Bush being portrayed as just a "likable guy" by CNN.

[Jara sang]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/23/bush.ap/index.html

Talk show host-in-chief?

President Bush continues practice of taking audience questions

MANHATTAN, Kansas (AP) -- Move over, Oprah. President Bush is making himself into television's newest talk show host by featuring audience participation in his appearances.

Bush has been taking questions from audience members in recent speeches, and the White House says none has been prescreened even though the sessions are limited to invited groups. It's a throwback to the folksy style on the campaign trail that helped him win re-election and a departure from the heavily scripted speeches that were the norm last year.

{snip}

Bush has taken a wide variety of questions in three other appearances during the last six weeks. Many of the people he has called on have fawned over him, thanking him for his wartime leadership, saying they pray for him and bringing best wishes from other fans in their family who couldn't be there.

"It's always good to have a plant in every audience," Bush joked last week in Sterling, Virginia, after a woman rose and said she was proud of him.

[AX10]

1. "CNN portrays self as Fox News Channel"

;-)

[sui generis]

2. Manhattan, Kansas?

oh my.

Home of Ahearn Field House, where president Raygun once said he'd like to put gays back in the closet, in a tiny little box, in the very back of the closet, and the entire crowd stood up and roared and went wild.

[AX10]

4. Do you have a link?

I'd like to see for myself. Text and/or a news report will do.

[sui generis]

8. Actually I was there when they gave that speech

I think it was in 1982 or 1983 - wouldn't even know where to start looking for a transcript.

[tatertop]

18. whoa, I'll bet that was a scary scene

[sui generis]

22. it was a contributing factor to leaving K-State

But hey, they were mostly Raygun supporters in that audience, go figure!

The odd thing was that Ronald Jr. was enrolled at the Joffrey School of Ballet in NYC that same year, with Secret Service people checking on him in pas de deux class and hanging out down there in the village with him - one block up from Balducci's across from the church for our NYC brethren.

[tatertop]

27. that is interesting

[Seedersandleechers]

30. And they never ever speak at KU

[Mass]

3. Not CNN, AP - Another shill article by Nedra Pickler

She should be in Bush's PR team, not an AP reporter.

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. There's a difference? nt

[Mass]

21. As AP is reported by the rest of the print media, yes.

(not that CNN is better, but most people dont read CNN websites).Dont expect to have clean information anywhere with tools like Nedra Pickler. She did that throughout the campaign and continues. Her place is more at the White House than at AP.

[Hugin]

5. Likable in the sense of "stomach flu" or "a punch in the gut"?

A fine distinction, I know.

[Double T]

6. screened, invitation only, known bush supporters............

what the HELL would you expect them to say to their beloved leader.

[PATRICK]

7. The poor head of NSA

looked as if he got all the "liberal" castoffs. Even so, none of the questioners was especially savage, clever, biting. There is little really to fear except that Bush can't take or handle anything except an echo chamber with praise enhancement extra volume. And the questions are much less fearsome than the horrible truths they dare cast a light upon.

[politicaholic]

9. He's charasmatic, but that doesn't make him competant...

I'm sure he's a very nice man if you agree with everything he has to say. Being born extremely wealthy allows you the opportunity...nay...the right to be surrounded by like-minded people. If poor people don't believe in what you believe then, well, they're just going to have to stay poor. And if there are poor people that believe exactly like you do then, even though they too will have to stay poor, you respectfully refer to them as "the salt of the earth". The poor nod proudly.

What the poor don't realize is that when you pour salt on earth, nothing grows.

Fortunately for us, the president is a nice guy. That makes everything better.

[AX10]

10. actually, he's not "charasmatic".

It's just that his followers are blind idealouges.

[Bridget Burke]

31. Or charismatic, either.

When he ran for Governor of my state, he impressed me as a half-bright frat boy. But he was able to link a few words together.

His condition has deteriorated since then.

And I never thought I'd like to have a beer with him. I'm sure he's a mean drunk.

[Pam-Moby]

11. Bush should give up his day job.

He does a much better job on his night job. (A comedian) He is so ignorant.

[gratuitous]

12. Whoa, how brave can you get?

"Spontaneous" questions from a canned audience! The situation is just fraught with danger for Mr. Bush. Lucky he's got such a quick, reactive mind and he's so good on his feet, otherwise someone might flummox him with a question about what his favorite color is.

[underpants]

13. This article is ridiculous. Two main points

First-to imply that he didn't have hand picked audiences during the election or for the entire 4 years is pure WH lies.

Seond-they point out TWO instances over the last two months. Hardly a trend.

[debbierlus]

14. The man has a 36% approval rating....

Ignore the friggin main stream propaganda networks.

And, tell the dems to do the same.

FILIBUSTER!

[Just Me]

15. He produces such a visceral reaction in me, I avoid watching him,...

,...for my own emotional/intellectual/physical well-being.

[demosincebirth]

37. My exact feelings

[The Whiskey Priest]

17. Hitler may have been one hell of a Mahjong Player

Didn’t make him any less a SOB or lunatic…..

[Imagevision]

19. BUSH LIKEABLE? SURE, HALLIBORTON & MOM LOVE HIM...!

[no_more_rhyming]

35. Rides bikes

Drives a pick up, clears brush, knows baseball, hangs with Karl Rove, what's not to like??????

[Initech]

20. CNN should just change its name to Fox News 2.

[blm]

28. CorporateNewsNetwork fits just fine. House of Saud owns controlling share

of CNN (AOL) thanks to their longterm relationship with House of Bush.

Anyone who still thinks the newsmedia is fair isn't paying attention. Newsmedia is now just the PR Dept. for companies whose real profits are made through wars and weapons.

[yurbud]

23. there are conservatives that might be true about, mainly old school like

Jack Kemp, and in an odd way Bob Dole.

This current crop is about as likeable as the Red Guard during the Cultural Revolution.

Bush himself has always come off as an arrogant, prickly, ignorant bully--and only a bully because he has been protected his whole life.

[yurbud]

25. did they run the story about him shooting his brothers with a bb gun

or blowing up frogs as a kid?

[Hubert Flottz]

24. "It's always good to have a plant in every audience,"

Bush is as dumb as a tree so I guess they have a plant everywhere they take their dog and pony show, on the taxpayers tab!

[Village Idiot]

26. Hitler was pretty affable in front of the cameras, too.

[Jara sang]

29. This STORY has been changed by CNN!

Link now goes to story about Bush, NSA and wiretapping. The quote of Bush saying he had a plant in every audience is not very favorable, maybe Whitehouse called and had them pull it.

[Sparkly]

32. Also, a change in that quote....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2385631

The AP article on Yahoo didn't say they were prescreened... One or the other was edited.

Edited to fix link.

[CrackpotAmerica]

33. I KNEW I WAS RIGHT!

Thank you Jara,

I knew I wasn't crazy when I thought that they deliberately changed the story.

I hope a lot of people read this thread...

:nominated:

[Jara sang]

34. kick!

:kick:

[demosincebirth]

36. Like being in the wake of a drunk driver

[Disturbed]

38. CNN, Fox =

Presstitutes USA