Gonzales ‘Repeatedly’ Compares Himself And Bush Administration To Lincoln Presidency
Gonzales ‘Repeatedly’ Compares Himself And Bush Administration To Lincoln Presidency
Yesterday, former attorney general Alberto Gonzales gave a speech at Washington University, for which he was compensated $30,000. Gonzales agreed to answer only pre-approved questions and closed the talk to the press.
The Washington University student paper, however, printed an account of Gonzales’s address, noting that he compared his time in the Bush administration with the presidency of Lincoln:
During his speech, Gonzales repeatedly made references comparing himself and the Bush administration to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, suggesting that Lincoln was highly criticized during his presidency and is now highly revered.
According to Gonzales, the truths about his actions will be revealed in years to come.
“There is a difference between what you do and what people say you do. It’s going to take years for the entire story to be told,” said Gonzales. “If you worry about criticism you end up paralyzed and do nothing.”
The Bush-Lincoln comparison is quickly becoming one of the administration’s favorite talking points. In a recent interview with Fox News, Bush repeatedly tried to link himself with Lincoln, (falsely) claiming that the country “hated” Lincoln when he was leaving office.
More recently, Rove compared Bush to Lincoln in his ability to “get to the nub of the thing.” Conservatives including Newt Gingrich, John Gibson, David Brooks, Glenn Beck, and Rudy Giuliani have also taken up the comparison.
Historians, however, disagree. Many are actually wondering “whether Bush, in fact, will be remembered as the very worst president in all of American history.”
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Krikeys! What a jackass. The only comparison would be that these two morons, together are worth the coin bearing Lincoln’s likeness.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:19 pmLincoln held the country together in a time of civil-war and possible secession, Rove and crew worked to divide it thru partisan emnity and inane punditry.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:19 pmAll these comparisons to the Lincoln presidency make me want to stage a revival of Our American Cousin. I hear it’s a quite funny show.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:22 pmIt’s going to take years for the entire story to be told,†said Gonzales.
Why? Does Gonzo expect to recover his memory a little bit at a time over the next several years?
February 20th, 2008 at 12:22 pmI still favor this, more accurate comparison:
Bush-Cheney/Beavis-Butthead
February 20th, 2008 at 12:22 pmOne valid comparison between Bush and Lincoln is Bush has also presided over a civil war - except that it was in Iraq. He also started a political civil war here at home by being a divisive jerk.
News Corpse, The Internet’s Chronicle Of Media Decay.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:22 pmHow many students this money will help?
It is sad that our universities spending this kind of money on speeches.
If these people love this country and students…they will do this free…
But everywhere you look you see universities paying big money in the tens of thousands of dollars to ex- officials to speak…a very unhealthy trend , indeed.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:23 pmLincoln left office a little ahead of schedule. And rather suddenly.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:24 pmlipstick on a pig, folks…
here’s hoping obama’s amazing electoral performance is indicative
of the people’s realization of such tactics…
i tend to think so…
February 20th, 2008 at 12:25 pmAnd I repeatedly compare myself to Uma Thurman. No matter I’m male with a beard, overweight a bit and can’t act for shit. But, hey, look at me!! I’m Uma Thurman!!!!!
February 20th, 2008 at 12:25 pm“Historians, however, disagree. Many are actually wondering “whether Bush, in fact, will be remembered as the very worst president in all of American history.—
I think it shall. He’s the worst we’ve had since Pres. Nixon, and maybe even worst than ‘ol “tricky dick” himself!
February 20th, 2008 at 12:26 pmI found this to be an excellent source of information.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ 2008/ 02/ 19/ chris-matthews-humiliates_n_87493.html?load=1&page=3#comments
February 20th, 2008 at 12:26 pmYou can put a pile of crap in a pretty box, wrap it in beautiful paper, and seal it with all sorts of pretty ribbon.
But, in the end, its still just a pile of crap.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:27 pmOMG — it’s contagious. First Dubya’s infected with the illness, and now it’s spread to Gonzo.
