Make Your Own Bush Speech (Embarassment in Albania)

[Demeter]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kelly/make-your-own-bush-speech_b_51973.html

Chris Kelly| Make Your Own Bush Speech



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The world will not long remember what President Bush said yesterday, at the dedication of the Victims of Communism Memorial, but at least he didn't let an Albanian steal his wristwatch, so the White House is calling it a win.

It wasn't exactly soaring oratory, but he did manage to get from 100 million victims of totalitarianism to 9/11 in less than nine paragraphs, and -- while not even a personal best -- that's still pretty good.

Now, there are some people who might think Bush cheapens everything he touches, and that using Stalin and Mao's dead millions as a way to plug the occupation of Iraq is sort of loathsome, but they're missing the point. It's the only speech Bush gives. You know that when you book him.

If you go to a Kinks concert, you're going to hear "Lola." If you go to a George Bush show, you're going to hear about the time he let 19 guys fly four planes into three buildings and a field.

And how, since then, to put an end to murder, we've killed and killed and killed and killed.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Good analogy

It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world except for Lola
La-la-la-la Lola :)

[fasttense]

2. Well said.

"If you go to a George Bush show, you're going to hear about the time he let 19 guys fly four planes into three buildings and a field."

Yup, yup, yup, he certainly did sit in that grade school, despite over fifty warnings that 9/11 would happen, and read that book, while the mostly Saudi hijackers killed thousands of Americans. He couldn't have cared less and that is why he did nothing to stop it.

[BridgeTheGap]

3. Yeah, he's had a few "humdingers" along the way, even with his canned speech

This is what Palast heard and saw on CNN. The quote is still on the official White House web site:

"Well Jordan, you're not going to believe what state I was in when I heard about the terrorist attack. I was in Florida. And my chief of staff, Andy Card -- actually, I was in a classroom talking about a reading program that works. And I was sitting outside the classroom waiting to go in, and I saw an airplane hit the tower--the TV. was obviously on, and I use to fly myself, and I said, 'There's one terrible pilot.' And I said, 'It must have been a terrible accident.’”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/12/20011204-17.html

This quote could easily be written off as just another stupid “Bushism.” And surely, one would expect his handlers to reiterate the same words uttered by former Press Secretary, Ari Fleischer to: “Watch what you say.” So did the press write this statement off for this reason? There are plenty of quotes out there, books of them in fact, that give an indication of the “stature” of this man. But keep in mind that “Bush Dyslexicon” author, Mark Crispin Miller, contends that Bush is not stupid and that he can actually speak quite clearly when its something he cares about, say capital punishment, for example. Now the obvious question becomes (are you listening 9/11 Commission?): Why did Bush essentially repeat the same statement made in Orlando, a month later in California?

"Anyway, I was sitting there, and my Chief of Staff -- well, first of all, when we walked into the classroom, I had seen this plane fly into the first building. There was a TV set on. And you know, I thought it was pilot error and I was amazed that anybody could make such a terrible mistake. And something was wrong with the plane, or -- anyway, I'm sitting there, listening to the briefing, and Andy Card came and said, "America is under attack.""
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020105-3.html

Obviously, the press has not been willing to hold Bush accountable for these statements or much else, until the pretexts for invading Iraq started unraveling. The use of the events of 9/11 to justify invading Iraq, as well as justifying record deficits and curtailing civil liberties, are reason enough to bring up Bush’s performance in the wake of these tragic events. In fact, the Republicans are running ads touting his leadership abilities supposedly demonstrated in response to 9/11. So yes, it’s time for the media to revisit this man’s performance and ask some questions about the words that issued from his own mouth. And while we may not be privy to Bush’s “not under oath” testimony to the 9/11 Commission, they too should ask some probing questions related to Bush’s public testimony on 9/11. This “leader” needs to be held accountable.