The Presidential Bubble

[Snellius]

Four progressive political groups sued the Bush administration this week, charging that the Secret Service is systematically keeping protesters away from the president's public appearances. They make a serious point about free speech rights, but they also point out a disturbing aspect of the Bush White House: the country has a chief executive who seems to embrace the presidential bubble.
...

At Mr. Bush's public appearances, his critics are routinely shunted into "protest zones" as much as a half-mile away. At the Columbia, S.C., airport last year, a protester with a "No War for Oil" sign was ordered to move a half-mile from the area where Mr. Bush's supporters were allowed to stand. When the protester refused, he was arrested.
...
But it is worrisome when one of the most incurious men ever to occupy the White House takes pains to insist that he gets his information on what the world is saying only in predigested bits from his appointees.

Mr. Bush thinks of himself as a man of the people, but carefully staged contacts with groups of supporters or small children does not constitute getting in touch with the people. It is in Mr. Bush's interest, as well as the nation's, for him to burst the bubble he has been inhabiting, and take a hard look at the real world.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/25/opinion/25THU1.html

[kskiska]

1. It's about time!

I was wondering when someone would be bold enough to put this in print. The scripted appearances, the handpicked audiences – to the point of digitally manipulating the videos of these appearances, the fake stage sets, have been going on right from the beginning, but no one wanted to talk about it. Imagine the other stuff the media has been keeping under wraps.

[JohnyCanuck]

2. * doesn't read newspapers, says Condi tells him what he needs to know

Wanna bet she hasn't told him what the newspapers are saying about his recent approval ratings. Shrub probably thinks he is still riding high at 70%, farking brain dead idiot that he is.

[pansypoo53219]

3. georgie

likes his nests. back to the womb back to the womb.
infantile.

[kaitykaity]

4. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=13179