NASA photo analyst: Bush wore a device during debate

[Kathy in Cambridge]

You need a subscription to Salon.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/10/29/bulge/index.html

"George W. Bush tried to laugh off the bulge. "I don't know what that is," he said on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, referring to the infamous protrusion beneath his jacket during the presidential debates. "I'm embarrassed to say it's a poorly tailored shirt."

Dr. Robert M. Nelson, however, was not laughing. He knew the president was not telling the truth. And Nelson is neither conspiracy theorist nor midnight blogger. He's a senior research scientist for NASA and for Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and an international authority on image analysis. Currently he's engrossed in analyzing digital photos of Saturn's moon Titan, determining its shape, whether it contains craters or canyons.

For the past week, while at home, using his own computers, and off the clock at Caltech and NASA, Nelson has been analyzing images of the president's back during the debates. A professional physicist and photo analyst for more than 30 years, he speaks earnestly and thoughtfully about his subject. "I am willing to stake my scientific reputation to the statement that Bush was wearing something under his jacket during the debate," he says. "This is not about a bad suit. And there's no way the bulge can be described as a wrinkled shirt."
"

[Momof1]

1. ROTFLMAO its called Karma

n/t

[maddezmom]

2. what a bad day the chimp is having....LOL

[Kathy in Cambridge]

3. I know

:evilgrin:

[LiberalFighter]

43. And it gets better and better :)

It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. HUH

[flowomo]

4. "You need a subscription to Salon....

and you all should get one if you can afford it. They give all kinds of nice gifts, like free magazines, and it's a great site.

Oh, and this is a great story!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

6. The writing is great: Joe Conason, Sidney Blumenthal, Eric Boehlert

and great arts writing!

[maddezmom]

11. there is always DayPass for watching an ad

Vonage...I'll probably call tomorrow!!

Wanted to see the photo, since I was off line during the debate....it was well worth it.

I't like a "Can you hear me now" photo. LOL

[MercutioATC]

5. A Jet Propulsion Pack, perhaps?

Maybe a small moon? That's what Nelson seems to be qualified to analyze. Can we PLEASE just let this go?

[flowomo]

9. why? This hurts Kerry how?

[MercutioATC]

17. Because it's just one more dumbass issue...

If it WAS a wire, would his performance have been so poor? WHY would he wear a wire with an antenna the size of a TV antenna on a 1970 Cadillac limo when he has the most recent technology available to him?

It just makes no sense and it makes us look like a bunch of raving lunatics.

[havocmom]

23. I'm a tailor. It was not a wrinkle in the suit. Have worked on Kevlar

it wasn't a vest.

[MercutioATC]

24. So? That doesn't mean it was a wire.

It simply makes no sense.

[DulceDecorum]

26. Bush has NEVER made sense

and neither do his apologists.

[Name removed]

67. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[havocmom]

31. No. doesn't mean not a wire. Does mean the party line is bull

If it was a receiver of some sort, possible reason he still did poorly is the likelihood that the Secret Service uses jamming devices where he is. There are ample reports of cell phones and pages not working when he comes to a venue.

I am also not dismissing possibility that it is one of those devices which delivers pulsing electric stimulation to treat chronic pain. Would explain why it shows up in some photos at the pig farm where he is in tee shirt.

But IT IS NOT a wrinkled suit nor is it a vest. The fact that they played the lie on the 'badly tailored suit' is pretty damning. And Rove would not be likely to tell the SS not to use jammers cuz they had the prez wired as he is not yet ready for prime time on his own.

The business with him postponing his annual physical has me leaning toward some sort of pain control device.

But I really love the explanation one DUer had: that they have to strap explosives on him to force him to preform... hey, aren't there some unaccounted for explo-shit....

