WP/Milbank: Bush* Meets Families of Fallen

[kskiska]

(snip)

Bush, wearing a green Army jacket, received an enthusiastic welcome from the troops, who stood on the base's muddy parade grounds under bright sunshine and chanted "U.S.A.!" Before Bush appeared, small U.S. flags were handed out, and an officer gave instructions to the troops on how to receive the commander in chief. "We're going to show him a lot of love by waving flags," the officer said. Telling the troops not to salute, he added: "You're going to wave and clap and make a lot of noise. . . . You must smile. We are happy campers here."

After his speech, the president and Laura Bush lunched with a much smaller group of soldiers. On the menu was steak, lobster tails, prime rib and rainbow trout. The president took a heaping tray of fried shrimp, corn, potato with cheese and even some broccoli -- not a favorite Bush family vegetable. When asked about the Polish president's remarks, Bush brushed off the question by shaking his head and saying, "I'm here to eat dinner."

After lunch, Bush and the first lady spent nearly two hours meeting one-on-one with widows, parents and children of the 46 fallen soldiers. According to the White House, Bush had his photo taken with all the kin and told one widow who was weeping, "My heart aches for you."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6089-2004Mar18.html

[soleft]

1. but Anne Coulter says mourning is weak, it's womanly even

what a femmy prez

[progressivebydesign]

2. Bush's "heart weeps", but he still send them to die.

It disgusts me to see yet another group of grieving families trotted out for election year advantage. Where has he been all year since he sent these people to die for an unjust war? It sickens me to see the military telling the troops how to act when Bush shows up.. it's like a junior high school.. "we're happy campers" indeed!!

[kskiska]

3. NYT article, same subject matter:

Bush* Says Thank You in Visit to the Troops
By ELISABETH BUMILLER

(snip)

On the same day that Senator John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, began a vacation at his home in Sun Valley, Idaho, Mr. Bush was caught by the television cameras in a sea of cheering troops, a backdrop meant to emphasize what the president considers his greatest electoral strength, his record on national security. Mr. Bush was dressed for the occasion in a green military jacket with a name tag that said "George W. Bush, commander in chief," pinned to his chest.

Although the troops frequently cheered Mr. Bush and shouted "hoo-ah!" at the applause lines in his speech, the reaction was still muted compared with the roaring response the president got on his last visit to the base, during the war in Afghanistan on the day before Thanksgiving 2001, when he said, "Afghanistan is just the beginning on the war against terror."

(snip)

But soldiers at the base, which also lost seven troops in Afghanistan, acknowledged that their morale had waned at times during the long deployment in Iraq.

"It was fun for maybe the first six months, but after that it got old, " said Specialist Brian Loveless, a crew chief in charge of Apache helicopters.

more…
http://nytimes.com/2004/03/19/politics/campaign/19BUSH.html

[hippiechick]

15. Name tag pinned to his chest ... LMAO !!

"Hi, My name is George, this is my first day" ...

:spank:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. I just bet Junior was oozing sincerity.

[Redleg]

5. "I'm here to eat dinner" about says it all.

Bush sounds like a spoiled 8 year-old who cannot delay gratification long enough to do what needs to be done.

[fishnfla]

7. I'd like to concentrate on my salad

martha

[belle]

28. Heh!

[susu369]

13. Not much comes between bu$h* and his food

Seriously, if you will notice a lot of articles include bu$h* and what he eats. Strange.

"I luv you, preznit." :-)

[Lisa]

26. it's the only way they can humanize him ...

By playing up his liking for food -- particularly junk food, and sweets.

Apparently some people focus on their stomachs when they are troubled and their lives are otherwise unrewarding. Bush is discouraged from alcohol and narcotics now that he has to pose as a respectable figurehead ... and since he hurt his knee, it's been harder to self-medicate (and show off) with fanatical exercise.

His greed and self-absorption really emerge in this little scene, don't you think?

"Reporters covering the Bush campaign observed George W.'s diet as "largely that of a 13-year-old boy," citing his preference for cheese and bologna with mayo on white bread, PBJs, tacos and enchiladas. "He eats popcorn by trying to stuff more into his mouth than will fit so that crumbs cascade down his front. He pops peanuts one at a time, while clutching a handful," one reporter noted."

http://www.mexico-info.com/leadstories/chron/texwhitehouse.htm

[susu369]

27. Very interesting article

Thanks for posting, Lisa.

IMHO, bu$h* still drinks (closet drinker who insists he is going to bed early - wink, wink). However, IF he has stopped drinking, I think it does not say much for Pickles that she continues to drink her wine.

