Bush's "Earpiece": It's a Flak Jacket (Think about it)

[Skinner]

I've been mostly ignoring this whole "earpiece" story until this morning, when Salon picked it up. I figured if Salon thought the story was legit, then maybe there was something to it.

But I think it's BS. There's a much more obvious explanation for an unexplained bulge on the torso of the President of the United States: He's wearing a flak jacket. It would be really great if the earpiece story were true, but based on the evidence we have, I don't think it is the most likely explanation. Let's face it, even the freepers admit that if he were wearing an earpiece, he would have done much better than he did.

But this did get me thinking a little bit. If Bush is wearing a flak jacket, what does that say about Bush?

Now that Kerry is the Democratic nominee, he's getting Secret Service protection, too. If the Secret Service offered a flak jacket to Bush for the debate, they would have certainly offered one to Kerry, too. But looking at the debate it seems pretty clear (to me, at least) that Kerry wasn't wearing one.

So, the Secret Service offered flak jackets to the two major-party candidates for president: One candidate is the swaggering cowboy tough-guy who is kicking terrorist ass to keep America safe, and the other is the cowardly pants-wetting French-looking terrorist-appeaser. Which one decided to wear a flak jacket?

I certainly don't have any problem with the president doing whatever the Secret Service suggests in order to protect himself. But this debate was in a completely controlled environment, under total Secret Service lockdown. Why does Bush wear the flak jacket?

I don't know. Maybe the room wasn't as secure as I think. Or maybe Bush is only a tough-guy when he's sending other people off to die. When it comes to his own safety, he's a coward.

Kinda like what you might expect from a drunken frat-boy who supported the Vietnam war, but checked "no" when he had the chance to go fight it himself.

Maybe this explains why the people in this photo are all waving yellow W's...

[trumad]

1. I don't have a prob with the pres wearing a flak Jacket...

I really don't...

[Mortos]

42. I had the same problems with this theory until...

I thought further about it. I have an entire piece on my blog explaining why, if it is a reciever, he still did so badly. Here is an excerpt...

It is much more plausible that Bush has been using this technique for a long time in front of extremely partisan and boisterous crowds. Every few sentences he utters are greeted with wild applause and speech stopping cheering

I am still not completely sold on this idea but my theory explains away some of the questions.

See the entire story by clicking on my link at the bottom of the page.

[Fla Dem]

48. I agree, no flak jacket, bullet proof vest. Just look at the picture

in the original post. It's Bush outside. Surely a more dangerous venue than inside an extremely secured building. No evidence of a flak jacket in that pic. And when he is outside he sweats profusely and it shows through the front of his shirts. So if he doesn't wear a flak jacket when he is outside, why would he wear one when he is inside a secured site?

[goddess40]

63. A device to alert * to shut the hell up

Why would a vest have a hump like that.

He said once to no one in particular "Just let me finish", could it be he was trying to over ride the signal?

Actually I have no clue what it was but it was something.
(I'm talking about the first debate)

The yellow W's were because he was in Wausau, WI and he was playing to the Green Bay Packer fanatics.

edit: what good is a flack jacket if the shooter takes a head shot? Everything is so controled that it would be impossible to shoot bush. He keeps that fear factor hyped, they snuck him into the park and wouldn't let the bushbots out of the enclosed grandstand area until bush was gone. They actually shut the gates as they started to leave.

[Ksec]

152. I disagree

Flak jackets dont bulge in the back. Most are only protected in the front and have the lock hardware where the user can reach it..in front.

Besides with his history you cant say he isnt capable

[The Doctor.]

166. Unless...

He was wearing a super high-tech kinetic redux vest whose processor and power supply are housed in the back.

LOL - this one will be up for a while.

I wonder what the Freepers are saying?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. I'm sure it is too. eom

[CarolynEC]

3. I think you've hit the nail on the head. In fact...

... a whole row of nails! :)

[LiberalVoice]

4. Makes sense to me...

:shrug:

[cheezus]

5. a flack jacket with a square brick in the back?

I keep telling people, it's a brick that laura duct tapes to george's back to make him stand up straight.

[Beetwasher]

6. I Disagree That He Would Have Done Better W/ The Earpiece

He's just THAT bad, really. That's why he said "Let me finish!" because the earpiece WAS working and he was responding inadvertantly to his coach.

He's just completely incompetent. The deer in the headlights look was him waiting for the coach to finish his first sentence or first few words. That is all.

Usually he's better with the EP because he's had time to rehearse his speech or his statements, so the EP acts more like a cue. In a more unpredictable setting, like the debate where the questios and his answers and statements are going to be in a more random order he HAS to wait a bit for his coach to start him off properly and it's less of cue and he really is paying more attention to what his coach is saying.

The earpiece explains his behavior and his shitty performance, though without it, he would have been COMPLETELY lost.

[muriel_volestrangler]

116. 'Let me finish' needn't mean he had an earpiece

he could just have been panicking. He was trying to say what he wanted to, wasn't doing it well, and then saw the light go on - which meant he had 30 seconds. He panicked, thought it was his whole time up, so blurted out 'let me finish' to try to beat the moderator to it. It still shows he's useless when the pressure's on.

I'm not saying he didn't have an earpiece - but I doubt he'd react that way if it started giving him more info (he'd hesitate, or start mispronouncing his words; and that did happen at other times). I still don't know what the bulge is.

[progressivebydesign]

136. I watched the debates.. and don't remember the lights changing..

NOR did Bush look toward anyone when he said that.. it was wierd.

[havocmom]

7. OK, I'm blond, so help me out. Was he telling a flack jacket to let

him finish? :shrug:

What do new model flack jackets look like? I haven't seen one is a few years. Do they have big plates in the back like that?

[amber dog democrat]

11. Bush did say terrorists kill at the whim of a hat ....so

maybe he believes flack jackets can talk to him too.

Honestly if he even is wearing a wireless reciever and hearing device, I can't see where its helped him at all.

Worst President Ever.

[amber dog democrat]

8. with the chance of Cheney becoming the president

I want him to wear one too.

[troublemaker]

9. I think it's a back brace

The man simply cannot stand up straight for more than 1/2 hour, so they gave him a back brace to help.

But his problem is moral/spiritual more than physical, so when the inevitable podium-gripping slump happened his back was held straight and the ennui expressed itself in his shoulders creating the Quasimodo posture he had for the last half of the debate.

[Neecy]

21. I don't think so...

Most back braces give support to the lower back, and the lump clearly was almost up to his shoulder blades. I've never seen a back brace that rode so high up the back.

I have no idea what it was - the idea of an earpiece seems a little whacky to me. I'm guessing it's some kind of protective vest, which would explain why the Bush campaign won't answer questions about it, since it looks coWardly to wear it when the joint was so thoroughly security vetted.

[On the Road]

10. I Initially Dismissed the Earpiece Story Too,

but hearing about the incident in Europe where a microphone apparently picked up the words being fed to GWB I've started to wonder. That is one creepy incident.

[bluedeminredstate]

20. Same here

I basically ignored the speculation, but reading about CNN picking up some kind of feed of Chimpy's speech made me wonder...
I put nothing past these people.
:shrug:

[Mr E McSquare]

54. I heard that too...

and the voice that was coaching him almost sounded like Tom Brokaw to me!

