Widow to Bush: "I hold you responsible for the death of my husband."

[sabra]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/24/AR2006092400747_2.html

<snip>

Halley, 41, lost her husband, National Guard Capt. Patrick Damon, also 41, in June in Afghanistan to what officially was ruled a heart attack. When Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) called to offer condolences and asked if she could do anything, Halley requested a telephone call from the president. Instead, when he came to Maine to visit his parents in Kennebunkport, the White House invited her to meet him at a school.

When Bush walked in, Halley told him about Patrick, how they had met at American University, moved to Maine and had a family. "After I spoke about my husband for quite some time, I said, 'And now he's dead. For what? Why? I've lost my soul mate.' " She asked her children, Mikayla, 14, and Jan-Christian, 12, to leave the room, then wept as she told Bush how hard life had become for them. "He started crying. I said, 'These two children do not like you and they have good reason for that. And I hold you responsible for the death of my husband.' "

Bush seemed surprised that she opposes even the war in Afghanistan, and he cited the Taliban. "And I said, 'Who put them in power?' And he got a little defensive and said, 'I'm really not here to discuss public policy with you.' And I said, 'That's probably wise, and I'm not here to talk about public policy, either.' "

Bush said he hoped their meeting helped her healing. "You know what would help my healing?" she recalled responding. "If you change your policies in the Mideast." Bush smiled, she said, but did not reply.

[uppityperson]

1. k&r

[SammyWinstonJack]

2. k & r

[radfringe]

3. I'm sure this will be a footnote in his memoirs

tucked in somewhere between a comma and a semi-colon...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2215482

[wicket]

4. Powerful stuff

K & R

:kick:

[never cry wolf]

5. I smell BS

No offense to the OP but the following jumped out at me:

" She asked her children, Mikayla, 14, and Jan-Christian, 12, to leave the room, then wept as she told Bush how hard life had become for them. "He started crying. I said, 'These two children do not like you and they have good reason for that. And I hold you responsible for the death of my husband.' "

Can anyone believe that this soulless pitiful excuse for a human being has cried out of compassion for anyone ever?

[CatWoman]

6. I believe he can squeeze out an occassional tear now and then

all he has to do is think about his legacy....

[mcking]

9. Bush has compassion

when he's there in the room with someone. When they leave, he forgets about them.

[newyawker99]

24. Hi mcking!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Kadie]

10. Maybe "he started crying"

because he was being confronted. She may have scared him a bit.

:shrug:

[liberalhistorian]

20. Exactly, that was my first

thought, as well. It's not that he gave a shit about her loss or what she and her family are suffering. It's that Dim Son doesn't like his bubble to be punctured or burst in any way, and doesn't like any kind of negative reactions and doesn't want to be confronted with anything negative at all. This is well-known, and is the major reason why his handlers literally have their hands full.

[madokie]

25. I'm sure she did and I'm susprised it didn't smell

as most shit tend to.

[Spazito]

11. bush can drop tears as easily as he lies...

The tears mean nothing, they are only another PR tactic.

[Lowell]

13. I'm sure those tears were from

gas. She's lucky the bastard didn't break wind. That seems to be his most intelligent response to his policies.

[opihimoimoi]

7. I can see it now...."No MORE WIDOWS"

[thereismore]

8. He cried? Like, yelled maybe? I can't buy that, sorry. nt

[saracat]

12. Of course he wouldn't discuss public policy with her! She was

part of the Public and as such has no right to influence him.Only lobbyists have the right to influence!

[leftchick]

14. This is the Gal who believes he does not shed crocodile tears

She said his tears and anguish were genuine! I believe she is confused to say the least.

[The Count]

15. Wha??? Anguish not hidden anymore? How pathetic!

[mcscajun]

16. No change for Bush, and no surprises

Halley said the meeting did not change either of their minds. She would still vote against him. But she said she appreciated that he opened himself up to her. "I don't think he's a heartless man," she said. "I think he's pulled in a lot of different directions by very intelligent people. . . . I don't think it's going to change his policies, but I hope it does make him think about it. I hope I'm in his dreams."

I hope you're in his Nightmares, Halley, you AND your son, and all the dead sons and daughters, US and Iraqi.

[iconoclastic cat]

17. PUBLIC policy? That a**hole considers war to be his public policy!

He couldn't be more clear or truthful about that: War really is his only domestic agenda.

[flordehinojos]

18. if only she had had the courage to tell him, "the only thing that would

help my healing is if you step down from an office you did not get elected to either in 2000 or 2004.

boy! that would really have been something !

[malaise]

19. Go Halley

tell El Diablo the plain truth.

[MessiahRp]

21. Good for her!

Not many military families who lose loved ones will get a chance to tell asshat exactly how they feel. She spoke not only for herself and their family but for thousands of other family members who feel the exact same way.

Rp

[SlavesandBulldozers]

22. "Bush seemed surprised that she opposes even the war in Afghanistan"

she has a dead husband and Bush was surprised by this.

"Okay, I know you got a dead husband from that one unnecessary war and all, but damn ferreal you think Afghanistan was wrong too? Wow."

[Bjorn Against]

23. Forget about the crying the sick thing is THE GUY SMILED

Bush said he hoped their meeting helped her healing. "You know what would help my healing?" she recalled responding. "If you change your policies in the Mideast." Bush smiled, she said, but did not reply.

What kind of sick bastard would smile when someone rightly blames them for the death of their husband?