"Mrs. Bush is more adventurous with food. She loves to try new things and likes good wine."

[Lisa]

30. If I were her ...

I'd be fantasizing about locking my husband in a cellar for 10 years in the hope he "matures".


(you're welcome, Susu!)



Oh -- and here's another commentary on Bush's eating habits. It sure does look like he's treating calories like his other indulgences!

"Perhaps more disturbing, Bruni also paints a man who is astonishingly shallow and unreflective. Riffing after the election about his upcoming presidency, Bush can't get beyond his genuine fascination with the White House mess hall: "The dessert menu is unbelievable ... esterday at the Blair House we had this, I'm not even sure, coffee ice cream surrounded by this unbelievable meringue, beautiful meringue." And Bruni informs us that well into his first year in office Bush is "still raving about ... little red button in the private dining room off the Oval Office that he could use to summon the butler." "

http://www.salon.com/books/review/2002/03/04/bruni/

[Journeyman]

6. Lot of positive things in this account. . .

At least the presstitutes this time gave coverage to the unreal nature of these visits -- the little flags, the order to smile, the blatantly stupid assertion that everyone's a "happy camper." And how many Americans dined this afternoon on steak and lobster, prime rib and rainbow trout. Or took for themselves a heaping tray of friend shrimp. The disparity between Smirk's illusory world and the reality of the average American's fare cannot escape even the least attentive readers. Especially those who have served in the military, for whom food-orgies were more along the order of casseroles and porkchops, scrambled eggs and fried potatoes.

[dw]

9. Dana Milbank is no 'presstitute'

[The Zanti Regent]

17. You haven't checked Media Whores Online or the Daily Howler

Milbank is one of the biggest liars, er Presstitutes, of all time

[Melinda]

23. Check yourself; Dana Milbank is no media-whore.

And MWO has never listed him as one. DH has taken issue with a few of his articles in the past, but then again with whom who haven't they taken issue?

[Redleg]

24. Milbank has done some good writing re:Bush's poor decision-making

process.

[DeepModem Mom]

10. And the falling morale noted in the NYT story --

[UpInArms]

11. if we so "happy" how come we have to be told

what "happy" looks and sounds like?

"U.S.A.!" Before Bush appeared, small U.S. flags were handed out, and an officer gave instructions to the troops on how to receive the commander in chief. "We're going to show him a lot of love by waving flags," the officer said. Telling the troops not to salute, he added: "You're going to wave and clap and make a lot of noise. . . . You must smile. We are happy campers here."

:puke:

[muriel_volestrangler]

16. Isn't this actually illegal?

Telling troops they should salute their commander-in-chief would be fine, I would have thought, but by telling them not to do that, but to "show him a lot of love", wave flags and so on, sounds like telling them to give political support. I thought that was against military rules while in uniform. Being ordered to do it is even worse. Shouldn't that officer be court-martialled?

[kskiska]

8. Love those little name tags

George W. Bush
Commander-in-Chief

He probably has one on his nighties, too.

[Corgigal]

12. About time Bush did something for those families

but the families of the 46 soliders had to drive to see him and I'm sure they were screened. He should, or someone he appoints should have gone out of the way for them. Not that Republicans act that way but it's the proper way to show respect.

[Nlighten1]

14. I bet this was a carefully hand picked group...

can't have the boy king upset now can we?

[Mari333]

18. SCREW HIM!!!

Hes doing these photo ops now because the military families think hes a piece of shit!!! and they are speaking out against the little bastard
HE AINT SEEN NOTHING YET!
MARCH AGAINST THE LITTLE BASTARD IN THE WHITE HOUSE TOMORROW

[lumpy]

19. "We're going to show him a lot of love

by waving flags". Next comes the little children with bouquets for the little fuhrer and audiences of adoring mothers for the homeland. Love the fuhrer.

[Terran]

20. He doesn't give a crap for the fallen...

Hey, he had his dinner, that's all he cares about.

[opihimoimoi]

21. We here at DU was grumbling for months about his lack of compassion

for the widows/parents/husbands of the wounded/fallen. Only now its campaign season he shows up....what a shallow actor. Poor timing and insincere.

[Terran]

22. Yes...

...could he be any more transparent?

[opihimoimoi]

25. Not really, pity.

[daleo]

29. He should visit Iraq again, and not just the airport

I imagine there are a lot of people there, soldiers included, that would like to "throw some flowers" at him. I am sure he would be overwhelmed by the response.