Bush refuses to have his picture taken with the press corps on last Air Force One flight.
Bush refuses to have his picture taken with the press corps on last Air Force One flight.
Yesterday on the Charlie Rose Show, journalists Jon Meacham, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, and Robert Draper discussed President Bush’s “impassioned and defiant” final press conference held that morning. Meacham called Bush’s demeanor in the presser “Nixon lite” and Draper said, “I don’t know that [Bush] has ever quite respected” the press’s mission. Following that point, Stolberg noted that on Bush’s last flight on Air Force One, the press asked for a photo with him, but Bush declined:
STOLBERG: [R]elations between the Bush White House and the press are so soured that even at the very end of the flight, when Dana Perino came back and a TV cameraman said, “Why don’t you send the president back to have a picture with us,” she said, “You won’t ask him any questions, will you?” And then she said she would think about it, and she came back and she said, “Well, I’m sorry, you know, we are out of time.”
Now, he is the president of the United States. If he had engaged the press throughout his administration and used the press to his advantage, he would not find himself at the end of his presidency in a situation where he couldn’t even come back for a simple photograph.
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Bush is still the stupid ill-mannnered wilfull frat boy that he has been since he started college many years ago…
January 13th, 2009 at 2:24 pmThat’s our spoiled, petulant Chief Executive.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:24 pmThe puzzling part of this scenario is that the Press Corps never really did get into asking real questions. Ever. I guess he just doesn’t like anyone questioning him, perhaps because he spent his youth answering questions about his behavior back then.
Yesterday’s presser displayed Bush on Valium or Xanax. He ‘felt good’ enough to joke around, but as he said himself, ‘I think many of you have misunderestimated me these past 8 years’.
Au contraire, Mr. Bush, we misoverestimated you…
January 13th, 2009 at 2:27 pmI guess they were too hard on him at the press conference yesterday. You know, just letting him ramble on and on and on…
Oh damn! Maybe he’ll cancel his farewell to the nation on Thursday night.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:29 pmYou know what works really well, Chimpy?
Holding your breath until you turn blue…
January 13th, 2009 at 2:29 pmOh, come on. You make it seem like Bush cared about anything other than himself. He used the press corps to his advantage, and now that he’s leaving a tattered country behind, why should he care now?
At the very least, Bush has my vote as the Worst President EVER! He’s no showing his true colors while trying to rewrite history: http://tv1.com/playlists/123
January 13th, 2009 at 2:29 pmIf he’s so petulant about the lapdog press that he had for most of his 8 years, think how he’d be if we had a real press corps asking him questions….
January 13th, 2009 at 2:33 pmMy god, who could have foreseen this happening? I just want to know what the wingnuts reaction will be to Sheryl [deleted] Stolberg’s comments. Whatever their response, it will most likely be [deleted].
January 13th, 2009 at 2:34 pmMemo to the lapdog press corps: This is what happens when you try to placate the Republicans, they whine about you anyway…even if you regurgitate everything they say…
January 13th, 2009 at 2:35 pmThe Chimperor has nothing but contempt for the press. Didn’t he say at the end of the presser yesterday about how the press were just doing the best they could. Sounds like something he heard from his parents growing up, that little Georgie isn’t too smart, but he’s doing the best he could. I think he’s transferring his childhood insecurities onto any person or group that is ‘judging’ him.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:35 pmSomebody might have put up the rabbit ears behind him in a picture.
This might have been the smartest move he has made in 8 years.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:36 pmWas Bush too busy taking all the embroidered Air Force One items that weren’t nailed down to sell on eBay?
Someone better frisk him or we might lose a years supply of free peanuts and beer, as another way of him screwing the taxpayer.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:38 pmI bet if Olmert had called him to take that damn picture he would have jumped.
Change, it’s coming.
