Families of soldiers not amused by Bush's comedy routine

[JoFerret]

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/politics/8278162.htm

President Bush got some laughs at a Washington dinner when he spoofed the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but some family members of dead G.I.s said Thursday there was nothing funny about it.

"Those weapons of mass destruction have to be here somewhere," Bush joshed as he narrated a slide show of him looking behind furniture, as if hunting for the weapons of mass destruction.
<snip>


George Medina, 43, of Orange County, who lost a son in Iraq, heard about Bush's remarks when his outraged daughter, an Army sergeant, called him Thursday. "She was very upset," Medina said.

"This is disgraceful," Medina continued. "He doesn't think of all the families that are suffering. It's unbelievable, how this guy tries to run the country."

His 22-year-old son, Spec. Irving Medina, died Nov. 14 in Baghdad when an explosive device struck his convoy.
<more>

[BigBigBear]

1. Someone should make a TV commercial out of this

It proves how callous, shallow and cheap these thugs really are.

[icymist]

10. Picture shows Bush looking under his furniture....

*'s voice say "Those weapons of mass destruction must be somewhere!"
Camera pulls back revealing an office full of the ghosts of five hundred dead US servicemen and women saying "Look behind you!"

[Lisa]

12. how revealing that he would look IN HIS OWN OFFICE ...

Do you think he hasn't been telling us certain things?

This arrogant, cutesy stunt may backfire on him big time. I hope.

p.s. Maybe he'll be dumb enough to try a repeat at the White House Easter Egg hunt!

[The Zanti Regent]

54. What's next? Laura goofing about killing her boyfriend?

Imagine the guffaws from the PRESSTITUTES over that!

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

67. what's he looking for his brain?

[bearfan454]

66. Yes Kerry should.

That would be very powerful.

[kera]

79. This is very typical

this sort of black sinister jokes is the syndrome of an enduring delirium compounded with a low IQ, trust my word

[fishnfla]

2. there was laughter there, at that soiree

all them fucking sycophants thought it was funny. he milked it for 3 laugh lines and they lapped it up.

[Kelvin Mace]

6. Oh, that somebody would

have had the courage to yell "You're not funny you brainless assh*le! Americans are dead because of your lies and you think its funny!"

(Why I will never be allowed within five miles of "Precious Leader".)

David Allen
Publisher, CEO, Janitor
Plan Nine Publishing
http://www.plan9.org

[Buns_of_Fire]

31. It was mentioned tonight on Hardball

that the joke, and the response, showed clearly how out-of-touch the inside-the-beltway crowd is from the rest of country. (Well, MOST of the country. Apparently a lot of the knuckledraggers thought it was a real hoot. Of course, these are the same people who bring houseguests into the bathroom to watch their kid fart in the bathtub and make bubbles.)

[mouse7]

41. Bet Nedra Pickler and Brit Hume just died laughing

They seem to be the type that would.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Several Republican spokesfolk said he was being "self-deprecating"

on cable news this afternoon/evening. The ONE THING we DON'T see in _{George Bush} is any ability to laugh at himself. His deal is laughing nastily at OTHERS.

The Republicans probably ground their teeth down to their gumlines when Bill Clinton produced that TRULY AMUSING film during his "lame duck" days, in which, you remember, he ran to give Hilary Clinton her lunch as her car drove off, and he puttered around the White House, washing the Presidential limosine, making funny copies on the copying machine, and riding his bike in the halls with an aide. THAT WAS FUNNY. He did it so well.

The only time _{George Bush} is funny is when he's trying to be serious.

Chalk it up to the rigid, self-centered, clumsy "writers" who tried to write their comedy masterpiece. Republicans are such @$$####$ it's impossible for them to be clever, charming, or enjoyable. That takes more talent than they've got.

[truthisfreedom]

25. i disagree... he's NEVER funny. never ever ever. every appearance, in

every capacity, leaves me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, a constant reminder that our country was duped, tricked, manipulated, forced into accepting an unelected fraud. he isn't funny. he's just plain sick in the head.

