” has always struck me as being moronic. But then that is the reason why the military and the government do not wish those in the military to do the unthinkable and that is to think and to question. It is also the reason why someone like Lt. Ehren Watada is the military’s worse nightmare, since the last thing they wish is for someone in the military to question the legality of a war.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:08 amAnd so, a right wing media attack by a bunch of “boars”. Who listens?
December 5th, 2006 at 10:10 amI agree with Bill. I understand that Sen.-elect Jim Webb is a normal parent who worries about his son, but he also has to recognize that you’re responding to the COMMANDER IN CHIEF, and you’re in his house. Remeber the quote, “In order to receive respect, respect must given”?
December 5th, 2006 at 10:12 amGiven their personailities and reputations, it seems much more likely that Webb was the one who was gruff and discourteous.
Comment by Exley
Uh huh. So it was Webb who taunted a blind guy for wearing his sunglasses; and it was Webb who said a guy in wheelchair looked mighty comfortable; and it was Webb who said to a single mother working three jobs that doing so was uniquely American. Is that what you’re saying, Exley?
Yeah, George W. Bush hasn’t an agressive bone in his whole body. Wouldn’t blow up a frog with a firecracker…
December 5th, 2006 at 10:12 amI doubt he said that.
Comment by Exley — December 5, 2006 @ 10:07 am
lotta nerve, ex… you are now definetely a total schmuck…
December 5th, 2006 at 10:14 ama prickly schmuck, at that…
George really felt he was being sensitive to the situation. That’s the messed up part.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:16 amI cannot believe that the man who just spent two weeks accusing politcal opponants of being allied with terrorists would be impolite.
Nope, Bush is such a nice guy, a real uniter.
What the hell is wrong people. He’s a prickly prick.
-GSD
December 5th, 2006 at 10:20 amIt just occurred to me now, but Webb had good reason not to discuss his son’s situation with Bush. Whatever information Bush may have gleaned, he and Karl Rove would use against Webb. Based on the record, there’s every reason to think they would do so. One could ask Sen Max Cleland if this is so.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:20 am#25, Katy…Have you read “The Nightingale’s Song?”
December 5th, 2006 at 10:21 am“That’s not what I asked you,†does sound brusque. But quite frankly, given Dubya’s reputation as a glad-hander and schmoozer, I doubt he said that.
Comment by Exley — December 5, 2006 @ 10:07 am
On what basis? I haven’t seen a single instance anywhere in the media disputing the words quoted.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:21 amI don’t think that bush’s initial comments were that out of bounds, they weren’t great, but they weren’t too bad. I do think Webb is perhaps a bit prickly, considering his son could die any moment, I can understand. I do think once Webb said we need to pull the troops out, that Bush got a bit prickly himself.
I don’t understand the conservative pundits who spend all this time yelling about how the office of the president needs to be respected, but were clearly not respectful to Clinton when he was in office.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:22 amFunny how Bush smirked, “that’s not what I asked you” when he always …always evades the question or answers a question no one asked.
So Monkey Oil Jr., are you ever going to answer the question “what is the difference between a civil war and what we see in Iraq?” which he was asked on NPR…and naturally he went on a tirade about something no one even asked him about, something about it being “hard work” lol
December 5th, 2006 at 10:23 amHey Exley how does that Bush Jr cock taste today?
December 5th, 2006 at 10:24 am#21 “ The phrase “Ours not to reason why, ours but to do or die’†has always struck me as being moronic”
Because the actual phrase is, “Ours is not to reason why/Ours is but to do AND die.”
Which has a distinctly different, non-moronic meaning. Following orders unto death if necessary — not because you are afraid of death.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:26 amI doubt he said that.
Comment by Exley — December 5, 2006 @ 10:07 am
Why Exley? I haven’t heard a denial from the administration, have you? Sounds typical of bush to me.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:28 amWho’s the boor now?
December 5th, 2006 at 10:28 amExley, your an ass. Out of respect for a relationship with his son the President should have let it drop and not tried to pull his same crap of pushing people down. It’s fine for Bush to ask, it’s also fine for Webb saying what he did. What parent doesn’t want that.
The Will’s of the world are grasping at straws and you want to defend Bush for this?
Once again, your an ass.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:28 amI’m gonna have to go with the general sentiment of katy @ 25
I don’t want to get into sniping at you ex…, but seriously. “I doubt he said that”. What kind of support is that for your opinion?
All I can say is, I expect he did. And I expect he was snide and contemptuous as well. Bush was trying to provoke Webb it seems to me. Otherwise, why even seek him out and ask the question?
December 5th, 2006 at 10:29 amWhat this shows is a complete and utter lack of empathy on the part of the president. He was told to be mindful of Webb and his son, so Bush, in his narcissistic way, made what he thought was a caring inquiry. Having no true empathy, Bush didn’t know how to care so could only do his best stab at pretending to care and failed miserably.
Webb sensed this and (probably due to the dire situation his son was in) felt it was necessary to remind the president of this fact.
The president could have said something to the effect of “no one wants them to be there a day longer than they need to be” or “let’s work together on that.” Instead, he gets miffed because his carefully crafted attempt at sincerity gets thrown back in his face.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:31 amSo Monkey Oil Jr., are you ever going to answer the question “what is the difference between a civil war and what we see in Iraq? 
Comment by Pre-emptive Jesus — December 5, 2006 @ 10:23 am
i’m still waiting for an answer to the simple question: “for what purpose” have the troops died… all the people died?
December 5th, 2006 at 10:32 am#23 Daryll You are wrong. This is not Bushie house. This is the people’s house. He works for the American people not the other way around. Old Bushie need to growup. Bushie is an arrogant ruded idiot. Bushie thinks he is king. We need to impeach Bushie, Cheney, and his Admin. for war crimes.
I am glad that Webb spoke up against Old Bushie. We need to send Bushie twins over to Iraq and we will see how fast the troops come home.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:32 am#30, RealScientist…”On what basis?” I said that given Dubya’s reputation as a glad-hander and schmoozer, I find it highly doubtful he would act so brusquely. Even if he did use those words, we have no idea the tone of voice, the look on his face, etc. Words that look abrupt on paper/in print, sometimes come off as very different when one is in person and speaking to a person face-to-face.
The White House has — to it great credit — refused to discuss what transpired between the two men. Webb, on the other hand, has gone out of his way to publicize this private conversation. Again, given Webb’s reputation as a difficult, gruff individual and Dubya’s well-known glad-handing (One may disagree with his policies, but there is no question he is a master politician), it is more likely than not that Webb was the discourteous one and who is pubicizing this incident as a way to publicize further his reputation as an inconoclast.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:33 amLook, in all fairness to the President, he probably thought he WAS being “extra-sensitive”. It’s not like the man has a lot of empathy to spare, or any real social graces.
And Exley, it sure makes it easier to argue your point when you can pick and choose which reports to believe, right?
December 5th, 2006 at 10:34 amI am always amazed at the Bush supporter’s blind faith in the Loser in Chief. Bush’s comment to Webb was a taunt, not a question. Like the neighbor who is tapping your wife coming up and asking, “How’s Patsy doing”.
Webb’s “boy” is putting his life in danger because of the Chimp’s personal war. To have that pathetic little loser ask about Webb’s son is an insult.
Bush is a total embarrassment to any intelligent American.
No apologies to the trolls who post here. You can all swallow or not. Your choice.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:34 amGiven their personailities and reputations, it seems much more likely that Webb was the one who was gruff and discourteous.
Comment by Exley
Webb has his son fighting Bush´s war. He can be as discourteous as he wants. Period.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:34 am#45, Juan….I am glad you agree that Webb was discourteous.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:38 am#23 Daryll
I agree with Bill. I understand that Sen.-elect Jim Webb is a normal parent who worries about his son, but he also has to recognize that you’re responding to the COMMANDER IN CHIEF, and you’re in his house. Remeber the quote, “In order to receive respect, respect must given�
That’s right, Daryll. Respect is a two-way street. Bush has no respect for anyone. He has no respect for life itself. He is not deserving of any respect. As for the office, he’s the one who is dishonoring it. Being president doesn’t give you license to lie, cheat, steal, murder, etc. with impunity. There are consequences for everyone.
Your sacred treatment of Bush is bordering on idolatry.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:40 amRemeber the quote, “In order to receive respect, respect must given�
Comment by Daryll — December 5, 2006 @ 10:12
Indeed! The day Bush shows respect, he’ll receive respect.
“I understand that Sen.-elect Jim Webb is a normal parent who worries about his son, but he also has to recognize that you’re responding to the COMMANDER IN CHIEF, and you’re in his house. “
He is the COMMANDER IN CHIEF of the ARMED FORCES, not of the United States of America or or American citizens. Or has that distinction been totally blurred?
So, if someone pisses on you while you are in his/her house, you’ll say thank you?
The fact that Bush had been briefed beforehand underscores his callousness and bullying even more. He was clearly intent on — sadistically — needling Webb about his son. Any other President worth that name would have thanked Webb for his son’s service and made the appropriate noises about the kid’s recent close call. But not this jerk, no! He was miffed because Webb skipped the receiving line, and intentionally seeked Webb out to spread his venom.
Bush is a small, petty, ill-bred, man. The sooner he is gone from office, the better.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:40 am#23, Sorry, Daryll, it is not the Presidents house, it is the Peoples house, we just allow sitting presidents to live there.
Anyways, Personal story time, but still on subject. When I had the pleasure of meeting Sen. Clinton in Shannon, Ireland on my way to Iraq I told her about my family. When I encountered her a few days later in Iraq, she asked about my family (If I had a chance to call them, How they were, etc.) My response to her was along the lines of “Yes, ma’am, I talk to them the other night and they are doing fine, thanks for asking.” See, she asked a question and I gave a respectful answer.
Here are the key parts of the story. Do I think Sen. Clinton honestly cared if I had a chance to call my family? No. Do I think that she was honestly concerned about their welfare? No. I say I had the pleasure of meeting her because she is in a leadership position in my nation. I showed her respect because she is not only a leader in my home nation, but also another human.
I am by no means a fan of Sen. Clintons politics, put there is a point where that has to be put to the side for the reason of civility. Was the Bush wrong for being civil? No. Was Webb wrong for his answer, not necessarily, but it was rude.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:46 amI am glad you agree that Webb was discourteous.
Comment by Exley
Read again. Thats not what I said.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:46 amWebb should have slapped your Liberator´s face. When Bush sends his daughters to a cause he seems to believe vehemently, then he can ask about other soldiers lives.
#38 Elvisgoat, “why even seek him out and ask the question?” As I in my first posting, if Dubya, having learned of Webb’s son’s close call, had NOT inquired as to Webb’s son’s well-being, Dubya would have been excoriated here and elsewhere as being indiffent, aloof, unconcerned, and rude. Dubya did the polite and proper thing asking about a senator’s son’s well-being.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:47 am#19: ““That’s not what I asked you,†does sound brusque. But quite frankly, given Dubya’s reputation as a glad-hander and schmoozer, I doubt he said that.”
Unfortunately for you, that’s been confirmed. Now, I realize you “conservatives” have problems with facing reality, but I gotta tell you, wishes aren’t ponies…
December 5th, 2006 at 10:50 am#19 Exley
“That’s not what I asked you,†does sound brusque. But quite frankly, given Dubya’s reputation as a glad-hander and schmoozer, I doubt he said that.
You doubt he said that? Why? Does it mess with your adoring image of him? Have you ever watched one of his press conferences? Have you seen how he bitches when he doesn’t like how a reporter is dressed? He’s gotten to the point of snapping at every other question that’s asked of him and his responses are exactly as snotty and arrogant as that response to Webb. I have no doubt at all that he said exactly those words, because it’s his style. It’s the way he’s always been, but he used to to hold it in a little better than does now. Nowadays he’s so frustrated by the truth constantly nipping at his heels that he lashes out whenever someone doesn’t kowtow to him.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:50 amfrom Exley, The White House has — to it great credit — refused to discuss what transpired between the two men. Webb, on the other hand, has gone out of his way to publicize this private conversation.
Hmmmm. Is it possible the reason the WH hasn’t made this public is because it shows the President in a bad light? If there was any possible way to spin this Rove would have.
Asking about his son is one thing. Not liking the answer given and having a snotty retort is another. Bush is wrong. End of story.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:51 am#34 ElectricBassPlayer
Because the actual phrase is, “Ours is not to reason why/Ours is but to do AND die.â€
To be really nitpicky, it wasn’t “Ours is not to reason why.” It was “Theirs not to reason why,” from Tennyson’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade”.
Theirs not to make reply,
December 5th, 2006 at 10:55 amTheirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Bush is a smirking jerk, Exley.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:00 amfrom Exley: “Even if he did use those words, we have no idea the tone of voice, the look on his face, etc. Words that look abrupt on paper/in print, sometimes come off as very different when one is in person and speaking to a person face-to-face. ”
I admire your dispassionate, clinical evaluation of the President’s reported statement (which you admit solely for the sake argument, I take it). You’re right. There’s a lot of information that we don’t get from a simple account of a verbal exchange between the two men.
However, since you only choose to apply those considerations to the President’s words and not to those of the Senator-elect, that makes you, simply, a hypocrite.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:01 amoh, and another thing, Exley, Webb has hardly “gone out of hgis way” to make this incident public. It happened over two weeks before it was reported, and then only by an eyewitness, not by Webb or anyone on his staff.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:03 ambetter bush be in iraq, fighting his phoney war than the young men and women dying there.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:10 am“And how’s Mrs. Goldman holding up? Does she still miss Ron? Well, gotta run, gotta sign some books, cash some NFL checks, play a little golf. Sure good talking to you though.”
That’s the level of civility Bush was shooting for.
Any decent person would have been tempted to wipe that smirk off his face. I admire Webb for not leveling the punk.
Two more years of this monkey’s shit throwing.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:12 amWebb is a quasi-redneck, but with a brain and that frightens the right wingers like nothing else…. they’ve spent thier whole political careers trying to be macho and tough while draft dodging and then the real deal comes along and runs against them and they are scared… lets face it.. the hillbilly’s need to vote for someone they can relate to and Webb is someone they can relate to.. god bless him.. we need more people like that on our side… he’s actually pretty bright but looks like a moonshine drinking uncle jessie type.. more power to him.. watch for more attacks on him because hes the biggest threat they face.. someone people who drink beer would want to have a beer with…
December 5th, 2006 at 11:14 amI agree. There is no way the man who mocked a woman on death row, who gives demeaning nicknames to journalists and anyone else who has to take it, who gets furious at a reporter who speaks French to the President of France, and who asked of Paul Wellstone, at a similar White House event, “who is this chickenshit?” would ever act brusquely to a Senator-Elect, especially regarding the man’s son, doing Bush’s dirty work in Iraq. How could anyone think such a thing?
One thing, though — about your astute comment that we have no idea about the tone of his voice and the look on his face. Which way does it cut? From a man whose usual tone of voice is a cruel sort of quack and whose usual look on his face is a smirk, it might just be that the delivery made the insult worse than it reads in cold type. I know which way I’d bet.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:15 amChimpeach at #55
Your reference to Tennyson is well taken and, despite what ElectricBassPlayer may believe, reinforces my point even more, which is that those in the military are willing to march into battle and die for some extremely ambiguous less than noble cause- “Into the valley of Death rode the six hundred”- which in Iraq may very well translate to “Into the valley of Death rode the 140,000″. As the documentary Sir! No Sir! proved, those in the military do have choices, which doing the Vietnam War meant that many in the military chose not be part of the war machine by joining the GI war resistance movement which took place at GI coffeehouses near military bases at home and abroad. The same thing can happen today, by having those in the military, such as Lt. Watada and Ricky Clousing and Kyle Snyder and Kevin Benderman and Camilo Mejia and Agusto Aguoyo and Darrell Anderson and Geoffrey Millard and Liam Madden and others, say NO to the war machine in Iraq.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:17 amWebb had no desire to speak with Bush, so he kept his distance. But Bush just had to get in Webb’s face, playground bully that he is, and ask the equivalent of, “Nice boy you have there, Webb. Shame if anything were to happen to him.” I am amazed that Webb didn’t punch his chickenhawk lights out, given the circumstances.
And incidentally, according to Texas practice, the word “boy” in this context is itself an insult. But I guess Commander Bunnypants was just funnin’ there, too, right, Exley?
While we’re on the subject of reputations, Exley, I guess Bush’s mocking a prisoner condemned to die by lethal injection was an effort at caring and concern, too.
Tucker Carlson, noted liberal scum, relates: “In the weeks before the execution, Bush says, a number of protesters came to Austin to demand clemency for Karla Faye Tucker. “Did you meet with any of them?” I ask. Bush whips around and stares at me. “No, I didn’t meet with any of them,” he snaps, as though I’ve just asked the dumbest, most offensive question ever posed. “I didn’t meet with Larry King either when he came down for it. I watched his interview with Tucker, though. He asked her real difficult questions like, ‘What would you say to Governor Bush?’” “What was her answer?” I wonder. “‘Please,’” Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, “‘don’t kill me.’” I must look shocked — ridiculing the pleas of a condemned prisoner who has since been executed seems odd and cruel — because he immediately stops smirking.”
Bottom line: Bush didn’t give a shit about Webb’s son. He put a big fat chip on his shoulder and dared Webb to knock it off. Webb showed superhuman restraint in not doing so.
And you are an asshat, Exley. Apologists for our sociopath-in-chief, like you, make me vomit.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:19 amBush’s comments were on the level of the famous black-humor joke: “Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?” :p
But since he has absolutely no talent as a standup comic, he just stuck both feet in his mouth up to his neck. And bit down.