Are we going to get this from other members and ex-members of this administration as well?
February 20th, 2008 at 12:29 pmYes, self delusion is rampant.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:31 pmYou know, Ed Wood (generally regarded as the very worst movie director of all time) compared himself to Orson Welles, and compared his magnum opus (”Plan 9 from Outer Space”) to “Citizen Kane”.
Delusion isn’t just limited to politics.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:32 pmGonzocchio, our disgraced assclown liar Attorney General. Nice legacy, Gonzo! I can’t wait for him to be put on trial for the damage he’s done to our judicial system and incarcerated for a very long time.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:32 pmWhat a couple of imbeciles in the above picture. They may be laughing at us all now but that will certainly change in the near future.
Poster #8: Thanks for the laugh. I am sure Mr Lincoln would have preferred an exit that was a little less hasty. Apparently these morons think they can rewrite history and nobody will notice.
The American public is wising up to these asshats.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:34 pmOnly a fool would believe any of this hype or pull that guys finger..wait I just described pundits…
February 20th, 2008 at 12:34 pmThis mass delusion only makes sense. I mean, what’s the upside to any Bushbots coming out and admitting the truth? Nothing. They have no future in public life ahead of them, so there’s no need to rehab any credibility.
At least, if they keep chanting “Lincolnesque, Lincolnesque, Lincolnesque” they can feel better about themselves, convince the trolls like Frank M and Va Voom, and maybe even convince themselves for a little while.
It’s like an alcoholic who drinks to ease the pain.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:34 pmpoor president lincoln. he must be doing somersaults in his grave right about now.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:34 pmYou know, Ed Wood (generally regarded as the very worst movie director of all time) compared himself to Orson Welles, and compared his magnum opus (â€Plan 9 from Outer Spaceâ€) to “Citizen Kaneâ€.
Delusion isn’t just limited to politics.
Comment by missmolly — February 20, 2008 @ 12:32 pm
Nice one, missmolly.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:35 pmA little bit of Bush’s waterboarding techniques would go a long way toward bring these delusional, self-aggrandizing, egomaniacs right back to reality. It’s no wonder the GOPiglets are now siding with the constitutionalists and the american people - they see the handwriting on the wall. If given these broad powers, the next prez will use it on them. I think it would be sweet “poetic justice” to a gang of thugs who thought they were smart enough to coup our democracy.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:35 pmI dunno, missmolly, I think Alan Smithee would give Ed Wood quite a run for the title of “Worst Director of All Time”…
February 20th, 2008 at 12:35 pmUse the power and then give it back to the people once the imprisonment of these criminals takes place….
February 20th, 2008 at 12:36 pmsuggesting that Lincoln was highly criticized during his presidency and is now highly revered.
This kind of propaganda is purley self-serving. Their legacy, as many have mentioned earlier in this thread will be determined by other, more objective voices……a comparison on any level with Lincoln will not be among them. Benidict Arnold comes to mind
February 20th, 2008 at 12:37 pmGonzales, on the other hand, will not be remembered.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:37 pm#18 And the caption of this photo should read: Two Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest!
February 20th, 2008 at 12:37 pmYeah I could see it if Lincoln was a shifty, lying sack of sh1t.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:37 pmcheck out the photo of gonzo and frat boy!
February 20th, 2008 at 12:39 pmthey’re even laughing at the comparison!
There is only one thing that I wish Bu$h and Lincoln had in common…
February 20th, 2008 at 12:39 pmDid Lincoln’s Attorney General resign in disgrace and repeatedly lie to Congress?
February 20th, 2008 at 12:41 pmGonzales is ABSOLUTELY correct in that “the truths about his actions will be revealed in years to come.” He has led the most secret Administration in History and I’m sure that we have barely broken the surface into the depth and amount of laws that have been broken.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:41 pmDelusional morons.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:42 pmWhy is there any doubt he is the worst president? In what categories did Hoover do more? And the year of the meltdown is still young.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:43 pmA perfect illustration of the maxim: “You can’t turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse.”