[sistersofmercy]

12. Maybe, it's both. n/t

[Maple]

13. Well he was in a studio

Controlled entry, surrounded by SS, guards outside as well...it was probably the safest place on earth at that point.

And by his own wish, the studio was 70°F and the tv lighting was on.

So the question is...why would he be wearing a flak jacket?

[Skinner]

22. why would he be wearing a flak jacket?

[wtmusic]

26. It's exactly the right shape

for a wireless receiver

[Claire Beth]

69. yeah...you're right!!!

[Snow]

33. And why would he not be wearing a flak jacket

in your sig picture - that looks like a lot of people. Are you implying there's a greater likelihood of something that would generate flak happening in the debate auditorium than in that stump speech rally scene? That makes a certain amount of sense. I'm not real good with indirection, by the way - if you want to make a point with me you have to bonk me over the head with it.

[Skinner]

36. I'm guessing you didn't read my entire post which started the thread.

The W's are yellow. It's a joke.

[Snow]

37. Ahem. Did read it....

just didn't get it. See what I mean.....
(embarassment)

[Skinner]

39. "Yellow" is a synonym for "cowardly." (nt)

[rumguy]

78. If he wore one during the debate - you'd expect him to wear one

during his campaign appearances - those are probably less secure than a debate - and yet the photos I've seen - with his jacket off - like the one in your post do not show a flak jacket...

[leftofthedial]

14. that is not the bulge of body armor, a flak jacket, or a bulletproof vest

It also doesn't make sense as a receiver, but it's not the right shape or kind of bulge for a protective vest. those go up over the shoulders and don't hinge or seal in the back.

It's clearly a lump in the middle of his back.

[landdaddy]

15. I know of no

"flak jacket" or Kevlar vest with that sort, or any lump on the back portion! Maybe some new fangled type but assuredly nothing like the type I wore!

[Junkdrawer]

16. Re: "he would have done much better than he did."..

Having seen most of his press conferences, I'm guessing Rove has two choices:

1.) Send him out with an earpiece and have him stammer his way through the debate...

2.) Send him out without an earpiece and watch him freeze like a deer in the headlights...

[lakemonster11]

76. Not necessarily

He wouldn't necessarily have done better than he did. What if the receiver wasn't working properly? What if he was so used to being fed his lines (as we have some evidence of him doing prior to the debates) that he was completely lost when his earpiece signal wasn't coming through clearly or consistently?

I'm not convinced that Bush was wired, but neither am I convinced that he wasn't. I think he definitely uses earpieces during at least some of his speeches---I don't have too much of a problem with that. In that circumstance, it's not too different from using a teleprompter (and if he's dyslexic, a teleprompter could be problematic). But I do have a problem with him using it during question-and-answer periods (as he evidently did on at least one occassion), and, of course, during a presidential debate using an audio receiver is just incomprehensibly unscrupulous.

[Walt Starr]

17. Modern body armor is much more formfitting than that

My theory is, the chimp needs a new tailor.

:evilgrin:

[Benhurst]

97. It's just so hard to find a good $10,000 suit these days. n/t

[zinsky]

18. I think it is the batteries for his vibrating butt plug

It's probably the only stimulation he gets, considering the Xanax-addled ice queen he is married to....

[wtmusic]

23. That's just a little too graphic for 10:45 AM PST

but true!!

[RafterMan]

19. BS?

Come on, it just got picked up in Salon. Who cares if it's true -- it's working!

I refuse to consider the possibility that the story is untrue. At least for the next four weeks.

[havocmom]

27. Best theory so far was suggested in another thread by MetaTrope

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x892069#892138
Check out reply #19
"Actually, Bush's masters have reached such a point of desperation
that they have to strap an explosive device on him to force him to perform."

Sounds plausible to me.

[KittyWampus]

75. That Is Dog-Gone Funny!

:)

[Philostopher]

24. I'm with you, Skinner -- been saying this all along.

The guy's a masterpiece of paranoia. They sort his crowds and have them sign loyalty oaths ... boot out anybody they suspect might be a disruptor ... he can't even stand to hear ideas he doesn't agree with.

I doubt the SS offered it, though. My two cents -- I think the guy has one of his own, personally. Not only that, I think he's had it for the last four years, and maybe even during the campaign.

I wouldn't be surprised if he slept in it. The only time he probably takes it off is to shower, and even then he probably hangs it over the outside of the shower stall. I really think they're that freaking paranoid that somebody will try to put a bullet in him.

Which is stupid. As I noted in a previous post on this subject, the only way to really keep him perfectly safe is if they put a kevlar football helmet on his head, and that would be really, really hard to hide. Unless they're not worried about his head, of course.

[troublemaker]

25. BTW - tinfoil ear piece theory I haven't seen...

Remember when alQuaeda tried to kill Musharaf last year with bombs on a bridge? The bombs went off late and killed people in the last car in his motorcade.

That incident outed something that security types had suspected for a while--that we have given him our top-of-the-line security equipment,including a device that jams all broadcasts in a small radius (50 yards? 100 yards?) The device travels with the target so that radio or cell phone triggered bombs cannot receive their detonation signals while the subject is nearby. The AQ guys were hitting the button like crazy when Musharaf's car drove by but no explosion. Only when his vehicle had cleared the scene could the signals go through. Bad news for the tail end of the motorcade.

Anyway, I've toyed with the idea that Bush had an earpiece, not realizing that the secret service was going to jam all up and down the dial while he was in the hall. (If the earpiece was tested for range during the pre-debate inspections THAT KERRY PEOPLE DID NOT ATTEND it would have worked fine, because the jamming follows the prez, not the hall.) There *were* reports of pagers and cells mysteriously conking out when Bush enetered the building. I think an earpiece would be top-top-secret. There are often secrets kept from even the secret service, and after the Clinton presidency when retired agents were making public claims... well, what's our most paranoiac prez ever gonna do?

I would like to think we was getting deafening shrieks and static throughout the debate. (Kind of an ironic backward version of HARRISON BERGERON.)

[havocmom]

87. Your observations make a lot of sense

Yeah, many reports of cell phone going on the blink when his arrogance enters the area. Makes sense that the SS would be the ones jamming. Also makes sense that Rove would try to hide the fact that they use a receiver even from his security.

Also makes sense that a lot of CIA people are not crazy about the junta and they might be jamming him just for the fun of watching him crash and burn. The Plame affair ain't over til the spooks say so. In the meantime, seems like the chess game with the spooks goes on. Notice how the shit hits the fan from several directions at once for the junta lately? Think that might have some orchestration?

[The Doctor.]

167. Very true actually...

One of the biggest concerns to Presidential protection has been the use of radio-controlled plane or helicopter bombs.

We're talking MODEL planes anyone can get.

Strapping a bunch of explosives and ball-bearings to a strong R/C Plane is pretty easy and has a good chance of doing harm. The perp can use a mini-cam for guidance, or just be far enough away to get a headstart.

The SS has been using microwave jamming fields since Reagan (maybe earlier) so that these R/C assasins will drop 100's of yards before target.