(Two more YEARS of terminal foot-in-mouth disease! It’s going to seem like two ETERNITIES!)
December 5th, 2006 at 11:19 amAs usual, George Bush continues to stick his neck where it doesn’t belong. He exemplifies everything that Republicans stand for: Crudeness, Arrogance, Insensitivity, Invasiveness, Racism, Rape, Murder, Torture, Exploitation, & Thievery. I guess we should thank Bush for exposing whats truly in the hearts and minds of all Republicans.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:22 amThe real issue here is this: Who is cooler?
Webb is waaaaayyyyyy cooler.
The GOP has to start picking him apart now or else he will be trouble for them someday. He’s like Clint Eastwood shaking down some two-bit hustler in a Dirty Harry movie. The GOP can’t really front when you have men like Webb around. Look at how tough Webb looks next to phony Wyatt Earp-moustache-having “reformer” John Bolton. Bolton and Cheney are the most macho men they have, and with men like Webb on the ascendancy, they look like ren-faire geeks.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:22 am#55, right on. Thanks.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:26 amDon’t they know the Prez doesn’t do nuance or sensitive.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:27 amNo script, no sense or sensitivity.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:42 amPower, in a Truth to Power exchange, always finds Truth rude.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:44 amWow! Bush knew about his son and purposely went after Webb? That’s beyond disgusting and pathetic. What a sad little man W. must be to try and goad someone who’s son is making the ultimate sacrifice for HIS failed war to try and needle him about it. Bush really needs professional help.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:48 am#45, Juan….I am glad you agree that Webb was discourteous.
Comment by Exley
Man whoever said it before was right: you guys are bunch of little whiny b1tches. Mr “Shock and Awe” , “Bring ‘em on” NASCAR flagthumpers whining because Webb didnt run his verbiage by Miss Manners before he said it.
God what a bunch of punk=a$s bitches. Webb’s kid is on the line for Bush’s deluded “we must win one for the mullah’s” meth dream war. He can say whatever the h3ll he wants…
They need to make a law that politicians children have a special draft all their own when war starts… I can promise you if Bush had to worry about anything worse for his dear little daughters than getting the Argentenians soccer team’s collective jizz pumped from thier stomachs they wouldnt be so gung-ho for this war….
December 5th, 2006 at 11:51 amthats why i dont like politics.. too little benefit, not enough sacrifice..
George Will is as gay as a picnic basket. Bill O’Reilly is as gay as a picnic basket. Mort Kondracke is as gay as a picnic gasket.
Tired, snippy old queens.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:56 am#
I said that given Dubya’s reputation as a glad-hander and schmoozer, I find it highly doubtful he would act so brusquely. Even if he did use those words, we have no idea the tone of voice, the look on his face, etc.
I agree. There is no way the man who mocked a woman on death row, who gives demeaning nicknames to journalists and anyone else who has to take it, who gets furious at a reporter who speaks French to the President of France, and who asked of Paul Wellstone, at a similar White House event, “who is this chickenshit?†would ever act brusquely to a Senator-Elect, especially regarding the man’s son, doing Bush’s dirty work in Iraq. How could anyone think such a thing?
One thing, though — about your astute comment that we have no idea about the tone of his voice and the look on his face. Which way does it cut? From a man whose usual tone of voice is a cruel sort of quack and whose usual look on his face is a smirk, it might just be that the delivery made the insult worse than it reads in cold type. I know which way I’d bet.
Comment by Stuart Eugene Thiel — December 5, 2006 @ 11:15 am
I just had to copy and repeat this comment. Though many posters have said very relevant things, Stuart just hits the nail on the head.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:58 am“Even if he did use those words, we have no idea the tone of voice, the look on his face,”
I’ll tell you the look he had on his face – blank! Just like the look he has when asked a question which is not scripted. Just like the look he had when he was reading My Pet Goat.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:59 amOur brave soldiers are DYING and they are concerned about Bush’s feelings??? He deserved a response 100x more rude. Not to mention that the Senator’s response was very appropriate to the question. It didn’t get “rude” until Bush said “that’s not what I asked.”
December 5th, 2006 at 12:00 pm#64 – Sharoney
Well said.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:14 pmYep, I have to agree with sensitive Progs and Progettes on this one – it was vicious and horribly insenstive of the President to ask Senator-elect about “his boy”. Everytime someone inquires about my active duty fighter pilot brother, Mr. Aphrodite practically has to restrain me so I don’t verbally assault the insensitive inquisitor!!!!! How rude of people to ask about my brother!! I can just imagine HOW the Senator-elect viewed the question as the perfect opportunity to leap up on his soap-box……
December 5th, 2006 at 12:17 pmWebb had no desire to speak with Bush, so he kept his distance. But Bush just had to get in Webb’s face, playground bully that he is, and ask the equivalent of, “Nice boy you have there, Webb. Shame if anything were to happen to him.†I am amazed that Webb didn’t punch his chickenhawk lights out, given the circumstances.
Sharoney
I would have. I really would. He’s a frickin’ disgrace. The morons that defend him are even worse of a disgrace.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:18 pmMr Bush,
I wish that for just one time
You could stand inside my shoes
You’d know what a drag it is
To see you
Positively 4th Street
December 5th, 2006 at 12:18 pm#79, Well said, Mighty Aphrodite…You hit it out of the ballpark. This feigned “progressive” outrage produced by this Webb publicity stunt is quite amusing in its inanity.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:25 pm#80 – “I would have. I really would. He’s a frickin’ disgrace. The morons that defend him are even worse of a disgrace.” Comment by jake3988
December 5th, 2006 at 12:26 pm********My dear Jake – - The moronic Left, who refuses to believe radical Islamofascists have declared war on us are THE disgrace. And the reallllly good news – they hate you EVERY bit as much as they hate me….You’re just too ignorant to know it. Now go back to putting your head in the sand…..
Let’s see if i have this right, GWB lies to start a “preemptive war” which puts Senator Webb’s son in a near-death situation, then is offended by Senator Webb’s response that he, “Wants his boy home”? So, if someone puts me at risk of death unnecessarily, then inquires how I’m doing in my new, life-threatening situation, I should merely be grateful that he cares enough to ask.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:26 pmGo back to the sandbox, MA. As usual, you have nothing thoughtful to contribute.
Don’t forget to say your prayers at the altar of your Mighty Decider and to take your daily dose of Kool-Aid. The next two years are going to be pretty rough on you.
This said, if you decide to stay on this blog and be beaten up every time you rear your inane little head, we’ll be more than happy to oblige. It is open season on members of the freakish Bush cult.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:28 pmCan you say TURD BLOSSOM? Bush was just flexing his power muscles in disdain for newly elected Senator Webb. Bush has no respect for anyone other than his elite cadre. Bush is also an arrogant asshole and ignorant, country bumpkin. To think we possibly voted him into office for a second term is unreal. Facts will probably show he stole that election also, someday.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:29 pmAnd he is no soldier.
Since Webb was secretary of the Navy , he is well aware of how things work. My guess is saw those words (”hows your son”) as a veiled threat because he wouldn’t stand in the picture line and based on Bush’s history and willingness to see people killed or smeared or ruined based on just disagreeing with him and complete lack of understanding about anything outside the United States
It’s easy for the one of Bush’s syncopates to make a call and to insure Webb’ son is constantly in the line of fire becuase Bush is a spoiled insolent ivy league frat boy in a man’s body who learned his trade as hatchet-man working for his father. He loves ruining peoples lives over trivial slights and loves being a war president. The power is way too intoxicating for a man that cries crocodile tears in public then plans the death of thousands in private with little concern for the troops.
I have no doubt Webb sees him as a threat to his son- not becuase of policy but becuase of a telephone call. It’s amazing he showed the restraint that he did.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:31 pmGo ahead and swallow Mini Aphid, the act is over when you covered for the Chimp in Chief.
Bush wasn’t asking a question, it was a prod, a taunt. Only the most truth defying idiots would defend Bush here. Glad to see you haven’t wavered in your support.
Like a rock. But dumber.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:31 pmBy the way, I find it quite amusing that this “new information” comes from noted anti-Semite and ethicially-challenged (to say the least) Jim Moran (D-Va.)…You all remember Jim Moran, don’t you? He was the man who claimed that the it was a nefarious Jewish cabal that was secretly pusing America into war with Iraq….Moran’s comments were so despicable and so widely condemned that even his own party stripped him of his title as regional House whip….Now THERE’S a reliable source, eh???? Heh.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:33 pmIt takes a special type of “combat coward” to send other people’s children and family members into combat!
Bush, Cheney, Liebermann, Libby, Frum, Bolton, Rice, Feith are just a few of those special “combat cowards” who are willing to commit such immoral crimes!
December 5th, 2006 at 12:35 pmWhat has Bush done to earn respect? Unbelievable that the same people who spent 8 years referring to a president as a murderer, coke dealer and rapist have their panties in a bunch over Webb not playing nice. Also unbelieveable that some Bush cultists here are trying to make a lame argument that perhaps Bush wasn’t being insensitive. Hello??? This is the same guy who called a journalist an asshole when he thought the mike was off. This is the guy who has lied to the American people so much that he’s presented a unique problem for the mainstream media thinking of new ways to report that he’s a liar without calling him a liar. This is the guy who has trashed the constitutional separation of powers with over 700 legislation-altering “signing statements,” and the guy who has thumbed his nose at the Geneva Conventions on torture. Why on earth does Bush deserve respect? He deserves a jail term.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:39 pmI agree with Bill. I understand that Sen.-elect Jim Webb is a normal parent who worries about his son, but he also has to recognize that you’re responding to the COMMANDER IN CHIEF, and you’re in his house. Remeber the quote, “In order to receive respect, respect must given�
Comment by Daryll — December 5, 2006 @ 10:12 am
Yep….”That’s not what I asked” is just oozing with respect.
Bush was once again trying to be be a cute, regular ol’ Joe, just as he was when calling Cindy Sheehan “Mom” when he met her.
If you want to talk about respect, Bush should have used “son” instead of “boy.” At the very least, if he was going to open his damned mouth he could have also acknowledged that he knew of Webb Jr.’s close call, and, well, you know, expressed relief that he was OK. Bush could have also expressed his concern with getting our troops home as soon as possible, but he’s not interested in that. It’s up to the next president, remember?
December 5th, 2006 at 12:41 pmSeveral years ago, in a fit of rage, my Congressman Jim Moran chased Randy “Duke” Cunningham, Mr “Top Gun” from the floor of the House and into the cloak room. There, Jim found “the Dukester” cowering in a closet where he was begging Moran “don’t hit me, don’t hit me.” I hope Jim does the same thing to Bush some day. Maybe tag team him with Jim Webb. Damn would that put a smile on my face.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:43 pmOur president is simple. Our country elected a simple man. His comments to Sen Elect Webb show that but it was nothing compared to his blunder with Iraq, Healthcare, Afghanistan or the Enviroment. We as a nation need to be sure this never happens again. We are beter than this.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:43 pm#82 – ” This feigned “progressive†outrage produced by this Webb publicity stunt is quite amusing in its inanity.” Comment by exley
********Dear Exley – MOST prog outrage is feigned – and Jew-hating Jim Moran exemplifies their “position” better than most…..
When Islamic-amnesiacs in Europe and the US finally get it, they’ll be in line for their burka fittings after scratching the ground looking for bits and pieces of their dead relatives….
Keep up the good fight, Sir Exley…….
December 5th, 2006 at 12:45 pmExley said: By the way, I find it quite amusing that this “new information†comes from noted anti-Semite and ethicially-challenged (to say the least) Jim Moran (D-Va.)…You all remember Jim Moran, don’t you? He was the man who claimed that the it was a nefarious Jewish cabal that was secretly pusing America into war with Iraq….Moran’s comments were so despicable and so widely condemned that even his own party stripped him of his title as regional House whip….Now THERE’S a reliable source, eh???? Heh.
I notice that after several posters ripped you a new one, you were quiet for a while. Then after a fairly lame cavalry backup arrived in the visage of MA, you chimed in again, echoing the smear tactics that have made the Right so beloved in our great land.
Now, rather than address any of the many substantive objections to your previous posts, you follow the example of your cohort and Attack the Messenger.
You must really have nothing left in the tank, Exley.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:45 pmAgain with the lame strawmen arguments. It wasn’t the “how’s your boy,” it was the “that’s not what I asked you.” An insecure bully see’s Webb’s answer as a challenge to his authority. A good person would respond more magnanimously with something like “I understand,” or even “I feel your pain.” Bush is an insecure bully. We all know that. Even his cult-like followers know that. If he were not an insecure bully, he would, at times, be able to admit mistakes. If he were not an insecure bully, he would be able to answer non-scripted questions from citizens who were not necessarily cult members. If he were not an insecure bully, he would be able to listen to different opinions without seeing them as a challenge to his manhood.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:45 pmAsking Bush to be “sensitive is like asking a hunchback to “straighten up.”
December 5th, 2006 at 12:47 pmBush knew exactly what he was doing when he approached Webb. He was, no doubt, enjoying the little threat he was voicing.
I would have punched him.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:48 pmW can’t be concerned with Iraq, he had to worry about that nasty confrontation in Argentina his daughters had. !?
December 5th, 2006 at 12:50 pmWhen Islamic-amnesiacs in Europe and the US finally get it, they’ll be in line for their burka fittings after scratching the ground looking for bits and pieces of their dead relatives….
Keep up the good fight, Sir Exley…….
All I can say is, thank God we have Mighty Aphrodite and Exley to protect us from the swarming herds of brown people.
“The 101st Fighting Keyboarders — The Troll Patrol®: Keeping America theoretically safe for over three years.”
December 5th, 2006 at 12:50 pmBush must be the insensitive man alive, just by the very fact that he’s this boorish, obnoxious fratboy who has everybody kissing his ass, even when he says stuff that would get anyone else punched out.
I could just hear him when Rove’s mother offed herself:
Bush: “Hey, Turdblossom! Tough break about your old lady.”
Rove: “Yes sir.”
Bush: “Well, you just have to let these things roll off your back.”
Rove: “Yes sir.”
Bush: “She was a bit of a whore anyway, wasn’t she?”
Rove: (silence)
Bush: “I said ‘Wasn’t she?’”
Rove: “Yes sir.”
December 5th, 2006 at 12:50 pmEXLEY — Your attitude is in lock step with the administration’s: Never admit when you’re wrong and accept no criticism, no matter how apt.
In point of fact, if Bush had simply kept his ignorant/arrogant mouth shut, it would have been virtually impossible to find fault with him for not broaching the subject of Webb’s kid. It has been reported that he was specifically advised accordingly but, as we all know, the Connecticut Cowboy “does not do nuance.”
At a minimum, it was an insensitive blunder on the part of the president to even “go there.” More likely, it is yet another example of the boy-in-the-bubble demonstrating his utter lack of tact, empathy and understanding of how the real world works. His history as an inter-personal shit-disturber would seem to support the latter theory.
So, Exley… enjoy your fifteen minutes, but consider this: the president has distinguished himself as a boorish oaf, a bully, an intellectual lightweight, a ne’er-do-well, a thin-skinned punk and a bad person. Do you really want to associate yourself with such a character? For God’s sakes, why?
December 5th, 2006 at 12:53 pm#99 Krank, I am flattered that you follow my postings so closely that you noticed I had posted for a while. You must be one of my many readers on this site. As for your suggestions, had there been anything of substance to which to reply I would have been more than happy to do so. Alas, nothing of substance was posted in response to me (I note that no one here has read Timberg’s “The Nightingale’s Song.” Here’s a suggesion, boys and girls — Read! You just might learn something)….As for the so-called “smear,” may I ask what I wrote that was inaccurate? Are you denying that Moran made those remarks? Or are you denying that he was stripped of his whip title by his fellow Democrats? I eagerly await your substantive reply, Krank.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:53 pmWas Webb wrong for his answer, not necessarily, but it was rude.
Comment by robert — December 5, 2006 @ 10:46 am
Oh, come on. If Webb would have said “That’s between me and my boy” in direct response to Bush’s “how’s your boy?”, you might have a point.
But that’s not the way the conversation transpired. And you know that.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:53 pmYou cannot truly brief someone who has always gotten their way. Now that he isn’t anymore, and he was challenged by Webb during the elections, and face-to-face (EEKKK!), he lost-control. We can safely-assume he’s losing-control in the Oval office right-now.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:57 pmSince I first read about this story, I’ve been screaming to anyone who would listen that it was BUSH who was the rude one!
“That’s not what I asked you.” he says to Webb!
Indeed! like he’s teacher Bush chastising a school child or something! In fact, considering Webb’s final reply “that’s between me and my boy”, it always seemed like his comments were really a veiled threat from the President to Webb.
Now that we know Bush was informed about Webb’s son, it seems much more likely that it WAS a threat.
Either it WAS an accident and Bush was telling Webb next time it won’t be an accident
or it WAS NO ACCIDENT in the first place!
Before I thought he was just rude to Webb. Now I’m sure he was purposely taunting and threatening him!
December 5th, 2006 at 12:58 pmGet use to it wingnuts. The gloves are off, and after 12 years of your arrogance, sit down and shut up. Now, who’s the sensitive one? If you guys admire little george and karl’s politics, you’ll love what we’re gonna serve up…
December 5th, 2006 at 1:07 pmBill O’Reilly needs the bejeezuz slapped out of him! I thought after the Republican defeat dimwits like him, Sean hannity and George Will would have a little more humility…apparently these lackies will continue to circle Bush’s bunker defending him from any criticism, deserved or otherwise!
