Think Progress

Bush’s 2001 inaugural pledge: I will ‘call for responsibility and try to live it as well.’

Almost eight years ago, President Bush took the oath of office and solemnly swore to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” (Listen here.) It was a cold, overcast, and rainy day in Washington, DC, devoid of much of the excitement surrounding this weekend’s festivities. In Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore captured the scene:

After taking the oath, Bush delivered an inaugural address that contained this pledge: “I will live and lead by these principles: to advance my convictions with civility, to pursue the public interest with courage, to speak for greater justice and compassion, to call for responsibility and try to live it as well.” Watch the entire speech here.

Update On Keith Olbermann's show Thursday night, former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan noted, "The president won‘t even acknowledge a single mistake of significance. And that‘s a problem, because you‘re not going get people to pay attention if you don‘t do that."
Update Hilzoy has more.


84 Responses to “Bush’s 2001 inaugural pledge: I will ‘call for responsibility and try to live it as well.’”

  1. katy says:

    can’t watch it…

    right now i’m watching msnbc…

    it will surprise no one to find out that chris matthews just asked d.c. mayor fenty if obama was going to be going out at nights “like marion barry”… i kid you not…

    what ever makes him think those kinds of “jokes” are funny, much less clever…

    he pulled a few already in these 20 minutes… hope that was the topper.


  2. katy says:

    oh, and fook boosh.

    good fookin’ riddance you fookin’ LIAR.


  3. Zooey says:

    Watch the entire speech here.

    Are you kidding, Faiz!? No frickin’ way! :-D


  4. Wayne A. Schneider says:

    “I will live and lead by these principles: to advance my convictions with civility, to pursue the public interest with courage, to speak for greater justice and compassion, to call for responsibility and try to live it as well.”

    Then he turned to Vice President Gore and kicked him hard in the nuts.


  5. 5th Estate says:

    katy…

    Chris Matthews is just bizarre… fueled by some sort of politics-triggered hormonal imbalance… he’s an excitable boy.

    I don’t think I have the quote any more and can’t be bothered to Google it now but I do recall Bush saying during his 1999/2000 election campaign that his economic policies would create “12 million jobs”.

    I watched every one of his “State of the…whatever you call it” speeches out of a sense of personal and civic responsibility , but his 15 minute farewell the other night I simply could not bring myself to watch.


  6. ElBruce says:

    “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

    Somebody should have played that video back to him from time to time.


  7. Wayne A. Schneider says:

    5th estate,

    If you missed Bush’s farewell “address”, you didn’t miss much. It can pretty much be summed up as, “Oh, well, I tried. Where’s my trophy?”


  8. Wayne A. Schneider says:

    ElBruce Says:

    “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

    If he wanted to be as honest as he claimed, he should have said, “…preserve, protect, and defend that goddamned piece of paper…”


  9. LibertyLover says:

    I think that if I met this man before he ever became President, then I would think him personable. However my everlasting impression of this man will be: “The Man Who Would Be King” but should never have been allowed to have been President.


  10. kasinca says:

    W was obviously reciting someone elses words. Obama writes or at least edits his speeches so he knows what he is saying. W said words he had no idea of what the meaning was.


  11. Wayne A. Schneider says:

    Or maybe he said, “Academic Award, here I come.”


  12. Wayne A. Schneider says:

    kasinca,

    Soemtimes I wonder if the requirement to say those words threw him for a second. He probably said to himself, “Holy crap, does the constitution say I have to say that? Okay, Academy Award, here I come.”


  13. Wayne A. Schneider says:

    TP – I’m tired of seeing my posts get switched around like that. Please fix this glitch. Thank you.

    #12 was posted before #11.


  14. Shayne says:

    We were in trouble from the very beginning. Only people who saw Fahrenheit 9/11 know about these protests at Bush’s inauguration. The MSM never showed any of it. The fix was in, they were all complicit, right from the beginning.


  15. COProgressive says:

    “to call for responsibility and try to live it as well.” – G.W. Bush.
    When might we expect that to happen?

    A Truman had a sign on his desk that said “The Buck Stops Here!”, I imagine Bush had one that said…

    “The Buck Stops Somewhere Else!”

    There has never been any responsibility for the out-and-out failures of this administration, not for 9/11, not for not capturing or killing bin Laden, not for pulling out of the pursuit of bin Laden, not for the switch of targets from bin Laden to SH and Iraq, not for the invasion of Iraq, not for the deaths of 4,500 Americans, not for the deaths of 100’s of thousands of Iraqis, not for the quagmire the Iraq war for oil became, not for his lack of an exit stratagy, not for running up America’s National Debt to twice what it was before he took office, not for sending our country down the slippery slope of Oligarchy, and not for ruining our country’s economy and causing millions of jobs to be lost.

    He has taken no responsibility for any of it, BUT, he has taken responsibility for keeping us safe for seven years, after failing in a most horrible way.

    George W. Bush – Worst president Ever!


  16. impeachcheneythenbush says:

    Bush embodies the old saying, “talk is cheap.”


  17. Wayne A. Schneider says:

    Good post, COProgressive. Personally, I laugh at anyone who claims that Bush should be given credit for keeping us safe since 9/11 (while completely ignoring the fact that he utterly failed to keep us safe on 9/11.) As one famous blogger noted, this is like trying to take credit for not losing a major American city since Katrina.