February 20th, 2008 at 12:43 pmHow many of Lincoln’s administrative staff were held in contempt of congress?
February 20th, 2008 at 12:44 pmI can’t find any speeches by Lincoln that urges the country to go shopping.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:45 pmGonzales ‘Repeatedly’ Compares Himself And Bush Administration To Lincoln Presidency
February 20th, 2008 at 12:46 pmAhhh , dreams certainly are for free…………..
Even though the word “Nuclear” wasn’t around in Lincoln’s time I’m pretty sure he could pronounce it.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:46 pmWhen did Lincoln or anyone in his administration ever promote political partisanship and torture , Mr Mexican Mall Lawyer ?
February 20th, 2008 at 12:49 pm“According to Gonzales, the truths about his actions will be revealed in years to come.”
That assertion is based on the premise there will be an administration that responds to Congressional subpoenas.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:49 pmGonzo insists that the truth will take many years to be told.
First off, it wouldn’t take that long if he would just answer questions truthfully when he’s testifying before Congress.
Secondly, there’ no debate about this administration’s secrecy. In my experience, i find that people are closed-mouthed about what they are doing for one of two reasons:
either (a) they are modest and believe as Jesus taught that they should do good works out of sight of others, knowing tat they are in the sight of God,
or
(b) they’re up to no good.
I think in this case, we can cross (a) off the list.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:50 pmThey just keep providing grist for history’s cruel mill. Now, historians of the future will not only document bushco’s misdeeds, they will add that the administration was arrogant to the extent of claiming comparison to actually great Presidents of the past. Their claims to fame will become part of their indictment, and that’s poetically just.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:53 pmLincoln saved the Union. Bush almost destroyed it. And still could.
No comparison. And they know it.
Bush/Cheney are embracing Hyper Reality and brainwashing those who will listen.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:54 pmAnd for once, he’s right. This story won’t be told while
1) Bush can use his subservient AG to quash any investigation,
2) the Republicans in congress can obstruct any investigation, and
3) the Extreme court can prevent the Bush administration from being taken to court
So it will take time. However, the truth will come out, Abu, and when it does, it may not set you free. In fact, I think it may have the opposite effect.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:57 pmLincoln surrounded himself with those that would disagree with him. Bush is surrounded by “Yes men” that are too afraid to look outside the bubble.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:58 pmThere are rumors that Lincoln’s ghost walks the hallways of the White House late at night.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:00 pmWhat would he do if he came upon the chymp, chugging and snorting and taking/getting it from Jeff Gannon?
Come on! Can’t you see the similarities?
Bush and Lincoln = both have/had ears, although Bush does not use his to listen to opposition, while Lincoln actually had opposition leaders in his cabinet
Bush and Lincoln = both have/had eyes, although Bush can’t see reality any better alive than Lincoln can dead
Bush and Lincoln = both have/had legs, although Lincoln used his to actually get out among the people, including the war fronts, to find out what was going on (see eyes)
Bush and Lincoln = both have/had balls, although Lincoln used his to try to keep the Union together while Bush uses his to bully another country and to divide the Union
Bush and Lincoln = both have/had brains, OK only Lincoln
February 20th, 2008 at 1:04 pmI’m becoming more and more convinced that there has been a slow carbon monoxide leak in the White House for the past seven years or so. It would explain alot of things. From every Administration member’s tragic and sudden loss of memory, to all the stupid-assed decisions that have come out of the WH, to all of them having these Lincoln delusions…maybe it’s simply a job for the EPA or OSHA to look into.
(snark off)
February 20th, 2008 at 1:06 pmWatch the self-serving hyperbole, Fredo. The Furies are listening, & they have looong memories for what you & BushCo actually did & are:
http://www.in2greece.com/ english/ historymyth/ mythology/ names/ furies.htm
February 20th, 2008 at 1:06 pmThis all plays into the real question at hand…. just as so many players in this administration and its corrupt Congressional and governmental counterparts have said a number of times, “I’ll let history decide if my actions were noble.”
