Memoir of former White House official reveals Bush thought Barney was ‘the son he never had.’
Memoir of former White House official reveals Bush thought Barney was ‘the son he never had.’
The Washington Post reports that there is “growing nervousness these days” among prominent conservatives about a forthcoming book by Matt Latimer, former speechwriter to President Bush, defense secretaries Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, and GOP Sens. Jon Kyl (AZ) and Mitch McConell (KY). From a preview of the book’s contents:
[W]e hear what senior aides were saying privately after the Bush administration withdrew the Supreme Court nomination of White House Counsel Harriet Miers, or we find President Bush confiding wistfully (and sounding serious) that his dog, Barney, was the son he never had. Latimer was on Air Force One with Bush and Karl Rove after Rove announced his resignation.
We hear there’s a story of how Rove spoofed the overly formal national security adviser Stephen Hadley’s penchant for eating off a silver platter at late-night work sessions, while everyone else had cafeteria trays, by serving Hadley himself with a silver tray.
There are said to be interesting observations of some of his bosses on the Hill, including one who had trouble with basic facts and another who had a tendency to hide from his staff by barricading himself in his office.
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Barney was the son he never had ?
ConFURvatives anyone ?
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:39 pmWe’ve said it here before – the first person to write a truly tell-all about BushCo will make millions. Scott McClellan was vilified by the Cons, but in many ways managed to shine up his image after his book.
The dog was the son Bush never had? I think we’ll find out very soon that Bush’s brain was a mushy as Reagan’s was when he left office. Years of binge drinking left him with very few brain cells, and even those weren’t firing correctly.
PEACE
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:41 pmAnd, Barney was smarter than all the Bush Adults, the two daughters combined.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:42 pmWe hear there’s a story of how Rove spoofed the overly formal national security adviser Stephen Hadley’s penchant for eating off a silver platter at late-night work sessions, while everyone else had cafeteria trays, by serving Hadley himself with a silver tray.
Oh, those imperialist hijinx!
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:42 pmThis is confusing — if the teasers are representative of what’s in the book, it appears to be a collection of harmless anecdotes that humanize the subjects. Why would prominent conservatives be nervous? Is it because they aren’t human and this book will reveal that?
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:46 pmI am probably going to get a lot of down votes for this post but…
Considering that a lot of people treat their pets better than their children, I don’t think it is a direct sign of mental impairment (there are a lot of other things that would qualify).
Also the mentions of Matt Latimer’s other bosses peculiar traits are no different that some that I have encountered from bosses in my career. I think they show bad management style more than anything.
Let the down votes begin…
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:47 pmYea but he also thought Jenna was the cat he never had.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:48 pmWas this the man-on-dog stuff Rick Santorum was talking about?
A snarling little ankle biter – sounds about right for W’s son.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:48 pmIs this TP’s idea of investigative reporting? Yikes. For real news analysis, check out Daily Kos, Huffington Post, Fire Dog Lake or Salon.
O/T: Para Sailin’ from Wasilla up into the Wild Blue Yonder in only eleven months. Heck of a flight plan, Para.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:49 pmStephen Hadley overly formal? Maybe. But he sure never came across as overly intelligent.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:49 pmI wonder what Barney thought.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:50 pm… one who… another who…
are there NAMES in this book?
and, it should be subtitled “Tales of a BUSH White House Survivor”…
not ALL admins are criminal enterprises…
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:56 pmI would have to agree with you, L.Liberal. Frankly, I don’t see the reason for this post. If there was bombshell information in this book, then I’d love to read about it, but highlighting a snip about the White House dog? Probably not a real good reason to even bother posting anything about it.
In other words, why should we really buy this book? What is truly making the conservatives nervous? Barney’s bite?
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:58 pmWell, Barney did crap all over Washington. Like father, like son.
August 3rd, 2009 at 2:59 pmHey, I completely understand what he’s saying re: Barney. I have two dogs, Max and Lucy, and they are my babies.
I’m going to have to defend Bush on this one.
However – #16 FTW.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:03 pmThat’s what a life long use of drugs and alcohol will do for you. Now I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Bush are proud of their idiot son as we’re learn more secrets and just how wacko Bush really is.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:04 pmTHAT alone is PROOF of mental impairment.
Nobody gives birth to pets.
Pets are bought or acquired through a selfish process of discrimination, in other words, people look for a cute, furry, animal that pleases them.