[Pert_UK]

36. I think they meant "self-defecating".....

he has to wear a diaper to stop his brains leaking out.

P.

[buycitgo]

39. now THAT's funny!

ROFDIMD.....guess what the first "D" stands for; then, the second one (different)

[Pert_UK]

40. Dribbling in my dungarees?

:-)

P.

[Pert_UK]

61. DELIGHTING IN MY OWN DEPRAVITY!

YAY, I WIN!

[maddezmom]

43. LOL

that sounds more like the truth.

[buycitgo]

38. well.....YOU've got some talent!

that was......good!

you should send it in somewhere, as a LTTE, at least, or flesh it out and submit it

seriously

very well put

economical

surgically precise

[belle]

72. That's not "making fun of himself." That is not a "whoops!" cute mistake

In a very dark way it *is* funny, but not for the reasons he intended. The whole thing could be part of a Monty Python sketch.

Judge: (to mass murderer) Have you anything to say, before the court passes sentence on you?

Murderer: (perky and charming) Yes, sir. I'm very sorry. I feel really awful. And I'm terribly sorry to have inconvenienced these good men and women of the jury, taken them away from their loved ones day after day just to listen to my tawdry crimes...

[batt188]

4. Further proof that he is an idiot

As bad as his judgment was, as distasteful his humor was, I am glad that he did what he did. What a great example of his poor judgment and simple minded mentality...On one of the most important days in US history our president makes an ass out of himself in front of the country/ world- making light of one of the most serious blunders/ lies ever made. What great material for John Kerry- I can picture a serious add showing Kerry acting like a true leader discussing the bush failures {with excerpts/ videos of bush looking for WMD under his desk}

[burrowowl]

20. Welcome to DU, batt188!

:hi:

[Terran]

62. He's not an idiot, he's a sociopath

Completely lacking in empathy for one's fellow humman beings. Failure to recognize right from wrong. The most powerful man in the world has a serious mental illness.

[UpInArms]

5. I am so sorry for the all of those that

have lost a loved one for this "bad joke" that runs around thinking that the misery he has inflicted upon the world is "funny".

I am not laughing - I am weeping for the loss of my country and my fellow humankind.

The "joke" that *Co has played upon the world is that they have, to date, gotten away with their hideous crimes.

Like a hitman fleeing the scene, he will be chased to the corners of hell for what he has done.

[JoFerret]

7. Here's the Guardian story

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1178547,00.html

President George Bush sparked a political firestorm yesterday after making what many judged a tasteless and ill-judged joke about the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
...
A slide showed Mr Bush in the Oval office, leaning to look under a piece of furniture. "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be here somewhere," he told the audience, drawing applause.
<snip>
John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat who will fight Mr Bush for the White House said the joke displayed a "stunningly cavalier" attitude.

"If George Bush thinks his deceptive rationale for going to war is a laughing matter, then he's even more out of touch than we thought. Unfortunately for the president, this is not a joke."

He added: "585 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq in the last year, 3,354 have been wounded and there's no end in sight. George Bush sold us on going to war with Iraq based on the threat of weapons of mass destruction. But we still haven't found them, and now he thinks that's funny?"

<snip>
CNN viewers emailed the network to vent their anger at the joke. "How can a thinking, caring human being joke about the lies that led to body bags and broken young men and women? I was appalled," wrote one viewer. Another said: "It was tasteless and childish. It shows the true man - or child in his case."

[Art_from_Ark]

70. "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be here somewhere"

Someone should have yelled, "Well they sure aren't in Iraq!"

[goforit]

8. And just like using photos of 911........

He just loves to kick a dead body when it's down.

Totally perverse!!!

[Supormom]

9. Speaking as the wife of an army officer

All I can say is what an insensitive clod! If my husband had been one of those soldiers who had lost his life as a result of this administrations lies, I would be livid.

