Bush lied about his military service, and so did Reagan

[imurhuckleberry]

Bush's account of his Guard service and Reagan's story of the Nazi death camp were huge lies -- but never big news.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/joe_conason/2010/05/20/bushreagan/index.html

[Angry Dragon]

1. I liked the last sentence about reagan

a demented half-wit

[HowHasItComeToThis]

11. AMERICAN MEDIA IS SOOOO BIASED AND BOUGHT

IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE MEDIA THERE WOULD BE NO REPUB PARTY

[Angry Dragon]

12. And all you hear is how liberal it is

I do not see any liberal, or very little, media

[stray cat]

2. Did you miss the uproar in both cases - I remember it. And neither claimed to serve in Vietnam

[PSzymeczek]

13. Bush said

"I've been to war." That's a baldfaced lie.

[NNN0LHI]

3. New York Times dismissed Reagan's Nazi camp fantasy as a "flight of imagination"

Typical. They covered for Reagan all the time. The NYT really loved him. They sucked his ass every chance they got.

Don

[NYC Liberal]

5. The media continues to push the "Great Communicator" meme.

People should try watching Reagan's interviews, when there was no script around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoVDr6136fc

[BrklynLiberal]

7. Hartmann did the absolute BEST Reagan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/4174/saturday-night-live-president-reagan-mastermind

http://free-online-video.net/show_Saturday%20Night%20Live_33/season_5/
You can download episode 5 hear..and see the earpiece sketch.


http://snltranscripts.jt.org/86/86ereagan.phtml
Reagan's Earpiece

President Ronald Reagan.....Robin Williams
Aide #1.....Kevin Nealon
Aide #2.....Phil Hartman
Reporter #1.....Dana Carvey
Reporter #2.....Victoria Jackson
Reporter #3.....Jan Hooks


< open on interior, White House - Presidential Aides helping Ronald Reagan put in an earpiece >

President Ronald Reagan: Uh.. Iran, Iraq.. stalagmite, stalactite..

Aide #1: Here you go, sir. You're all set for the press conference.

President Ronald Reagan: Are you sure they won't be able to see it at all? It feels just like my hearing aid!

Aide #2: Mr. President, about the radio transmitter - now, instead of briefing you thoroughly, as we usually do, which tends to tire and confuse you, we decided to use the receiver. If you're stumped for an answer, I'll talk into the mike, and it'll be transmitted directly into the receiver, and, so..

President Ronald Reagan: Whoa! Just like radio! < Aides laugh > Well, that's fine with me!

Speaker's Voice; < from the Press Room > Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States!

President Ronald Reagan: Well, that's my cue, boys! You say Iran, I say Iraq - let's call the whole thing a deal! < enters the Press Room singing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" > Be seated. < press sits, Reagan pauses >

Aide #2: < in the other room, tuned in on the transmitter > My God.. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Press.."

President Ronald Reagan: Excuse me! < exits Press Room, returns to his Aides > I knew that! I was just taking a dramatic pause! I'm not stupid! Thank you. < exits back to the Press Room > Thank you - deja vu! Be seated. Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, I'm ready for your questions. < hands start waving > Milt?

Reporter #1: Mr. President, in light of recent events, do you feel the secret arms deal to Iran was a mistake?

President Ronald Reagan: Well.. I was expecting you to ask that. And I would like to answer that with a definitive.. uh..

Aide #2: < in back room > "No!"

President Ronald Reagan: No!

< reporters start waving their hands - "Mr. President! Mr. President!" >

Aide #2: Not him.. not him, either..

President Ronald Reagan: Not him, either.

Aide #2: Trudy!

President Ronald Reagan: Not you!

Aide #2: Trudy!

President Ronald Reagan: Eeeny-meeney-miney.. Trudy! Trudy!

Reporter #2: Mr. President, this may seem like a lob..

President Ronald Reagan: Well, I'm here to serve!

Reporter #2: What would you enjoy talking about?

President Ronald Reagan: Well.. I'm glad you asked that, Trudy, because.. < his signal starts to pick up other frequencies, confusing him > "1 Adam-12! 1 Adam-12!"

Aide #1: < in back room > We're getting interference, it sounds like a police report..