December 5th, 2006 at 1:07 pmOf course Bush was taunting and threatening Webb. That’s what bullies do. He’s still the same insecure bully who terrorized is younger siblings with a bb gun and ran outside in the rain to blow up frogs. He’s not only the worst president ever, he’s the worst person ever to hold the office.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:12 pm#23 Daryll
Did you sustain a brain injury as a child? Respect must be EARNED!!! With the complete and utter disregard Bush has had for America and it’s citizens, he deserves NO respect. He deserves to be tried for crimes against humanity but I believe in Karma, baby. Everything that goes around, comes around, so his crimes (and Cheney’s) won’t go unpunished.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:22 pmMore “support” of the troops and their families from our “Creator of Grief”.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:25 pmWebb didn’t answer Bush’s question because he obviously understood Bush’s feigned concern for his son was a show, fake as a 3 dollar bill.
This utter lack of compassion was corroborated by Bush when he aggressivly demanded Webb stick to the fake script.
To Bush, Webb’s son is in truth, “just a number”, and like the rest who have died will only be considered as a “footnote in history”, pawns to be expended in Bush’s vain attempt to attain easy glory through his state sanctioned death agenda.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:27 pmWebb should be flattered that Bush did not break wind, as he does when greeting his new interns.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:27 pmGBW has spent a life time insulting people,its his way of dealing with his inability to display courage and character.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:28 pmSince his birth if you follow his biography, he has failed to live up to anything expected of hime.
Jim Webb is his exact opposite. A,man of courage and strength of character, he must be admired for the way he has spent his life. A moral upstanding man who is proud to be an american, a true patriot. Jim Webb is the knid of man I studied about in my American History class while in school, a patriot in the fashion of the founders. Bush was advised to be sensitive, obviously he couldn’t help himself. Having sentenced our soldiers to death for his mistakes he does what he has done all his life. I don’t believe any american president ever didn’t develop a sense of his position to the american people before GWB, leave him to heaven! or hell
let’s see.
If the situation had been reversed and bush’s twins were in Iraq and the same conversation took place, you can bet the house that the repubs would have been all over webb for being mean to poor bush.
How they can defend bush is beyond my comprehension.
Bush might have had respect at one time, but his actions have certainly given any sane person the abilty to be disrespectful.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:29 pmIf someone lies to me and treats me without respect, then I certainly do not owe them any.
82, that may be the single funniest (albeit dumbest) post I’ve ever read on an internet message board. Any sentient being knows that faux outrage is exclusively the domain of the wingnut right. (See Christmas, War on) Is it seriously your contention that THE LEFT is the side that is fulminating over this event? Holy Shit! George Will got the ball rolling, and the regular gang of useful idiots (Limbaugh, O’Reilly, Hannity, Levin, et al) began their lockstep march. Pop a midol, sweet jeans, and come back when you have something to say that’s at least remotely connected to reality.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:33 pmMaybe Bush should have said “Ya know if your “boy” wasn’t such a screw-up and had done his studies he wouldn’t be stuck in Iraq”
December 5th, 2006 at 1:35 pm#63Lt. Watada and Ricky Clousing and Kyle Snyder and Kevin Benderman and Camilo Mejia and Agusto Aguoyo and Darrell Anderson and Geoffrey Millard and Liam Madden and others
Here is one thing all these people have forgetten:
“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).
When you raised your right hand and uttered these words you swore an oath to the people of the United States. Just because you may feel that the war/conflict/ whatever is wrong you still have a duty and obligation to uphold. If you joined anytime in the last 5 years you knew there was a chance of going into harm’s way. No one forced them to join.
The Congress and the Courts can decide if the President is wrong. These people are not heros, they are cowards that backed down from an obligation.
SEMPER FI!
December 5th, 2006 at 1:38 pmExley “remotely connected to reality???!!!”
11 Bravo, you’re dreaming. That ain’t gonna happen.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:38 pmSooooo, Bush, having been briefed on Webb’s son’s recent close call, should NOT have inquired as to his well-being???? That is absurd. If Bush hadn’t asked how Webb’s son was doing upon meeting Webb, he would have been chastised for being indifferent and unconcerned.
[Comment by Exley — December 5, 2006 @ 9:52 am]
What I find absurd are your comments & questions. Mr. Bush is the President of the United States, not the Chief Asshole. There is decorum that goes with that position, which Mr. Bush consistently ignores and acts the bully that he is both in word and deed.
Bush “sought out” Mr. Webb. I am quite sure much would depend upon tone, and it is well known how “prickly” Mr. Bush becomes when someone does not kowtow to him. It’s totally irrelevant the books Mr. Webb has written, as it is irrelevant what books Mr. Bush has read.
Mr. Bush underwent a briefing prior to this meeting as he does before most meetings and/or events. He took what he learned in that briefing and used it to badger someone would had attacked him & his policies, as well as Mr. ‘Macaca’ Allen, and won out.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:38 pmThe point of Bush’s frat-boy glad-handling is to establish who’s the Alpha Male & who’s subservient.
“Hey Webb, how’s your boy?” was a way to get a submission response, e.g. “Fine, Mr. President”.
But Webb isn’t a submissive guy; he gave it right back to the wanna-be Alpha. If Bush were a real Alpha, he would have shrugged it off. His snippy response is actually kinda funny, in a pathetic way; it’s typical of the domineering alcoholic who gets challenged.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:40 pmTo review (for the 100th time), the joke was that Bush didn’t do HIS homework and got US stuck in Iraq. Kerry blew the joke and evidently doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of being nominated to run for president again. Bush blows jokes right and left, but evidently pays no price for it, and that’s the way his self-loathing cult-like, authority worshiping followers like it, right beefeater?
December 5th, 2006 at 1:41 pmBill O’Reilly calling someone rude, inappropriate, and disrespectful? That’s funny, because those are the exact words I would use to describe O’Reilly. What a hypocrite! O’Reilly is what’s wrong with people today.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:41 pmI agree with Bill. I understand that Sen.-elect Jim Webb is a normal parent who worries about his son, but he also has to recognize that you’re responding to the COMMANDER IN CHIEF, and you’re in his house. Remeber the quote, “In order to receive respect, respect must given�
Comment by Daryll — December 5, 2006 @ 10:12 am
Other posters are right on about this juicy little tidbit. Now that we’ve reminded you that its OUR HOUSE, let me just add this:
The Presidency is one of three CO-EQUAL branches of government. That means he is not more equal than the other two, get it?
Senator Webb is a representative of one of the three CO-EQUAL branches of government, yes?
Therefore, they are BOTH deserving of the SAME RESPECT! Webb was respectful in his replies. He addressed the President both times as “Mr. President”, and he answered Mr. Bush’s question, when asked – both times!
Why do Republicans always call for respect FOR the president instead of respect FROM the president?
This man child we have been forced to call President, does not respect that office and he does not respect the people who work WITH him (not FOR him) like the congress and he does not respect the people he works for, namely us!
December 5th, 2006 at 1:42 pmWhy should anyone be required to respect a man who is beneath even contempt?
brandx, guess what, to all the politicians that do not have a child serving, all the troops are just a number. In fact, to all those that like to talk about the poor troops that do not know them, they are all just a number too. People bat around the “poor troops” talk all the time and try to speak “for the troops” without ever talking TO the troops.
Wanna’ support the troops in a manner they will really appreciate. You know, person to person. Let me know, I will post an address for care packages.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:43 pm#121 – “If the situation had been reversed and bush’s twins were in Iraq and the same conversation took place,you can bet the house that the repubs would have been all over webb for being mean to poor bush.”
Comment by diane
********Dear Diane – Thank you for clearly illustrating your limited understanding. IF the situation were reversed, I can assure you, George Bush would have said, “The girls are fine – thank you for asking.” Nothing more – nothing less….unlike “sensitive” progs…..
Unlike you, I have great respect for the Presidency. The one and only time I met a sitting US President, he was not someone I voted for and he had lied to the country about tax increases on the elderly and middle class. However, when it came time to meet him and shake his hand, I said, “Thank you, Mr. President”….Some people just have the benefit of learning good manners at an early age….
Back in session……
December 5th, 2006 at 1:45 pmRobert: “These people are not heros, they are cowards that backed down from an obligation.”
Do you, as an American member of the armed forces, have an obligation to disobey orders if they are unconstitutional? The answer is yes. Your oath is to uphold the constitution first and obey orders second. Since you must know this is true, you’re just bullshitting with your “Semper Fi.”
December 5th, 2006 at 1:47 pmDoes anyone who is criticizing Senator-Elect Webb have a child serving in Iraq? No? Then shut the f*ck up. You walk a mile in those shoes and see how they fit.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:47 pmExley, don’t make the mistake of assuming that all attention is flattering. Unless you think that Paris Hilton gets all that attention because she’s a fascinating intellect, and not a social train wreck.
Among the substantive objections to your earlier postings which you chose to ignore were several requests for you to back up your “doubt” of Bush’s “That’s not what I asked you” quote with ANY denials, either official or unofficial that the president said those words — anything, in other words, beyond your belief in the president’s good character. A poster noted that your comment “Words that look abrupt on paper/in print, sometimes come off as very different when one is in person and speaking to a person face-to-face” seemed to only apply to Bush, and not to Webb. You ignored that apparent inconsistency. Another pointed out that the same quote could just as easily cut the other way, and that Bush’s tone could have been much more acid and aggressive than printed words convey.
All of these I would consider fairly substantive. In other words, they deal with what you wrote, and with what others have reported about the incident in question. As opposed to, say, impugning the credibility of a secondary source through name-calling and unrelated claims. THAT, I would consider “smearing”. See the difference?
December 5th, 2006 at 1:47 pmSen. Webb was not rude. His initial response to the question was totally appropriate. It was Bush who made the rude obnoxious remark to him and it was good of Sen. Webb to respond in such a way as to halt Bush in his rude and thoughtless tracks. Good for him.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:52 pmMore bullshit masquerading as patriotism from Robert. Robert, if an American wants to support the troops, the best way is to vote for representatives who support the troops with their votes in congress. Do your representatives vote for veterans benefits, educational opportunities, health care for their families, proper body armour, etc.? Just go to Iraq and Afganistan Veterans of America to see how your reps have been voting. What you’ll find, Robert, is that the repubs you support get consistently bad grades, while the Dems you hate get the good grades. Ted Kennedy, for example, gets a B+ from the IAVA for his voting record, while Rick Santorum got a D-. Talk is cheap Mr. Marine toughguy. Actions speak much louder and the way to measure that is voting record.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:52 pmBluedog49, has the Congress or the Court declaired that anything unConstitutional has happened? Not last I checked. Is the President acting within the powers granted by the Congress? Yes he is. Do I, as a member of the Armed Services have the right to determine on my own the legality or Contitutionality of a military campaign? No I do not.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:54 pmI will post an address for care packages.
Comment by robert
Post the address! Do they give a list of needs and wants?
December 5th, 2006 at 1:54 pmoh, and another thing, Exley, Webb has hardly “gone out of his way†to make this incident public. It happened over two weeks before it was reported, and then only by an eyewitness, not by Webb or anyone on his staff.
Comment by harry snapper organs — December 5, 2006 @ 11:03 am
Also, I do believe the story first was reported by Reich-wing talking-point-bobble heads because they were trying to paint Webb as rude and disrespectul.
Except, as usual, they had the story completely backwards and it blew up in their faces.
Too bad. So sad.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:56 pmFirst visit here. I’m struck by the number of wingnuts the blog has attracted and by the usual inanity of their comments.
You must be doing something right.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:58 pm> Do I, as a member of the Armed Services have the right to determine on my own the legality or Contitutionality of a military campaign? No I do not.
>Comment by robert
The UCMJ requires you to disobey illegal orders.
It does not give you a choice; if an order is illegal, you must decline to obey it, or you will be subject to charges.
Of course, in practical terms, you can almost always forget your oath and obey anyway. Because prosecution is controlled by the same civilians who originated the order.
But your oath is your oath.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:02 pmYou have the right to question orders if you think they violate the constitution. This is the way it has been from the beginning. Whether or not congress has determined anything illegal is irrelevant. You took an oath to protect the constitution, not protect the leader.
Besides, the president is NOT acting within the powers granted by congress. The authorization provided that he come back every 6 months and expand on the evidence that Iraq was a threat to national security. He never did that, so he violated the agreement. And, this little bit of information which you have chosen to ignore will be included in articles of impeachment if and when they are ever prepared.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:02 pmBluedog,
The people I vote for have consistantly vote for Vet benifits, GI Educational programs, family benifits, etc. I am glad for the body armor that I have, you know, the ones that Kerry voted against.
I don’t have to go to an Iraq or Afghanistan Vet Assoc. Site or meeting. I just go to work and see plenty. Ya’ see, that is what I do. I am a U.S. Marine, 13 1/2 years on active duty and 2 tours in Iraq. So I speak from the ground level. I know what the troops want because I am one of them!
I never once said I hate Dems. There are some I do not agree with their politics, but hate is a personal thing. My brother is a Dem. I disagree with his politics, but I love my brother. Guess what, there are Repubs I disagree with too!!
Yes, by all means vote for those that support the troops. But why let your action stop at that. Reach out and get to know one or two of us. You may be surprized by what you find. Let them know it is not THEM you are against. Talk is real cheap, take action.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:03 pmId have grabbed my crotch area and told Bushie
‘I got you boy hangin’,’
December 5th, 2006 at 2:04 pmIf Bush’s children had a brush with death, it would probably be drivng home DUI.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:04 pmHave to admit asking ” how is your boy?” is not the best remark Bush could have made. I think if someone asked MA using the same phrasing in reference to her brother she might be a little offended, though she won’t admit it.
He very easily could have said say “how is your son?” or how is your soldier?” or even “How is your man?. But the use of boy, I thin was a deliberate prod to upset Webb. His “boy” is facing enemy fire every day. Far more then Bush himself is doing now, or has ever done.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:08 pmBush could have been sensitive by not taking Webb’s remark as a personal attack. Bush could have said, “I want the troops to come home, too”. Instead, he gets nasty with someone whose son’s life is in danger because of Bush’s lies and his stubborn refusal to admits his lies. Bush told Webb to answer the question he asked, and stuff his feelings about “the boy”. Bush is the insufferable boor here. His only concern is preserving the illusion in his mind that he is competent and in control. The lives of our soldiers and the Iraqi citizens mean nothing to him.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:11 pm#135, Krank…First of all, Paris Hilton is hot.
Secondly, “Words that look abrupt on paper/in print, sometimes come off as very different when one is in person and speaking to a person face-to-face†seemed to only apply to Bush, and not to Webb. You ignored that apparent inconsistency
But we DO know what Webb’s tone was most likely like, because he said later said he wanted to punch Bush for dare asking him how his son is. Given that was Webb’s internal feelings, it is not a far leap to assume that Webb’s tone was not friendly. Moreover, as I have pointed out numerous times, Webb’s reputation is not one of a warm and fuzzy individual.
As for this: Another pointed out that the same quote could just as easily cut the other way, and that Bush’s tone could have been much more acid and aggressive than printed words convey.….I have addressed this point several times. Given their personality types (Dubya: glad-hander and gregarious at social/political events & Webb: brusque and prickly), it is reasonable to assume that Webb was the abrupt one and Dubya the more genteel.
So, contrary to what you wrote, Krank, I have covered these points several times already.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:11 pmThe best thing about Aphrodite and Exley is they’re self-spoofing. Both wallow in arrogant snark and congratulate themselves on their brilliance and yet they don’t seem to notice that they can’t understand the simplest point. In this case, the point is that to most any neutral observer Bush looks like an idiot and Webb looks like a concerned parent who can’t be pushed around by said idiot.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:12 pmSomeone said, basically, that Webb should have been more deferential because he was speaking to the Commander In Chief, and, after all, Webb was in HIS house!
Excuse me, but the White House IS NOT Bush’s house. It is OUR house, and he is an illegal squatter. Part of the problem with Bush happens to be that he has the same feeling as the poster . . . He too thinks it is HIS house.
Bush has never shown any respect, and therefore does not deserve any.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:15 pmYes, I can disobey an ILLEGAL order. Going to Iraq is not an illegal order and does not violate the Constitution.
Zooey, You know you are my favorite. Yes, they provide a list of wants/needs. http://www.treatsfortroops.com
December 5th, 2006 at 2:17 pmMembers of this site are awsome!!!!
Robert: “I am glad for the body armor that I have, you know, the ones that Kerry voted against.”
No, I think you really need to go to that site, Robert. The site gives Kerry a “B” for his support of the troops. Go see what they give the guys you THINK are supporting the troops. Examples: tough guy Doolittle C-; tough guy Pombo C; tough guy John Cornin D-; tough guy Denny Hastert F; tough guy Duncan Hunter C; Bush cultist Norm Coleman D. By contrast, cut-and-runner Nancy Pelosi gets a B+.
I would think your marine training would have sharpened up your bullshitometer, but it looks like it needs work.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:18 pmWebb’s response should have been. “He is a risk of getting killed. How are your daughters?”
December 5th, 2006 at 2:18 pmWhat would simpering bush-cultists have said if Webb said “how’s your girls?” Since the girls are running around in Argentina staging their own “Girls Gone Wild” video, I’m guessing bush cultists would have thought of this as a slight.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:20 pmRobert: “Going to Iraq is not an illegal order and does not violate the Constitution.”
You’re pretty sure of that, aren’t you. We’ll see.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:21 pmWhat would one expect from someone who told a woman whose firefighter husband died on their anniversary in the WTC on 9/11 … “you got the double whammy” and an 80-something year old guy in a wheel chair at a rest home … “you look pretty comfortable down there”?
