On another day, September 11, 2001, the POTUS* read to school children

[Samantha]

Question: where were the tea-baggers on that day, the day of September 11, 2001, with their protests and indignation at the POTUS* directly interacting with a class of second-graders?

"At approximately 8:48 a.m. on the morning of September 11, 2001, the first pictures of the burning World Trade Center were broadcast on live television. The news anchors, reporters, and viewers had little idea what had happened in lower Manhattan, but there were some people who did know. By that time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the National Military Command Center, the Pentagon, the White House, the Secret Service, and Canada’s Strategic Command all knew that three commercial airplanes had been hijacked. They knew that one plane had been flown deliberately into the World Trade Center’s North Tower; a second plane was wildly off course and also heading toward Manhattan; and a third plane had abruptly turned around over Ohio and was flying back toward Washington, DC.

"So why, at 9:03 a.m.—fifteen minutes after it was clear the United States was under terrorist attack—did President Bush sit down with a classroom of second-graders and begin a 20-minute pre-planned photo op? No one knows the answer to that question. In fact, no one has even asked Bush about it." (emphasis added)

from http://www.historycommons.org/essay.jsp?article=essayaninterestingday

Remember?



Where was the outrage of the tea-baggers that day? The only outrage I remember on display came from the left who could not help but wonder didn't George W. Bush* have more important things to do at that moment.

Any thinking person today realizes that the manufactured outrage over Obama's address to children returning to school is an attempt to deploy a political maneuver designed to embarrass and/or attempt to humiliate the Obama administration.

The failure of the so-called tea-baggers' campaign to protest the "brainwashing" by the President of the United States* to school-aged children on that day but not this day demonstrably illustrates one of the characteristics most often railed against by the right-wing religious extremists: hypocrisy. Isn't that a bit odd?

Beyond that one wonders why some feel is it okay for a George W. Bush* to interact with school children while the Country is under attack but it is not okay for a Barack Obama to interact with school children while the Country is not under attack. I will leave that statement at that....

But another answer might possibly be that this is a blatant attempt to distract from the health care wars being fought this day. Look this way (and not our way) while we continue to work in the dead of night to derail that which takes from the rich instead of the poor -- the Robin Hood-in-reverse syndrome. Ahhhh, could that possibly be it?

Sam

Note: POTUS* = Bush*

[votenovember2008]

1. Reading VS Addressing Students

I'm assuming that the argument from the right is that President Bush was "reading to" students, President Obama will be "addressing" students with a supposed agenda. Not saying it is right or wrong for either President, but there is a difference in "reading to" and "addresssing" students. I'm just saying . . .

[Samantha]

4. That might be the superficial argument some try to float

but I am thinking both of us know better than that ... right?

Sam

[hfojvt]

9. how is that a superficial argument?

there really is no difference between sitting and reading a book and giving a potentially political speech?

and there really is no difference between visiting ONE classroom and being broadcast into ALL classrooms?

Your OP looks to be the superficial argument.

Nobody made a fuss out of this either, did they?

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iGD7MGkMee1r_h4RAjxaI39WOEUw

"President Barack Obama Tuesday took time out from some pressing political woes to visit a class of excited schoolchildren and read them a story about the 1969 Moon landing."

or this

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/03/httplatimesblog.html

"March 19, 2009 | 11:04 am
Our colleague, Maeve Reston, who is handling pool duties this morning during President Obama's Southern California stops, reports that the AP Literature and Composition students at Pomona's Village Academy High School were beside themselves when the president paid a call:"

or this

http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/bellantoni/2009/Jan/29/president-obama-visits-school-he-mocked/

"By Christina Bellantoni on Jan. 29, 2009 into Bellantoni
SubscribePresident Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama this morning made a trip to the Bethesda campus of Sidwell Friends, where daughter Sasha attends school."


Seemingly, forcing a video address into all schools is a little bit different. I am sure we would have been overjoyed if Bush had done that.

[Samantha]

11. From inside the Beltway, the perspective was a bit different

on September 11, 2001. I worked in downtown in D.C. and when the attacks began on the Pentagon, the City descended into a mad chaos. No one could ride public transportation out, the subway was closed, and no one could call a relative to come into the City to pick them up. When we who were stranded watched the news and saw the fire at the Pentagon playing on the networks, we subsequently learned George W. Bush* had been sitting in a classroom in Florida reading to second-graders. Many of us thought at that time that was simply Bush* evacuating because he knew the attacks were happening. He covered his own flank without as much as a "heads-up" to the rest of us the Washington, D.C. metro area, went to Florida where reportedly the National Guard had been called up against the knowledge of the citizens of that State, to protect the POTUS* at all costs. To think that was a genuine, sincere, innocent gesture on George W. Bush*s part to interact with school children at that precise moment is at best a superficial notion, and at worst a highly orchestrated maneuver to camouflage his own self-motivated actions.

Reading shortly thereafter of his failure to act on the warnings he had received from the CIA that an attack was believed imminent only cemented the suspicions many of us in D.C. were harboring against him. Bush*s appearance in the Florida classroom on that day was simply political theater regardless of how it was presented to the public.