It should send shivers up and down the spine of our very Democratic Republic itself… for as Tom Delay was quoted as saying, “when we’re done with this poker game there may not be a federal government left, which would suit me fine.”
wacko conspiracy or not, you cannot argue that their actions coupled with words like Gonzales, Delay and GW himself have said… clearly point to a big change in our future.. the future of the United States of America.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:06 pmThe rethuglican talking heads will repeat this until it becomes embedded in the minds of the dolts who listen to them. It will become part of the fabric of the Bush presidency, regardless that it is a totally false comparison with no basis in fact whatsoever.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:07 pmNot only will Fox give them ample time to repeat their delusional assertions, but the msm will do so also - without challenge - because that is the state of journalism today. Bull s**t is allowed to remain on the same level as historical fact.
It will be up to historians to put this failed presidency in the proper perspective, but until that day arrives, the rest of us will have to endure the delusional sycophants comparing their dunceheaded failure of a leader to Abraham Lincoln.
Quick, get Bushie to Ford’s Theatre.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:07 pmBush would be better compared to Zippy the Pinhead…except Zippy would be a better president.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:08 pmIt’s like an alcoholic who drinks to ease the pain.
Comment by ralph the wonder llama
Yep…And if I say I am like Lincoln over and over again, maybe people will start believing it. Ya know, it worked for the Nazis - it could work for Bush too. They also speak German in Paraguay, so our chimpster has that going for him.
Yeah, he is just like Lincoln - except without the competence, patriotism, intellect, historical perspective, passion, sensitivity, loyalty to America, and the ability to bring out the best in people. Other that that, he does walk on two feet.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:08 pmI believe that as history progresses, George Bush will be somewhat vindicated in that the blame for the War will shift to the entire government of that era, including Congress, and as such personal responsibility will no longer be beared by M. Bush alone
February 20th, 2008 at 1:16 pmBush and Gonzales are holding out hope against hope. There will be no silver lining for this disaster of a president and all of his disastrous appointees.
Bush can “crap in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up first” (Grumpy Old Men)
The only problem is that Bush has crapped in both hands for sixty years.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:21 pmWasn’t Team Bush making Truman comparisons not three months ago? What happened? The Truman Brand came back from its test marketing unsuccessful, so time to sully another brand, this time Lincoln.
Perhaps a more apt comparison to James Buchanan, Warren Harding or Herbert Hoover would be more in order, although each of them are monuments of competence and ethics compared to the Idiot Frat-Boy.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:21 pmI’m trying to picture George attending a Theater and watching a play. Sorry but I can’t even imagine that. Unless, of course, he’s asleep and snoring.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:22 pmLincoln log, as in small, brown and stinky is more like it.
And absolutely they worst president in history, hands down.
Buck Fush
February 20th, 2008 at 1:24 pm—-
In a recent interview with Fox News, Bush repeatedly tried to link himself with Lincoln, (falsely) claiming that the country “hated†Lincoln when he was leaving office.
—-
If I were President Bush, I wouldn’t be nostalgic about how Lincoln “left office.” On the other hand, this goes to show that Lincoln still had more brains than Bush, even after leaving office the way he did.
- Tom
February 20th, 2008 at 1:26 pmI believe that as history progresses, George Bush will be somewhat vindicated in that the blame for the War will shift to the entire government of that era, including Congress, and as such personal responsibility will no longer be beared by M. Bush alone
Comment by AllPeopleUnite
I agree to a point. Cheney and the Addington/Yoo crowd were very instrumental in pushing our idiot in chief into the invasion. They filled his little mind with visions of grandeur and Lincolnesque comparisons.
Congress - and the MSM - were both criminally involved too. Most of the checks and balances created to keep this from happening were torn down and nobody seemed to notice, until it was too late.