[GaryL]

33. What it means is...

There was something under the shirt, not an eff'n wrinkle. I don't care if it was O2 being pumped directly into an empty skull cavity, this asshole has been lying to us for 4 years. I've been one of the biggest naysayers about this and seeing these pictures PISSES ME OFF!!!! Every time I give this lying shit the benefit of the doubt I get burned. When you going to catch on?

[eyepaddle]

104. Extremely well put.

[TrogL]

79. I'm with them on this one

There's something under there.

I'm just hoping it's not a medical device like a back brace - cuing up for the sympathy vote.

[vincent_vega_lives]

94. Looks to me like

the shirt was too big so just grabbed some material horizontal and vertical, pinned it, and stiched it. I doubt a wire would show at all.

[DulceDecorum]

25. Ahhh, still trying to win the approval

of the rightwingnuts, eh?
And meeting with the same warm DU reception.

[MercutioATC]

69. This, from the woman who claims Todd Beamer never existed...

I'm hurt.

:eyes:

[clover]

27. so this NASA dude is a raving lunatic?(nt)

[0007]

32. I think that the folks that just want to give this bizarre appearance

a pass is like sticking a dead head in the sand.

[bettyellen]

34. BECAUSE HE STUPID AND LAZY AND FIGURED SINCE HE GOT AWAY WITH IT BEFORE...

IN FACT, TWICE BEFORE, FOR HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, AND A Q + A IN FRANCE - WHERE THE WHISPER'S VOICE WAS PICKED UP AND RECORDED, AND COULD BE HEARD ON THE WHITE HOUSE WEB SITE FOR CHRISSAKE GIVING HIM THE ANSWERS!!!
DUH.
SO OF COURSE HE THOUGHT HE COULD DO IT AGAIN!
SO HE DIDN'T PREPARE, HAD A LOT OF LENGTHLY PAUSES AND SUDDENLY CAME UP WITH ANSWERS. WHILE I WAS WATCHING IT I WAS SURE HE WAS BEING FED THE ANSWERS SOMEHOW.

[Elidor]

44. Size

The bulky size is unavoidable when using scrambler technology.

[Judi Lynn]

54. His performance would have been even poorer. You know that.

We've all seen enough of him to recognize how well he thinks on his feet.

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."

[SoCalDem]

56. Poor performance..easily explained

The other times he has worn the device, HE was in control of the flow of conversation.. so if he misheard something "fed" to him, he could vamp and fill time with his nonsensical phrases (that MAY be their purpose..a time stall)...and if he has a tough time, he just waves and ends the photo-op


BUT

at the debates the MOST time he was allotted at any time was 2.5 minutes.. He has to hear the question, then repeat what is being said to him, all the while trying to look like he knows what he's saying.. and not appear to be stalling, while he's fed the next bit of information.. That's the ONLY way he was able to rattle off those names in quick succession.. he was repeating what he was told, word by word.

Try it sometime. It's very difficult to talk and be spoken to in your ear at the same time...and to try to think too..

The many days of preparation were probably to fine tune his "style and speed" of mouthing the transmissions.. Of course without knowing the exact questions, it took longer because he AND the "brain of the operation" had to bone up on all kinds of stuff and have answers that would fit the time frame..

THAT's why he did so poorly

[Beetwasher]

73. You Are So Off Base On This It's Not Even Funny

Raving lunatics? The only raving lunatics are the one's claiming there's no evidence there was something under his jacket. THERE'S DEFINITELY FUCKING EVIDENCE.

If this guy can decipher digital images from sattelites orbiting moons millions of miles away, he can analyze a clear lump on some morons back right here on earth and determine that it's real and there's something there other than bad shirt.

[MercutioATC]

74. I'm just done replying to these threads...

Hey, believe what you want.

[Beetwasher]

75. One More Negative Story ONLY Hurts Bush

Why the fuck would that be a problem for you five days out?

I believe the evidence, you believe, uhh, err, umm Bush...That's YOUR problem, not mine...