    Note to Bush: If you’re going to take credit for everything since 9/11, then you have to accept responsibility for failing on 9/11.


  18. impeachcheneythenbush says:

    LibertyLover Says:

    I think that if I met this man before he ever became President, then I would think him personable.

    I saw him a few times giving speeches when he was Gov. of Texas, and followed his campaign in 2000. I was as horrified by his candidacy as I was by Palin’s. And to this day, I see absolutely no daylight between them. Only difference is that one comes from a connected family and is male, and the other is female. Otherwise, perfectly interchangeable. Ignorant, full of hubris, utterly unaware. Unevolved. And dangerous, because of that. Easily manipulated by others, only limited by their self-ambition and self-image. A title, power and authority is all they want; responsibility and accountability is not desired. A few royals literally lost their heads because of this attitude, back in France a hundred years + ago. For a person that supposedly was a history major, it’s obvious Bush didn’t read his assignments.


  19. LibertyLover says:

    Just watched that video. I had forgotten about the protests. Such a marked contrast to the reception Obama even is receiving on his Whistle-Stop Tour today.


  20. wiley says:

    I protested his gubernatorial inauguration in Austin. I saw Texas go down the tubes rapidly. He exceeded my worst fears as president. I can’t, for the life of me, understand how decent people fall for such snakes.


  21. LibertyLover says:

    impeachcheneythenbush

    I left Texas shortly after Ann Richards was elected Governor of Texas, and so never witnessed GWB in action as governor. But I have met people that have met Bush and have found him charming and personable. But then again, so are many sociopaths… they become what you want them to become in order to gain your friendship and approval.

    But after any careful study of this man, there is something just not right with him. He is broken on the inside somehow. I think that is what made him so dangerous as a President, especially after Cheney chose himself to be the Veep. I can see Cheney so easily manipulating GWB into believing that what he is doing is the best thing for the country. I’m not excusing his responsibilities for his actions, mind you, just an observation. And you are right, I think Palin has the same qualities in that regard.

    Others warned about what GWB would do to the country should he become President, most notably and most accurately Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose (and Gore Vidal),

    In 2004, I think that we could have mitigated the damage that this man and his administration perpetrated on this country. But it wasn’t to be. It’s been a very long 8 years and I am so ready to move on from this man. May he go to Dallas (or Paraguay or the Hague) and just let the country heal. And I hope that he will, unlike Palin, and take the opportunity to shut the heck up.


  22. Marie says:

    He didn’t uphold any part of his pledge did he?


  23. LibertyLover says:

    the last line should have read: “unlike Palin has done” instead.


  24. hanshiro says:

    There were those of us back then who knew this heralded a catastrophic period in America…though the obedient media tried their utmost to keep the pubic ignorant.

    Why do people think it’s any different with Obama?

    You really think the media isn’t spinning just as hard? Ever since Obama excused bush’s illegal spying, I haven’t been a ‘fan’ though I waited to see what he meant by “change.” When the rumblings from Obama and Biden both hinted that they wouldn’t seek prosecutions of bush and cheney, and the MSM dutifully produced a shill-a-thon to buttress this viewpoint, I’ve realized we’re being steered with chain and pipe-wrench.

    Those protesters back then knew the MSM was full of crap.

    The MSM still is. And the machines that bolstered george bush also bolstered Obama. Don’t be naive.


  25. Marie says:

    Bush couldn’t walk down the street for his inaugural parade; he had to be driven in the limo — people were jeering, throwing eggs. What a contrast this weekend!
    Watching these events all day (Chris Matthews inappropriate humor spoken without thinking first notwithstanding) has been a real thrill – this is history unfolding before us.
    Schuster just interviewed a young mother from Arkansas who was both extremely articulate and yet very emotional – what a day for all fo us to remember.
    Tomorrow will bring more pre-inaugural celebration.


  26. Bobwurst says:

    COProgressive Says:
    “to call for responsibility and try to live it as well.” – G.W. Bush.
    When might we expect that to happen?

    A Truman had a sign on his desk that said “The Buck Stops Here!”, I imagine Bush had one that said…

    “The Buck Stops Somewhere Else!”

    Or he saw that sign and thought it meant he could have all the money in the Treasury.


  27. Bobwurst says:

    hanshiro says:The machines that bolstered george bush also bolstered Obama. Don’t be naive.

    Not nearly to the same degree. Are you really going to argue that Obama is as stupid, and thoughtless(as in having no thoughts) as bush? He’s not the most liberal person in the country, but he is a breath of fresh air as far as i’m concerned. And I for one am going to enjoy this honeymoon. It’s our honeymoon too hanshiro. He hasn’t had to make any decisions, or compromises, or break his word, yet. Let’s let him do something before we question his purity. Please?


  28. hanshiro says:

    27. Bobwurst Says: Are you really going to argue that Obama is as stupid, and thoughtless(as in having no thoughts) as bush?

    Bob, that’s not nearly what I said at all. Try again.

    He hasn’t had to make any decisions, or compromises, or break his word, yet.

    Then you have no earthly idea what you’re talking about. Obama has broken his promises at least three documented times, the most egregious of which was shepherding telecom immunity through congress, after promising he would support a filibuster of the same provision. In fact, Obama voted for cloture which, according to Glenn Greenwald, is about as opposite of Obama’s promise as you can get.