[tabasco]

19. Speaking from an Army officer, I am livid.

It is quite apparent that Bush doesn't give a damn about soldiers. The President has a sacred trust to the military to only go to war when there is just cause and as a last resort. Bush used the military as his own little play toy, to secure $$$$ for members of his corrupt cabal. Now he jokes about how he lied to go to war. He is beneath contempt. So are the ignorant fools that support him. Bush supporters are intentionally ignorant and that is the type of citizen that our Founding Fathers warned us about. They are the type of people that support dictators. We must rid ourselves of this corrupt cabal and the ignorant fools that support it.

[Occulus]

34. You're right about that...

the interesting thing about dictators is that, too, rule by consent. There are indeed those in any nation who happily refuse to think for themselves or, perhaps worse, do not think but only feel; they are the ones who allow dictators to exist. They easily morph into something else if strict religious tenets are introduced into the mix; I like to call the result the 'Talibornagain." I think I learned that term tight here at DU.

[DeepModem Mom]

50. Thanks for that post, gsh999 -- thanks, also, Supormom --

[oasis]

11. He he he he. The smartass Chimp was only trying to be cute.

:-(

[Mari333]

13. hah!!! Nadler said LIED LIED LIED

finally someone said LIED!!!!!


"It's disgusting that during his little performance on stage, the President seemed to forget that people are dying in Iraq because of weapons of mass destruction he lied about," Nadler said."

this should be all over the major newswhore media.
it should be everywhere.
http://www.mfso.org
http://www.bringthemhomenow.com
they need to be brought down for this one. They need to be tarred and feathered for this too.
so many lies, and the news whores keep letting them get away with murder.

[Zhade]

29. Um, Kucinich already said b*sh lied, long before Nader did.

Credit where credit is due, huh? :)

[Mari333]

30. I know, but NaDler said it

and I was still glad to see it..the word LIED isnt used enough by other people besides Kucinich and DU folks. It was good to see it in print today.

[JoFerret]

14. Maybe it's just a personality disorder

From DSM IV, the narcissistic personality:

Has a grandiose sense of self-importance- exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements
Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty or ideal love
Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people
Requires excessive admiration
Has a sense of entitlement- unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
Is interpersonally exploitative
Lacks empathy, is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
Shows arrogant, haughty behavior or attitudes

may exhibit traits of antisocial personality disorder, as well:

There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 18 years, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:
Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest
Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure
Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead
Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults
Reckless disregard for safety of self or others
Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations
Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

[icymist]

16. That's him! You described our George.

We've been missing here at the Grandiose Insane Asylum. Please bring his highness (he likes to be called that) back. Just tell him that his room is full of WMD's (he likes to call them that) and that playtime has been extended.

[PartyPooper]

22. England's nutty George III (a relative of Junior's) had an excuse.

He was BORN into the job.

[chelaque liberal]

53. A relative?

Seriously? I didn't know that.

[PartyPooper]

17. *THAT'S* exactly WHY he should have passed a psychological / psychiatric

exam BEFORE being allowed to run for office in the first place! Can you believe it? He is running the most powerful country in the world? He's an idiot and a criminal who should be locked up for what crimes he's commited against society!

:grr:

[Zerex71]

69. Now that you mention it...

To become an astronaut for NASA, you have to go through hours and hours of psychological profiling. You'd think at the very least we'd be smart enough to vet Presidential wannabes for both the mental acuity and emotional stability to handle a much, much monumental task than being part of a space shuttle crew.

* is the sickest joke I've ever heard of. Get rid of this national nightmare now!

[ze_dscherman]

37. But not enough to plead insanity ...

... when hopefully one day he will face court.

But if he gets a second term by an election, the U.S. as a nation has become mad.

[belle]

73. Not "just," but yes. Malignant narcissist, to be more precise

or "evil," according to Eric Fromm and later, Scott Peck.

[Columbia]

15. I thought it was pretty tasteless too

[xxqqqzme]

18. White House spokeswoman Claire

"...Buchan noted that Bush ended his remarks at the dinner with a very serious tribute to U.S. forces serving in Iraq, but "was poking fun at himself" with the comments about weapons of mass destruction.