[Flubadubya]

28. C-SPAN caller mentioned this Sunday after 1st debate...

It was a real howler of a call though. She says her husband is in the military and she can tell a flak jacket when she sees one and that he was wearing one for security. It didn't end there, though...
(get ready to hee-haw)... This crazy fool woman blamed Bush's entire paultry performance on that flak jacket. Bwahahahaha!!!

Really... she said it "wore him out" and that is why he did not perform well and that is why he was leaning on his podium ,etc., etc. Mentioned how much those things weigh and how difficult it would be to have to wear one for 90 minutes, blah, blah, blah.

After she hung up the moderator pointed out that security was very high at the event and even Kerry had SS to protect him. He said that if Bush was wearing one then Kerry was probably wearing one also as they would be afforded the same level of security.

I don't doubt that the Simpleton was wearing one, I just doubt that it was what "wore him out".

Ever seen the mother and "the brat" on MAD TV? That woman sounded just like little Shrubbie's hypersensitive mommy. What a hoot!

[notadmblnd]

162. Stewarts mother?

nt

[vogonity]

29. Are there similar pictures from other * appearances?

If it was a bullet proof vest, are there other pictures that show a similar bulge when * is out in public? I certainly think that he does wear a bullet proof vest at some appearances.

I think that a back brace is also a possiblilty.

None of this proves or disproves whether he was using an earpiece at the debate. I think that he probably does use an earpiece for some of his speeches, but if he was using one for the debate it would have been much better concealed.

[KC21304]

30. I'm sure it is some type of vest. You can tell he

has been a little puffy looking in the chest area for quite awhile. Though this picture from Wausau Wi. doesn't look like he has anything extra on. The way the whole central part of the state was shut down yesterday I guess he figured he needn't worry.

We took our four kids to see Carter in 79 but I just couldn't find the time to go the 40 miles to see this bozo.

[giant_robot]

31. If Bush was wired,

and I wouldn't put it past this administration to do it, wouldn't they put the reciever/transmitter in the small of his back, where it would be less obvious? Just sayin'.

[troublemaker]

32. Just ask Kerry. Didn't he back Bush's back during the handshake?

[charlie105]

34. I agree. Plus the Time magazine picture shows that most

of his inner circle were backstage in the presence of at least the Time photographer. The picture in the print edition (Behind The Scenes photo essay) shows Matthew Dowd, Karl Rove, Karen Hughes, Ken Melhman, Condi Rice and Dan Bartlett, among others watching the debate on TV.

If someone was feeding him material, I'm sure it would have been one of these guys.

[TrueAmerican]

40. Maybe Kerry pushed the off button?

That would explainn a lot.

[WoodrowFan]

140. THAT'S what he had in his pocket!!

an "off" button!

[DemBones DemBones]

35. I dunno, Skinner, it's an odd bulge, like a box in the middle of his back,

not like the top of a flak jacket. Or so the Salon photo looks to me.

My grown daughter observed a couple of years back that he sometimes talk as if he's repeating something he's heard. Blah-blah-blah - and then a pause that's not like a normal speaking pause - then Blah-blah-blah - then pause again -- then more Blah-blah. I have seen that kind of speaking behavior from him, too.

Then there was the famous highly-scripted press conference at the White House where he seemed to be drugged, very deer-in-the-headlights.

I wonder if the variations in behavior are all attributable to some type of drugs that he's being prescribed and if there isn't something wrong with him, like early onset Alzheimer's, that they don't want the people to know about. That's a scary thought, with him postponing his annual physical until after the election. Perhaps we need a law that all presidential candidates (incumbents included) must have a physical a month before the election, with results made public. Physicals should be conducted by a Naval physician at Bethesda, preferably having a Republican doctor examining the Democrat and a Democratic doctor examining the Republican, or otherwise find a way to keep the check-ups nonpartisan (physicians should be nonpartisan, anyway, but. . .) We need all the guarantees of good health we can get, for both presidential and VP candidates.

[H3Dakota]

44. Ha!! Was just saying the very same thing myself...

Told my father that last night as well as my fellow Dem co-workers this morning... it should be mandatory that they all have complete physicals.

[fairyduster]

91. From the Boston Globe

So why does Bush sound stupid? One doctor thinks he shows signs of "presenile dementia," or an early onset of Alzheimer's disease.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/09/14/a_medical_cause_for_bushisms/

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

38. It's the puppet hole. Cheney's hand goes up his ass and fits there to prop

him up...but Cheney couldn't go on stage with him so it left him limp and left a mark in his back where the hand would fit to work his head and mouth.

[Joe Turner]

41. Yes, Bush is a Coward. Kerry had no bulletproof vest.

"I don't know. Maybe the room wasn't as secure as I think. Or maybe Bush is only a tough-guy when he's sending other people off to die. When it comes to his own safety, he's a coward."

That's very clear. Bush is only tough as long as someone else is fighting his battles. He's demonstrated this over and over again throughout his life. And John Kerry has his number.

[qanda]

43. Why is no one paying attention to the thing that looks like a cord

Coming from the bulge in his back? It's on the right side and there's nothing like it on the left side so it cannot be part of a flak jacket.

[MercutioATC]

45. Exactly!! WHY, with the technology at his disposal, would he wear a

TV antenna from a 1970 limousine on his back? If he IS wired, it would be completely unnoticeable.

[Chiyo-chichi]

58. I agree, BUT....

suppose they got inside the hall & the high tech stuff just didn't work & they had to go with an older, less sophisticated, bulkier system? There are certainly buildings in which you can't get a cell phone signal. Maybe it was along those lines -- and another system just worked better in those conditions.
I don't know, but I'm not buying the flak jacket explanation. He IS yella, though, Skinner.

[alarcojon]

93. Couldn't agree more

I don't know what the lump is, but I have full confidence someone in the administration would hide a transmitter competently, so we wouldn't be able to spot it easily in a picture.

Folks, to me this is uncomfortably like the "Kerry cheated with his secret decoder pen" situation in reverse.

[goclark]

115. But the Kerry Camp Responded

They proved immediately that it was a PEN.

There is only silence coming from the Bush campaign.

If they thought they could hit the fly they would. They would make it a laughing stock because that would make the Democrats look crazy.

Why would they let this questioning go on for weeks and say NOTHING?

Guilty your honor, guilty!

[Orangepeel]

141. because it JUST got picked up as a story

the freepers put forward some hairbrained theory, drudge has it linked within the hour and the "mainstream" press picks it up the next day.

For us, it takes weeks (if at all) to break through the "liberal bias."

[txindy]

144. See my response #81, they DID give an 'answer'

but it's a non-answer. They made fun of the question and tossed out some silly suggestions, but they never said what it was. Whatever it is, it isn't doing * any good, so why the big mystery? :shrug: If it was a vest, they'd be telling the world every chance they got. "There have been plots against the pResident! Okay, we found suggestions of a plot on a reel-to-reel tape from the FDR admin., but it could happen today, too!" LOL! ;)

http://www.wonkette.com

[alarcojon]

149. Question about the facts

Did the Kerry camp respond, or just the media (I believe it was the New York Post)?