RIP
January 13th, 2009 at 2:42 pmSGT Stephen R. Sherman
C CO 1-5 IN (STRYKER)
KIA 3 Feb 2005
Mosul, Iraq
If he had engaged the press throughout his administration and used the press to his advantage
what a corrupt hack. i guess she wasn’t present during the daily white house briefings where the gathered courtiers would giggle and laugh in delight at what bush did.
i love it that he is such a dick that he wouldn’t even provide a final group photo to those who have knelt before him these past eight years.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:43 pmHe may have to. There aren’t enough White House interns to fill the seats in those empty rows in the back of the nation.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:47 pmDon’t know what he’s miffed about. He’s gotten far better treatment than he and his cohorts deserved. If the press had been forthright about confronting ShrubCo and it’s disastrous reign, Shruby and Cheney would have been, (should have been), impeached.
Along with everything else, Bush is an ungrateful wretch.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:47 pmIt’s the press’ fault that he isn’t popular.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:50 pmWhat I question is why the hell would anyone want their picture taken with Bush?
January 13th, 2009 at 2:53 pm…at the very end of the flight…
The argument that they didn’t have time kind of holds water.
Man, those rambling responses from the final press conference were so bad, I was actually a little embarassed for the chimp. Especially the part about how his non-response to Katrina entirely consisted of whether or not he should have landed his plane in Baton Rouge. It’s like, when there’s one completely clueless person in the room, and he’s accidentally expounding on what an idiot he is, and everybody but him knows it, it just makes you kind of cringe… except for the disgusting fact that this is the President of the United States of America we’re talking about.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:53 pmI found the whole tone of the panel last evening, and the worst was Rose himself, to be almost pandering. Some compliments, some VERY muted criticism, but no outright calling Bush on BS..Very disappointing.
If the press thinks Bush, overall, is/was a dirt bag they should have said so!!
January 13th, 2009 at 2:54 pmDana: “I’ll see if he’ll come back and play with you, but you won’t be mean to him, will you?”
Press Corps: “No, mom — we promise.”
Dana (reemerging after going inside for a while): “I’m sorry, kids — Georgie says he’s still mad at you and doesn’t want to play with you anymore and he doesn’t want to be your friend either. Now run along home.”
——————————————
Sounds sorta Leave it to Beaver-ish, doesn’t it???
January 13th, 2009 at 2:54 pmMaybe Georgie was overwrought with emotion and couldn’t pull himself together.
January 13th, 2009 at 2:58 pmYou mean, besides this guy?
January 13th, 2009 at 3:00 pmI’m confused. I thought that Shrub was determined to see be vindicated. I also thought he wanted to go on the lecture circuit ot replace funds.
Either way, he’s gonna need the cooperation on the press. And a picture is such a little thing. Walk back, smile, walk back out.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:15 pm24. Dynamo – Bush waved with the left hand ???? You’re kidding aren’t you.
After all, that is a whole lot more significant than Obama not having his hand over his heart for the Star Spangled Bannner.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:15 pmW knew the press wouldn’t want to be wearing their muzzles for the photographs so he was afraid to come back. Besides, unlike other ex-presidents that make money giving speeches and writing books he’s going to have to make the circuit like a ball player giving autographs and getting his picture taken for cash.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:21 pmDon’t worry. The country is filthy with a$$hole Republicans to talk about. We may start with you.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:40 pmDynamo Says:
Let me translate for those not fluent in Wignutese
WWWWAAAHHHHHHHH stop showing what a petulant, arrogant PUNK, Bush is WWWWWAAAHHHHHHHHHH. My Bush Idolotry Syndrome impels me to pretend he WASNT the worst president in modern times. WWWWWWAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
January 13th, 2009 at 3:40 pmGood to see that Dubya isn’t about to change the behavior that has defined his past 8 years. That building on SMU will still be a monument to an a@@hole!
January 13th, 2009 at 3:42 pmDynadumo Says:
I heard that Bush didn’t wave to the public with the correct hand, thus proving he hates America! What in the world is this site going to talk about after Bush is gone?
Well, we could talk about one troll in particular who keeps changing his posting name, and is afraid of the big scary black man.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:55 pmOr how this particular troll never engages in intelligent debate, but always posts in a grade school drop out type manner.
But, what fun would that be?
Dana: “Mr. res…excuse me, president, sir?”