    Is he as bad/stupid/ignorant as bush? Of course not, which makes vigilance all the more important. If bush could screw us, as craven and stupid as he is with the help of a sycophantic MSM, how much worse could it get with a brilliant man at the helm? After 8 long years of lying, corruption, larceny, and propaganda, this “we’re free” tapdance-throw in a party and some chips-ain’t nearly enough to convince me. The MSM is trying awfully hard to sell Obama after lying through their teeth for years.

    You think they’ve changed?? Oy.

    The same Obama who, by the way, recently tried to cavalierly explain away his support and vote for overlooking baldly grievous Constitutional violations by bush with telecom immunity.

    No, I have no intention of dropping my guard, however much the MSM lulls us into a pseudo sense of ‘new dawn’ horse crap. And when Obama screws up, I’ll speak up.


  29. joe cantwell says:

    bereft of trolls

    and lonely.

    *

    New York Waxing Spa Inauguration Special:

    “Say Good Bye To Mr. Bush”

    * * *

    goodbye mr. bush.

    ^^^


  30. dixie blood says:

    I knew GW Botch was a lying, scumbag, worthless, piece of sh|t way before 2000 and couldn’t convince many around me of the same.

    It seems everyone was sucking GW Botch’s tits back then…and stupidity ruled the day!!!!!!


  31. katy says:

    ugh… i feel kinda bad to have my comments up there, at the beginning… not just the OT, but the vulgarity… i wanted to find a fresh thread because that matthews remark was so outrageous… and then i only read the headline and copy – #2 was the first reaction… maybe i should’ve counted to 10…

    this is an awesome experience… watching all the inaugural happenings on tv… this is history, and i’m part of it, even if i’m not there… i’ve never been so proud of this country.
    .

    hanshiro – there is NO way that obama “excused bush’s illegal spying”… what that vote was about was getting the COURTS back into the process…
    i’m confident the rest of the mess will be fixed in good time.
    .


  32. Bobwurst says:

    You’re right Hanshiro. We’re dooooomed! Our only chance is to stay vigilant and root out the nonbelivers and the unclean among us until there is only one left standing: The mighty Hanshiro!


  33. katy says:

    me too, dixie… i knew little about the guy, but what i did know of him and his people had me very worried… they were all war mongers…

    still, the actual events were much worse than imagined… i warned mmany people… not a one has acknowledged those warnings… no one i know admits their mistake…

    imagine that.


  34. hanshiro says:

    31. katy Says: hanshiro – there is NO way that obama “excused bush’s illegal spying”… what that vote was about was getting the COURTS back into the process…
    i’m confident the rest of the mess will be fixed in good time.

    Not so much:

    What had been a vicious assault on our Constitution, and corrupt complicity to conceal Bush lawbreaking, magically and instantaneously transformed into a perfectly understandable position, even a shrewd and commendable decision, that we should not only accept, but be grateful for as undertaken by Obama for our Own Good.

    Accompanying those claims are a whole array of factually false statements about the bill, deployed in service of defending Obama’s indefensible — and deeply unprincipled — support for this “compromise.” Numerous individuals stepped forward to assure us that there was only one small bad part of this bill — the part which immunizes lawbreaking telecoms — and since Obama says that he opposes that part, there is no basis for criticizing him for what he did. Besides, even if Obama decided to support an imperfect bill, it’s our duty to refrain from voicing any criticism of him, because the Only Thing That Matters is that Barack Obama be put in the Oval Office, and we must do anything and everything — including remain silent when he embraces a full-scale assault on the Fourth Amendment and the rule of law — because every goal is now subordinate to electing Barack Obama our new Leader.

    It is absolutely false that the only unconstitutional and destructive provision of this “compromise” bill is the telecom amnesty part. It’s true that most people working to defeat the Cheney/Rockefeller bill viewed opposition to telecom amnesty as the most politically potent way to defeat the bill, but the bill’s expansion of warrantless eavesdropping powers vested in the President, and its evisceration of safeguards against abuses of those powers, is at least as long-lasting and destructive as the telecom amnesty provisions. The bill legalizes many of the warrantless eavesdropping activities George Bush secretly and illegally ordered in 2001. Those warrantless eavesdropping powers violate core Fourth Amendment protections. And Barack Obama now supports all of it, and will vote it into law. Those are just facts.

    The ACLU specifically identifies the ways in which this bill destroys meaningful limits on the President’s power to spy on our international calls and emails. Sen. Russ Feingold condemned the bill on the ground that it “fails to protect the privacy of law-abiding Americans at home” because “the government can still sweep up and keep the international communications of innocent Americans in the U.S. with no connection to suspected terrorists, with very few safeguards to protect against abuse of this power.” Rep. Rush Holt — who was actually denied time to speak by bill-supporter Silvestre Reyes only to be given time by bill-opponent John Conyers — condemned the bill because it vests the power to decide who are the “bad guys” in the very people who do the spying.

    http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/06/21/obama/

    The Democratic-led Congress this afternoon voted to put an end to the NSA spying scandal, as the Senate approved a bill — approved last week by the House – to immunize lawbreaking telecoms, terminate all pending lawsuits against them, and vest whole new warrantless eavesdropping powers in the President. The vote in favor of the new FISA bill was 69-28. Barack Obama joined every Senate Republican (and every House Republican other than one) by voting in favor of it, while his now-vanquished primary rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, voted against it. John McCain wasn’t present for any of the votes, but shared Obama’s support for the bill. The bill will now be sent to an extremely happy George Bush, who already announced that he enthusiastically supports it, and he will sign it into law very shortly.