If the Kerry camp never responded directly, we can't suggest the Bush camp do so.

Folks, if there is a transmitter, then we have a knock-out blow to Bush. Nothing would make me happier. And maybe Bush is stupid enough to have his transmitter stick out where it could be seen, but I seriously doubt his handlers (Cheney, Rove etc.) would be so careless. Plus, there is a simpler explanation for Bush's performance - he just looks like an idiot compared to John Kerry.

[Ripley]

46. Just like Bremer...

He was always moving quickly with a huge jacket on and lots of mercs around him with weapons drawn. He had more protection than anyone on Earth, yet he was still scared.

Scared little men.

I don't think it was a wire...too big.

[nolabels]

137. Perhaps he knows a little about this terror thing from the other side

Ex-Kissinger partner to rule Iraq
Ex-Reagan aide to head civilian administration

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,947843,00.html

Julian Borger in Washington Friday May 2, 2003 The Guardian

Paul Bremer, a former US diplomat and terrorism expert, will be Iraq's civilian administrator, it was reported yesterday.

The appointment is seen in Washington as a victory for the secretary of state, Colin Powell, in his battle with the Pentagon for control of Iraq's future.

Mr Bremer, who was Ronald Reagan's adviser on counter- terrorism and now runs a crisis consultancy, will oversee the Pentagon's man in Baghdad, the retired general Jay Garner, who is expected to leave Iraq in the next few months.

A spokesman at Mr Bremer's Marsh Crisis Consulting office would not comment on yesterday's press reports. The White House is expected to announce his appointment before the end of the week.
(snip)
http://www.bilderberg.org/kissing.htm




Pol Pot And Kissinger On war criminality and impunity

by Edward S. Herman

The hunt is on once again for war criminals, with ongoing trials of accused Serbs in The Hague, NATO raids seizing and killing other accused Serbs, and much discussion and enthusiasm in the media for bringing Pol Pot to trial, which the editors of the New York Times assure us would be "an extraordinary triumph for law and civilization" (June 24).

The Politics of War Criminality

There are, however, large numbers of mass murderers floating around the world. How are the choices made on who will be pursued and who will be granted impunity? The answer can be found by following the lines of dominant interest and power and watching how the mainstream politicians, media, and intellectuals reflect these demands. Media attention and indignation "follows the flag," and the flag follows the money (i.e., the demands of the corporate community), with some eccentricity based on domestic political calculations.
This sometimes yields droll twists and turns, as in the case of Saddam Hussein, consistently supported through the 1980s in his war with Iran and chemical warfare attacks on Iraqi Kurds, until his invasion of Kuwait in 1990, transformed him overnight into "another Hitler."
Similarly, Pol Pot, "worse than Hitler" until his ouster by Vietnam in 1979, then quietly supported for over a decade by the United States and its western allies (along with China) as an aid in "bleeding Vietnam," but now no longer serviceable to western policy and once again a suitable target for a war crimes trial. Another way of looking at our targeting of war criminals is by analogy to domestic policy choices on budget cuts and incarceration, where the pattern is to attack the relatively weak and ignore and protect those with political and economic muscle. Pol Pot is now isolated and politically expendable, so an obvious choice for villainization. By contrast, Indonesian leader Suharto, the butcher of perhaps a million people (mainly landless peasants) in 1965-66, and the invader, occupier, and mass murderer of East Timor from 1975 to today, is courted and protected by the Great Powers, and was referred to by an official of the Clinton administration in 1996 as "our kind of guy." Pinochet, the torturer and killer of many thousands, is treated kindly in the United States as the Godfather of the wonderful new neoliberal Chile.

[actappan]

47. That's not armor . . .

I wouldn't surprise me to find out that the service had both candidates wearing armor. But I don't think we would see it, or that that's what we saw. Think about it - everyday you see Law Enforcement types wandering 'round in body armor. You know how it looks - it's bulky, but it smoothes out the profile of a persons chest and back. There may be lumps at the edges - but what I saw isn't that. That's not a vest. It was a single medium sized device on his lower back, and a wire running up toward the base of his neck. My wife, and a friend and I were watching with the aid of a Tivo, and stoped and flipped back to see it again.

The obvious argument, of course, is if he was wired - why did he do so badly?

I don't actually know or think that he was being fed answers, or for that matter that the monstrous thing on his back was an earpiece for feeding him answers. Lets face it - my cell phone is smaller than that - and you know these guys can afford something better than the average consumer - so it's not likely its what we think it is.

It would, however, be nice to know what it is.

[bushisanidiot]

49. In the Rules: Candidates Not Allowed to Remove Their Jackets

maybe there was a reason for that.. we weren't supposed to see what AWOL was hiding under there.

[Mortos]

51. There were also not supposed to be cameras behind them.

[Dora]

158. the cameras belonged to Fox, and Fox doesn't care

As much of a farce that the Fox network is, it's not stupid. They're going to film the debates any way they please, and that includes rear camera angles, even if they are proponents of the GOP's agenda.

If * goes down, Fox doesn't want to go down too. Not if, but when the time comes for all these shills and hacks to turn on their fearless leader *, you can be sure that they will, like the pack of snarling, craven hyenas they are. No offense to hyenas.

All these ignorant blathering talking heads are only accessories to the money-making machine -- Fox can and will fire Hannity, O'Reilly, and everyone else if it means more money.

[merh]

50. flak jackets do not end that low in the back.

They are called jackets or vest because they cover from the upper chest and back to the waist, like a jacket or a vest! Compare the photos of * at the ball park in the vest to * at the debate.

NO WAY IT CAN BE A bullet proof vest of flak jacket!

[Catherine Vincent]

52. I've always thought it was that.

A lot of people around the world hate that guy.

[Jasper 91]

53. I don't think he was wearing an earpiece

For the simple reason , that his idiotic face pulling could be clearly seen on the TV and surely his puppetmaster would have told him to stop , as he was appearing petulant .

I have seen Bush wear an earpiece before and always look out for it . He usually wears it in his left ear and it is not a miniscule one that is hidden in his ear canal , but one that can be clearly seen nestled in the outer ear , though nothing protrudes over the ear , like an hearing aid .

[scavok]

55. Campaign slogan in the making

Somebody really needs to look into the possibilities of turning this "W is yellow" picture into a campaign slogan

[Out the Parasites]

56. Missing Square thingy on his back...hmmm now where did that thing go?

[Out the Parasites]

57. Look Ma....No Brain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[txindy]

59. It's all of the stories together that have me semi-convinced

this story has legs. The different incidents where other voices were heard followed by * immediately repeating those exact words. Not to mention the very obvious cord running up his right shoulder-blade and to his shoulder from the back of that 'flak jacket'. Is it electrically-controlled?! Is Junior?! Is it a tiny parachute with a ripcord? Or is it one of those camelback liquid pouches cyclists wear -- only * may have it filled with something that has an octane level higher than water. :shrug:

Who knows? But all of the different stories show a bit more of the puzzle and something is going on. If it is an earpiece, who really cares? It obviously hinders more than it helps. If it is a flak jacket, is it possible that he was in any danger from a debate hall as vetted by the SS and locked down as that one? Again,... :shrug:

[kerryin2004]

72. Unless Carville knew this..

and scrambled the frequency they use.. We all know Rove is a dirty cheating campaigner, and we are all aware that James Carville eats up Little pussies like Rove for lunch..Chances are the voices Bush was hearing were coming from Carville himself.. I can see it now Carville says," Hey boy king we hijacked your wireless." Maybe his bad performance was because it was actually the Kerry campaign telling him what to say and Bush couldn't tell the difference!

