Bush portrait label assailed

[sabra]

Source: LA Times

The National Portrait Gallery in Washington last month unveiled its newest acquisition -- Robert Anderson's official portrait of President Bush, seated by a vase of white lilies, which traditionally symbolize purity. And at least one U.S. senator is unhappy about the way the painting has been installed in the museum's galleries.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has written to the gallery's director, Martin E. Sullivan, to complain about the wall text that accompanies the picture, according to the political website Talking Points Memo. The painting's label says the 43rd president's administration was marked by "the attacks on September 11, 2001, that led to wars in Afghanistan and Iraq." Sanders is demanding a correction:

"When President Bush and Vice President Cheney misled our country into the war in Iraq, they certainly cited the attacks on September 11, along with the equally specious claim that Iraq possessed vast arsenals of weapons of mass destruction. The notion, however, that 9/11 and Iraq were linked, or that one "led to" the other, has been widely and authoritatively debunked. ... Might I suggest that a reconsideration of the explanatory text next to the portrait of President Bush is in order."

A spokesman at the National Portrait Gallery told me that a response to Sanders is being prepared and that the museum is "planning to make a change" in the text accompanying the painting. When the museum sends it, I'll let you know what it says.

Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/01/bush-portrait.html

[AndyA]

1. Thumbs up to Sen. Sanders.

Enough with the misleading statements! 9/11 happened because Bush was NEGLIGENT in warning about the possibility of an attack.

And Bush used the 9/11 attacks as an excuse to start a war that he'd already planned on, he was just looking for an excuse.

[EFerrari]

2. These repulsive Republicans never miss an opportunity to spin, do they?

[n2doc]

3. Something tells me they will need to keep a guard on that portrait

Just sayin...

[boobooday]

4. God they just can't stop lying

about anything and everything, at every opportunity.

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

5. I know it

How can those White House reporters sit there and listen to Bush?

It's lie after lie, they know it's all lies, we know it's all lies and yet nobody ever says, LIAR!

I noticed Helen didn't get called on today.


I'm off topic but you are right, they can't stop lying.

[SpartanDem]

7. to be fair

I highly doubt that anyone with political ties had anything to so with writing the description. I'm sure the people at the National Portrait Gallery thought it was a neutral statement

[stillcool]

8. His Presidency certainly was marked..

by 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq, along with Katrina, torture, various illegalities, and driving the nation into the ground. I think it should have said "The President who ignored..."Bin Laden determined to attack inside the U.S.,"

[newtothegame]

10. Exactly...

I'd be VERY SURPRISED if the National Portrait Gallery administrators were Repugs. Fortuneatly for us (or maybe not in this particular case?) art and liberalism go hand in hand.

[Doctor_J]

15. In that case, they're brainwashed Limbeciles.

Either way a correction is in order.

[proud progressive]

6. bernie - my new england hero!

[HopeHoops]

9. How long before those lilies start dripping blood?

[liberalmuse]

11. LOL!

That's awesome! Of course I'd be fine with, "WORST PRESIDENT EVER".

[HopeHoops]

12. The answer to life, the universe and everything is 42 - then we had a joke - a shrub.

Deep Thought finally answers.

[Lorien]

13. Purity????

there's no filthier creature on earth!

[tanyev]

14. This should be the official portrait.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. A painting of dog shit would work.