"Anyone who has followed the President's views on this knows how seriously he takes this issue," Buchan said..."

Anyone following squatter's views knows he doesn't give a rat's ass as long as his corp contributors R stuffing their pockets.

[Chitown_Dem]

59. "how seriously he takes this issue"

Uh-huh. Right, Claire.

He has joked and snickered his way through his entire term. He even joked about the planes hitting the World Trade Center shortly after 9/11 ("...that was one terrible pilot"). Ha ha. Laugh riot and all that.

[daleo]

21. There must not be even one human left in that administration

Granted that * himself may be unable to see how wrong the joke was (whether because he is a narcissist, psychopath, or sociopath), but you would think someone would have pointed it out. But when you are relying on the likes of Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Rice, Rove, Powell, etc., I guess there just is nobody who has normal human reactions left. And to think this bunch has control over the world's most powerful nuclear arsenal.

[jo35042]

23. Were they ever human?

This is the scariest bunch of people I have ever had the misfortune to be aware of.:bounce:

[prolesunited]

27. Agreed!

Welcome to DU. :hi:

Glad you can join our effort to make sure they don't remain in office.

[burrowowl]

28. Welcome to DU!

scariest is understatement for this crowd.
I hope it gets national attention and if the majority of the people are disgusted, then I am scared shitless and beyoond words. It goes beyond my ken.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

64. One word, nay, one letter: V

Lizards!

[Kurovski]

24. It's impossible for someone

without a sense of humor to be funny.

Bush should quit trying. "Country club humor" such as this always has a way of crawling back up the ass of the humorist and letting off a mighty stink.

[scarface2004]

26. here s a real funny bush joke..

how many dead marines does it take to screw in a light bulb?!

i doubled over with laughter, ha ha!!

[readmylips]

32. I blame poopy bush and baba mama bush for...

pushing their idiot crazy son into politics. Baba mama herself called him 'black sheep of the family.' What were they thinking?? Oh yeah, Baba mama wanted the same Kennedy dynasty and adulation for her criminal sons. Thank you Baba mama for your stupidity, arrogance and selfishness, you stupid old lady.

[susu369]

55. bu$h* inherited Bab's warped sense of humor

and arrogance.

Bu$h*'s callous remarks, supposedly funny, do not surprise me. However, I am stunned and sickened by the response from the people attending the dinner.

"Laughter filled the room Wednesday night at the annual dinner for radio and television correspondents."

A Potemkin correspondent dinner for the Potemkin Village Idiot.

Note: My respect for David Corn has grown leaps and bounds. Thank you, Mr. Corn, for being there and speaking out.

[belle]

74. I like to hope they were laughing at the sight of him bent over...

seeing the plumber's crack (edited out for TV) and fantasizing about giving him a good swift kick. But that may be giving too much credit where it isn't due.

Still, it's hard to believe his precious little nicknames haven't led at least some reporters to fantasize about kicking his narrow, pocky ass.

[flaminbats]

33. families of these soldiers have found something more important..

the missing link between this commander-in-chief and those who take all the risks when following his orders.

[radfringe]

35. if he finds this funny

then it kind of makes you wonder if he got real big chuckles on September 11

must have been a real knee-slapper for him that day

[Spentastic]

42. Well

"That's one terrible pilot" hardly shows much empathy does it?

[Katie]

44. As tasteless as his 9/11 "Lucky me, I hit the Trifecta" Joke

bush is despicable. Not only did he mock 9/11, now this. He hides the coffins of dead soldiers and exploits the dead bodies of 9/11 victims. He's a ghoul.

[Gothic Sponge]

48. His ads uses images of 9/11, and he jokes about a war he started.

"Compassionate Conservatism" is alive and well. :eyes:

[kathee]

45. Conservative radio this Fri morn

started off with this, and I couldnt believe the first guy Im hearing this morning is admitting it rubbed him the wrong way. Ankarlo usually comes on the net right after Art Bell, through KLIF, and I usually turn my computer off with his probush dribble..so this is interesting that the day has started with Texas Conservative radio shows asking Vets to call in, as he wants to see if he's not the only one who was offended.... my nephews, both brothers, and their father are all over there. NOT funny to me either.