[ReadTomPaine]

84. "Hey boy king we hijacked your wireless."

Priceless.

RTP

[deadmessengers]

79. Insulin pump?

Could Chimpy have insulin-dependent diabetes, and be wearing a pump? It would certainly explain the 'postponement' of his physical exam this year.

It certainly looks like the right size, although the upper back is a weird spot for it.

[kerryin2004]

86. good thought!

Maybe that is the only place they could put it where it would be unseen to the audience and still effective!

[goclark]

60. As Poppy would say,"This is a COMPELLING discussion"

Remember when Poppy was so slimy saying that the attack ads about Kerry were "compelling?"

After he said that the Swift Boaters kept telling LIES, big "compelling" LIES about Kerry.

The media was all over it. Kept bringing all kinds of people to say that Dan Rather and the Swift Boaters had a "compelling" point of view. Thousands of hours of time were spent on this crazy discussion.

Now folks, let's think about this.

Why is it that not one word about all this buzz has not been asked to the Bush campaign managers? Not one story, that I am aware of, has hit the air ways. Why not?

They almost ruined Kerry with the Swift Boat stuff!

I find it interesting that immediately after the debate, the Kerry "PEN" story was a big discussion item on TV. Huuum, classic Rove. Always attack your opponent on the very issue that you are afraid will stick on your Chimp.

I LOVE this continued discussion about the Chimp and the voices that he hears.

I would LOVE it more if any one of the Spineless Wonders in the Media would do a sit down discussion of it. Like the Dan Rather "compelling" BS.

We all know it, Bush is a PUPPET!!

Ear piece?, flak jacket?, Dick Chaney joining him before the 9/11 Commission, being AWOL on 911... Bush is a Puppet.

We are all puppets if we wait until his campaign tells us what to think or to question!

We are smart enough to know that Bush is a Puppet and he does not deserve one vote. Not one.

:puke: :think:

[BUSHOUT]

61. CHECK OUT these webpages RE: bullet proof stuff. Case closed IMO.

Go to
this webpage
and check out the concealable vests. Take note that the vests shown have "rifle plate" pockets, front AND BACK.

Go to
this webpage
and check out the "Ceramic vs. Polyethylene Comparison" rifle plates.

Hopefully that will convince some to get off the conspiracy bandwagon and back to real campain issues. There's lotsa real issues that reflect badly enough on Bush to bury him.
But hey, I'm all for free speech and speculation and hopefully nobody interprets this as me telling anyone what they can speculate about.

[Mortos]

77. Look at these pictures from your link.

http://www.bulletproofme.com/Photos%20-%202002/Rifle%20Plate,%20Maximum%20Coverage.jpg 11"x13"



All of these are much larger and centered and symmetrical on the vest as compared to:



I am not sold on this wireless theory either but these images disprove rather than prove the body armor angle.

[BUSHOUT]

83. Unfair, you're cherrypicking pictures off the link! Look again.

I agree the pics you grabbed don't look like it, but that disproves nothing because there's more streamlined BPvests on that link and some of the ceramic rifle plates look very much like the bulge in his back.

[BUSHOUT]

89. ignore n/t

[BUSHOUT]

98. Pictures of RIFLE PLATES.

Notice how two of them are not flat right accross.





The plate below is described as
Our most popular Ceramic FRONT Rifle Plate
Triple-Curved to hug your body, plus extra taper for more freedom of movement.
The Back Plate is also Triple-Curved but more rectangular

[eurolefty]

62. Here's enhanced picture:

This image from www.electoral-vote.com was sharpened with Red Hawk image intensification software (developed for NASA), which combines multiple images into a sharper image and the contrast was enhanced with Photoshop.

[BUSHOUT]

64. See links in my post above yours. It's consistent with a rifle plate. n/t

[txindy]

66. I respectfully disagree.

IMHO, that enhanced debate pic with that wire (or whatever it is) looks nothing like the pictures in those links you posted. I don't know what it is, but it's not one of those. Not even close.

[WoodyD]

70. I thought I noticed

something on his back when I was watching the debates, too. It was particularly noticeable when he hunched over, as he did so much from the effort. 'Cause debating is haaard work. It's haaard. Really haaaard.

I worked in TV production for years and mic-ed up more people than I can count. The bulge is consistent with the power pack of a wireless mic or the two-way communications systems used by sportscasters and newscasters, but the standard place to clip it is to the belt right in the middle of the back. Under most clothing you don't see it at all, plus you can let the antenna (a short piece of black wire) hang down just under the edge of the suit coat if needed for decent reception.

[Kadie]

85. Looks like he left the coat hanger in his jacket. n/t

[bush equals idiot]

65. electoral vote.com is picking up the story today.

Maybe this thing will get mainstream media legs. That would be incredible. The candidates were not supposed to bring any kind of props into the debate.

The troll's hump was not a chest protective device. If it was, our soldiers are the laughing stock of Iraq.

[Claire Beth]

67. I think it was an earpiece....

the body armor i have seen that the police wear are FLAT in front and back and strap together on the sides ....... how could you drive around all day in a police cruiser, or Humvee in Baghdad, with a hard box poking you between the shoulder blades ........ and the prez and candidates should be wearing body armor ALL the time anyway ...... and has anyone EVER seen a box-bulge on the back of a prez before???
also ....... if W WAS listening to someone, that could also explain his deer-in-the-headlites expressions in trying to do two things at once other than just repeat Karl ROve soundbites from memory.

[Generic Other]

68. I think he's been wearing one all along

Which means one more soldier who should have one doesn't

[spanone]

71. He thought Kerry wouldn't give him any flak if he wore it?

Dimson

[Nordic]

73. I'll bet you $100 it was a backup microphone transmitter

in case the podium mics went out, the sound guys rigged both guys with wireless mics and transmitters.

Look for one on Kerry, too, although Kerry, being a bigger guy, would be less likely to have it showing.

I work in media production and this is standard practice.

Anything else is paranoid speculation.

[Mortos]

122. In the Salon.com story

they explore that possiblity but debunk it because officials and technicians from the debat say there were no back up mic's or any other electronic devices put on the candidates.

[onecitizen]

74. That wasn't the first time.........

he's been wearing one for some time now. You can tell by looking at him when he turns a certain way. I've noticed it before. People pooh pooh me for saying it but he does wear one on occasion.

cluck cluck cluck

[Bossy Monkey]

80. I've got it! It's a CamelBak filled with his emergency backup gin & tonics

[txindy]

82. Yep, that's what I suggested back up in #59

Great minds and all that! :toast:

[txindy]

81. From Wonkette

"In any case, Salon has seen fit to pick up the story and the Media Channel even got poor Mark McKinnon to go through the trouble making a statement about it:

I love this. Am tempted to say, 'I cannot confirm or deny,' and let the story get some legs. Or, how about, 'Since we put the metal plate in his head, we have had some measure of success with audio transmissions to the President.' Or, 'Yeah, but it clearly broke down during the debate.' Unfortunately, the truth is not nearly as interesting. The answer is, 'The President has never been assisted by any audio signal.'