[MercutioATC]

76. I don't "believe" Bush. I just think it's a silly issue.

The fact is that we're never going to know what was under the jacket and, even if we did, it's not an issue that's going to make a difference anyway.

I just don't see any upside. The downside is that a lot of neutrals will see it as a wacko attack.

No, I don't believe Bush's explanation but I do feel this is an issue with no potential for gain.

Again, I'm done commenting on it. If there are people who want to make this an issue, fine.

[Name removed]

77. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bobbyboucher]

101. Good, cause you are soooooooo wrong it ain't funny.

Your comments are ridiculous. Totally and completely ridiculous and suspect.

[Bandit]

82. I think one of Kerry's latest ads had your picture in it

The one with the ostrich in it. Don't you have any curiosity at all? We know something was there. It was very obvious, and their denials make it intriguing. I believe like you that it wasn't a radio receiver but what was it? What purpose did it serve and why do they deny it's existence? I believe it was some form of bullet proof vest and they don't want Bush* to be made out a coward even though he is but I am curious about it anyway.

[yardwork]

98. I don't think I look like a raving lunatic

and the fact that a NASA physicist is willing to stake his career on his conclusion that the president had SOMETHING under his coat appears to lend another piece of legitimacy to this discussion.

The point is that the president was asked a direct question - "what is this under your coat?" - and he LIED. He said there was nothing there.

The president said today that "it's all about trust," and here he is caught in another lie.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

10. No. He cheated.

This deserves to get exposed.

But if he was wearing a wire, who the hell was giving him his lines? He did a shitty job.

[MADem]

103. Here's what I think

I think Kerry managed to disrupt the signal with that hearty handshake, where he stretched weewee's arm out and then gave him a manly slap on the back. I seem to recall that people here were laughing at the freepers for being so upset about the initial greeting.

I also noticed, in the subsequent debates, that weewee tried VERY hard to minimize the exposure of his back to the cameras. He damn near walked backwards to his place. Watch the tapes and you will see what I am talking about.

Who knows what was under his coat--I personally think it was a transmitter, I think he has used them ALOT and is used to them, and I think that the signal was either lousy or his timing was off. If it wasn't a transmitter, it was a medical device, and if that is the case, he is one sick guy either requiring a constant infusion of drugs, a shock to the heart at unexpected times, or a TENS unit to mitigate serious back pain.

If you really want to be a conspiracy theorist, wouldn't it be funny if you reread my first paragraph while entertaining the concept that KERRY KNEW EXACTLY what he was doing when he said his Howdys to weecowboy. BETTER STILL--Kerry's "magic pen" had a frequency disruptor device in it. After all, Kerry has done work for the See Eye Eh! in the past, maybe a friend in the agency gave him a magic pen to scramble weewee's signal!

My above paragraph is purely far out, idle speculation, but who really knows nowadays? Who would ever think that people could tell the military that weapons sites were left unguarded, and no provisions would be made for protecting those sites, resulting in the deaths of over a thousand Americans? Who could possibly envision THAT scenario?? In this administration, the far out, unlikely shit is what always seems to be happening!

[bobbyboucher]

100. That's just plain idiotic. Let it go?

What if it was some sort of medical device that he had to wear? Do you think the people should know their *President is under some kind of care that requires him to be monitored?

Don't be dumb, this is important. Even if it was a device for receiving transmissions. No matter what it was, it is important.

[RebelYell]

7. Good find!

I wish I could read the entire article.

Speaking of Titan....

[Fusions_Minion]

48. awesome pic!

Look at that atmosphere! beautiful.

[Greyskye]

81. You CAN read the entire article

At the link in the original post, go to the bottom and get a 'free day pass'. All you have to do is sit through a commercial - which I did as I was typing up this reply. :evilgrin: They are getting trickier though, you need to hit 'next' a few times to progress through the ad.