I really don’t know if the guy is just plain stupid or the proud owner of a pretty uncommon mean streak.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:21 pmHow was Webb rude? Mor appropriate would’ve been “we how the hell do you think he is Mr. alleged President?”, Webb retorted, “he is getting his ass shot off in a far away land because you hae spent the past three years trying to be named Moron of the Century.”—that would have been just as truthful and more appropriate to be Bush. Bush and his cronies should all go to prison. ….worst President ever.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:21 pm[...] read more | digg story Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: . [...]
December 5th, 2006 at 2:23 pmBluedog49 at #133
Well said. Robert contradicts himself when he claims that those in the military “swore an oath to the people of the United States” when the previous paragraph correctly states that the oath that they took [as I did those many years ago] was not to the Army or the Marines or to his buddies or even to the president but to something called the Constitution of the United States. Robert states that “No one forced them to join.” That is correct. It is also correct, as I noted at comment #21, that those people in the military, as shown by those in the documentary Sir! No Sir! and others such as Lt. Watada and Ricky Clousing and Camilo Mejia, et al, did not give up the right to think and to question and to realize that they have a brain, despite what people like the military and the Bush administration and Mr. robert may believe. They recognize, justifiably, that they can no longer be a part of a military which continues to suppress and harrass and to shoot and to rape and to committ daily atrocities against the Iraqi people. They recognize that this violates the Nuremberg Principles of war against peace and war against humanity. Again, as I stated earlier, these people are the military’s worst nightmare, as it may force them to examine their conscience [if they can actually claim to possess one] and realize that this war and occupation should never have taken place . The best way for this illegal occupation to end is to have it halted from within. Bring the troops home-safely-NOW!
December 5th, 2006 at 2:23 pmYep, I have to agree with sensitive Progs and Progettes on this one – it was vicious and horribly insenstive of the President to ask Senator-elect about “his boyâ€. Everytime someone inquires about my active duty fighter pilot brother, Mr. Aphrodite practically has to restrain me so I don’t verbally assault the insensitive inquisitor!!!!!
Dee duh dee!
Ah the great White Hermaphrodite rears her/his head! Hey dear, let me pull you away from that blow up doll of Tom Cruise you call an “active duty brother” and explain to you a few facts in the bush/webb soap opera that don’t apply to your wonderful example….
with Webb’s late night, last minute, down to the wire win and his tiebreaking victory in the incoming senate, Webb utterly DEMOLISHED any, and I mean, any, chance your monkey boy hero has of getting his legislative Gestapo agenda through. Which means no more nazinominations, no more immunity from constitutional violations, no more corporate giveway bills shrouded in language with fake populist appeal.
Your boy Bush is through.
hes finished.
And Webb was basically the straw that broke the elephants back.
one of the few things Bushy still has the power to do is send soldiers to their death. and well, Webb’s kidd is potentially one of those soldiers…
I don’t pretend to be psychic. im not like you, who apparently claims to be channeling the president.
Bush may have actually trying to be nice. I really, and truly doubt it, but its possible. He may have been trying to be an ass, making a jab that Web’s kid was basically at the mercy of his warmongering idiocy.
Or darker still, yes, he could have been making a veiled threat “hey prick, you think you beat me but I can make one phone call and send your kid on a suicide mission”.
Now hermaphdrodite, I know you keep your bible, your torah, and your american flag all stuffed in the geogre bush collectible mug you keep in your undisclosed vagina, but I just cant see how you can refuse to beleive that there are some SMALL , MINOR INDICATIONS that maybe, just maybe.. bush is a serious asshol3… like for instance, making a pre-scripted joke about not finding the weapons of mass destructions that tens of thousands of our soldiers have been killed or injured trying to find…
now I know, to you, these things aren’t indicitivave of someone whose a serious pr1ck… buuut even you can’t be so dense as to deny the that under the totality of the circumstances Webb could definitely reasonably perceive Bush’s comment as a jab/threat.
There is ALOT of stuff about body language, tone, etc, that gets lost in the translation, and so I dont think any of us can say for sure. But to say that Webb was somehow delusional for perceiving the comment from Mr. “Bring it on” and “If you disagree with me you support terrorists” as something which was less than friendly, is really quite a leap of logic, even for you.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:24 pmFather Bush whispering to his son, W:
December 5th, 2006 at 2:26 pm“Don’t make the same mistake in Iraq as I made with your Mother.”
W: “What was that?”
Father: I didn’t pull out in time.”
What a dream it would have been had Webb actually decked him. “How’s your boy?” strikes me as typical superficial Bush. When the answer shifted somewhere he didn’t want to go he turned to his real self, not president, but bully. A president would have simply said something like, “I know, we all want’em home. The nation is grateful for your families sacrifice.” What a worthless draft dodging prick.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:28 pmGee bluedog, I went to the site and wouldn’t you know that the member of the house for my district that I voted for and is a Democrat scored a B+ and the members of the Senate, who are Republicans that I did not vote for, from my home state both scored D- and F respectivly. Gee, maybe I know what I am talking about. Gee, maybe I pay a little attention to local issues and local politicians.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:34 pmfunny how liars, cheats, thieves, traitors, slanderers, and politicians all expect “decorum” in return for their crimes.
“please be polite while I rape your children, your treasury, your public lands, your future” sayeth the neo-con scum.
Civility, yes. Polite? That would be inappropriate.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:35 pmRobert, It is the middle of the day, shouldn’t you be on duty right now? I used to have maintenance during the day during our maintenance cycle, classes during the day during our training cycle, in the field i had no time for this sort of thing and during duty cycle, depneding on the duty I might have free time or have 24 hour duty. If you are in Iraq, it is the middle of the night and youshould either be sleeping or on duty. People I know who have been there have not really spent their valuable free time in internet chat sites, they spent it unwinding or communicating with loved ones.
Anyhow it is your duty to disobey orders you feel are illegal. You are sworn to protect and defend the constituion from all enemies foreign and domestic, including the republican party when they violate it. To blindly subscribe to their novel interpretation of the constitution is to be violating your oath.
Also glad to hear that you vote foor those who support veterans, so you voted for the dems accros the baord. You would have to loathe voting for the republicans with as much as they cut veterans funding and programs and with how they ahve treated vets publicly (Think Cleland, Kerry, clark etc…)
December 5th, 2006 at 2:35 pmYes, Exley, you keep saying the same thing but not getting any more convincing…
December 5th, 2006 at 2:36 pmGo Jim! Your personal business is none of Bush’s business, But remember, he wouldn’t know that.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:37 pmCan’t two people disagree without having everyone chose one side over another.
This conversation is between Moran and Busy, leave it be. If one’s an idiot and the other is rude, so be it…stop waisting your time picking sides of a personal exchange of words.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:46 pmWanna’ support the troops in a manner they will really appreciate. You know, person to person. Let me know, I will post an address for care packages.
Comment by robert — December 5, 2006 @ 1:43 pm
I agree that is helpful and our family has sent packages to a young man serving there we know. I want to paraphrase that timeworn phrase though:
Send the troops a package you help them live a day.
Send the troops home you help them live their life.
I wish the American public would also put an intolerable amount of pressure on their political representatives now. If they were besieged with angry calls and letters you bet there would be faster movement.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:48 pmI shoudl have addded for #166 that you better damend well know the order is illegal though. Interpretation of legality is a tricky subject. Which is probably why they had all those rubes performing the torture at Abu Grhaib.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:48 pmOK, fine Robert. Now, maybe you can explain why you seem to be a Bush cultist but vote for Democrats who are not part of the cult. This seems to be a contradiction. Repubs who support the dear leader get bad grades for support of the troops, but Dems who don’t necessarily support the dear leader get better grades. Why do you think that is?
December 5th, 2006 at 2:48 pmheard lawrence o’donnel talk about this on franken…
deserves to be posted here… the ending is what counts:
Sins of the Father How Bush’s family life opposes his rhetoric.
By Michael Kinsley
Posted Monday, Dec. 4, 2006, at 9:05 PM ET
It is not the fault of Jenna or Barbara Bush that their father, the president, has gotten us into a war that he doesn’t know how to get us out of. And, although you can blame parents for almost anything, George W. and Laura Bush are no longer responsible for the behavior of their twin daughters…
December 5th, 2006 at 2:50 pm…
http://www.slate.com/id/2154856/nav/tap1/
.
enroll, the Constitution protects who? The people of the United States. The Constitution is enforced by who? The people of the United States. Therefor my oath is to who? The people of the United States. I have sworn an oath to uphold and defend their Constitution, the Constitution of the people of the United States.
You see, I know who my real boss is. Not the Congress or the President. It is the people of the United States.
Mark, buddy, did you ever hear of Leave?? I did not say I was in Iraq, I said I have been there twice. I am currently ConUs. And don’t pretend to know who I voted for as you do not know where I am from.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:51 pmMark at 166
“… it is your duty to disobey orders you feel are illegal.” Well said. The UCMJ backs you up on this. One wonders when Robert will finally realize that he is not a robot and that military personnel are justified in not participating in an illegal war and an occupation that shoots and kills and rapes and invades the homes of Iraqis unjustifiably. It is truly bizarre when those who refuse to participate in an illegal occupation are condemned for their actions.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:54 pmThis shouldn’t be filed under “incompetent administration” so much as “the president is a sociopathic asshole”.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:56 pmBluedog, Because I support the troops and do not think that Iraq is illegal I am a Bush Cultist. Wow. In my home state, the Dems are a little more conservative and the Repubs are a little too far right for me. See, I do not blindly vote down party lines. I vote for the individual I fell best represents my values.
brandx, thank you for supporting that soldier. I know uyou have made a difference in his/her life.
Mark, you make the point faster than I could in #171. You better make damn sure the order is illegal or it is you ass.
December 5th, 2006 at 2:58 pm“… it is your duty to disobey orders you feel are illegal.†Well said. The UCMJ backs you up on this. One wonders when Robert will finally realize that he is not a robot and that military personnel are justified in not participating in an illegal war and an occupation that shoots and kills and rapes and invades the homes of Iraqis unjustifiably. It is truly bizarre when those who refuse to participate in an illegal occupation are condemned for their actions.
enroll, you paint the entire military with one brush. You will judge 98% by the action of 2%. Plus you imply that there could be a case where “raping and invading homes of Iraqis” would be justifiable.
I know I am no robot. I know my position requires me to think. I have yet to see any proof that this war is illegal. Again, the Congress, The President, and the UN say otherwise.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:03 pmI don’t post here often, but this conversation was too humorous to pass up.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:07 pmIt’s easy to see the 3 step process that the Bush apologists are using in his defense here, and it’s really not working when they try to use it in the context of the situation as a whole:
1. Bush sincerely asked about Webb’s son.
Fair enough. Webb’s reply, at that point, was temperate as well.
Then we get to the second part of the conversation, which becomes more problematic.
2. Bush replies, as Bush is wont to do, “I didn’t ask you that…”
The apologists now have two ways to go on this; either Bush’s tone
of voice isn’t indicated, or the words weren’t accurately reported.
Now, it’s difficult to see how this could be said in a ‘nice’ tone, and
no one has disputed, to date, the accuracy of the reporting, so it
leads us to Bush defense Number 3:
3. Webb did not respect the dignity of the office/situation/WhiteHouse/
Commander in Chief/Great Leader, etc.
At this point, my heart bleads. Truly, I would think that Webb should stick a dagger in his stomach and renounce all that he feels is right rather than to diss a President he feels has led his country AND his
son into a fiasco. What is even more amusing is to listen to the pundits on Fox, and read the columnists who are blowing smoke out of their ears about how Bush was wronged, when these were the same people who were literally cackling like hens over Bill Clinton and searching for terminology that would pass network censors so that they could describe blow jobs on the air and in press.
Hypocrites!
Please read. Not only did we not provide what our troops needed going in or being in, we also don’t provide what they need going out or being out.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6576505
December 5th, 2006 at 3:17 pmthis whole thing reminds of the story of the 9/11 widow.
A 9/11 widow was meeting with the president, along with several other relatives of 9/11 victims, on the one year anniversay of the event. When she commented to him that september 11th also happened to be their wedding anniversary, Bush’s response; “ooh you got the double whammy.”
The man is not evil, he is not a A-hole. I actually think his intentions for the most part are well meaning, the man is simply an idiot. America’s first Frat Boy President. I think he would do well to be sales person at some large company, he is simply not fit to be our president.
Am I the only person who winces and sometimes must change the channel when the president is speaking? We don’t need the poet-laureate to be president but jeez this guy is just embarrasing.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:20 pmWell said PlanR!
December 5th, 2006 at 3:22 pm#180, Lisa, thanks for the link. I listened to this on NPR last night.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:23 pmThose powers he was granted by congress Bush got by purposely manipulating intelligence and flat out lying to the US government and the US people.
For this alone, he should have been impeached immediately. Bush launched a preemptive attack on a country that was NO IMMEDIATE THREAT to us. Barely any threat. Certainly not the threat that, say, Afghanistan or North Korea are.
The soldiers have a duty to the Constitution of the United States of America (they swear the Oath to that too – not the Bible), and basically that means WE THE PEOPLE. This President is no longer fit to serve, if he ever was in the first place. He has placed at least two countries in great danger with his criminal behavior.
The truly honorable thing to do would be to remove him and STOP IMMEDIATELY this illegal war.
Blind devotion is a very dangerous trait in an American soldier. You can get caught up fighting in evil’s corner and not even know it, or worse, mind it.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:23 pmIf Bush really cared, he would have acknowledged he had been informed of the incident. Instead he acted like the smug bug he is when Webb didn’t give him the answer he wanted. Poor George, Webb should have knocked him out!
December 5th, 2006 at 3:24 pmenroll, the Constitution protects who? The people of the United States.
And non-citizens as well.
The Constitution is enforced by who? The people of the United States.
Well, no, that wouldn’t be possible. It is “enforced” by elected representatives (and some selected ones), who command a military, and have a supposed monopoly on the use of force.
Therefor my oath is to who? The people of the United States.
So if one of these hypothetical people of the United States – who you work for – comes up and orders you to stop doing what you’ve been ordered to do, you will obey? Of course not. Stop playing silly semantic games. You will do as your leader, the elected/selected leader commands, and not some amorphous “people” whom you claim to represent.
You see, I know who my real boss is. Not the Congress or the President. It is the people of the United States.
And if push comes to shove, you’ll abandon “the people,” and do as ordered by your commander. Don’t try to assume some high moral attitude while you’re doing the morally suspect dirty work.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:30 pmI don’t get it.
I have heard over and over again about how Geo. W. Bush is so charismatic and how he has the personal relations intelligence of a genius. I’ve never seen any sign of it. When he teases the White House press corps, he seems to me to be mean spirited and just plain ugly. The contretemps when he made fun of a blind man for wearing sun glasses is just typical of what an asshole he is. My judgment is that he was all over what a dick he was being to Jim Webb, and he enjoyed rubbing salt in a father’s wounds. Meanwhile, he totally unaware of what an embarrassment he is to his own father.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:32 pmIn order to get respect, your general behavior must BE respectable. All these neo-cons crying foul need to remember their own “respect”given to the Commander in Chief when Clinton was president.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:34 pmOh, that’s right-I forgot. Do as I say, not as I do.
Figures…………………
For the record, once again, As a member of the Armed Services, I am forbidden by the UCMJ to make any public contemptuous statements about the sitting President. I have never said one way or the other if I fully support him or if I am against his decision to go into Iraq.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:35 pmDaryll,
Where was all the Presidential respect when Clinton was in office?
December 5th, 2006 at 3:37 pmSo Bush is a politician and calculated how to push Webb’s buttons. No surprise. You don’t think politicians trade barbs – that they are unlike the rest of us and completely civil?
This one quip exchanged does not have any bearing on the past, present or future. Nothing to see here. Move along on to something substantial…
December 5th, 2006 at 3:39 pmbarfly, stop looking 6 inches in front of your face. Who puts the President and Congress in office? The American people. They “enforce” the Constitution through voting. So in swearing an oath to uphold the peoples Constitution, I swear an oath to carry out the peoples wishes that are relayed by proxy by the President and the Congress.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:43 pm#174
Whenever I have addressed you, I have managed to somehow spell your name correctly. Perhaps you can display that rare trait nowadays called courtesy and learn to spell my name properly also.- Erroll
You state that your “real boss is … the people of the United States.” There is irony in your statement considering that those were among the words that Lt. Watada spoke at the Veterans for Peace convention last August in Seattle [keep your eye on those Veterans for Peace people Robert. I am sure you realize how subversive we VFP members must be] when he said “They [the soldiers in the military] must remember duty to the Constitution and the people supersedes the ideologies of their leadership. The soldier must be willing to face ostracism by their peers, worry over the survival of their families, and of course the loss of personal freedom. They must know that resisting an authoritarian government at home is equally important to fighting a foreign aggressor on the battlefield. Finally, those wearing the uniform must know beyond any shadow of a doubt that by refusing immoral and illegal orders they will be suported not with mere words but by action.”