On the other hand, the Obamas made it clear when it was known they would in fact be relocating to the D.C. area, they would become involved in the local culture, including the school system. Their visits and activities with school-age children are sincere. Additionally, they have made no visits that I know of that were anything but above approach in intent.

[yodermon]

5. didn't he also "say a few words" to the students that day?

ya know, not just straight-up recitation of The Pet Goat?

[bonjourtristesse]

2. But Bush was only in office 8 months! What did you expect him to do?

:hide:

[Samantha]

8. I never expected very much from George W. Bush*

so I was not disappointed in my expectations. Shocked at times -- but never disappointed per se.

Sam

[NoSheep]

3. He really looks the loser there, does he not? (dream sequence....)

I can just see the little gears with broken teeth going around in his tiny head...

"I'll be gald-dang-it if they didn't go an do it. I knew that rat-bastard Cheney would steal this from me. Now I'm gonna have to suck his dick for another 7 years. Gald. I'm gettin' about sick of this shit. Here I am playin' the patsy agin. Daddy has sacrificed me up for good. Well I'll show em. I'm a gald-dam Texan now. Cheney can't knock me off in plain daylight. Wait'll he sees what this 'ol cowboy can do. I'll have em eatin out of my hand. Makin the pie higher. Puttin food on their families."

[Rosa Luxemburg]

6. Look at those eyes

guilt

[unblock]

7. when a republican is in office, brainwashing kids is more important than saving liberal new yorkers

the fact that the lies and hypocrisy is SO completely transparent and obvious only goes to show how thoroughly corrupted the media and the political process is. they would only tell so many lies and make so many ludicrous attacks so confidently if they knew they could get away with it, and of course they are right.

so now we have shrub being hailed as a great president when visits schoolkids yet obama is a brainwashing when he talks to kids. i guess the difference is that obama will be talking, whereas shrub had a kiddie story read TO HIM.

sad, so sad.

[Samantha]

17. I think the brainwashing button is always on

whether they are in control or not. Just look at the current situation for proof of that.

Thank you for your response.

Sam

[FrenchieCat]

10. Amen!

[tanyev]

12. Not only that, but he addressed the country from the school, surrounded by students.

He didn't want to "scare the students" by leaving the classroom abruptly, but he had no problem with surrounding himself with a bunch of young human shields when he addressed the nation at 9:30. Why did they even stay at the school? Wouldn't the communications equpiment on Air Force One have been much more effective in dealing with the crisis? If he really was a target, as they claimed, then every minute he stayed at the school endangered the students' lives. Haven't heard one word of complaint from RWers about his actions that morning.

[Samantha]

14. Exactly

I haven't heard a single word of complaint about that morning from the right either -- and it was a sham on so many levels. Shows their ever-present double standard.

[WinkyDink]

16. He spoke to the nation that morning, or to the children there?

http://news.findlaw.com/cnn/docs/gwbush/bushadrs091101.html

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20031006/alterman

[tanyev]

18. He spoke to the nation at 9:30am from the library at Booker Elementary School.

Quite a few children were dragged out of the classroom to be background props for his speech. Think they called any parents to ask permission first?



http://www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?day_of_9/11=bush&timeline=complete_911_timeline

[RememberWellstone]

13. He was working at his IQ level

What can you say about the brain child Bush??:think:

[AspenRose]

15. "Reading makes a country great"

But ONLY under Republican presidents. (Especially white, male, "Christian" Republican presidents.)

Those elitist, ivy-league educated, egghead Democrats wouldn't know ANYTHING about education.

And we CERTAINLY can't have an UPPITY, ivy-league educated, egghead "Democrat" president providing an example of what happens when someone works hard on his own merits, and overcomes obstacles to be legitimately elected as America's first black president. What kind of example would THAT provide to America's schoolchildren?

Nope, can't have that....no, sir.

*sigh*

[Phx_Dem]

19. That was different because

the kids assumed, based on Bush's reading level, that he was just a new kid in their class.

[Samantha]

20. I had a modest goal when I penned this thread last night

I wanted someone like Ed or Rachel to bring this up on the mainstream media. Ed just did, reviewing all the previous Presidents who have personally and directly addressed school children.

But surprising to me (but thankful I am) he tread where I feared to go publicly.

(From my thread): "Beyond that one wonders why some feel is it okay for a George W. Bush* to interact with school children while the Country is under attack but it is not okay for a Barack Obama to interact with school children while the Country is not under attack. I will leave that statement at that.... "

Ed asked in words to this effect: How many parents out there will never accept the fact there is a black man in the Oval office and will never tacitly condone this to their own children? That is it in a nutshell. Does race factor into this current manufactured crisis?

I hesitate to ask such an explosive question because once again to bring this out and openly digress against our current health care wars is probably exactly what the Republicans are hoping for. Introduce another wedge issue and knock the Dems off balance.

But let me conclude this thought with a simple statement: Too many Republicans have absolutely No Shame. They lie, they deceive, they stand against Big Business against the interests of the common man. (Unfortunately, it does appear some Dems are doing the latter as well). But hopefully we can be better than them, praising our current President of the United States even when we disagree with a policy issue he has taken, but always presenting ourselves with a level of candor that is nothing but the best reflection upon ourselves and our party.

Sam