OFF TOPIC. EARTHQUAKE IN SAN DIEGO.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:04 pmhttp://www.theonion.com/content/news/troop_morale_boosted_by_surprise
It just seemed so fitting
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:06 pmOh, and then there was that Jeff Gannon gay sex thing…
…the Secret Energy Meeting was a total hoot, and those little toy bombs they dropped on the map of Iraq was a crackup….
…and who can forget those torture photos, kept W and Dick laughing for hours…
…the made up reasoning for attacking Iraq and profiting by them was loved by all..
…but best of all was the wire tapping of Congressional Democrats playing thru the sound system just kept everyone in stitches…
…and yet these WAR CRIMINALS are still being harbored by Obama, go figure.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:13 pmI can see the resemblance in both intelligence and usefulness.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:16 pmFrom now on we elect only those that are qualified to make decisions for us. That’s what we pay them for.
republicanism is an illness.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:27 pmI can understand GDumbya’s sentiment. After all, Poppy Bu$h felt that Bill Clinton was the son he never had. Can’t say as I blame him — Neal, Jebby-Boy and Junior are certainly nothing to brag about.
Granted, Barney terrorized and bit the White House staff but, even with all of that, he was certainly better-looking and more well-behaved than the drunken slvt Bu$h twins.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:31 pmLefty Liberal
Since you’re expecting vote downs, I gave you one, so as not to disappoint you.
August 3rd, 2009 at 3:55 pmYeah, I hear that parents always embarrass their children.
Poor Barney!
August 3rd, 2009 at 4:04 pmA-HA! So it was all Barney’s idea to invade Iraq!
August 3rd, 2009 at 6:34 pmBarney was a Prop!
They had a whole Kennel full of Barney the dog(s)
Bush, the “Fortunate Son” was never told this.
Bush was insane the day he was conceived.
This would have freaked him out more than the death
of his sister, Doro Bush.
The Bush family are a bunch of Freaks.
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:53 pmCorrection:
Doro is still alive:
Via NNDB
Doro Bush
AKA Dorothy Walker Bush
Born: 18-Aug-1959
Birthplace: Midland, TX
Gender: Female
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Relative
Party Affiliation: Republican
Nationality: United States
Executive summary: George W. Bush’s sister
Father: George H.W. Bush
Mother: Barbara Bush
Brother: George W. Bush
Brother: Jeb Bush (Governor of Florida)
Brother: Neil Bush
Brother: Marvin Bush
Sister: Robin Bush (b. 20-Dec-1949, d. 11-Oct-1953)
Husband: William Heekin LeBlond (m. 1982, div. 1990)
Husband: Robert P. Koch (m. 28-Jun-1992, at Camp David)
Son: Sam LeBlond (b. 1984)
Daughter: Ellie LeBlond (b. 1987)
Son: Robert Koch (b. 1992)
Daughter: Gigi Koch (b. 1995)
Boyfriend: David Dreier (dated for a year, according to Kitty Kelley)
http://www.nndb.com/people/919/000056751/
We meant Robin Bush
Robin Bush
AKA Pauline Robinson Bush
Born: 20-Dec-1949
Birthplace: Compton, CA
Died: 11-Oct-1953
Location of death: New York City
Cause of death: Complications of Surgery
Remains: Buried, George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, College Station, TX
Gender: Female
Race or Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Relative
Nationality: United States
Executive summary: George W. Bush sister, died at age four
Father: George H.W. Bush
Mother: Barbara Bush
Brother: George W. Bush
Brother: Jeb Bush
Brother: Neil Bush
Brother: Marvin Bush
Sister: Doro Bush
Exhumed Greenwich, CT (2000), reburied in Texas
http://www.nndb.com/people/872/000159395/
Robin was the one given to the Illuminati/Satan sect
Sacrifice/Power
Barbara Bush is described by her closest intimates as prone to “withering stares” and “sharply crystalline” retorts. She is also extremely tough. When he was seven, Bush’s younger sister, Robin, died of leukaemia and several independent witnesses say he was very upset by this loss. Barbara claims its effect was exaggerated but nobody could accuse her of overreacting: the day after the funeral, she and her husband were on the golf course
August 3rd, 2009 at 8:08 pmI do feel sorry for W. Bush. He was a mother-less child. Imagine that your father was a drug-runner with the CIA and your mother was Barbara Bush.
He was promised glory. He was promised that he’d go down as the greatest president in history.
Sociopaths can easily be duped by better sociopaths. He was stung by the crazies his father (sociopath that he is) was wise enough to keep in the basement.
August 4th, 2009 at 3:07 am