The lieutenant goes on to point out that “The American soldier mujst rise above the socialization that tells them authority should always be obeyed without question. Rank should be respected but never blindly followed. Awareness of the history of atrocities and destruction committed in the name of America- either through direct military intervention or by proxy war- is crucial. They must realize that this is a war not out of self-defense but by choice, for profit and imperialistic domination. WMD, ties to Al Qaeda, and ties to 9/11 never existed and never will. The soldier must know that our narrowly and questionably elected officials intentionally manipulated the evidence presented to Congress, the public, and the world to make the case for war. They must know that neither Congress nor this administration has the authority to violate the prohibition against pre-emptive war- an American law that still stands today. This same administration uses us for rampant violations pf time-tested laws banning torture and degradation of prisoners of war. Though the American soldier wants to do right, the illegitimacy of the occupation itself, the policies of this administration, and rules of engagement of desperate field commanders will ultimately force them to be party to war crimes. They must know some of these facts, if not all, in order to act.”
The lieutenant reminded me and the rest of the veterans in the audience at the Veterans for Peace convention last August that “The oath we take swears allegiance not to one man but to a document of principles and laws designed to protect the people. Enlisting in the military does not relinquish one’s right to seek the truth- neither does it excuse one from rational thought nor the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. ‘I was only following orders’ is never an excuse.”
These words from Lt. Watada rank right up there with Thomas Paine and Martin Luther King Jr. In a just and ideal world the lieutenant woul be receiving a Presidential Medal of Freedom instead of Bush’s cronies and/or the Nobel Peace Prize in his attempt to bring peace to an unjust occupation. This country, I believe, needs more people like Lt. Watada and less people who are seeking to promote, unnecessarily, domination and aggression in this turbulent world.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:43 pmRobert, slow down honey.
You’re spinning so fast you’re losing your focus.
So you went to the site and you found that Dems pretty much across the board had better scores for the Vets than Republicans.
So, we can agree that Democrats pretty much DO seem to care about the troops and make smarter choices when it comes to their welfare.
And we can agree that you are a soldier for me and us, the American People.
Okay, so far.
So, why can’t you see that We the People AND the Democrats see that there’s no way to get out of Iraq w/o huge bloodshed, it is only a matter of how much at one time, and how much will be ours.
We want out! We all realize now this war was a huge mistake, it’s illegal, it’s immoral. We have been right about everything that happened before this war and since!
Bush has been wrong every step of the way. And still he has NO PLAN. And still WE WAIT. And still your “buddies” DIE DAILY. He cares nothing for you or me.
If you were as rational as you pretend to be, you’d already know this.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:45 pmRobert, You’re confusing poor barfly…..not hard to do. But slow down so she can catch up….
Keep up the goood work!
December 5th, 2006 at 3:47 pmA belligerent “That’s NOT what I ASKED you!” isn’t rude, boorish, inappropriate or disrespectful?
December 5th, 2006 at 3:49 pmIf it was me “That’s between me and my boy” would have been the MOST polite thing I would have said!
MA says True, Dems won the election fair and square – but don’t think for a moment the American people are going to give you a pass on National Security.
Where was this thought process the last 3 years? Just think on how much better our border security would have been with just a portion of the 500+billion blown in Iraq. That fence would have been built by now but your republicans didn’t put any way to pay for it in one of their last bills. Dems have been screaming for real port security but your republicans didn’t think it was practicle. But not having overisight of the private companies raping the US on no bid contracts was OK.
Don’t your worry your prettly little, narrow minded, short sided, ill structured brain over it MA. The Dems will be addressing National Security.
I doubt your above post really offends you anyway. A conscience is needed to be offended.
Oh yeah, Tooooooooooooooooooooooooooodles
December 5th, 2006 at 3:52 pmIt didn’t have to be the either/or of Bush asking a rudely-phrased question, or none at all.
Rather, had Bush really wanted to exhibit some sensitivity and concern, he might have first acknowledged Webb’s son’s brush with death, and then asked how he was… how they all were, in fact.
But, instead, he asked how’s your “boy?” And then he refused the concerned response of the father who had nearly lost his son, and tried to force him to answer his question the way he wanted it answered (Yes, I know, the irony of it.), repeating the disrespectful “boy.”
It’s telling that Bush had to be briefed in advance, but not surprising considering the other times he has appeared exceptionally insensitive, e.g., the time he persisted in commenting on the dark glasses of a reporter who was undergoing treatment for a degenerative eye disease. That’s the one that comes to mind first, but I could find a lot more.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:55 pmThe notion that Bush would have been called indifferent or callous had he not asked is a pretty silly notion for one glaring reason….
If I inject somebodies son with HIV and they are in the dark shadows of death, I have no right to ask the persons parent, “Hey hows your boy?”
Similarly, if I launch a vicious and brutal war on multiply fallacious grounds placing someones child under the dark shadows of death, I would be a cruella deville incarnate for asking “hey, hows your boy?”
Too miss that clear truth in this whole debacle is to evidence unforgiveable intellectual laziness
December 5th, 2006 at 3:57 pmErroll, I sincerly apologize for the misspelling of your name. I ment no disrespect. I need to get glasses.
While I can agree with Lt Watada that this is a war of choice, not of immediate defense, I disagree in the methods may others have taken to avoid duty. Things like running to Canada when their unit deploys. They do not realize that because of their actions, another must go to fill their boots and they put someone else at risk. In short, they put their lives above anyone elses.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:59 pmbut having friends in Texas and the South I KNOW when someone asks about “my boy†it is NOT a derogatory
Comment by mighty aphrodite — December 5, 2006 @ 3:36 pm
Your rather verbose “rebuttal” shall we call it to my overlooked post, belies your belief that the term “boy” is not derogatory. Besides I know you post is full of shit, you don’t have friends. The people who visit you in the mental ward are family wondering when you will die so they won’t have to pay for you anymore.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:02 pmpeople that actually believe bush was in any way right here make me want to puke.. and immigrate OUT of the US. people saying it just to get attention are just as disgusting. its like the attack on kerry for the bush comment (not the soldier smear as some perceive it).
use your freaking head and practice just a single OUNCE of common sense and you can see exactly who was the abrasive one. bush even had the heads-up and STILL felt the need to make a comment that made himself feel superior.
the people supporting otherwise are only contributing to the problem here in the US. it makes me sick to my stomach that human beings can allow themselves to become THIS disconnected from reality. i put them in the same class as the racists.. when a lot in fact actually are.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:03 pmUnlike you, I have great respect for the Presidency.
Comment by mighty aphrodite — December 5, 2006 @ 1:45 pm
The “president” and the “presidency” are not the same.
But you already knew that.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:03 pmSo MA…if the situation was reversed and George W. Bush and co. did not engage in a war of pre-emption (shades of Nazi Germany there…but nevermind, we’re only committed to killing Muslims, not Jews. A lot of Muslims are brown…) what would he have had to say to Jim Webb then?
You seem to be on W’s wavelength…
December 5th, 2006 at 4:05 pmBush is a piece of human garbage. How his supporters can admire someone who has been a failure at every stage of his life is beyond me.
Comment by RealScientist — December 5, 2006
Well you see, a lot of his (non-profitting-class) supporters get behind him BECAUSE he’s been a failure, yet still somehow (by being the first Bush’s son — THAT’s how) risen to stardom. In him they see that rudeness, baseless arrogance, and ignorance are no barrier to greatness.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:06 pmworth repeating Erroll
December 5th, 2006 at 4:06 pm
bush has an exit strategy. it’s January 20, 2009.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:07 pm174 I did not pretend that I knew where you are from. However I knwo that the republican party as a whole has a dismal record on supportiing veterans. MMy uncle, who was the recipiient of a severe head wound (pretty much turned him into a perpetual 10 year old) in Korea has borne the brunt of republican largess for so many years. He, for some reason, is a loyal republican, but full well recognizes that as a veteran he has been treated better when democrats have control. And you as a seemingly intelligent individual have to recogniize the truth of how the current republican leadership has treated veteranns. Therefore I have to assume you voted Dem across the board.
Heck one of the first military things Bush did was to close the best firing range the navy had, you do realize that, don’t you? Must be why he opened up the Iraq firing range.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:08 pmDemandTruth,
Like I said earlier, I know that unless they have a child serving, we are all just numbers. I know that getting out of Iraq will be a bloody business. Again, I am not blind. I know that a large number of people want us out. I honestly have no desire to go back there.
Again, my view is, I can not say conclusively that it is illegal. Therefore I am bound to continue performing the duty I have sworn to do.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:08 pmthe lady in the above picture is “hot”.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:10 pm211. You came to that decision just as others have come to a different conclusion. There is a difference between a coward and someone standing up for what they believe.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:12 pmSo if it is determined that the administration manipulated intelligence to go to war in Iraq how hard do you think the bush cultists will defennd him? I’ll bet that at some point in the process Bush caves and rather than face a nixonian fate he will fiind it in his heart to work with the other side. Of course that is simply a fantasy I have. Bush has never been wrong in his life and has always had soemone to bail him out of his jams so why woudl he change now, and why would his worshipers change their opinions of him.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:16 pmRobert,
my sympathy goes out to the troops on this issue. I realize, that the military is bound to server the government, and frankly I would not change that. This war was authorized by the legistature, and ordered by the president. There are many shades of gray concerning the action itself, and the need or the action. We also find ourselves in an untenable position. A damned if we do, damned if we don’t problem. I pray for you, my friend who is on his second tour as a helicopter pilot, and all of the other men and women in our armed forces, who are fighting in Iraq, and Afghanistan.
I also pray we can find a solution to the problems the Bush foriegn policy has caused our country. I am unhappy with the Dems, because they just as bush has done and continues to do, are not engaging in a true national debate. Both sides have so heavily politicized this issue, that it is almost impossible to find a workable solution. It has become a talking point. A valuable one to the democrats, but a talking point. Until we can have a frank truthful discussion over what has happened, and what needs to be done, we will be in the same spot. Between a rock and a hard place.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:19 pmOkay, Roger.
I’ll buy it. I’ll buy that you “can’t express” your displeasure or lack there of for the President because you’re not allowed to.
I’ll buy that you’re “not blind” in response to my posts. So you get it. I’ll buy that.
Then, lemme ask you, does your chearleader, MightyAfroditie offend you like he/she does me?
You do realize that MissAfro insults and disagrees with everything most TPrs and Democrats are trying to say and accomplish for you, the troops. Right?
You sound reasonable enough to me at times. But I have to question your motives when MyAntithesis seems to be your copatriot….
December 5th, 2006 at 4:19 pmMost probably, our foot-in-mouth President thought he WAS being sensitive, when he asked how Webb’s “boy” was doing. I think his concept of the safety of the war zone is akin to being in a lottery. Sure you might win (lose), but what are the chances of that?
I don’t think he has a conceptual base to be able to understand the danger in any sort of personal sense, or to understand why someone would take it that way. Even someone whose own family member is in danger.
What’s more, I don’t think his supporters have that perspective, either. I speak from experience of some of my own family members (who I wish weren’t). These are males who self-righteously would take from women the right/duty to make their own reproductive decisions, would make laws keeping “porch-monkies” out of their towns (or better yet, ship them all to Africa), and won’t allow any talking in the room while Bill O’Rielly is bloviating — which is 24/7.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:20 pmYes, I can disobey an ILLEGAL order. Going to Iraq is not an illegal order and does not violate the Constitution.
Comment by robert — December 5, 2006 @ 2:17 pm
It’s pretty much settled that the supporters of the Iraq war feel that we invaded Iraq to protect America.
Does the Constitution provide for the protection and defense of America against possible threats? Future threats? Please point out the relevant text.
You find nothing wrong with invading and removing the leader of a country (one which we supported for many years) simply because he might threaten us in the future? Does the Constitution also provide for this?
May I remind you that in 2001 both Condi Rice and Colin Powell advised us that Iraq was not a threat to the U.S. nor to their neighbors, the sanctions were working, Saddam did not have the capability of producing WMDs (including nuclear weapons), and he had been successfully contained.
May I also remind you that George Bush is on record as stating that had he known in 2003 what he knew today (that is, there were no WMDs), he still would have invaded Iraq and removed Saddam.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:21 pmExley, I recognize that you’re trying to speak intelligently, so I give you credit for that. I’m sure you’re doing the best you can. That speaks well of you. Your opinion of Paris Hilton is of course your opinion, but to my mind that doesn’t speak so well of you.
Aside from the several substantive points I raised that you ignored, the ones you chose to address (and thank you for that) don’t really do much for your argument. The fact that we know how Webb was feeling after the President said “That’s not what I asked you,” says little if anything about how Webb delivered his initial response. Now, you are convinced that Webb is a thug and a boor, no doubt, so you’ll probably assume that he’s incapable of speaking civilly in any situation. But I know he’s been in politics and public life for decades and guess that he can deliver a greeting or an answer to a question with all of the civility it requires.
And your other sad little response, the one that leaned so heavily on your oft-repeated judgment of Bush’s “glad-handing” reputation? Well, that might satisfy your meager threshold of proof for Dubya’s incapacity for rudeness, but it ignores the long record of Bush’s bullying and alpha-male posturing that has been such a prominent part of his presidential identity. Several posters offered many, many examples of Bush’s rudeness toward those he sees as inferior, including the physically handicapped, and that evidence alone is reason enough to suspect that Bush was at least snippy when he siad to Webb, “That’s not what I asked you”, even if he did approach him with genuine concern (not a widely held belief, except among Bush apologists). Oh, wait, that’s right — you “doubt” that Bush ever said that…
December 5th, 2006 at 4:23 pmKrazny, thank you for your thoughtful post. You are right that there need to be a true national debate and find the “best solution” for what we are now in.
My heart felt best wishes for those you know that are serving, and those you know that are not.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:26 pmI I don’t think Bush’s comment (”That’s not what I assed ya!”) was meant as anything but an expression of idiocy.
He’d been told to be “sensitive”, and he thought assin’ about the boy WAS sensitive. When he didn’t get the sort of “Oh God, you DO care, after all!” response he wanted (remember, no one believes in Bush’s Charisma like Bush), he tried to redirect the exchange back to the script. That’s all “not-what-I-assed-ya” was about.
Of course, those of us who expected some elevated sentiments and conversational capabilities from the highest elected official in the country made that same mistake again.
We forgot that in America, even an idiot can be elected President.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:30 pm#218, seeing something wrong with it and it being illegal are two different things.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:33 pmGoing to Iraq is not an illegal order…
Comment by robert — December 5, 2006 @ 2:17 pm
—-
Again, my view is, I can not say conclusively that it is illegal.
Comment by robert — December 5, 2006 @ 4:08 pm
Are we a bit confused?
December 5th, 2006 at 4:37 pmBush is a good ‘ol boy, do-nothing, arrogant asshole. This is why the country is in such terrible shape right now. I say, Bravo, to Mr. Webb. Anyone who suggest Bush is doing a good job, is as stupid and as big an ass as he is.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:40 pm#223
But do you think it’s wrong?
Also, what about the rest of the post…?
December 5th, 2006 at 4:43 pm“How’s your boy?” asked by Bush, after Webb’s son had just narrowly escaped death, could have been viewed by Webb as a veiled threat from the commander-in-chief ….. meaning if you don’t play along with me your son will be in MANY more dangerous situations.
Considering how the bush twins were asked to leave Argentina for partying away their 25th birthday while Webb’s son had a brush with death and may not celebrate his next birthday, I find the president to be the one needing to apologize for his insensitivity.
We should give parents of our hero soldiers fighting in Iraq a lot of compassion ….. since bush sent our soldiers to Iraq on flawed intelligence with a flawed plan for victory and no bush children are personally in the fight, bush should apologize to Webb for his lack of manners.
An appropriate comment by bush would have been…. “I want to personally thank you and your son for the sacrafices you are making. I know Jimmy was in a very dangerous situation recently, and I want to thank you both for your heroism. We need to work together to bring all our soldiers home!”
December 5th, 2006 at 4:47 pm“I also pray we can find a solution to the problems the Bush foriegn policy has caused our country. I am unhappy with the Dems,” Comment by Krazny
*******Krazny – Your “clever” “full of shit, friendless in the nut-house” comedy sketch ranks right up there with Michael Richards. You’re such a prankster – I’ll bet your Mom found you “too cute”!
“Unhappy with the Dems”? In the Michael Moore – ultimatum mode?? What precious Dems need to realize is the depth the Dems are willing to sell you out Progs AND keep you coming back for more. They are looking to ‘08 and if Dems position themselves in Prog-mode, the country won’t buy what they are selling.
Maybe when you take a peek at the totality of the war which has been launched against the US and West by Islamic barbarians you MIGHT look a tad farther back than Sept 11. There have been plenty of missteps to go around by both the Repubs and Dems – notably:
a.) Jimmy “alQuedas’ BFF” Carter…..WEAK, NAIVE and incredibly stupid….and these are his “good” points. Contemporary assaults on the West can be laid at his feet. His gutting the intel agencies with Frank Church is treasonous.
b.) Reagan withdrawal from Lebanon signalled weakness.
c.) President Clinton treated WTC 1 as a legal issue – not a battle attack in an ongoing war.
d.) Bush relied on the lying Saddam and previous Administration’s assessments re: WMD’s.
When you’re better able to delve back 6 years, I’m confident you’ll be able to blame Western capitalists and “corporate evil”. And if you’re up to the task, you might even jump on the “Jewish cabal” bandwagon with Jim Moran.
It’s been fun……
December 5th, 2006 at 4:49 pmDon’t bash the person the majority of you put into office. If most American doesn’t want Bush style of leadership, it should have been heard during the last Presidential election.
For now, work with him until the end of his term. There’s no use chocking the pilot you chose in mid-flight, this will just bring you all down.
December 5th, 2006 at 4:58 pmMighty Aphrodite, why are you so upset with the Dem’s. They are only now getting into power because your Republicant’s couldn’t do anything about that bad ol’ boogie man.