    With their vote today, the Democratic-led Congress has covered-up years of deliberate surveillance crimes by the Bush administration and the telecom industry, and has dramatically advanced a full-scale attack on the rule of law in this country. As I noted earlier today, Law Professor and Fourth Amendment expert Jonathan Turley was on MSNBC’s Countdown with Rachel Maddow last night and gave as succinct an explanation for what Democrats — not the Bush administration, but Democrats — have done today. Anyone with any lingering doubts about what is taking place today in our country should watch this:

    http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/07/09/fisa_vote/

    Hyperlinks in the respective originals. Check them out and catch up ;-)


  35. hanshiro says:

    32.Bobwurst Says: You’re right Hanshiro. We’re dooooomed! Our only chance is to stay vigilant and root out the nonbelivers and the unclean among us until there is only one left standing: The mighty Hanshiro!

    Bob, I crap bigger’n you…


  36. Bobwurst says:

    HanI, you’ve laid the groundwork for being able to say “I told you so” when Obama is proven to be less pure than you. Congratulations. Why don’t you relax a little, eat some angel hair pasta with gossamer wings, maybe smoke some fair trade, organic weed, listen to some acoustic earnest outcast wail away on your ipod, and mellow out. dude.


  37. Bobwurst says:

    hanshiro Says:
    32.Bobwurst Says: You’re right Hanshiro. We’re dooooomed! Our only chance is to stay vigilant and root out the nonbelivers and the unclean among us until there is only one left standing: The mighty Hanshiro!

    Bob, I crap bigger’n you…

    Well, now that we’ve established that you’re full of crap, we can move on…


  38. stewarjt says:

    My own Bush legacy project slogan:

    Sayonara Fu(kwad!


  39. ralph the wonder llama says:

    Hanshiro is clearly correct. Bush and Obama are EXACTLY THE SAME!

    WHY DON’T YOU PEOPLE SEE THE TRUTH?


  40. hanshiro says:

    36. Bobwurst Says: HanI, you’ve laid the groundwork for being able to say “I told you so” when Obama is proven to be less pure than you. Congratulations.

    The fact that you knew nothing of these things simply lays bare the clear job the MSM has done in completely downplaying the portent of the Immunity vote, along with letting the major telecom industries off the hook.

    ‘Course the fact that you knew nothing isn’t really a revelation in your case, is it Bob?

    hanshiro Says: Bob, I crap bigger’n you…

    37. Bobwurst Says: Well, now that we’ve established that you’re full of crap, we can move on…

    I can change that with one trip to the bathroom, but you can’t flush away being an imbecile.


  41. southrnbelle says:

    CAN WE PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM!!!!????????


  42. hanshiro says:

    40.ralph the wonder llama Says: Hanshiro is clearly correct. Bush and Obama are EXACTLY THE SAME!

    Ralph, you been into the locoweed again? It’s noteworthy that you and Bob can’t offer any counter other than “Obama’s not like bush” yet the links I’ve cited are correct. All you’ve done is parrot the celebratory meme that is on heavy rotation in the MSM without taking due prudence in examining Obama’s actions.

    Yep, glad bush is gone, but after events like 9-11, I’m not assuming the gremlins who stole our civil liberties are sleeping one minute during the celebration. It’s not over.

    Again, explain why Obama FISA screwing was anything less than absolutely reprehensible…that is if you even understand the issue…


  43. 00mpp00 says:

    No surprise that he didn’t hold up his end of the bargain. Bush and Cheney are the biggest liars and most dangerous White Houise duo in this nation’s history. Good riddance.

    Now Obama needs to suck it up and prosecute to the fullest. Can’t you get the death penalty for treason?

    http://www.sunstateactivist.org/ssablog/


  44. jdacal says:

    Watching that clip of Farenheit 911 made me a little nostalgic. I just finished watching it again. What a great documentary to watch two days before Obama takes the oath. It really drives home the reasons why we voted for Obama.

    Bush don’t let the door hit you on the way out, IF you can find the door…


  45. joe cantwell says:

    jdacal Says:
    Watching that clip of Farenheit 911 made me a little nostalgic. I just finished watching it again. What a great documentary to watch two days before Obama takes the oath. It really drives home the reasons why we voted for Obama.

    Bush don’t let the door hit you on the way out, IF you can find the door

    *

    indeed.

    *


  46. ralph the wonder llama says:

    hanshiro Says:
    40.ralph the wonder llama Says: Hanshiro is clearly correct. Bush and Obama are EXACTLY THE SAME!

    Ralph, you been into the locoweed again? It’s noteworthy that you and Bob can’t offer any counter other than “Obama’s not like bush” yet the links I’ve cited are correct. All you’ve done is parrot the celebratory meme that is on heavy rotation in the MSM without taking due prudence in examining Obama’s actions.