The American people will also be held culpable because we did not raise our voices enough to be heard. Why there is no marching in the streets - for what we now know - is beyond me. I thought Americans were loyal to the their country - not to their leaders. We have allowed our country to be kidnapped and raped, but we do nothing about it. Our memories are too short, and the congresscriters know this so they continue to test us. A vigilent citizenry is vital for a healthy democracy, but we seem too lazy to lift our heads. We are all to blame.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:30 pmand put andrew “shooter” johnson in charge?
February 20th, 2008 at 1:31 pmCompare Bush & company to Hitler & gang.
Far more accurate.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:32 pmThe rethuglican talking heads will repeat this until it becomes embedded in the minds of the dolts who listen to them. It will become part of the fabric of the Bush presidency, regardless that it is a totally false comparison with no basis in fact whatsoever.
Not only will Fox give them ample time to repeat their delusional assertions, but the msm will do so also - without challenge - because that is the state of journalism today. Bull s**t is allowed to remain on the same level as historical fact.
Comment by Marie
Yeah, they have finally convinced themselves despite the facts that raygun was somehow a great man……..
February 20th, 2008 at 1:39 pmLet’s not be hasty here. We need a thorough comparison:
Pre-Presidential Years
Lincoln: Overcame a deprived, uneducated childhood to become a successful lawyer.
Bush: After being born into privilege, drove every business enterprise he attempted into the ground despite Ivy League education.
Early Presidency
Lincoln: Rejected the advice of his Secretary of State to unite the country by declaring war on Spain and/or France based on false pretenses.
Bush: Started a war in Iraq on false pretenses.
Selection of Advisors
Lincoln: Appointed his fiercest rivals for the nomination to cabinet posts and ran for a second term with a member of the opposing party to inspire unity.
Bush: Not so much.
Leadership
Lincoln: Gave the Gettysburg address reminding the nation that despite a major battlefield success, much struggle remained before victory could be claimed.
Bush: Appeared on the deck of an aircraft carrier in a flight suit in front of a banner proclaiming “Mission Accomplished” nearly five years and thousands of lives ago.
Conclusion
February 20th, 2008 at 1:39 pmMakes perfect sense to me but I think they are comparing the Chimp to the wrong Lincoln. Mary Todd Lincoln suffered serious mental illness including paranoid delusions following the loss of her son and husband during the war and was institutionalized by her surviving son in her later years. Given the delusional belief of the current occupant of the White House and his sycophantic followers that his administration will be seen as anything other than a catastrophic failure of historic proportions, I believe the Mary Todd Lincoln comparisons are far more apt.
Damn good stuff paleolib. Damn good.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:43 pmYou mean where Lincoln’s inexperience, naive nature and unwillingness to compromise nearly destroyed the nation? Well that part of Lincoln is a fair comparison - but that’s where it ends!
February 20th, 2008 at 1:45 pmCaption Contest:
“Only answer questions from the friendly, preapproved people over there”.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:48 pmwell than…I hope Bush and Gonzo will go to see a play, and some nutty actor with a gun…
February 20th, 2008 at 1:49 pm…just following up their comparison! I actually think they are the same as Musolini, not Lincon!
February 20th, 2008 at 1:51 pmAlberto can’t even get hired to a law firm with “Former U.S. Attorney General” on his resume, so he scrapes for babbling time on the dollar of colleges and universities, where he offers nothing of scholastic value.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:53 pmLincoln was assassinated, though.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:58 pmI wonder if Lincoln ever achieved an approval rating of 19%?
http://americanresearchgroup.com/economy/
Ouch.
Ouch indeed.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:59 pmAccording to Gonzales, the truths about his actions will be revealed in years to come.
Why doesn’t he just tell us the truth now? Is he hiding it until after his death?
February 20th, 2008 at 2:15 pmIf we can get our hands on the missing 5 million e-mails, it won’t take years to understand what this administration was doing. Fredo should relish these days…his reputation will only get more tarnished with time.