[RebelYell]

102. Thanks for the info! n/t

[PartyPooper]

8. The "empty suit"

:eyes:

[yellowcanine]

12. Could have been a bone conduction receiver.

I once saw a kid wearing a device draped over his shoulders that conducted music through his collar bone - no headphones needed. Anyone else ever see anything like this or am I totally whacked?

[trueblew]

37. Just saw this on slashdot.org...SwiMP3 uses bone conduction.

"Aquatic training product manufacturer Finis has just released a waterproof digital music portable for swimmers and surfers that claims to solve a problem with such devices in the water. Regular earphones don't work well because they need an uninterrupted air channel to function. What makes the SwiMP3 unique is that it uses bone conduction to stimulate the inner ear and deliver sound."

[kskiska]

13. ???

[Kathy in Cambridge]

14. That is one uneven spinal column

I don't think Bush ever mentioned having scoliosis.

[maddezmom]

15. shit, I didn't even need the day pass!!!

I hate to say it outloud, but is that shit for real???? ROTFLMAO!!!! A bad shirt??? LOL

[coreystone]

63. Actually, it looks more like a "fly swatter".....

does any one notice the rectangular shape at the top where the shape seems to be just as equal on the upper left as the right? It appears this way more profoundly in the image on the right. Then there seems to be a "wire??" at the bottom, veering off to his left hip.


:think:

[leftchick]

64. you know he just might have gotten away with it.....

if he had stopped slouching over the podium like a fucking jerk.

[Gregorian]

16. Naw. Bush would NEVER cheat...

He's God's chosen son. The pristine cheerleader. Our fighting warrior commander in chief.

So what was that under his shirt? The pocket fisherman, of course. He was agoin' fishin' after the 'bate.

[stevedeshazer]

18. This will eventually come out, no?

Maybe in the upcoming War Crimes trial.

Seriously, when Bush and the Repubs lose, it's all fair game.

[clover]

28. yes!!! well said. . .(nt)

[goforit]

19. LOL!!!....Yes Karma!!!...Why did that Sky Lab go down Bush???

I'm sure he knows the answer.

But despite this mystery, It's nice to see NASA
take a stand against evil!!!

[moggie]

68. Whoa there!

This is not "NASA taking a stand against evil", collectively. The article is careful to point out that the guy did this on his own time, with his own equipment. That's an important distinction: you can imagine the sort of shit NASA would catch if this administration could pretend that taxpayer dollars were being spent on discrediting the primate-in-chief.

[Chimpanzee]

20. I think this guy is obviously

either a friggen genius, or just a common visually unimpaired human life form.

:yourock:

[PATRICK]

21. Kiss your government funding

goodbye.

[gafbil1992]

22. Now we know how he got through Yale....

F'n cheater

[loudsue]

29. Good point!!

Prolly so!

:kick:

[deadparrot]

30. Good thing * doesn't believe in science.

[Dukakis88]

42. Totally -- Rove probably told him it was Jesus talking to him.

[JBB555]

35. Lying POS...NT

[clover]

36. i think what looks like a wire is in fact. . .

a straw of the camel back-breaking kind.

[shraby]

39. My guess is it IS a wire but the

Democrats ran interference on it and caused it to mal-function most of the time and Bush could only get part of the answers.

[clover]

41. makes sense to me(nt)

[vincent_vega_lives]

95. If it is a wire

It must be as thick as an extention cord.

[Octafish]

38. "Let me finish!"

Who were you talkin' to, Guv Vanilli?

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/10/08/bulge/

More evidence that Smirko McCokestroke is a crook. Great article. Thanks for the heads-up, RationalRose!

[Chicago Democrat]

40. This was so obvious from the start....

Anyone who is pro-Bush at this point is in a complete fantasy world cause remember Cheney said today that "Iraq is going remarkably well". I mean if they can get away with that and not phase thier people I doubt this will.

Its good to see comfirmation of we all said was the case when it happened! Kudos brave NASA dude!

[johnnyrocket]

45. Wha-whaa-what? Is he suggesting that President Bush would actually...

LIE!?