    Yep, glad bush is gone, but after events like 9-11, I’m not assuming the gremlins who stole our civil liberties are sleeping one minute during the celebration. It’s not over.

    Again, explain why Obama FISA screwing was anything less than absolutely reprehensible…that is if you even understand the issue…

    hanshiro, one need not partake of the “locoweed” in order to make sport of another’s extremism.

    In fact I didn’t offer any counter-argument, period. I thought the absurd contention that Bush and Obama are exactly the same, bizarre enough that my only comment was echoing the idea.

    And please provide examples of me parroting ANY meme on these boards.

    Try not to assume that people expressing relief and celebration that Bush is on the way out and McCain is not replacing him means that we are as simple as that. Most of us here are capable of complex thought, and we recognize that Obama has shortcomings, too, that he will probably be more centrist than most of us would like, and that the demands of politics requires that he will compromise things we believe should not be compromised.

    Obviously you understand the FISA issue far more comprehensively than I do, otherwise you wouldn’t speak so derisively of my level of understanding. Yet even with my limited grasp of this complex issue, I’m convinced that Obama failed us with that vote.

    What do you suggest should be my response? Withdraw support completely and risk the inauguration of a feeble-minded septuagenarian as president alongside yet another woefully unprepared faux-populist as his Veep? Sorry, that wasn’t an option. The course I choose is to support the better candidate and work to leverage that support into some influence on his decisions.

    I didn’t turn a blind eye to bad decisions and decide “everything will be better right away”.

    You sound like one of those trolls who tries to pretend that because we supported Obama, that must mean we see him as “The Messiah”.

    And in the future, if you’re going to characterize my positions as a way to attack them, at least have the courtesy to characterize them halfway accurately. You don’t sound like you have the slightest clue about where I stand or what I’ve posted here. Thanks.


  47. RealJim says:

    47. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    hanshiro Says:
    40.ralph the wonder llama Says: Hanshiro is clearly correct. Bush and Obama are EXACTLY THE SAME!

    Ralph, you are obviously in the wrong here and you fail to see it. Or you do, and are just being a shithead.

    To say “Bush and Obama are EXACTLY THE SAME!” shuts down intelligent discussion and replaces it with sneers, which is exactly how pundits have done in the last eight years. And you don’t even bring constructive arguments to the table, unlike Hanshiro who has brought links and quotes. And when you are put in your place with facts, you try to take the high ground, claiming that wasn’t your position, what a troll you are. Grow a life.


  48. timeforchange22 says:

    The thrown shoe says it loudest; but check out these videos from Olberman and others reminding us of the nightmare that has been the eight years of th Bush criminal enterprise at :
    http://www.tv1.com/playlists/123


  49. Fred says:

    RealJim Says:

    Guess by now you realize what you’ve done, right?


  50. Fred says:

    RealJim Says:
    And you don’t even bring constructive arguments to the table, unlike Hanshiro who has brought links and quotes.

    I guess this is all new information for you and Hanshiro but the rest of us already knew about it.


  51. Wang111 says:

    George W. Bush is responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

    Please see my extensive online research at http://andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com/2008/11/george-w-bush-planned-911.html “George W. Bush planned 9/11.”

    Please see my extensive online research at http://andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com/2008/11/scholars-affirm-cheney-complicity-in.html “Bush and Cheney complicity in 9/11.”

    Please see my extensive online research at http://andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com/2008/11/reason-i-believe-that-bush-caused.html “George W. Bush caused the 9/11 attacks.”

    Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
    B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
    Messiah College, Grantham, PA
    Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993

    “GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY” BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG

    ONLINE ANTI-BUSH SCHOLASTIC RESEARCH: LISTING OF MAJOR ISSUES

    http://andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com/2008/10/bush-is-worst-president-in-american.html


  52. Perry logan says:

    It remains to be seen whether the nation can even survive this pseudo-Presidency.

    My favorite 9/11 conspiracy debunking sites:
    http://www.911myths.com/
    http://www.debunking911.com/
    http://wtc7lies.googlepages.com/home


  53. Razor_Boy says:

    Just another classic Bush bait & switch.


  54. hanshiro says:

    47.ralph the wonder llama Says: In fact I didn’t offer any counter-argument, period. I thought the absurd contention that Bush and Obama are exactly the same, bizarre enough that my only comment was echoing the idea.

    Echoing someone else’s misinterpretation of my posts doesn’t make you look any smarter. Nowhere did I state that bush and Obama were the same. Nowhere.

    Yet even with my limited grasp of this complex issue, I’m convinced that Obama failed us with that vote.

    No, Ralph, Obama failed the Constitution and the United States by validating everything george bush did with FISA violations. Obama just destroyed any chance of investigating bush’s wiretapping antics as crimes; tantamount to pardoning bush and exonerating the telecom companies for illegally handing over your activities; not to mention your losing a sizable chunk of your civil rights. Don’t you get that?

    Then the MSM buries that story and its massive import. Only sites like Greenwald’s explain the real consequences while everyone else is ‘celebrating’ like the teevee tells them they’re supposed to.

    ‘Cuz if it was important, it’d be on CNN/FOX/MSNBC right?