We think this pretty much slams the lid on the conspiracy, personally: McKinnon mocked the idea (and mocked it well!), and that is not how the Bushies respond to getting caught lying. When they get caught lying, they keep lying. We would totally buy this Bush-is-wired thing if, for instance, they didn't just deny that Bush was wearing an earpiece but also denied that Bush was actually at the debate."

http://www.wonkette.com/

Okay. So why didn't McKinnon actually say what it was? And why is he using jokes to play it off? I'm ready to believe him if he'd tell us what it was and do a show-and-tell. Not much to ask.

[RaleighNCDUer]

138. The best way to lie is to tell the truth!

He didn't say there was no audio device. He only said the president has never been assisted by one. Despite their best efforts, the attempted assist did not help him.

[Fleshdancer]

88. I don't know if it's a transmitter, but it's safe to say it's not a flak

jacket. It wouldn't surprise me if he were scared enough to wear one, but then wouldn't he wear one all the time on the campaign trail? There's no bulge in the very pic you've posted and he's surrounded by thousands of people. If he's scared enough in a closed arena with high security, shouldn't he be scared enough in that photo as well? Here's another no bulge pic from another rally:

[BUSHOUT]

92. That pic looks like there's a vest. Look at the drop-off at shoulders nt

[txindy]

94. You sure are vested in this vest theory

Pun intended. ;)

[BUSHOUT]

103. Once it's vested, I can withdraw on it.

:bounce:

Notice how two of them are not flat right accross.





The plate below is described as
Our most popular Ceramic FRONT Rifle Plate
Triple-Curved to hug your body, plus extra taper for more freedom of movement.
The Back Plate is also Triple-Curved but more rectangular

[RoadRunner]

90. It's a strap that holds up his Depend undergarmet!

It was getting a workout!

(Bladder and bowel incontinence may be caused by a condition that can be medically treated. Please see your doctor for professional advice.)

[V Lee]

95. Maybe it's for alerts?

I'll bet it's so the Secret Service can alert him in the event of an emergency, terrorist attack, or whatever. (So he can pull out the goat book and start reading immediately.)

Think about it, do you think they'd have SS guys just run on stage (on live TV) to tell him?

They're all wired.

[txindy]

100. I'm sorry, but I just had to laugh at that!

Why would the SS run on stage when Junior is going to need at least 7 minutes to respond to any colossal threat? ;)

Besides, in all seriousness, the SS would wire both candidates since they are given equal protection and the Kerry camp has already said it doesn't know anything about this. :shrug:

[Jersey Devil]

96. Hmm, I thought it might be his spare codpiece

You never know when one of those babies will come in handy

[BUSHOUT]

99. PICTURES showing rifle plates....

Posted in wrong place above...sorry.

Notice how two of them are not flat right accross.





The plate below is described as
Our most popular Ceramic FRONT Rifle Plate
Triple-Curved to hug your body, plus extra taper for more freedom of movement.
The Back Plate is also Triple-Curved but more rectangular

[Hobarticus]

106. Too small to be an armor plate

If that is an armor plate, it's worthless. Look again at the original picture: it's about the size of a pack of smokes. What does THAT protect?

Too small and doesn't protect anything.

Not to be insulting, but try giving Bush's "armor plate" to anyone whose survival might depend on it, and they'd laugh at you.

[BUSHOUT]

121. Because of shadow you only see one side of a three-sided ceramic plate. nt

[txindy]

107. Ah, I see what you're saying about the curved plate

but the curve on *'s back goes right down the center of his spine. That's not a plate. It's far too narrow. There would be two vertical edges and they would run closer to the outside of his shoulder-blades and not his spine. Besides, if it was a vest, the WH would have said it in their response to the question they were asked about it. (I linked in #81) They ignored what it was and mocked what it wasn't. What the heck kind of non-answer is that? If it was a vest, they'd be trumpetting his need to wear one. Just MHO.

[BUSHOUT]

124. Look carefully....is the edge along the center of spine or off to left? nt

[txindy]

133. Looks like the center to me

If it was off to the left, it would need to be waaay off to the left and need a corresponding ridge on the right. Something that isn't centered wouldn't provide much protection. I don't know. It's all just speculation from everyone, including me, it doesn't matter all that much. No matter what he's wearing, it's not doing him any good! Maybe we'll get a better view tonight and we can hop back on the speculation wagon -- after we finish our polls. :)

[factcheck]

157. Nice pics

of rifle plates. Unfortunately, they don't show a good pic of a back plate.

The back plate is a little smaller than the front. Basically line up with the corners of the top of the front plate and draw straight lines down. That would be closer to the size. It is also curved, well not curved, but 'form fitted' I guess you could say, similar to the idea of the front pic you have.

I have seen the vests and the plates and I have worn a vest (damn uncomfortable and HOT! no matter how 'form fitting' they say they are). But I admit to never wearing one with the plates in it. Also, IF you have a suit jacket that was not tailored to accommodate the vest, believe me, just the vest alone makes things pretty obvious with the way your jacket tends to bind up. How ever people like the President generally have their jackets tailored for the vest, but you cannot hide them completely (sort of the same way that feds and security have their jackets tailored to hide weapons. I have seen security guys hide some pretty big guns (generally more than one) under jackets and you wouldn't even know they were there.

:)

[rumguy]

101. One problem

If he felt the need to wear one during the debate you'd expect him to also wear one on the campaign trail - and yet he often goes without a suit jacket on the campaign trail and there has clearly never been an instance in which he was wearing a flack jacket.

After all, the campaign trail would probably be less scecure than the location of a debate.

[BUSHOUT]

102. Bush will no doubt have a custom concealable vest w/rifle plate pockets

It's not going to be some big huge flak jacket like you see cops wearing.

Take a look at the rifle plate pics above.

[Beetwasher]

105. And They Look Nothing Like The Lump

:shrug:

Not sure of your point. The lump is a small squarish bulge between his shoulders. There is nothing on those rifle plates that even comes close to looking like it could create such a lump.

[Hobarticus]

108. Compare the size of the front plate in the shot...

...and compare the size of the back plates in the shot.

Now compare that relative size to the bulge.

Not even close.

It's not an armor plate.

[BUSHOUT]

109. Are you sure you looked at THESE? You noticed the "triple curve" feature?

The picture of Bush looks like we're seeing the shadow fall accross the left-most curve of a tripple curved back rifle plate.


Notice how two of them are not flat right accross.





The plate below is described as
Our most popular Ceramic FRONT Rifle Plate
Triple-Curved to hug your body, plus extra taper for more freedom of movement.
The Back Plate is also Triple-Curved but more rectangular

[Hobarticus]

113. Relative size doesn't match

The rear plate would be about the same width as the front plate. What's the point of such a tiny armor plate? Why a foot-wide armor plate on the front, and a three-inch wide plate on the back?