[DeepModem Mom]

46. "If force me into early retirement, it'll be worth it if public knows...."

He thinks it's important. From the article:

Nelson admits that he's a Democrat and plans to vote for John Kerry. But he takes umbrage at being accused of partisanship. "Everyone wants to think my colleague and I are just a bunch of dope-crazed ravaged Democrats who are looking to insult the president at the last minute," he says. "And that's not what this is about. This is scientific analysis. If the bulge were on Bill Clinton's back and he was lying about it, I'd have to say the same thing."

"Look, he says, "I'm putting myself at risk for exposing this. But this is too important. It's not about my reputation. If they force me into an early retirement, it'll be worth it if the public knows about this. It's outrageous statements that I read that the president is wearing nothing under there. There's clearly something there."

[krkaufman]

47. But couldn't it have just been some sort of device...

... designed to keep the excess shirt material gathered in back, so that the viewable portions of the shirt would remain unwrinkled?

[neomonkey]

50. Why not just wear a smaller fucking shirt? eom

[krkaufman]

61. It's not an issue of shirt size.

Dress shirts like those worn by the candidates would tend to bunch up in the front and wrinkle, due to the suit coats being worn.

Just a fucking thought.

[MADem]

105. ANYONE WHO HAS EVER

...served in the military knows a neat trick--you use masking tape under your dress blouse (civilian: jacket) to keep all in place. Critical when posing for photos or standing inspection. Models use this trick as well to "tailor" clothes perfectly to their bodies for photoshoots. The best bit is that the tape is not apparent under the coat.

Now, weewee served in the military....someone should have told him about this clever trick? Oh, but wait--he NEVER went to OFFICER training...he went from enlisted boot camp straight to flight school! And he probably rarely, if ever, stood inspection!

So, if it was just a lumpy shirt, a single former military officer on his staff might have saved the day...it's what he gets for praising the military while refusing to take any advice from them!

But for the record, I still think it was a transmitter!

[krkaufman]

107. "But for the record, I still think it was a transmitter!"

Oh, I do, as well. But hadn't seen the "shirt wrinkle protection" angle previously discussed, and thought it would add variety to the mess.

[vincent_vega_lives]

96. I don't fucking know

but that's what it fucking looks like to me to. Bunched up and stiched fucking material. Horizontal and fucking vertical.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

49. Thanks for posting, RationalRose. IMO this is not another dumbass issue.

Being caught in one lie does not make Bush a liar. Being caught in lie after lie after lie, about matters both grave and of no importance whatsoever, reflects on Bush's character to the point that none but the truly deluded can believe that he possesses the moral compass that would qualify him to lead.

Will this single revelation change anyone's vote? Is his lying worse than his war crimes? Nope, and nope.

But in the aftermath of the election, when we will have to work to either unite the country behind Kerry or mitigate the harm of four more Bush years, all this evidence - his wire, his TANG record, his denial of what Pat Robertson said and so much more - will be needed to form a comprehensive portrait of a man unworthy to lead.

Those of us old enough to remember Nixon can recall that, for some people, it took the revelation of minor flaws like his coarse language, as well as major flaws like his enemies list, to help them realize that he was not a man of honor. So will it be with Bush.

[The_Casual_Observer]

51. Nelson is an old time KPFK show host from the 80's

Good to see him back in the media, however he ought to be applying his talents to more useful inquiry.

[clover]

58. he has chosen to follow a story that will prove

resonant to all americans in time. evil is in the details, especially details that speak to perversions of standards re: honesty, fair play, etc. i believe that all who work to expose corruption should be encouraged and their works not judged by others as less than useful, diverting, etc.

[The_Casual_Observer]

59. Bob can of course do this if he wants to

And I would love to see him embarrass the hell out of the chimp.