    As far as the rest, I couldn’t say it any better than RealJim:

    48. RealJim Says:To say “Bush and Obama are EXACTLY THE SAME!” shuts down intelligent discussion and replaces it with sneers, which is exactly how pundits have done in the last eight years. And you don’t even bring constructive arguments to the table, unlike Hanshiro who has brought links and quotes. And when you are put in your place with facts, you try to take the high ground, claiming that wasn’t your position, what a troll you are. Grow a life.


  55. katy says:

    ha.

    just saw a segment on cbs Sunday Morning, about security…

    johndroe said something like: ‘nixon passed nothing along to ford… clinton passed a little bit of information to bush…’

    then braver repeated a line about clinton not warning the bushies…

    just found a link… the video should be up shortly…

    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/09/sunday/main13562.shtml


  56. barfly says:

    RealJim Says: To say “Bush and Obama are EXACTLY THE SAME!” shuts down intelligent discussion and replaces it with sneers, which is exactly how pundits have done in the last eight years.
    Wrong.

    It offers anonymous posters on a website the impetus to challenge the assertion. To claim this is analgous to the media sarcastically saying “Bush and Obama are EXACTLY THE SAME,” ignores the differences between the two. Posters can challenge the statement - something nearly impossible to accomplish with the MSM.

    Hanshiro’s response shows it has little affect at shutting down debate.


  57. Bobwurst says:

    hanshiro Says:
    47.ralph the wonder llama Says: In fact I didn’t offer any counter-argument, period. I thought the absurd contention that Bush and Obama are exactly the same, bizarre enough that my only comment was echoing the idea.

    Echoing someone else’s misinterpretation of my posts doesn’t make you look any smarter. Nowhere did I state that bush and Obama were the same. Nowhere.

    Really? Cuz you did say:
    hanshiro Says:
    There were those of us back then who knew this heralded a catastrophic period in America…though the obedient media tried their utmost to keep the pubic ignorant.

    Why do people think it’s any different with Obama?

    Granted this can be read several ways, but since you didn’t make any distinctions between your commentary on the media and the heralded catastrophe, the final sentence is a commentary on both. And for the record, there are many of “us” who knew what a catastrophe bush was going to be who are overjoyed that we finally have a president who we can trust to do the right thing. (Keep in mind that he will not do everything any of us want)

    Happy Jesus Day Hani.


  58. Bobwurst says:

    hanshiro Says: Bob, I crap bigger’n you…

    37. Bobwurst Says: Well, now that we’ve established that you’re full of crap, we can move on…

    I can change that with one trip to the bathroom, but you can’t flush away being an imbecile.

    Says the guy using the “I know you are but what am I?” ploy….Well, it’s opposite day Hanishiro. Top that!


  59. hanshiro says:

    58.Bobwurst Says: Granted this can be read several ways, but since you didn’t make any distinctions between your commentary on the media and the heralded catastrophe, the final sentence is a commentary on both.

    Wrong. English is not your strong suit, apparently. The entire quote:

    There were those of us back then who knew this heralded a catastrophic period in America…though the obedient media tried their utmost to keep the pubic ignorant.

    Why do people think it’s any different with Obama?

    You really think the media isn’t spinning just as hard?

    That last sentence is the clear qualifier for any distinctions, save for the slower amongst us, or Obamapologists looking to distort and potshot strawman arguments.

    …there are many of “us” who knew what a catastrophe bush was going to be who are overjoyed that we finally have a president who we can trust to do the right thing.

    I was incorrect, english is not the problem, it’s laziness. “we finally have a president who we can trust to do the right thing??” Have you been paying attention to anything other than passively browsing cable news? Obviously not. Do you even know anything about Obama’s voting record?

    Read post #55, then follow the links on #34 (particularly the second link) and by all means tell me how that qualifies as “the right thing.”

    You’re so eager to join into some media-created “new dawn” heavy rotation, you’re forgetting that the same messengers (i.e. MSM) pushing for guard-down, ‘it’s over’ celebration, are the very same ones who sold you bush, Pentagon propaganda, the Iraq war, etc.

    There’s an old saying about hiking (I paraphrase): Privation and exhaustion makes people appreciate a cold, burnt hot dog. Don’t get sucked into settling for the erosion of our Constitution because Obama wants to be politically expedient by not prosecuting bush, (as he’s repeatedly indicated) or excusing illegal domestic spying (which he did) or maybe your justification is simply, “at least Obama isn’t bush.”


  60. Hoodathunk says:

    Ralph, the big problem with sarcasm and snark is some people are so used to hearing it presented as fact they get confused easily.


  61. hanshiro says:

    59.Bobwurst Says: Says the guy using the “I know you are but what am I?” ploy….Well, it’s opposite day Hanishiro. Top that!

    If it’s ‘opposite day’ Bob, why do you sound just as asinine as you did yesterday?


  62. Bobwurst says:

    Hani, what exactly is the media “spinning” in your estimation if they’re not spinning the catastrophe? But you’re right Hani, because you’re always right. Because anyone who disagrees with you is an imbecile, is slow, or lazy, or an obamaplogist. How difficult it must be to have to walk among us mere mortals. And speaking of strawman arguments, a little self reflection would go a long way. You’re riding the cusp of the next political movement, the neoliberals. Have fun.