President Ronald Reagan: "Well, you know, 3, we have a 518 in progress, and the perpetrator's a burly male Negro, 5-feet 8-inches tall, 145 pounds."

Aide #2: Mr. President? We're getting some intereferece on that frequency - that was not me, that was a police report.

Reporter #2: Mr. President, I'm sorry, but what were you referring to?

President Ronald Reagan: Well, I'm, uh.. I'm, uh..

Aide #2: "I was just describing.."

President Ronald Reagan: "I was just describing.."

Aide #2: "..our new ambassador to South Africa."

President Ronald Reagan: "..our new ambassador to South Africa." < more reporters start clamoring for questions > Yes. Yes! < points to Reporter #3 >

Reporter #3: Mr. President, why don't you just admit the arms deal was a mistake?

President Ronald Reagan: Well.. I'm glad you asked that, because this is one that I'm ready for, because.. < starts to lose his signal again > .."Whoa! Kareem goes in on the inside! Passes to Magic! Swish! That's two points! Bango!"

Aide #2: Mr. President, we're going to try different frequencies. Until then, you may have to wing it.

President Ronald Reagan: "Well, you may have to wing it!" < loses signal again > What I'm trying to say, is the Ayatollah is a "swish!" And, wait a minute.. "back to our traffic helicopter out there on the Potomac, seems we're backed up all the way to the Bridge, Bob!" < starts beating his chest to sound like a helicopter > I don't know, I.. "I'm a rapper, a rapper! See me now, say, whoo-ah, whoo-ah, whoo-ah!" Whoa! Look out! < repeats messages on a Spanish station > "Yes, Dr. Ruth, I've always had this problem with premature.." < switches signals again > Wait a minute.. "Yes, it's an all non-stop Doors weekend - Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name?" < signal gives off a high-pitched squeal > Wait! "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

[NYC Liberal]

9. LOL, I always loved his Reagan...that skit in particular!

Johnny Carson's Reagan is great too. He did a "Who's On First" type skit as Reagan and James Watt, the president of China, Hu, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuLsXHzE1t8

[progressoid]

14. He needs a teleprompter!

That's so painful to watch. God, I forgot how much I loathed that man.

[madchick44]

16. He usually bungled the English language.

The great communicator meme was made up by the GOP and it really meant that he could speak in the code of the bigots and ill-informed.

[deminks]

4. I just read this.

From the article linked in the OP

(snip)

But since the rise of Rand Paul is focusing attention on libertarians (and their vexed relationship with the GOP), it is irresistible to quote Murray Rothbard, the founder of modern libertarianism -- and a very close friend and associate of the Paul family -- on the subject of Reagan's delusional storytelling. In a 1989 column titled "Ronald Reagan: An Autopsy," which can still be found on the website of Lew Rockwell, another very close associate of Ron Paul, he snarked:

The degree to which Reagan is out of touch with reality was best demonstrated in his concentration camp story. This was not simply a slip of the tongue, a Bushian confusion of December with September. When the Premier of Israel visited Reagan at the White House, the President went on and on for three quarters of an hour explaining why he was pro-Jewish: it was because, being in the Signal Corps in World War II, he visited Buchenwald shortly after the Nazi defeat and helped to take films of that camp. Reagan repeated this story the following day to an Israeli ambassador. But the truth was 180-degrees different; Reagan was not in Europe; he never saw a concentration camp; he spent the entire war in the safety of Hollywood, making films for the armed forces…

(end snip)

St. Ronnie. Who knew?

K&R

[BrklynLiberal]

6. I think Joe Conason is among the best.

Al Franken used u to have him on his AirAmerica show years ago. He was great then, and still is.

AND This article tells some truths that should have been told decades ago..

[katzenjammers]

8. Yes, we know. Does that make it okay for our guys to do it as well?

Just checking...

[bluestateguy]

10. Yes they did. I fail to see how that excuses anyone else from doing it.

The "Everybody does it defense" is a weak argument that is a cheap way to dumb down standards and avoid responsibility.

[caledesi]

15. Well said blue! nt

[Dawson Leery]

17. The 'Screw York Times' is no better than the NY Post.