[clover]

60. yep. and i think that he will. it's the older radical journalists

who are attracted to this story, it seems to me, and their skills were honed years ago, but without supportive venues, they've had less to do than they did in the late '60s-mid '70s. i am so happy to see these embers igniting. forgive us old guys for our stubborn focus, but there are so many folks covering the bigger stories--and doing fine work--that i know that a slow and steady approach to an apparently minor mystery will yield results. but even if not, what is the harm?

[gmaki]

52. While I think there is something there,

I doubt it is a wire and I doubt it matters.

But this guys "analysis" is hogwash in my opinion. It is very unclear how he captured his images. Then all he did was apply a heavy dose of unsharp mask once he got his capture.

First unsharp mask DOES alter the image contrary to what the article says and the way it works to fool the eye into perceiving sharpness guarantees that it would result in the appearance of a wire under the jacket.

Here is an experiment I did to demonstrate how unsharp mask can create the illusion of a "wire" where there originally was no evidence of one whatsoever.

This first image is a gradient on the right side and flat gray on the left, with the transition between the two blurred so that unsharp mask has something to work on. 3 dimensionally this would be like a flat surface on the left with a convex drop off on the right (no raised area at the transition).



This is the same image with heavy unsharp mask applied. Because of the way unsharp masks tricks your eye to define the transition, by brightening pixels on the bright side and darkening them on the darker side, it gives the illusion of a raised section at the transition, like a wire underneath.

[Carolab]

55. Nice try

but the lighting on Bush's back did NOT involve a flat gray area on the left and a concave gradient on the right. Further, this object is clearly visible in multiple photos, in more than one outfit on more than one occasion.

[truthisfreedom]

53. bush did NOT say it was a wrinkled shirt. he started off by saying that

it was an electronic device, then he waffled and said that he would be "embarrassed to say" that it was a "poorly-tailored shirt", then he went on to retract that it was an electronic device.

the important thing to remember is...
he said that karen and dan rigged up a sound system, and he NEVER said that there was no MAGNETIC device nor did he say there wasn't a BONE CONDUCTION mechanism.

these people are parse-perfect, but lie through their teeth.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/484/5052535.html

When asked about the bulge that appeared as he and Sen. John Kerry debated Sept. 30 in Coral Gables, Fla., Bush tantalized conspiracy theorists by saying, ``Well, you know, Karen Hughes and Dan Bartlett had rigged up a sound system ...''


``You are getting in trouble,'' responded host Charles Gibson.


``I don't know what that is,'' Bush said. ``I mean, it is - I'm embarrassed to say it's a poorly tailored shirt.''


Bush {then} said there was no sound system or electrical signal.

[clover]

57. this is a baby story: not yet time to bloom, but

it will be huge after kerry wins, implicating the mainstream media and validating the persistence of a very few bloggers= a welcomed new media.

[JawJaw]

62. WooooHoooooo - Look-a-me unka dick !!!

[Wat_Tyler]

70. LOL. I had JetPac on my Spectrum 48k.

[Maine-ah]

65. it's pinky and the brain

it's pinky and the brain, it's pinky and the brain, one is a genius, the other insane........... I can't get this song out of my head:spank:

[Iceburg]

66. Kick

[TNOE]

71. It's the freaking double standard

Had Clinton or Kerry done this - the Repubs would be up in arms, wanting a commission to investigate and calling for their heads. It's their guy - so NOTHING is ever a big deal - its all just wild conspiracy tales - even with the evidence staring them straight in the face.

[yardwork]

99. As a matter of fact that's exactly what they DID do

Right-wingers were all over the internet claiming that "Kerry cheated" when he pulled out a pen at the beginning of the debate.

[TNOE]

108. Yep, you're right

how did I forget about that!

[Beetwasher]

72. So, Where Are ALL THE DUMBASSES NOW?

You know who I'm talking about!

Ha Ha!