If the boy GW would have listened to his dad, we wouldn’t be in this mess. We could have kept our eyes on Al Qiada, put 150,000 troops into Afghanistan, kept pressure on the paper tiger Saddam, beefed up Homeland Security and more all under the 500+ billion your fearful leader pissed away.
You look back 6 years. See what was said and what was(n’t) done.
It’s really getting sad MA. You have nothing to fight for anymore.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:00 pmCan you get Foghorn Leghorn out of the White House sooner rather than later?
December 5th, 2006 at 5:00 pm#219…KRank….First of all, I agree that Paris Hilton is a horrible, shallow, narcissistic personality. Yet, I cannot deny that she is also hot…And that makes me hate myself!
Actually, I don’t hate Webb at all. I find him an intriguing figure and a patriot. Again, I implore people to read “The Nightingale’s Song” by Robert Timberg (discusses Webb’s time at the Naval Academy, experience in Vietnam and after, including his time as Navy Sec’y in the Reagan administration) He’s a fascinating, patriotic man…I just think he was rude and wrong in this exchange with the President.
And yes, I “doubt†that Bush ever said that…or, if he did say it, did so maliciously. I don’t know. I wasn’t there and we have only heard one side of the story. I base my doubts on what I know about the public personas of both men. Since I was not present during the exchange, that is all I have to go by. Quite frankly, I disagree with the characterization of some of the alleged example’s of Bush’s supposed rudeness. I have seen many of his press conferences. I have never seen him be rude. I don’t think giving reporters nicknames is rude.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:01 pmYou better make damn sure the order is illegal or it is you ass.
—- robert
Damn right, they will courtmarshall you.
But if you follow an illegal order and it comes out later, its your ass too. Just look at the soldiers that were scapegoated for Abu Grabass. Every one of them said they were following orders and not one supperior was tried. But they were.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:01 pmDidn’t a fair number of Nazi officers, and soldiers face trail after WWII due to following the orders, that lead to the holocaust?
A bad position to be placing soldiers into, court martial now for not following orders, or world court for crimes against humanity.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:05 pmFack
trail = trial was typing too fast.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:10 pmExley, Bush’s press conferences are more staged than anything Paris Hilton has ever been in so I can see how you may be blinded by the slight of hand.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:12 pmVery Scary Times…
Unfortunately for us, history is being made and W is talking to the drapes.
Just hoping that Baker and Gates save our chestnuts. OH and also hoping for President Cheney’s resignation.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:14 pmHey Exley how does that Bush Jr cock taste today?
Comment by Pre-emptive Jesus
:D , P-e Jesus, he has sucked on it so long, it is now tasteless:D
December 5th, 2006 at 5:18 pmI would disagree Exley, you state you feel the president is never rude. It often seems to me my opinion I suppose, that his joking is a thin veneer for barely contained contempt. I realize that the press may or may not deserve the contempt, and I think it is another issue alltogether. I don’t recall Clinton, or Bush I, or Reagan being so obvious in their dislike.
I find nothing about Bush’s persona to be charming, or witty. My impression has always been of someone who feels very entitled to what he wants, and very bored with anything he is not interested in. His humour often is on the very edge of being over the line, and thier is a meaness about him, that I have seen in selfish, self-absorbed people, much like Paris Hilton.
for the record, I like women, if I was into 12 year old boys, I would probably like Ms. Hilton.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:20 pmThis is what happens when a pretend cowboy faces off with a real military man. Note that Webb’s response indicates he is concerned with ALL the troops in Iraq, not just about his own son. Evidently, this pisses the president off, who tries in his bully way to force the interchange HE wants with Webb. This is a president who doesn’t allow people to tell him what he doesn’t want to hear, and Webb told him anyway. And then, he told him again.
Explain again, all you chickenhawks, about the feminization of the Democratic Party!
December 5th, 2006 at 5:20 pmDid someone ask Bush Sr. about his son ???? He wept – I bet he wipped because of Bush Jr. and his fantastic job of taking care of the Bush Family. Bush will go down in History yeah way down.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:24 pm[...] More on Bush’s insult of Senator-elect Jim Webb: [...]
December 5th, 2006 at 5:24 pm#239 Krazny, That is your opinion….and you are certainly entitled to it. Similarly, I never saw what people saw in Clinton….People talked about how great he was with people and how effective he was as a speaker….I never saw it. To me, he just came off as phony and — dare I say it? — slick. It is pretty obvious that one’s opinion of a person’s personality has a lot to do with the whether or not you agree with their politics.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:26 pmHell to the Chief that should be his song. Bush should go back to Texas, go to his ranch and go play with the SHEEP. Bet the sheep will kick him out. Go stand out with the Bulls with all their bull shit. He would be right at home
December 5th, 2006 at 5:27 pmI will agree with you on that Ex. My opinions affect how I feel about Clinton, and Bush II, just as your opinions influence your perceptions. That was why I included Bush I and Reagan when referring to how they handle press conferences and questions in general. I think Reagan’s only flaw, was he started most of his sentences with and exaggeratted “Weeeelllll”. Otherwise, while I did not think of him as being the best president, he was a superb public speaker.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:31 pmhey dick, how’s that lesbo daughter of yours?
December 5th, 2006 at 5:32 pmHey presnit, how about them twins.
Hey Jeb, is your son makin a whole lotta money?
Umm, to those who have lamented Webb’s public etiquette, let you not forget Mr. Bush has been known to intentionally fart in front of new staffers and others, walk up to foreign prime ministers and give the unwanted back rubs, and make jokes about WMDs while our soldiers are dying, and permits his daughters to behave as drunken sailors both domestically and internationally. There is no room for his supporters to call into question, the manners and appropriate behavior of Webb or most of the people outside of his administration.
This cretin promised to bring dignity back to the office of the president, the only time he has acted “presidential” is the day he was sworn in for his first term. Since then it has all been down hill.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:33 pmI think Jim Webb performed a huge public service by going to the White House in the first place. The alternative would have been to “shun” Bush, and the reception because, as the Menonites say, George Bush is evil. For the sake of decorum between the two branches of government, Webb obviously chose not to stay away. Having since learned that “little Lord Fontenroy”,our commander-in-chief, was briefed before hand, about Webb’s son, it makes me think the whole thing was a setup, perpetrated by the Bush man & co.. As for George Will, Bill O’Rielly, Sean Hannity and the like who consistently blow smoke for Bush & Cheney…the response is simple…F**K you , you draft dodging A**holes!
December 5th, 2006 at 5:34 pmExley the diffeernnce between Clinton and Bush and why people liked Clinton was on display September 12 2001. Clinton was in new york and looked and acted presidential and seemed very concerned for what was happening. Bush looked like a deer caught in the headlights. When my in laws saw interviews with Clinton on 9/12/01 they wished he was still in office and they both voted straight republican. The guy is very likeable annd very persuasive. Republicans hated meeting with him becauuse he was so likable and so persuasive.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:34 pmRobert at #202
You state that “I disagree in the methods may [sic] others have taken to avoid duty. Things like running to Canada when their unit deploys.” Have you ever thought to examine the reasons why many of them have fled to Canada? I strongly recommend that you purchase the incredibly moving book Mission Rejected subtitled U.S. Soldiers Who Say NO to Iraq by Peter Laufer. If you truly profess to have an open mind, you would discover by reading this book that it was an agonizing choice to abandon one’s country. But the ones who did go to Canada did so because they could no longer continue to fight, in good conscience, against a people who were never remotely considered to do harm to anyone in these United States. Many of them also have had a great deal of difficulty dealing with what they had witnessed and/or participated in while being stationed in in Iraq. These war resisters, like their fellow soldiers in Sir! No Sir!, are to be commended for no longer wishing to be part of the war machine, a military that has committed endless atrocities against the Iraqi people [this claim is easily verifiable by reading, among others, the writings of independent journalist Dahr Jamail]. Cross over from the dark side, Robert, and join the cause.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:39 pm#249 Mark, I could not disagree with you more. Bush’s appearance in NYC in the days after 9/11, when he climbed up on the rubble, and addressed the rescue workers, saying, “I hear you. The world hears you. And the people who knocked these buidlings down will hear from all of us soon!” to the cheers of the workers was a moment of great inspiration and a moment of presidential history that will live in history. That is not to take anything away from what Clinton did on 9/12. He was very comforting. But Bush’s words were a great inspiration to the nation, especially New Yorkers.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:43 pmI work with some serious rightwingers and to a man they think that Bush was taunting Webb and should have had his ass handed to him.
There is no depth that these Bush supporters here wouldn’t go to defend his “honor”. The loser has always had these sycophants covering his ass.
Webb showed amazing control to not wipe the floor with the Chimp’s nose.
Two more years of this monkey throwing shit.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:44 pmExley,
I think if Bush had stayed on course after that speech he would still have the support of this country. However the folks how knocked over those buildings, still haven’t heard from us.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:49 pmIt never ceases to amaze me, the people who defend Bush at every turn. Don’t you get tired of running out of excuses defending his behavior, his decisions, and his policies? This “man” and his handlers have brought this country to the brink of ruin- militarily, economically, and morally, simple as that. Bush is a jackass, not a “master politician”- Rove is. This latest episode just further proves he is an ignorant, callous, vengeful prick to the nth degree. He is a plague on this (once and future) great nation, may God have mercy on his- and every war-mongering neocon’s- soul. Until then, I hope whatever conscience he has haunts him til the day he dies for the needless deaths he’s caused. There’s plenty of them. Go f*%@! yourself, Exley.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:52 pmBush’s appearance in NYC in the days after 9/11, when he climbed up on the rubble, and addressed the rescue workers, saying, “I hear you. The world hears you. And the people who knocked these buidlings down will hear from all of us soon!â€
What are those same “people” hearing today? How about “I really don’t think about him that much”
Actions speak louder than words and this President is more about inaction when it comes to the people responsible.
December 5th, 2006 at 5:53 pmGeorge really felt he was being sensitive to the situation. That’s the messed up part.
Comment by ForTruth — December 5, 2006 @ 10:16 am
As a very big supporter of “the worsterest sauce” I think that GWB was trying to be nice since, he was warned that Webbs son had a close call-however, his come back “thats not what I asked you” showed his true self. Diffently the “Worsterest”.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:02 pm#249
“Bush looked like a deer caught in the headlights.”
Then you don’t read the look on people’s faces very well. I saw a very pissed off looking man.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:07 pm#253
The man who orchestrated the entire 9/11 plot if sitting in jail!
December 5th, 2006 at 6:10 pm#255
“What are those same “people†hearing today?”
Many are being told which cell to go to, some are in hell, and some are in hiding.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:12 pm#243
“To me, he just came off as phony and — dare I say it? — slick”
Yes, who could forget this classic one…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63h8070OOA4
December 5th, 2006 at 6:14 pmGeorge Bush is so stupid, that I am surprise that he has survived this long without getting shot.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:16 pmThen Tracy, what of “I dont’ think about him much”. He was asked about OBL. Isn’t he part of the “people”?
You think Bush has even come close to his promises of making us safer? You must be more than drinking the kool aide, you must make it.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:17 pm#239 Krazny, That is your opinion….and you are certainly entitled to it. Similarly, I never saw what people saw in Clinton….People talked about how great he was with people and how effective he was as a speaker….I never saw it. To me, he just came off as phony and — dare I say it? — slick. It is pretty obvious that one’s opinion of a person’s personality has a lot to do with the whether or not you agree with their politics.
Comment by Exley — December 5, 2006 @ 5:26 pm
Y’know, President Clinton is STILL doing great service to our country. He is working alongside Bush, Sr. and they both show great respect for one another.
That is how it is supposed to be done. Mutual respect.
Will Bush Jr. be travelling all over the world away from his ranch and doing PR spots and speeches and working with the spirit of bipartisanship all for a worthy cause that doesn’t involve Halliburton when he “retires”?
Do they even have a missionary in Paraguay?
December 5th, 2006 at 6:18 pmAnyone from the defese community or the republican party who has had to deal with Jim WEbb over the past 30 years can extend sympathy and a wee bit of pleasure in handing over to the Democrats the care and explaining that goes with this volatile man. You will never know what he is going to blurt out or who in your circle–be it the Senate or the party or the good people of Virginia–that he will turn on next. Be advised.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:31 pmbush willingly turned a blind eye once again to what he had been told about webbs son.
webb,you have shown the utmost constraint.challenge the little weasel to a golf game after you guys all retire.
then waylay his ass on the 9th hole.
it would be a civil charge jim……………i will post your bail.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:32 pm#262
I think that Bush was trying to play down the importance of catching bin Laden by trying to get the point across that war on terrorism is much bigger the just one man. The MSM kept harping on it like once he was caught, al Qaeda would disintergrate and international terrorism would end.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:33 pmWhat exactly should Webb have said? Something dishonest like “My boy is just fine, Mr. President, thanks for asking” Or should he have been honest and said something like “My boy is living on adrenaline and praying every day that it won’t be his last.” Given the options, I think Webb’s showed restraint. Honest discussion of the welfare of a son in combat is not really good cocktail chit chat. The nation might have been served well if President Bush had said: “I would like to meet with you soon and hear your perspective on Iraq. Please call and let’s find a time.”
December 5th, 2006 at 6:33 pmY’know, President Clinton is STILL doing great service to our country. He is working alongside Bush, Sr. and they both show great respect for one another.
That is how it is supposed to be done. Mutual respect.
Will Bush Jr. be travelling all over the world away from his ranch and doing PR spots and speeches and working with the spirit of bipartisanship all for a worthy cause that doesn’t involve Halliburton when he “retires�
Do they even have a missionary in Paraguay?
Comment by DemandTruth — December 5, 2006 @ 6:18 pm
DemandTruth
I have never heard such naievity in my life.These clowns are both illuminists and both wholeheartedly would love to see the NWO come to fruition.
Keep swallowing the propaganda spots on tv.It seems to be working well on you.
Do your screen name credit and do a little research before proudly proclaiming to all…………”I bought it hook,line and sinker” it only reveals your naievity on the real truth.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:38 pmOnce a father (Rep. or Dem.) is asked how his son is–and
December 5th, 2006 at 6:43 pmanswers “i’d like to get him
out of iraq” –then that was his answer. President Bush used poor
judgement and poor taste–not to mention it was just mean and insensitive–
when stating –like a sarcastic adult to a child–”that’s not what i
asked
you. “
Bush’s appearance in NYC in the days after 9/11, when he climbed up on the rubble, and addressed the rescue workers, saying, “I hear you. The world hears you. And the people who knocked these buidlings down will hear from all of us soon!â€
————
Bush’s NYC cheerleader performance on the 911 rubble was just that ….a performance … not great leadership…. just what he learned with his Ivy League Education …. the little cheer he gave was merely more Rove theatre performance similar to the mission accomplished landing on the carrier….. the media built Bush up into a forceful-leader-myth …. Bush has always been smoke and mirrors as are the rest of his family!
Good fro Webb for standing up for himself and his son.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:54 pmBush’s remarks should defintiely be regarded as a veiled threat toward Webb, reminding him of the power he held in his hands if Webb should get too aggressive against the Bush administration in the senate. The Bush gang is nothing but a bunch of thugs and criminals for sure!!!
December 5th, 2006 at 6:55 pmGee Mighty A*shole and EXLAXy:
I wonder, do you both s*ck the Chimp’s d*ck at the same time or do you do it tandem? :D
December 5th, 2006 at 6:55 pmThis is exactly the type of ridiculous stuff that shouldn’t even be in the news.
This is a conversation between two people that has no bearing on our country, our political situation or our lives. It only serves to deepen the divisive channels and drive in further the wedges between political parties that should not be there.
We need each other. In the simplest terms, conservatives need liberals to keep them responsive to human needs, because there are certain things that the government should do for the people. Liberals need conservatives to keep them from giving away the store and creating a true ‘welfare nation’.
Let’s talk about something important. Come, let us reason together.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:55 pmBetter hurry, I hear they’ve added bananas on the lunch menu…..
Tooodles……
Comment by mighty aphrodite
YOU would know about bananas, wouldn’t YOU :D
December 5th, 2006 at 7:00 pmEx—I find it amazing that you would use the words “genteel” and George Bush in the same post!! There is NOTHING genteel about the Connecticut cowboy.
December 5th, 2006 at 7:05 pmHow dare He even ask a man how is his boy , when we all know he does not CARE how his boy is, he cares for no one who is being killed, he has no heart no feeling for any one .
December 5th, 2006 at 7:11 pmZooey
December 5th, 2006 at 7:20 pmExactly! great comment.
why not focus on w’s comment: “that’s not what i asked you” ?? now that was a rude and boorish thing to say
December 5th, 2006 at 7:23 pmHey ya’ll
December 5th, 2006 at 7:29 pmWhy do you think ol’ man Bush is cryin his crocidile tears out?
His namesake is a LOON of him and ‘Bar’s’ creation. Believe me…they KNOW IT!
I can’t stand this depraved family but ithis horror show is still hard for me to watch. just so sad.
Less than a month before their encounter, Bush announced to the nation and world that “the terrorists will win” if Americans vote for Jim Webb and his Democratic colleagues.
Bush repeatedly accused Webb and his Democratic colleagues –including Iraq combat veterans like Patrick Murphy and Tammy Duckworth– of “cutting and running” from Iraq.
Even as Webb was preparing for his son’s September deployment to Iraq, Dick Cheney asserted that a Democratic victory would “embolden the terrorists.”
And after all this, these clowns think Dubya can just walk up to Webb, slap him on the back and chit-chat about, “hey-how’s-your-boy- doin’-over-there-in-the-kill-zone” as if nothing happened??