  63. Bobwurst says:

    re 62: likewise…


  64. hanshiro says:

    63. Bobwurst Says:But you’re right Hani, because you’re always right. Because anyone who disagrees with you is an imbecile, is slow, or lazy, or an obamaplogist.

    No, Bob, just you.

    How difficult it must be to have to walk among us mere mortals.

    How difficult to realize that you’re wrong and uninformed; so much so that you have to overstate absurdities in an attempt to diminish your errors and shortcomings. And sucky comebacks.

    And nowhere did you dispute the links and evidence. You just whined. That speaks louder than your pouting, Bobby-boy.

    64.Bobwurst Says: re 62: likewise…

    Ooh, you sure told me…


  65. Bobwurst says:

    Hani, your links and evidence are beside the point.This is a thread about bush not living up to his inaugural pledges. You’re either a concern troll who doesn’t want to talk about bush or you’re a neo-liberal who is bent on weeding out the non-believers. In either case, I don’t really care. It’s obvious that in your eyes, Obama is already a failure. Why don’t you change your screen name to Cassandra?


  66. Bobwurst says:

    Oh, and Hani, as someone stated earlier in the thread, what you’re saying is old news, everybody here has read this, digested this, and moved on. Except you.


  67. dbadass says:

    Stuff like this is what makes me intrigued by behavior.
    Desmond Morris would love this….


  68. hanshiro says:

    66. Bobwurst Says: Hani, your links and evidence are beside the point

    Aren’t they always with people like you who don’t know squat, but want to whine and attack subjects you’re not knowledgeable about anyway.

    This is a thread about bush not living up to his inaugural pledges. You’re either a concern troll who doesn’t want…heehaw..heehaw…

    Bob, you’re desperately looking for some caveat to disqualify my posts, because you had your uninformed @ss handed to you; now you invoke some arbitrarily stringent posting rules. You’re priceless.

    It’s obvious that in your eyes, Obama is already a failure.

    No, Bob, but he’s certainly not the “president who we can trust to do the right thing,” except to uninformed, teevee-addicted gastropods.

    After 8 years of being lied to by the MSM, covering up corruption, claiming war is peace, up is down and bush was credible, I’m not so quick to jump on board the “anyone but bush so we can trust again” express that the same MSM b@stards are floating. That got us bush-twice-in the first place.

    And there’s that issue of the telecom immunity that you’ve faithfully cowered from, Bob. Tell you what, I’ll try being nicer if you’ll try being smarter.


  69. Bobwurst says:

    dbadass, I just googled Desmond Morris. Thanks, I think…


  70. Bobwurst says:

    Hani, I don’t care whether you’re “nice” or not. Really. I don’t care what you think. I’m sitting here, doing some sewing, and yanking your chain because it’s fun. Now that I’m done with my socks, I’m going to take my dog for a walk in the woods. Thanks for the entertainment.


  71. Bobwurst says:

    And Hani, where were you during the Troll Wars? I was here, doing battle with Drywall, and Bigfoot, and Mr P. Risking, well risking nothing really. But at least I wasn’t playing Toom Raider and masturbating to Laura Croft.


  72. hanshiro says:

    67. Bobwurst Says: Oh, and Hani, as someone stated earlier in the thread, what you’re saying is old news, everybody here has read this, digested this, and moved on. Except you.

    Yes, of course; how terribly easy to claim, but where are the articles, commentary, links, refuting or, at best, explaining why it’s such a hot idea to ‘pardon’ bush of his telecom crimes? (Particularly when everyone is now clamoring for bush’s head for torture-law violations?)

    Most people don’t understand the import of the telecom immunity vote and, like you Bob, simply vested Daddy Obama with knowing what’s best so why should we understand it?

    Well, Daddy Obama screwed you and the law of the land, and that’s the part that you and Fred didn’t get. Your acquiescence and defense of the Obamamania hype, after such a slap-in-the-face to our clear Constitutional laws in telecom immunity, speaks volumes to both your ignorance and your laziness.

    You may be wiling to accept such a violation to our Constitution, but thinking Americans are not.


  73. dbadass says:

    Thinking americans or diferently thinking americans? The first implies condesention toward the later.


  74. hanshiro says:

    74.dbadass Says: Thinking americans or diferently thinking americans? The first implies condesention toward the later.

    That’s more a philosophic discussion. Your conclusion is inaccurate because your premise is flawed. Try “Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance.”


  75. telestai2 says:

    ElBruce Says:

    “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

    Somebody should have played that video back to him from time to time.

    And someone should have read the Constitution to him weekly, with “interpreters” standing by to ascertain that he understood the big words. . . hell, that he understood ANY of the words in their contexts.


  76. cable says:

    hanshiro is right, we need to keep an eye on what Obama does. He is a virtual political unknown (junior Senator, in his first term) that has become (arguably) the most powerful man in the world. Anyone that is shocked that he has already backed out on promises needs to remember, he is a politician.