[BUSHOUT]

118. Why assume the plate in the back would be only 3inches wide?

Keep in mind the shadow is falling accross only one edge, so you'd only be seeing one portion of 3 portions of the triple curve ceramic plate.

[Hobarticus]

127. Sorry, man, no one's buying.

Using that logic, that you're only seeing one edge of it, you've now got a vest that ends about halfway across the back.

The bulge is definately not caused by a 10x13" object.

The bulge has sharply-defined edges. Easy to guess how big it is, and it's not that big.

Whatever it is, it's small.

[Beetwasher]

117. Yes, I Did and It's Not Even Close

Sorry, but this does not even come close to explaining it.

[Hobarticus]

120. Checked the link: "Triple-Curve" is a FULL-SIZE back plate, about 10x13".

The bulge on Bush's back is most definately not a full-size plate.

[BUSHOUT]

125. Again, because of shadow you see only one side of a 3-sided plate. n/t

[Hobarticus]

129. That ends halfway across his back? No.

[ReadTomPaine]

114. That would mean he also goes without the alleged earpiece as well.

Assuming this is an earpiece, then he would always have had to wear this jacket-rig whenever he has been suspected of using a hidden earpiece.

RTP

[AmerDem]

104. Nah, .....( pics included)

Modern Kevlar vests (as far as I know) have NO bulge in the center of the back.


http://www.dndindustries.com/Library/raider_vest/raider_back+.gif

[BUSHOUT]

110. Bush wouldn't wear junk like that. Likely custom concealed vest w/plates

The plate below is described as
Our most popular Ceramic FRONT Rifle Plate
Triple-Curved to hug your body, plus extra taper for more freedom of movement.
The Back Plate is also Triple-Curved but more rectangular

[AmerDem]

123. plates huh?

a 3 X 4 inch plate mounted off centered on his back? I stand by my opinion!

[BUSHOUT]

130. What makes you think it's a 3x4 inch object? Shadow hides other edge. n/t

[Hobarticus]

131. Sorry, no.

[AmerDem]

135. ok, to relieve your hard on

4 X 5 inch. I stand by my opinion!

[MGKrebs]

111. Could be suspenders I suppose.

Has Shrubbie ever been known to wear suspenders? Although that "wire" snaking up to his collar still doesn't look right.

I am leaning more and more toward the receiver.

What is more believable? A flak jacket in a relatively safe auditorium, or a wireless receiver just in case they need it?

I haven't been able to resolve the "wire" going up to his neck, but... if there were all sorts of OTHER wireless com devices- mostly due to Secret Service- they might try to eliminate all they could. Could not do without wireless getting the signal to him, but then yet another wireless just to get to his ear? That can be deleted for a wire. The evidence really does fit this scenario better than the others I believe.

[chicken]

159. I agree..

.. just some sexy suspenders:



or a bit less sexy but closer to reality:



but probably it was the NRA style suspenders:

http://www.delfatti.com/New%20photo%20series%20for%20web%20site/SR-left,back,right%20view.jpg

cheers
Adrian

[RaleighNCDUer]

112. I expect you're right. The placement of the 'bulge' would be

about right for a ceramic plate meant to protect the heart in a back-shot, in the case that a sniper has armour piercing bullets that could punch through kevlar.

Love the yellow Ws.

On the other hand, anyone remember Heinlein's 'Puppet Masters'? Maybe the invasion has begun!

[ReadTomPaine]

128. The padding and inserts make him look as heavy as Cheney.

Regarding paranoia- I'd agree that it's a bigger issue than any earpiece. He's probably suited up to take multiple AP rifle shots to the chest, what does that say about him when he's surrounded by his closest supporters and his fellow heads of state?

Given what's been discovered about the literal army that follows him around, that really completes the picture of the unstable paranoid. He would creep out Nixon at this point.

RTP

[geniph]

119. It's a cover for his wind-up key

That's how Cheney gets him to walk and talk and chew pretzels on command.

[lefthandedskyhook]

168. Actually, it's the puppeteer's hand slot cover

The label says: "Neocons only"

[no name no slogan]

126. A flakjacket with a TRANSMITTER in it! (n/t)

[txindy]

145. Now there's a sensible compromise!

:toast:

[BUSHOUT]

132. The guy only had to remember maybe 10 or 15 talking points!!!

I don't see how a receiver would even help him!!!

I'm amazed so many here are considering this crazy conspiracy theory!

Even if my ceramic plate theory isn't accepted, another poster with apparent media experience put up another thread saying they would have a backup TRANSMITTER MICROPHONE in case the table mic failed.

[factcheck]

151. I keep hearing

that there is "no way" it could be a bullet proof vest because either they don't end that low or they are smoother than that.

First, the type that the President would use, or anyone worry about assassination (world leaders, etc.) as opposed to the type that is worn by law enforcement, security, etc. is identical with one MAJOR exception: the addition of rifle plates in the front and back area in special pockets in the vest. These plates are the ONLY things in a vest that would stop a round fired from higher powered rifles.

The plates are shaped a little differently for front and back. In the front, they are tapered at the top. Think tall rectangle with sides that taper inward on the top half. The back is exactly rectangular. The front covers a good portion of the chest area while the back is smaller and fits between the shoulder blades.

The top portion of the back rifle plate would come pretty close to that area while the top of the actual vest would end just below t-shirt collar level in the back.

Newer vests are actually quite smooth unless you add something like rifle plates. Then they will appear a little more 'bumpy'.

The info I got on both on bullet proof vests as well as on wireless transceivers (often used by security people) came from a security firm I have worked with several times.

I offered a more full explanation here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=printer_friendly&forum=132&topic_id=1001603&mesg_id=1004596

[progressivebydesign]

134. Then WHY Is he not wearing it THERE in your photo??

He is at an outdoor event. with THOUSANDS of people?? WHy is there NOT a big square bulge under his shirt? As opposed to a totally secured indoor location? Riddle me that, Batman.

[WoodrowFan]

139. bad suit

damn, I just thought it was a poor fitting suit.

[AmerDem]

143. with a solid rectangle in the center of the back?

What fucking suit is that poorly fitting?

[WoodrowFan]

150. looks like a seam to me

but I'm open minded. If it were a radio receiver I'd love to hear a tape of what was said.

[ScreamingMeemie]

142. I still say it's a potato.

:shrug:

[nolabels]

146. It wouldn't matter anyway

The whole world could talk into this fools ear and he could still muff it. I would think he did have such, but the way he did in the last debate I think we should make sure we ignore it if he does :-)

(after all it's only good manners to cut slack to the handicapped and their prosthesis)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3298443.stm

[troubleinwinter]

147. The whole thing is neither here nor there.

The attention given to this makes us look like a bunch of paranoid UFO crackpots.

Let us devote ourselves to the important issues at hand (and stop looking stupid).

[newsguyatl]

148. i dunno, i think it's a valid question

i certainly wouldn't put it past them.

and actually, i think dim son would have done BETTER had he not had someone in his ear.

if he's done it once, why wouldn't he do it again?

[clover]

161. i KNOW it's a valid question

convince me otherwise.