Bush forfeited any claim to the respect & deference shown the office of the presidency when he slandered Jim Webb and every other Democratic patriot.
He’s lucky Webb didn’t punch his lights out.
December 5th, 2006 at 7:39 pmHas George Will ever said anything another human being can understand?
December 5th, 2006 at 7:41 pmHey, everyone! Let’s use this article to feed our classless Ad Hominem arguments.
I suppose that was unfair, considering this article deals with Bush’s character, but seriously, people…
Neither of the two handled the situation in the best manner they could have. I can’t say I blame Webb for his reaction though.
December 5th, 2006 at 7:51 pmMaybe Bush should’ve waited until his terror twins joined up. Fat chance of that!
December 5th, 2006 at 7:53 pmAnd after all this, these clowns think Dubya can just walk up to Webb, slap him on the back and chit-chat about, “hey-how’s-your-boy- doin’-over-there-in-the-kill-zone†as if nothing happened??
Bush forfeited any claim to the respect & deference shown the office of the presidency when he slandered Jim Webb and every other Democratic patriot.
He’s lucky Webb didn’t punch his lights out.
Comment by JRionero
That’s what it is. I’m still pissed about all that crap too.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:04 pmBill O’Reilly said Webb was “rude,†“inappropriate,†and “disrespectful,â€
Bill O’Reilly lecturing us about someone being rude is like gettting Tango lessons from Stephen Hawking.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:13 pm[...] Updated Again: It appears I was right. Being the bully he is, Bush was simply pushing Webb’s buttons. So reports Think Progress, which obtained its information from Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA): [...]
December 5th, 2006 at 8:21 pmNo. 19, if my son had a close brush with death, I think – no, I KNOW – I would be prickly with the person that put him in that position. Who does George Will think he is to question Webb’s manners or sensitivity? If anyone was a boor, it was the president, who should have expressed concern about the younger Webb’s welfare, not merely asked Webb how his son was as if he was off partying in Argentina.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:24 pmNot only did Bush know about it, he was specifically briefed on the incident before meeting with Webb, and was cautioned to be extra sensitive in speaking with Webb about his son.
Oh my God, as a parent with a kid in the Guard who spent a year in that hell…Bush’s insensitivity is incomprehensible and more like that of some inhuman creature. I hope Jim Webb’s son comes through this injustice ok, like my son did. Stay on the dems to end it. People need to protest this war!
Let Dubya know when I pray, its to remover forever him and his ilk from our government.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:33 pmBush stopped being the president the moment who violated the Constitution. Presently, Bush is simply a person illegally occupying the White House, just as he is illegally occupying Iraq. There is a psychopath sitting in the seat of power and we have a co-opted media which is largely owned by the same military industry corporations which are profiting from the illegal war. The press is no longer a voice for the people.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:35 pmThe Decider is quite nasty and testy… things must not be going well to have to goad your enemy……….
December 5th, 2006 at 8:41 pmBush could have replied, ” I understand how you feel.” Or he could have said, ” I guess any parent would rather have their kid home.” But instead our tough guy President had to swagger, “That’s not what I asked.” I think the President was the rude one in this exchange.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:43 pmWill forgot to mention the “slight”on the senate floor with Leahy.
Wonder how that escaped his radar.Selective reporting is my take.
So Mr. Will?
Here`s a big fat “Bronx Cheer” for you.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:43 pmBush is an arrogant loser, who’s failed every time he’s had to make a decision. He avoided combat during the Viet Nam War, while Webb fought heroically. Webb’s son is likewise a hero, as is any Marine or Soldier who has faced the prospect of sudden, violent death in Bush’s misbegotten war. F*ck Bush and the horse he rode in on, backwards.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:49 pmwhat a lot of posting, too much to read them all but some very good ones.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:52 pmI would just like to see the Grand Chimp’s reaction if he were decked…was he ever in a real fight? What was wrong with his parents?
And, too bad he couldn’t have made those comments to Old Hickory….oh yeah, dueling is illegal.
A drunken AWOL coward starts a war based on lies, run with arrogance and ignorance and has the audacity to needle a father who is a war hero and veteran with a son in harm’s way…go figure the drunken AWOL coward and the Reighwingnuts who are primarily chickenshit chickenhawk cowards defending the drunken AWOL coward.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:54 pm“Mr president, he’s overwhealmed and having a very hard time. Perhaps your daughters can go over and help him.”
December 5th, 2006 at 9:40 pmBush had an exit strategy for Vietnam. Webb’s boy just doesn’t get it. Webb doesn’t get it either. How can a warrior look a coward in the eye and not want to rip it out? GFB is as dumb as a rock.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:12 pmHow’re yer girls, Bush. Have they learned how to keep their panties on?
December 5th, 2006 at 10:15 pmI have heard and read several comments about Webb being rude to Bush “in Bush’s house.” Excuse me,. but when exactly did the Sociopath in Chief buy the White House from us? That’s right, it’s not his house. It’s ours. We’re the landlords, allowing him to reside in our house rent-free while he serves us as our president. And since he insists on screwing up our country and our constitution and then lying to us about it, I think it’s high time we evicted his sorry ass out of our national mansion and made arrangements for him to live in one of our big houses. Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas comes to mind.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:28 pmThis is a conversation between two people that has no bearing on our country, our political situation or our lives.
No bearing on our country?? Are you nuts?
This conversation once again shows what an arrogant and condescending ass we have running our country.
I guess Bush walking up unannounced to the German chancellor like the frat boy he is and grabbing her shoulders was nothing of consequence either, eh?
And I guess Bush chomping on food like he was a 6 year old while talking to Blair with food in his mouth is no big deal either.
How about a vice president shooting a man in the face and then refusing to be interviewed by local authorities until the next day, while using the “national security” excuse, is nothing to be concerned about either. After all, it was a friendly hunting expedition between a bunch of friends. Tell us, Joe, what national security issue would have been threatened had Cheney been interviewed?
Bush actions, especially towards other leaders of this country, does indeed have a bearing on the three things you list.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:34 pmBush could have replied, †I understand how you feel.†Or he could have said, †I guess any parent would rather have their kid home.†But instead our tough guy President had to swagger, “That’s not what I asked.†I think the President was the rude one in this exchange.
Comment by mpw101 — December 5, 2006 @ 8:43 pm
There are a number of ways Bush could have responded and not come off as a prick. But as has been pointed out before, Bush can’t handle any unexpected conversations unless he has a script in front of him. Webb went off script. Bush just tried to get him back on the topic by saying the only thing he could…at the same time showing what an ass he is.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:39 pmAnyone from the defese community or the republican party who has had to deal with Jim WEbb over the past 30 years can extend sympathy and a wee bit of pleasure in handing over to the Democrats the care and explaining that goes with this volatile man. You will never know what he is going to blurt out or who in your circle–be it the Senate or the party or the good people of Virginia–that he will turn on next. Be advised.
Comment by nullconnie mesch — December 5, 2006 @ 6:31 pm
Yes…much better to have George Allen, who’s campaign apparently couldn’t decide which explanation for the Macaca incident sounded best, so they gave us 6 different excuses.
If expressing a wish to have the troops home instead of being targets in Iraq is an example of him being volatile, I’ll take him any day over Allen.
Oh…and where were these poor unfortunate souls who had to deal with Webb over the past 30 years during election season?
December 5th, 2006 at 10:51 pmYou will never know what he is going to blurt out or who in your circle–be it the Senate or the party or the good people of Virginia–that he will turn on next. Be advised.
Comment by nullconnie mesch — December 5, 2006 @ 6:31 pm
Oh, you mean like the time Dick Cheney blurted out “F**k You” to Sen. Leahy.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:55 pmAnyone from the defese community or the republican party who has had to deal with Jim WEbb over the past 30 years can extend sympathy and a wee bit of pleasure in handing over to the Democrats the care and explaining that goes with this volatile man. You will never know what he is going to blurt out or who in your circle–be it the Senate or the party or the good people of Virginia–that he will turn on next. Be advised.
Oh, I will trade you a Zell Miller for a Jim Webb any day.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:55 pmThe point is, the war was based on lies and altered intelligence by a bunch of people who escaped from going to war by deferrments or special favors. Few is this elite class of Republican cowards went to war. Tens of thousands of people have died because of Bush’s lies, and more will everyday. Bush, and his ilk, are just plain garbage. It is all about money for them, not country or courage.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:06 pmIf I were Jim Webb I would have PUNCHED DUHbya in his beady-eyed UGLY face, DITTO for George Will, Bill O’Reilly and all right wing-nuts who criticized Senator-elect Webb! A good beating works wonders for STUPID IDIOTS!!!!!
December 5th, 2006 at 11:19 pmJimmo has it exactly right. And Webb is a decorated veteran whose son wouldn’t be in harm’s way but for the lies of the narcissist chickenshit asking the patronizing question.
He should have replied, “Fine, no thanks to you!”
And then dropped him with a straight right.
December 5th, 2006 at 11:47 pmI agree with #7. This guy is human garbage. This was painfully obvious in 2000. I hold every person who voted for him or for Nader responsible.
December 6th, 2006 at 12:01 amGeorge W. Bush is trailer trash.
I say this as a Southerner.
December 6th, 2006 at 12:16 am[...] According to Moran, President Bush was told that Webb ’s son had a recent brush with death in Iraq and was warned to be “extra sensitive” when talking to the Sen.-elect: "Not only did Bush know about it, he was specifically briefed on the incident before meeting with Webb, and was cautioned to be extra sensitive in speaking with Webb about his son."read more | digg story [...]
December 6th, 2006 at 12:21 am#249
“Bush looked like a deer caught in the headlights.â€
Then you don’t read the look on people’s faces very well. I saw a very pissed off looking man.
Comment by Tracy
So big deal! Dumbya always looks angry when things don’t quite work out the way he wanted, just like the over-aged spoiled brat that he is.
December 6th, 2006 at 12:53 amCorrection, #23. Webb was not in Bush’s house. Bush is an occupier in OUR house.
December 6th, 2006 at 1:05 amBush is a coward. Always has been, always will be. I’ve been depressed and outraged that this person… a ‘man’ whose lies have and will continue to directly result in the deaths of innocent people is still in office. I was even more stunned after hearing this exchange involving Senator Webb (who, in my opinion could have beat the crap out of Bush, and still not deserved the title of ‘rude’ or ‘disrespectful’) that people – smart, blue Americans like me – actually thought Bush was trying to be nice. Not possible of this man who shows disregard for everyone all day, 365 days a year. He lacks integrity, intelligence and obviously, especially from these latest revelations about how he was briefed about Mr. Webb’s son, he lacks a soul.
In short… I don’t know who he THINKS he’s talking to when the idiot thinks he’s praying… but it isn’t who he thinks…
NOT POSSIBLE. Bush is a LOOSER who has been a looser all his life. His ‘presidency’ and all those who support him are blight on this great country and its so sad that this idiot may alter the course of history in the worst way possible. He is incapable of bravery and his every move should be suspect to questioning my sentient beings. His father and mother are to be blamed for not dealing with him as a child (he is an excellent example for today’s parents regarding the egregious lack of spankings in today’s child rearing)… Yeah, Bush Sr. was crying alright…. and he should be. The deep shame I hope he feels at the disaster him and that hideous faux Barbara of his, has now become our shame and our problem. And his memory will forever be tarnished.
December 6th, 2006 at 2:14 amBush is a LOSER. I just wish Webb would of punched that idiot out cold.
December 6th, 2006 at 2:22 amconsider this thread.
look how many have posted here as opposed to other threads.
what does this tell me?
conclusive proof americans are very angry with it`s government.
and the core of the people`s anger lies within the administration.
this is great.this is democracy in action, and it is in full swing.
let`s always remember what has happened in the last 6 years.
please exercise your right to vote.
December 6th, 2006 at 3:42 am[...] Rep. Jim Moran gives a reason for why the President Bush-Jim Webb confrontation didn’t go so smoothly. [...]
December 6th, 2006 at 4:44 amThis Is Why The Iraqis Hate Us
Another beating snuff video shames coalition of the killing, You Tube censors it
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Friday, November 17, 2006
British troops punch, beat and kick pleading Iraqi children as a sadistic comrade films the brutal scenes of torture, laughing, screaming, growling and frothing like a serial killer filming a snuff movie. This is why the Iraqis hate us.
Iraqi children throw rocks as they flee from running British troops, are grabbed, brought inside a gate and beaten half to death. Watch the video below. The censorship spies at You Tube rejected it 2 minutes after upload so I re-named it “Fluffy Happy Poodles In Heaven,†to try and bypass their keyword filters and it was still rejected. I even renamed the actual ‘wmv’ filename but it was still blocked for “terms of use violation.†I finally managed to get it posted on Google Video. If it disappears again, here’s the Windows Media link on our server.
November 19th: Google removed the video too! So here’s an old copy the censors at You Tube missed.
They keep killing this guys video so here is the link
http://prisonplanet.com/video/171106beating.wmv
share it with all you know.burn it to cd pass them out.it will diappear for good soon I fear.
get it while it lives,as a policy changer.
Comment by prison boots — December 6, 2006 @ 5:48 am
December 6th, 2006 at 5:55 amNot to get too off-topic here, but I can’t believe that the two neo-cons on the board are getting away with this crap–i.e. Jim Moran is an anti-Semite for saying–and I quote–“If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this.†Doesn’t sound exactly like Hitler Youth to me. I don’t know the guy from Adam, but I fear for our country if we’ve gotten in a position where a basic political opinion can’t be presented without spurious charges of bigotry. I mean heck–maybe it’s a debatable point–if you want to argue about AIPAC go right ahead, but flinging the anti-Semite label on anyone who acknowleges the presence of a very strong pro-Israel lobby in Washington is weak and disingenuous.
December 6th, 2006 at 8:49 amIf this is progressive thought, I want to go back a few hundred years!!
December 6th, 2006 at 9:52 amExley, 232, you state that you view this incident through the prism of what you know about the “public personas” of the two men. What, exactly, would you like to share with me about the public persona of Jim Webb? (I ask this as someone who has known him for over 20 years.) I have always found Jim to be straightforward and honest, but never boorish. Contrast that with the incident wherein George Bush mocked the soon-to-be-executed Karla Faye Tucker, smirking “Please don’t kill me.” And this is the man whom you are unable to visualize using an inappropriate tone of voice and/or facial expression during his encounter with Jim? That would seem to bridge the gap between mere denial and either intellectual dishonesty or insanity.
December 6th, 2006 at 9:53 am[...] Source… « Interview with Bob Watada the father of Lt. Erin Watada, the first officer to publicly refuse to serve in Iraq [...]
December 6th, 2006 at 10:03 amSo Webb insults the President and Bush is at fault?
Are you really buying this? Because if you are, I have a really nice bridge to sell you, real cheap.
Let’s assume that Bush was indeed warned to be “extra sensitive” about Webb’s son. Doesn’t asking Webb about how his son is doing constitute being “extra sensitive”?
And how does Webb’s first response “I’d like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President,” indicate that Webb is insulted about Bush asking about his son? It was a direct snub of Bush over a political policy issue, not a reaction of insult about his son.
Finally, let’s keep in mind that Webb snubbed Bush BEFORE Bush asked about Webb’s son… by deliberately not shaking Bush’s hand in the greeting line that preceeded the entire conversation.
The Dems know that Webb screwed up, and they realize that 2 years of this sort of picking fights with the President in public forums is going to get them voted out of power in 2008. So they are working their spin machine in overdrive mode. This is pure spin and it ignores the facts in favor of the big lie. Repeat it enough times, and people really will believe the Bush insulted Webb.
Rediculous
December 6th, 2006 at 12:32 pmconsidering Bush was a chicken, and really a deserter during Vietnam, Webb owes him nothing. Not civility, not anything
December 6th, 2006 at 12:57 pmBush is stil his typical chicken shit self. He was a chicken and a deserter in Vietnam, and he is today.
December 6th, 2006 at 1:16 pmFor roadguy #327, Webb owes him nothing.
Maybe so. But Webb was INVITED to the function by Bush and the White House. You don’t go to a private party and snubb the host. If Webb had no intention of shaking Bush’s hand or making small talk with Bush (which is what the event was all about… the freshman congressmen getting face-time with the President), then he should have informed the White House that he was unable to attend due to a conflict. What he should not have done was accept Bush’s invitation and then deliberately insult Bush by not shaking his hand, and then verbally insulting him for asking about Webb’s son. No matter how you slice it, Webb’s reaction was a calculated insult to the President, not some offhanded incident. Webb planned to insult Bush at his own party, and now its backfiring on him in the media. Which is no less than he deserves.
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December 6th, 2006 at 1:44 pm#329 Talk about your spin master! How do you get from Webb choosing to excuse himself from the receiving line to Webb refusing to shake Bush’s hand? You’re making this up as you go!
December 6th, 2006 at 3:37 pmBush’s greeting, OK.
Webb’s response, not great.
Bushes response to Webb, stupid like only Bush can be!
December 6th, 2006 at 4:09 pmTo ET Wolverine,
December 6th, 2006 at 4:12 pmJim Webb had every right to express his anger with Bush, when his son’s life is still at risk, all the while the Bush brats go on a drunken spree in Argentina. If you want to talk about rude, insensitive behavior, how about Bush’s “cute” show at the Washington Press Club dinner a few years back, where he said the “WMDs must be somewhere,” and pretended to look under chairs, tables, etc. You don’t think that shows any insensitivity to the thousands of Americans who have been killed or maimed in the Iraq War and their families? Get a dose of reality, buddy!