    As far as him prosecuting the Bush administration for possible/probable crimes, that is a pipe dream. If he does it, then every future president, when there is a party switch, will think they can also do it. I would wager that if you looked hard enough, you could find plenty of illegal actions taken by every administration. You would end up holding the Office of the President hostage, keeping them from doing anything because they would be thrown in jail for virtually any action they took. You would be able to go back and double check every decision the President made, and evaluate it based on how events turned out since then. Going by that reasoning, should we go back and get Bill Clinton for treason? He had Bin Laden, knew where he was and could have dealt with him, more than once in his 8 years. He didn’t do anything though. Because he didn’t take action when he could have, 9/11 happened. Thus, he is responsible for those events. By this line of reasoning, he should be found guilty, if not for treason, at least for 3000+ counts of murder. He pulled us into Somalia, and got several US soldiers killed for what? Even if you couldn’t get any charges to stick, we could tie him up in court for years, at a cost of who knows how many millions of dollars. Then you have the problem of how you would do it. You are talking about trying the President. Any conversation about what he did or didn’t do, and why, would involve national security issues, which is part of the problem with trying the Gitmo prisoners. Put plainly, federal judges don’t have the security clearance to know the stuff that could and probably will come out in a trial like that. In that case, you could go with a special prosecutor type judge, someone appointed who has the clearances to know this stuff. The problem there is then the current administration presumably would appoint this person. The idea of a fair and impartial hearing goes right out the window at that point. There are just to many problems to over come to even attempt this kind of trial. If the President does something illegal in office, then you impeach them, you don’t wait until they are out of office then put them in a show trial. Hell, it would become a campaign pledge, “I promise if you elect me, I will do everything in my power to make sure that the current guy goes to prison” *crowd cheers*

    One final note, if you think that the intelligence agencies just started spying on US citizens of interest, then you aren’t the sharpest tool in the shed. They don’t worry about pesky little things like warrants and such. All Bush did in that regard is allow the known entities (FBI, CIA) to do it.

    Okay, I think that is about it. Now that I have made more than one of you upset, I am off to a conserative blog to try to convince them that Obama isn’t (more than likely anyway) the Anti-Christ. *wanders off mumbling to himself about feeling like the sane man sitting in the asylum*


  77. Hoodathunk says:

    Sorry, Cable but every outgoing administration should be more than willing to have its successors review its performance. And the whole national security thing is just a smoke screen. I know it is hard but the US is a whole lot stronger and tougher than most folks give it credit for. If whatever Bush and company did is justified there is nothing to worry about.


  78. hanshiro says:

    77. cable Says: Going by that reasoning, should we go back and get Bill Clinton for treason? He had Bin Laden, knew where he was and could have dealt with him, more than once in his 8 years. He didn’t do anything though. Because he didn’t take action when he could have, 9/11 happened. Thus, he is responsible for those events.

    It would be a vast understatement to say that is a stretch.

    If the President does something illegal in office, then you impeach them, you don’t wait until they are out of office then put them in a show trial.

    It’s already been demonstrated & documented that bush violated a great many laws while the congressional majority was held by his party. Because they failed to act does not mean we’re stuck with their corruption and just plain out of luck.

    I would wager that if you looked hard enough, you could find plenty of illegal actions taken by every administration. You would end up holding the Office of the President hostage, keeping them from doing anything because they would be thrown in jail for virtually any action they took.

    This is clearly an “Appeal To Common Practice,” classified as a fallacy:

    “Appeal To Common Practice:” The basic idea behind the fallacy is that the fact that most people [or presidents] do X is used as “evidence” to support the action or practice. It is a fallacy because the mere fact that most people [or presidents] do something does not make it correct, moral, justified, or reasonable.

    Therefore, claiming that every president does something illegal so we shouldn’t hold any accountable is a fallacy.

    *ding* Thank you for playing anyway…


  79. dbadass says:

    Try “Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance

    Christ can we update a little. I have already been there and one that…. It is 2009 after all


  80. hanshiro says:

    80.dbadass Says: Christ can we update a little. I have already been there and one that…. It is 2009 after all

    Judging by your command of faulty logic, you could use a reread. Plus, basic logic construct doesn’t go out of date.


  81. doctorTie says:

    I remember Bush’s inauguration day. It was very sad and somber. No celebrating, just the protests. The media did show one little snippet of the protests.
    I remember praying real hard that day. I prayed that our country would be able to sustain itself under this idiot and all he stood for. I seen the writing on the wall as millions of other Americans did.
    Thankfully, Michael Moore’s film caught the extreme protests and will eventually become evidenciaryin the legacy of Bush. I also vowed to never acknowledge him as president. In 8 years , I have never uttered the words, president —-.


  82. Curlew says:

    I can proudly admit that I was one of those who pelted Bush’s limo with eggs on that very sad day. I only wish I could have hit the chimp instead of just the car. Good riddance you worthless piece of protoplasm. May you burn in your “christian” hell.


  83. tomcat27834 says:

    I was in Palm Spring for an annual conference prior to 2001 election….while conversing with taxi-driver he remaked that he hoped like heck that “another” Bush wasn’t elected. I assured him that George W. would be never get passed the debate format because Joe Public would see him for what he was and is; a bull*hitter….remind me to NEVER surmise what “Joe or Josephine” Public is capable of.

    At least this time – a SMART GUY will be elected.


  84. doctorTie says:

    Cool, curlew. Good for you. What a good memory that is to have pelted that limo with eggs. Rather an interesting observation, when he was new, he got pelted by eggs, etc and now at the end, he got pelted with shoes, unfortunately, he ducked. I agree, Tomcat, I never believed that he would get in office, either. History will show what really happened. I believe this wholeheartedely.



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