[Catfight]

153. People who obsess with symbols scare me, like a swastika!

Why is it all a bunch of white fat people for Bush? Obviously they are eating well, I guess ignorance really is blissful..party on W fan's while the poor die for you to...party on!

[MADem]

154. VESTED interests???

Maybe this explains why the people in this photo are all waving yellow W's...

Well, weewee is yellow, and so is weecowboy!

What I don't get is why his tailor didn't do a better job with the suit. That tailor has been doing Presidents since JFK, he knows how to fit around body armor, in fact, that is why they all go to him, because he is so skilled at making the lines appear natural and flattering to the wearer. So I have to wonder if this bulge was a late, last minute addition, maybe because weewee didn't study for the debate.

And if the top part of the bump is the TOP of the vest, it doesn't afford much in the way of protection. It doesn't look like any I've seen. I also wonder why the "rules" insist that the candidates keep their jackets on. Another thing is, that the thin kevlar layers on the real high end vests (light, comfortable, effective) will do just fine against a bullet. The only time you want to bother with the hard plate inserts is if you think you are going to be stabbed with an icepick or knife with great force at close range. The kevlar won't protect against that. But no one is ever allowed to get close enough to weewee to do that sort of thing, except maybe Karen Hughes.

The one thing that that bump COULD be, that no one has theorized on, is some sort of a cooling system--like one of those gel things you toss in the fridge or freezer that stay cool for several hours. They wanted to make sure that JK sweated, but maybe they were afraid their boy would as well. They would have been better off going with botox for weewee--it would have reduced his facial contortions, made him look rested, AND reduced sweating substantially (it is often used for those who have horrifically sweaty hands and feet, and it works really well).

If you look at the way weewee used to talk, when he was running for his failed congressional attempt, and while running for and serving as TX gov, he was completely coherent--it's like looking at a different guy. He spoke clearly, did not mangle words, and did not slur or transpose at all (mexxed misiches). He seemed to start to confabulate around the time he was running for president the first time, but everyone just dismissed it as charming malapropisms. He has gotten WAY worse in the intervening four years, and I notice it. There's something going on with him, and it has to do with his health, and his people KNOW it. A mini-stroke, maybe, brought on by sudden onset hypertension due to his inability to exercise like he used to, or all that youthful coke use? His people just HAVE to see the difference in him, unless they are totally stupid. Even though he does not do press conferences and have to think on his feet, they've got to see this change in their private interactions with him. I notice it when he takes two lousy questions and then does not answer them at these crappy grip and grins with foreign leaders. It's painful to watch.

It will be interesting to see what happens tonight. Painful or not, I'll be watching with great interest!

[factcheck]

156. Not entirely true...

"The only time you want to bother with the hard plate inserts is if you think you are going to be stabbed with an icepick or knife with great force at close range."

Actually this is not true. The Kevlar would protect against stab attacks at close range, but would do nothing against a high powered rifle - think of the type that snipers use, or even target shooters.

The high velocity of the bullet from a rifle far exceeds that of even a close range blast from a handgun. Therefore, the rifle plates are used.

Bullet proof vests are not body armor. Not even in the same class of protection. Rifle plates are covered in the same protection class as body armor.

Rifle plates are ONLY used for protection against the high percentage center body mass shot.

That is not my opinion, that comes from security experts.

My opinion, though, is: if some whack job was going to shoot a President, wouldn't he use something like a depleted uranium round (aka armor piercing)???

I don't believe for a minute this was a communications device. Vest seems more likely, but I like the hidden 'flask' or whatever - take your pick: gin, whiskey, vodka. Personally, I think if he had any, or all, of the above he would have performed better. :)

[MADem]

170. Yeah, BUT....

He does not have a worry re: a high powered rifle in the venue. That place was picked over, searched, re-searched, sniffed, scrubbed and covered with SS agents. He might have to worry about that sort of weapon if he is transiting to a vehicle outside, but not within the debate hall.

He'd swap vests if he needed to, just like he did at Turkey Day with the troops. He came off the plane looking like a Star Wars Storm Trooper, but he switched from a heavy vest to a light one in the holding room they had him in in back of the chow hall. The huge irony of all this is that someone serving proudly in defense of our nation STOLE his heavy vest because there was a real body armor shortage back then. And it was never recovered or returned. That was not widely reported, but it did happen.

[Thatcher]

155. Think about it

If it was a cheater receiver, they would have been much more
careful in the placement. There are lots of people back-stage
who would have squealed to someone if it was a coaching
device.

If it was a back-up microphone transmitter - don't know any
audio tech who would place it there.

My guess is that it is some sort of security device: either a
frequency jammer or a receiver for information from the secret
service.  This also explains why McKinnon wouldn't elaborate
on it and why the Kerry campaign folks are ignoring it.  

We shouldn't do like the Bushies did when they jumped to
conclusions about the mysterious paper Kerry allegedly took
out of his pocket.  

And I wouldn't draw any big conclusions about Bush being
paranoid or cowardly, either.  I guarantee you, if this is a
security device, President Kerry will be using it also because
the President of the United States, be it Bush, Kerry or
Hillary, is the number one target for all terrorists.

[clover]

160. backbone

campaign manager said it was bush's "backbone." dispense with the jokes, folks, this one matters.

[Shopaholic]

163. Tucker Eskew wouldn't answer the question on Olbermann

he made a little quip instead. It was a non-denial. I'm telling you, we need to keep this one going. There are some very, very serious questions which need to be answered here!

[goclark]

169. I'm with you scmirage

Why do we Democrats have to cross all the tees and double dot the I's?

Republicans can bully us all day long.

They know we are too wimpy to ask them a question.

They didn't dot one "i" before those Swift Boat Liars kept right on going.

They just keep stuff going so that we are trying to stop a series of LIES. They will hit us from the right and the left side at the same time.
We wait until we know something for Sure. But they will just stone wall, say "it's nothing there" and we believe what ever they tell us.

Where there is smoke there is FIRE.
There is a whole lot of FIRE in the Bushco Family.

Keep it going!
Keep it going!
Keep it going!

[MidwestTransplant]

164. I don't believe that he was wearing a B Proof Vest

First of all, that debate hall was Fort Knox. It was not a threatening situation (even in the above picture, he doesn't seem to be wearing a brace and that's amongst a large crowd in the open air).

Second, the buldge doesn't seem to be uniform accross his back. You wouldn't be able to see it all the way accross the back based on how he was standing but never the less, this is clearly a single square object of some sort.

Kos suggested it could have been part of a back brace.

[ThoughtCriminal]

165. RW spin would be Kerry doesn't need one

since terrorists want him to win.

Quite possible he was wearing one, but it does not show since he does not slouch like Bush Jr. (someone else brought this up elsewhere).

I haven't ruled out the radio, but the vest is also plausible. I would not be surprised if there was a SS policy on not commenting on what, if any protection Presidential candidates wear.

[viking_girl]

171. I think it's something lab rats are fitted with :)

Yep, I just saw on the cover of Science magazine, the topic was Mind Control and they fitted lab rats to run through a maze giving them mind signals. And those poor little rats had to wear all these gizmos strapped to their back! Oh, OK, so that article was real but I'm just kidding....I think....