[pinniped]

46. I hope they're not just figuring this out...

"This is disgraceful," Medina continued. "He doesn't think of all the families that are suffering. It's unbelievable, how this guy tries to run the country."

[Ganja Ninja]

49. It's unbelievable that the republicans, after seeing this guy for ...

three and a half years now can't/won't find a better more competent person to run for the highest office in the country.

[belle]

75. Better late than never...(sigh)

[illuminaughty]

47. Bush's brain cells are an 'army of none"

What a magnificent leader!He ought to perform that bit for the wounded soldiers. Hilarious!...
A real knee slapper providing they still have them...
I'd love to see him take this act on the road; any road in Tikrit, Kabul, anywhere but 1600 Penn

[JoFerret]

51. And now the NYTimes

A Bush dinner joke amuses and does not

Laughter filled the room Wednesday night at the annual dinner for radio and television correspondents when President Bush displayed a photograph showing him down on his hands and knees looking under furniture in his office and saying, "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere!"

This morning the joke did not seem quite so funny. CNN, which showed a clip of the event, was getting e-mail messages from unhappy viewers. Foreign newspapers were reacting with outrage. And the White House was busy defending the joke that President Bush delivered as he put on a slide show, called the "White House Election-Year Album,"
<snip>

The slide show ended by showing soldiers in Afghanistan at the site where pieces of the World Trade Center were buried.

[Puglover]

52. I guess I'm not at all surprized that

Bunnypants would pull such a moronic stunt. But as David Corn reported...all the press corps were yucking it up as well. This is our media folks....it's fucking scary.

[argonne]

56. Looking under your desk

for WMD is something Saddam would do. Bush DID!

NO difference.

[JoFerret]

57. What was Karl thinking?

How Bush's brain hijacked DC and politics as usual

http://citypages.com/databank/25/1216/article12006.asp

[Laughing Mirror]

58. Nancy Pelosi laughed "to be polite," said Brian Lamb on C-Span

She surely has no children or family getting their arms and legs blown off because of these lies.

I would like to know what she was doing at this banquet and why she found this funny enough to laugh.

[Malva Zebrina]

71. no kidding.

It looks like the Democratic party is part of the problem and not part of the solution.

What the hell is wrong with these people?

You are kidding me--Pelosi actually laughed at this?

Wow--this is really depressing.

[Matilda]

60. I saw an item on this dinner on our late-night news here tonight.

While Bush was his usual tasteless and moronic self, the big
turn-off were the "ladies and gentlemen" of the media. These
fawning sycophants gave him a standing ovation - that's well beyond
mere politeness. And these are the people who shape the opinions
of middle America.

They have sold their souls. And the worst thing is, all over the
world, they're in the majority.

[BeHereNow]

63. SO...DU SOMETHING! Call the WH:

The White House commentary line number-
[phone]
[phone]
Don't just talk about it, DU it.
Call and demand an apology

I, and several others have.
BHN

[burrowowl]

76. Better call your

Senators and Reps.
Telling the WH anything just might make them try to change to become more pallatable to people and we don't want that.
Write letters to the editor.

[bearfan454]

65. Kerry needs to get that video !

That would put a big dent in the chimps campaign.

[WLKjr]

77. all kerry has to do

is ask anyone on the net. Someone already has the video in any format, size and quality he could want.

[burrowowl]

78. Welcome to DU! WLKjr

:hi:

Have you found any links yet?

[trogdor]

68. I'm not amused, either.

I just had a very BAD vision of my having to give the eulogy no one should ever have to give, and not being able to get even a quarter of the way through it. Thanks, George, for being such a stupid fucking asshole. :grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr:

BTW, my son is in the Class of '07, which makes him 18 right about the time a second-term Bush will have to start taking non-volunteers for his War on Intelligence and Sanity.