January 13th, 2009 at 3:55 pmGeowgie: “Huh? What now? I’m writing my memoir you know…”
Dana: “It’s the press corps, sir, they’d like to have a picture of you with the whole gang…”
Geowgie: “Oh yeah? I can hear them back there, you know, all that laughing and hooting, they’re laughing at me behind my back, aren’t they?”
Dana: “Oh, I don’t think so, sir, they’re just reminiscing of days gone by…”
Geowgie: “Oh, all right.. they won’t ask any hard questions, will they?”
Dana: “I don’t think so, sir, they just want you to raise both hands over your head with a v-for-victory sign, kind of scrunch your head between your shoulders, and puff out your cheeks a little bit…”
Geowgie: “Huh? Whatever the hell for?”
Dana: “I’m not certain sir, it’s a Republican farewell ritual, from a little before my time it seems…”
Dynamo Says:
I heard that Bush didn’t wave to the public with the correct hand, thus proving he hates America!
He hates America with both hands.
.
Dynamo Says:
What in the world is this site going to talk about after Bush is gone?
I love the wingnuts who poke their heads in and either whine and cry that the topic under discussion is not the one they’d prefer to talk about, or that the topic under discussion is lightweight, and that therefore proves that we don’t have any other topics to discuss.
.
MapleStreet Says:
After all, that is a whole lot more significant than Obama not having his hand over his heart for the Star Spangled Bannner.
Speaking of which, you’d think that wingnuts would know a thing or three about the correct forms of respect for official American symbols, since they’ve got such a fetish for official American symbols.
You don’t place your hand on your heart during the Star Spangled Banner because it’s not an oath or pledge; you do during the Pledge of Allegiance. So Obama actually knows more about the correct form than the FAUX News commentators do.
I’ve also seen wingnuts get in a tizzy about the display of an inverted flag. They don’t seem to be aware that showing a flag inverted is intended to communicate a condition of distress.
You know, when I was a kid, the old conservatives, mostly veterans, used to know how to handle and display flags, the correct forms for showing respect to country, etc. They studied that stuff. Now… I just don’t know. I guess their anti-intellectualism has overtaken even their surface patriotism, so they can’t even get that right.
.
Dana: “I don’t think so, sir, they just want you to raise both hands over your head with a v-for-victory sign, kind of scrunch your head between your shoulders, and puff out your cheeks a little bit…”
Geowgie: “Huh? Whatever the hell for?”
I bet somebody could actually get him to do that.
January 13th, 2009 at 4:13 pmThe petulant boy-king is indulging himself in a little snit.
January 13th, 2009 at 4:24 pmOnce a spoiled rich boy, now a spoiled rich man.
Once a brat whose parents gave him whatever he wanted, then a president whose press once gave him everything he wanted.
Everyone in the press, whatever they think of him now that it is too late, is still too deferent, too obsequious, and too impotent to ask tough questions and challenge his astonishingly ignorant and irrelevant responses.
January 13th, 2009 at 4:26 pmI wont to see the press corp take pictures of the Criminal Bush in his orange jumpsuit.
January 13th, 2009 at 6:35 pmI think it’s profoundly ironic that the American press corps, who have done nothing but kiss Bush’s ass and cover his tracks for the last 8 years, get totally dissed by him at his last press conference, then Bush refuses to have his picture taken with them.
It’s the equivalent of a foolish woman (or man) who constantly puts up with all her husband’s infidelities and keeps covering for him, saying to herself “no, he’s a good person, no, he’s really not like that. We’re trying to work this out”, then one day he just gets tired of her and leaves her, angry, bitter, and depressed.
The MSM were played and humiliated by Bush, and they were complicit in their own oppression.
January 13th, 2009 at 7:15 pmHere’s a prediction…
When the new president takes the oath next Tuesday (hooray!), the press will attack him from day one. They will say…
“We were asleep during the Bush years, and that was wrong. Now we’re awake, and we’re going to make President Obama’s life a living hell to make up for ignoring the crimes of Bush. Aren’t we wonderful?”.
January 13th, 2009 at 7:16 pm