February 20th, 2008 at 2:22 pmWait, don’t laugh. The comparison between Bush and Lincoln does make sense if you look at Bush’s current approval ratings. If, during the Civil War, you took a poll of the Southern population on how they thought about Lincoln it would likely be the same as how the American People think about Bush (19% approval rating).
This is the only situation where comparing Bush and Lincoln makes sense…
February 20th, 2008 at 2:48 pm“Sir, I served with Abraham Lincoln; I knew Abraham Lincoln; you`re no Abraham Lincoln…”
February 20th, 2008 at 3:47 pmI don’t know if this an April’s Fools joke, if I need to scrub my computer, if I need to get angry, or simply laugh my ass off. And now Fredo the criminal [who is not worth a peso] is joining the lovefest of nimrods comparing himself and the Administration to Lincoln. I am sure that Lincoln is upstairs telling Bush and his cronies to talk to the hand.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:59 pmIt is amazing to see how these criminals have no touch with reality… I whish they would reveal what do they somke to be like that!
February 20th, 2008 at 4:02 pmGonzales continues showing the world that he is a laughing stock. Poor deranged, delusional thing.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:10 pmGonzales repeatedly made references comparing himself and the Bush administration to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, suggesting that Lincoln was highly criticized during his presidency and is now highly revered.
Umm, that might not be the best comparison to keep using, Gonzo. You do remember how that presidency ended don’t you? A little feller by the name of John Wilkes Booth had something to do with it.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:17 pmI was at the protest with other WUSTL students. We wore orange strait jackets and carried posters.
The turnout for the protest was around 200-250, which was pretty good considering how godforsaken cold it was (20s).
February 20th, 2008 at 8:32 pmOh, and some notes on his speech, which some protesters had tickets to (not me):
It was only around 20-30 min. long, and he read directly from some sheet. A few people yelled something to him (like, “You’re a liar.”) and exited the speech. Students in orange jumpsuits turned their backs to him when he went on stage. When he started one of his sentences something like, “I’ve made mistakes….” a girl in the audience yelled, “What mistakes have you made?”
The 560 building (which was where the speech was held) holds 1100 people, but supposedly only 400 seats were taken, many of whom were protesters.
The reason why Gonzales was invited was because the Student Union wanted to spur political discourse, so they funded this highly controversial figure.
February 20th, 2008 at 8:37 pmLincoln wouldn’t let no Mexicuns in his administration.
February 21st, 2008 at 1:21 amhere is my daughter’s report, she’s a student at Wash U. :
hey, did you get my forwards? i sent you two in a row and so now i think your hotmail account has my email address tagged as spam. dave and i went to see gonzalez speak…he was pretty pathetic. only about 400 students went…mostly protesters in orange jumpsuits and, of course, college republicans were there…they got him there in the first place. there’s a huge discussion on campus about whether it was right to spend $30k of our student activities budget on this guy (er…criminal). a few people clapped when he went up to speak, most of us boo’ed. at one point during his speech (which had no clear theme) a student got up and yelled “you broke the law, you should be in jail!”. we all clapped at that. anyway, his speech was a cookie-cutter speech, about how america is a country of change…about the hard decisions all presidents have faced…basically a defense of the bush admin. his delivery was weak, he sucks at speaking almost as bad as bush. at the end was a Q &A session…i don’t think he answered a single question…he mostly just beat around the bush, bush-style. for example: Q = “during your time as attorney general, what is something you are most proud of and somthing you are not proud of?” A = “every person faces hard decisions blah blah +, more generalites, + blah blah” = no real answer. lamo. well, i’m going to get back to studying…just thought you might be interested to hear my account of the speech…haha.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:44 amThese guys… Just when I thought Gonzales couldn’t be any more un-self-aware and foolish. Shouldn’t his friends and family be telling him to shut up now to same him and them more embarrassment?
“the country “hated†Lincoln when he was leaving office”
I’ve been told that he didn’t get the opportunity to leave office. So is the hate as made up as the “leaving office” part? It doesn’t really matter here, but yes.
February 21st, 2008 at 4:37 pm