[henslee]

78. Guess now that we're not going to Mars, our NASA guys have some free time!

[PBX9501]

80. Information

My background is in EE. I'm no expert in communication gear but a few things to consider. I spent 20 years working with high speed electrcal switching gear and have seen equipment shrink 100 fold.

The smallest public tranciever for 2 way av is smaller than a credit card. You can buy one online. It sends an encrypted signal.

I have heard of gear that allows a mic and transmitter to fit inside something the size of a human hair.

I have seen twinax cables that ran between servers that were smaller than that. That is just WAY to big for any type of communication gear. IMHO.

He is a loser but this looks fishy to me..

[Beetwasher]

83. Who Say's It's DEFINITELY Comunication Gear?

One thing that's almost certain, IT AIN'T HIS FUCKING SHIRT.

[PBX9501]

84. If not comm gear

What then? It doesn't look like a ceramic plate for a vest.

It is hard to draw a conclusion from this.

[Beetwasher]

86. The Guy Draws Conclusions For A Living for NASA W/ Less Data

I'll take his word that it's SOMETHING and it ain't a shirt...

[PBX9501]

89. It looks weird for sure.

If not comm gear what?(rhetorical) I just don't see a reason to sneak something other than comm gear into a debate.

The only thing I have ever seen that resembles that is a portable EEG/EKG recorder. Strange for sure..

[Beetwasher]

92. Yeah, I Have No Idea

Your guess is as good as mine! :shrug:

[MADem]

106. Or a medical pump

...to provide a steady dose of medication for a cancerous condition. Or a TENS unit.

[DS1]

85. As much as I'd love to believe it, planetary analysis and suit-clad chimps

are two entirely different beasts.

[colorado_ufo]

87. I'VE GOT IT! I'VE GOT IT! I'VE GOT IT!

What has haunted me from the first time I saw this was that it looked like the heating device used under water bed mattresses - which made no sense. Then, I had a flashback from years ago when I worked for an oncologist (cancer doctor). This is a TENS unit, a Transcutaneous Electronic Nerve Stimulation unit for control of intense, intractable pain. It is used for cancer pain, severe arthritis, debilitating injury, etc. Please take a look at some of the units through the link below!

http://www.bodyclock.net/acatalog/tenselectrodes.html

Yes, this is it! It would also explain why he can't run anymore and has looked so tired - pain is extremely fatiguing. It could be cancer, but he could also have ruptured a disc or have some other problem that he could not have addressed during the campaign.

On edit: Most of the electrodes are small, but there could certainly be a custom design for *, or several could be positioned in a central pad.

[semillama]

88. Considering all the data

it seems like Colorado_ufo does have a very plausible explanation. Because that also ties in with how awful Bush has been looking lately.

I also thought that it would be real amatuer hour to rig bush so obviously, unless they did it and never trotted him out under stage lights to see if it would show up.

[Name removed]

90. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LiberalBushFan]

91. If you're taking your oral qualifying exams or something similar

and you're caught using a wire to have the answers fed to you, you for sure get expelled from that school. But if it's the just the debate for leader of the free world, and you cheat on that, no big deal.

Then again Bush probably would get away with the former situation as well.

[Q]

93. Some are asking how it could be that Bush* wore a 'device'...

...and still did such a horrible job in the debates. The answer is that he is prone to freezing up and mumbling when he's under pressure to answer a direct question. He would have really made a fool of himself without the ques being fed to him.

[geniph]

97. Maybe * and O'Reilly have more than stupidity in common...

after all, we know O'Reilly likes to use battery-powered marital aids while he listens to himself talk...maybe that's the battery pack for Shrubbie's playtoy.

[tblue37]

109. Most people do not remember that

one of the specific rules established in the debate agreement was that there would be NO camera shots from the back. The Bush team didn't think they would need to have a tiny, tiny easy-to-disguise unit, because they didn't think that anyone would ever see a shot of Bush's back. Of course, the camera feeds violated the rules, and we got to see not only split screens but also the backs of the candidates.