Yellow dog #331,
The receiving line is the entire point of the event… to shake Bush’s hand and have the opportunity to have your picture taken with the President. It is a long standing tradition for rookie congressmen to greet the President personally, and have their picture taken with him. It is a bone thrown out by the powers that be to rookie politicians who otherwise won’t stand out in their first term… not being appointed to any of the “good” committees. They need any sort of press they can get, and this tradition gives them a bone for news media back home to report. That is why rookie politicians go to this event in the first place. By “excusing himself from the receiving line”, Webb was refusing to shake Bush’s hand (again, the entire point of the event), and making a calculated insult to Bush… “I’ll show up at your party and and eat your food, but I refuse to shake your hand in front of the press when everyone expects me to do so.” There is no other way to interpret going to the event and refusing to be in the receiving line.
Lora #333,
Yes, Webb has every right to express anger however he wishes. He even had the right to do so at the receiving line event in an insulting manner, though if I were Bush, I’d have had his ass escorted out of the White House by the Secret Service. But Webb does not have the right to claim that Bush insulted him, when the facts were clearly the other way. And he doesn’t have the right to cry like a baby when the press calls it like it was…
As for his joke at the Washington Press Club dinner, it was just that… a joke. That is what the Washington Press Club dinner is about… a night of political humor put on by top politicians. And frankly, that joke came off a lot better than John Kerry’s little misstep a few weeks back.
No, I don’t think it was insensitive to the troops. As a former soldier myself, I actually find it pretty funny. You see the joke is that we knew exactly where the WMDs were… Saddam shipped them to Syria during the 18-month long “rush to war”. We all knew that… that’s what made Bush’s remarks so funny in the military community.
But whether the joke was funny or not, and whether Bush is generally a considerate person or not (and all the military family members I have spoken to who visited with Bush seem to think that he is), doesn’t change Webb’s actions. Bush could be the most inconsiderate person on the planet. It doesn’t change the fact that Webb insulted Bush publicly. Arguing who is more inconsiderate, Bush or Webb is besides the point. In this incident, Webb was the perpetrator, not Bush.
December 6th, 2006 at 4:41 pmET Wolverine,
December 6th, 2006 at 4:55 pmI personally didn’t find anything funny about Bush’s “joke” at the Press Club dinner, and I know some families who lost loved ones in the Iraq War who were quite offended. I also don’t think Webb personally insulted Bush by saying he wants his son and others out of Iraq soon; he stated an honest opinion, which I find refreshing compared to the many people who want to go along with the Bush lies.
Webb, who used to serve in the Reagan administration, publicly ran on a platform of opposing how Bush has been handling Iraq. Bush was also warned in advance that Webb’s son had a near brush with death. Dumbya should have accepted Webb’s first reply instead of complaining, “That’s not what I asked you.” Or are we to pity Bush, because his twins have nearly drunk themselves to death several times and Laura had a brush with death by killing her high school classmate in a car accident?
In any case, you’re entitled to think what you want about Bush vs. Webb, but don’t get deluded that you will be changing the minds of any people who post here. The neo-con trolls already agree with you; the rest of us don’t and never will.
Lora #335,
I personally didn’t find anything funny about Bush’s “joke†at the Press Club dinner, and I know some families who lost loved ones in the Iraq War who were quite offended.
So you didn’t like the joke. That doesn’t make Webb’s actions right. Like I said, regardless of what you think of Bush, nothing excuses Webb’s insults.
“he stated an honest opinion”
Yes, he did. But Bush wasn’t playing politics or asking for political opinions. Bush was asking about Webb’s son. “He’s fine, thank you Mr. President” or “He’s not doing so well, Mr. President” would be appropriate responses. “That’s between me and my boy” is not an appropriate response to your host at a party.
“Bush was also warned in advance that Webb’s son had a near brush with death. “
Which is why Bush probably asked “How’s your boy”. If you hear that someone’s child was just in a near-death experience, wouldn’t you inquire as to that person’s situation? I would. Or doesn’t common courtesy call for asking how someone is doing in your neck of the woods?
“Webb, who used to serve in the Reagan administration,”
And who was asked to LEAVE by the Bush administration after just a few months because he had a tendency to insult people, but we won’t go into that now.
“publicly ran on a platform of opposing how Bush has been handling Iraq.”
As did every other Democratic party rookie at the event. And several Republicans.
But none of them insulted Bush. Nor did any others take any offense at anything Bush said during several hours of small-talk. Now why do you think that is? Why was the only person supposedly “insulted” by Bush also the only person not to stand on the receiving line? You don’t see any connection between the two facts?
If Bush was out to insult Democrats that night, why did he stop with Webb? There were several hundred Democrats and liberals in the room at the time. If Bush was out to insult people, don’t you think he had other targets he could have aimed at in addition to Webb?
You don’t see any calculated insult at all on Webb’s part?
“don’t get deluded that you will be changing the minds of any people who post here. The neo-con trolls already agree with you; the rest of us don’t and never will. “
Don’t worry, I wasn’t under any delusions of changing the minds of the regulars here. I was just hoping that an impartial reader might see the other side of the issue, and possibly come to an educated conclusion.
And I have tried to do so without resorting to personal insults of anyone here or of any major political figures. Can’t you libs rant about Bush without the four-letter words? If your issues are with his policies, can’t you keep the discussion about his policies and the possible alternatives to those policies instead of resorting to cussing like hillbillies? I mean, really…
Some examples…
Bush is stil his typical chicken shit self.
Bush is a coward. Always has been, always will be.
He lacks integrity, intelligence …
Dumbya always looks angry when things don’t quite work out the way he wanted,
Bush is a piece of human garbage.
All the Republican men have turned into a bunch of pussies.
lotta nerve, ex… you are now definetely a total schmuck…
a prickly schmuck, at that…
you guys are bunch of little whiny b1tches
George Will is as gay as a picnic basket. Bill O’Reilly is as gay as a picnic basket. Mort Kondracke is as gay as a picnic gasket.
Id have grabbed my crotch area and told Bushie ‘I got you boy hangin’,’
Bush is a good ‘ol boy, do-nothing, arrogant asshole.
Hey Exley how does that Bush Jr cock taste today?
F*ck Bush and the horse he rode in on, backwards.
Bush is a LOSER. I just wish Webb would of punched that idiot out cold.
’nuff said.
December 6th, 2006 at 5:52 pmWebb is a classless piece of Shit
December 6th, 2006 at 5:53 pmDon’t worry, I wasn’t under any delusions of changing the minds of the regulars here. I was just hoping that an impartial reader might see the other side of the issue, and possibly come to an educated conclusion.
And I have tried to do so without resorting to personal insults of anyone here or of any major political figures. Can’t you libs rant about Bush without the four-letter words? If your issues are with his policies, can’t you keep the discussion about his policies and the possible alternatives to those policies instead of resorting to cussing like hillbillies?
ET Wolverine,
December 6th, 2006 at 6:17 pmI am very well educated (Ivy League grad, former Fulbright scholar who translates three languages), and I have made my own educated conclusion, which happens to be different from yours.
You might notice that none of what you call foul language and cite in # 336 comes from me except for: “Dumbya always looks angry when things don’t quite work out the way he wanted.” I don’t see any cuss words in that, and the language is a lot milder than the bon mots from various neo-con pundits like Ann Coulter’s calling the 9/11 widows “harpies” who are “enjoying their husbands’ deaths,” or “liberals love America like OJ Simpson loved Nicole,” etc. And, by the way, I have heard from one of Bush’s former professors at Harvard Business School that he always made faces when he disagreed with other people in his seminar; it’s an old habit.
I personally don’t like using foul language in political discourse. However, unlike you, I recognize that it unfortunately can come from both sides of the aisle. Now goodbye. I have to go out.
#313
“So big deal! Dumbya always looks angry when things don’t quite work out the way he wanted, just like the over-aged spoiled brat that he is.”
Are you suggesting that Bush had something to do with the 9/11 attacks?
December 6th, 2006 at 6:45 pmReally, Seriously? You think that someone stepping out of a receiving line (the same person that DID ACTUALLY TALK TO THE PRESIDENT) is grounds for removal by the SS.
Really, is that the country you live in? ”Cause it’s not the country of which I CHOSE to become a citizen.
I thought that the SS existed to protect the President from DANGER, not from (percieved) insult. (On second thought, given the recent actions of the VPs SS detail, maybe that’s not true.)
Long Live the King!
December 6th, 2006 at 6:48 pmWhile I understand and applaud Webb’s refusal to chitchat about his son (a real soldier) with the fake soldier who sent him into harm’s way on the basis of lies, I SERIOUSLY DOUBT Webb ended his statements with the phrase, “Mr. President”. Admit it–you added that part yourself. Admit it.
December 6th, 2006 at 6:48 pmAre you suggesting that Bush had something to do with the 9/11 attacks?
Comment by Tracy
Your question is so stupid that it doesn’t even warrant an answer. The first image of Bush, upon being informed about the 9/11 attacks, was that of him looking puzzled in the elementary school classroom and then going back to reading “My Pet Goat.” But if you have a different interpretation of how he looked, that is your right, just as I am entitled to view it in my way. I really don’t want to get into an argument on face readings, so don’t expect further answers from me.
December 6th, 2006 at 7:24 pm[...] President Bush was warned to be “extra sensetive” about Democratic Senator-elect Jim Webb’s son in advance of a recent event at which the President had a confrontation with him. This is because Webb’s son, a Marine in Iraq, had recently almost died in an attack. Apparently the President didn’t heed the advice of his handlers on this one. (Who’s the boorish one now, George F. Will?) [...]
December 6th, 2006 at 9:17 pmHe even had the right to do so at the receiving line event in an insulting manner, though if I were Bush, I’d have had his ass escorted out of the White House by the Secret Service.
Comment by ETWolverine
And that just goes to show how ignorant you are. Throw Webb out because he made a statement about getting our troops home?
“That’s not what I asked you” was a hell of a lot more confrontational than what Webb said.
Bush could have displayed a bit of grace and acknowledged that he knew about Webb’s son’s situation, and then expressed concern about his safety, seeing as how he WAS briefed on it earlier in the day.
And you think the Democrats are supposed to play nice with Bush? After Bush says the terrorists win if the Dems take control of Congress?
Screw you.
As for reference to Bush’s joke about the WMDs under the table, it was a very sick joke and showed just how insensitive he is. To invade another country and topple its leader (a “first” in the history of the United States, I believe), wage a war that will not end anytime soon, get so damned bogged down to the point that this administration doesn’t know where to go next (other than endless announcements of “stay the course” which they recently denied ever saying), all the while getting 2900+ (and counting) Americans killed (not to mention the hundreds of thousands of troops injured and maimed for life, and the Iraqis killed and injured as well), all because of alleged WMDs and the idea that Iraq might…MIGHT…pose a future threat to America…and then joke about it…Bush is a number one ASS.
And speaking of WMDs, where is your proof that they were shipped to Syria prior to the invasion? You got sources that even the White House doesn’t have? I recall Bush eventually declaring to the world that, after all, the WMD’s didn’t exist. What I don’t recall is him declaring they were shipped out of the country in the days and hours leading up to the war.
What I also recall is Bush on the record saying that had he known then what he knows now (that there were no WMDs in Iraq), he still would have invaded Iraq. Which means that the invasion never was about WMDs or a perceived threat to the U.S.
Speaking of threats, chew on this: in 2001 both Colin Powell and Condi Rice declared that Iraq was not a threat to the U.S. nor to its neighbors, the sanctions were working, Saddam’s capability to produce WMDs (including, specifically, nuclear weapons) was greatly diminished, and Saddam was contained.
One more thing. Read what I post below and tell me that this damned administration has the slightest clue as to what’s going on.
Members (and soon to be member) of this administration have made the following comments over the past several months:
George Bush: “We are winning in Iraq.”
Robert Gates: “We are not winning in Iraq.”
Tony Snow (in response to a reporter’s question): “Are we winning in Iraq? I don’t know. How do you define winning?”
I give you the Three Stooges (with apologies to Moe, Larry, and Curly).
December 6th, 2006 at 11:59 pm#342
“Your question is so stupid that it doesn’t even warrant an answer.”
Then don’t make stupid comments.
BTW what particular facial expression, other than him sitting there his lips pressed tightly together looking like he want’s to kick someone’s ass, made you think he was puzzled?
December 7th, 2006 at 11:31 amComment by Tracy — December 7, 2006 @ 11:31 am
Oh, I don’t know.
How about a look of “Oh, sh*t! Our country may be under attack! I’ve got to get my ass out of here!”
Bush knew of the first hit before going into the classroom. He found out about the 2nd hit while in the classroom, and instead of immediately getting him out of there instead of allowing him to be a potential target, our Secret Service, tasked with the job of protecting the leader of the most powerful country in the world, just let him set there for 7 more minutes. Oh, but he wasn’t through. He just had to give a speech after leaving the classroom but before leaving the school.
I would imagine there was much confusion in he minutes and hours after the attacks on the WTC. One that I seem to recall is that there were unconfirmed reports of additional hijacked airliners beyond the 4 that we are now familiar with.
I’d also think that it’s safe to say that Bush’s planned whereabouts were known to the public at least 24 hours prior to his trip to the school. It definitely was not a surprise visit under the cover of darkness and heavy security like we now see when he or any other member of our government flies into Baghdad.
I do wonder at what time that morning of 9/11/01 that Cheney was whisked away to a safe underground bunker, and where Bush was at the same point in time?
December 7th, 2006 at 12:34 pmso many self-righteous people here. A social faux paus (or whatever) was made by both sides IMO. How about some freaking moderation once in a while?
December 7th, 2006 at 3:24 pm“While I understand and applaud Webb’s refusal to chitchat about his son (a real soldier) with the fake soldier ”
hey mark, apparently people in the National Guard/Reserves are fake soldiers? When you associate the National Guard as being “fake”, you insult everyone in the NG/Reserves, in my opinion. And I’m saying that as a member of the Army Reserves, who’s been deployed to Afghanistan. If you want to talk trash about Bush, let’s leave the NG out of it, ok?
December 7th, 2006 at 3:41 pm#345
December 7th, 2006 at 4:25 pmThere was nothing in my original comment that had anything to do with 9/11, so your question was reading something in it that wasn’t there and was stupid. And as far as I’m concerned, the images of Bush in the classroom as he was informed of 9/11 were of confusion–not anger. If you want to read the desire to “kick ass” in the face of your Dear Leader, then do do. Don’t expect everyone else to; the results of the latest election should show that people like you who never question the administration are now in the minority. Live with it.
“So big deal! Dumbya always looks angry when things don’t quite work out the way he wanted, just like the over-aged spoiled brat that he is.†(Lora)
Are you suggesting that Bush had something to do with the 9/11 attacks?
Comment by Tracy
Ps.
December 7th, 2006 at 5:46 pmTo make things even clearer for you, Tracy, if Bush looked angry (as you insist) upon hearing about the 9/11 attacks, then, “things didn’t quite work out the way he wanted.” Therefore, your question, “Are you suggesting that Bush had something to do with the 9/11 attacks?” is
totally off base and a misinterpretation of my original statement, which had nothing to do with 9/11 in the first place.
George Bush should not be called Commander in Chief. He should be called King George. History will call Mr. Bush the most insensitive psychopath ever to hold the office of President. He is arrogant…he is arrogant…we have never lived under such uncanny disrespect for the civil rights of the people of our country. Hubris, arrogance, disrespect, — we have a very, very, bad President, and we should drive him into a ditch and forget him.
December 7th, 2006 at 8:35 pmThe amount of hate for Pres. Bush I see pouring out of some of you amazes me. If you had a fraction of that hate for the terrorists who would destroy you in a heartbeat if they could, we would be doing much better in our efforts to defeat them. President Bush has been consistant in his desire to protect America from another terrorist strike and has suceeded so far in spite of all you who hate him. The ironic thing is that he doesn’t hate you in return. Your hate demeans you.
December 8th, 2006 at 3:16 am#352
December 8th, 2006 at 5:09 pmOh, yes, Doug W., the Bush administration has done so much “to protect America from another terrorist strike,” such as not implementing most of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations, trying to sell off US port security to an Arab country, trying to sell US airlines to foreign investors, and most of all invading Iraq–a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 and didn’t have WMDs–instead of using America’s military resources to get the mission really accomplished in Afghanistan by capturing Bin Laden. Moreover, you don’t seem to have heard–or are perhaps too soaked in Kool-Aid to believe–that Bush ignored warnings prior to 9/11 about Al Qaeda’s determination to attack the US and about a disturbing number of Arabs enrolling in US flight schools wanting to learn only how to fly–not to take off and land.
You are obviously too rigid in your neo-con beliefs to see that a person can dislike both Bush and Al Qaeda–that one is exclusive of the other. However, if you pay attention at all to opinion polls, Bush’s support is hovering around 30%. Do you really think 60-70% of Americans prefer Muslim terrorists to Bush?
Always ask why, get the reason if someone wants you up and “die”.
December 10th, 2006 at 11:41 amBush is such a coward that he never played sports but stayed on the safe sidelines cheerleading. He travels overseas and won’t leave the car. He probably takes two secret service to the bathroom with him to make certain no one breaks in. Webb and his son are courageous patriots who were and are and in harm’s way in behalf of their country. Bush and his drunken daughters and his eligible cousins, neices and nephews are all hiding from any responsibility in helping this stupid president’s war.
December 11th, 2006 at 11:22 amDid ya’ll know that the Bushie excrement is carefully collected and hauled home wherever he is? Makes you wonder….
December 15th, 2006 at 4:12 pm