what a bizarre pairing -- * in the Ladies' Home Journal and TIME ....

[Lisa]

I was in the grocery store today (I know -- don't shop if you're hungry, but the sight of the newsstand made me lose my appetite anyway).

There was the lovey-dovey photo of George n' Laura ... cheek by jowl (if I may use the term) with the new Time Magazine cover, featuring ... yet another pic of George smirking away in that flight suit, with his bulge prominently displayed.

My only consolation -- the Time header was distinctly critical of W. And I hope the "basket shot" showcasing Dubya's, um, delight at playing dress-up will remind people that the "kinder, gentler" family man image that Rove and Hughes are busy crafting is sheer fakery.

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. I'd comment, but I'm physically ill

hearing about the ladies home journal BS.

[Lisa]

2. it's truly awful ...

Peggy has really outdone herself. I forced myself to leaf through the interview -- I'm researching "White House use of propaganda", and it was a doozie. Michael Moore was right ... the thought of Bush chortling away in bed on That Day is scary and appalling. If true, it suggests that George W. really is incredibly self-centered -- or he was cracking up with hysteria and nobody wants to admit it.

Also, his account does diverge from the scene as shown in the 9/11 movie (which the producers claim they based on interviews with him). Yet more discrepancies ....

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. Peggy? Who's that?

And chortling away in bed on That Day? What is "That Day"? Surely we don't think he was chorlting on 9-11, do we? Since he was obviously in the school?

Did I miss something?

[TEXASYANKEE]

4. Chortling ...

May be a reference to the fact that he stated publicly that he slept like a baby that night? (After he finished his cross-country bunny hole escapade.)

[Lisa]

5. I'm referring to a story Bush told in the interview ...

Michael Moore quoted it in a recent piece -- and it was also discussed here on DU. That's one of the reasons why I looked at that magazine in the first place -- people who know me would think it was really odd that I would even glance at Ladies' Home Journal.

Peggy = Peggy Noonan. She's garnered some notoriety on this board, for writing fawningly over-the-top articles about the Bushes, particularly regarding George W.'s virility and machismo.

Remember that these are George W. Bush's own words (although of course, the "punchline" wasn't capitalized). Bush didn't describe the part about them laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation in previous accounts of what things were like at the White House on the evening of Sept 11th 2001 -- and it sure wasn't re-created in that Showtime movie which claimed to be based on interviews with the Bushes and the staff.

George W. Bush: But the day ended on a relatively humorous note.
The agents said, "you'll be sleeping downstairs. Washington's still a
dangerous place." And I said no, I can't sleep down there, the bed
didn't look comfortable. I was really tired, Laura was tired, we like our
own bed. We like our own routine. You know, kind of a nester. I knew
I had to deal with the issue the next day and provide strength and
comfort to the country, and so I needed rest in order to be mentally
prepared. So I told the agent we're going upstairs, and he reluctantly
said okay. Laura wears contacts, and she was sound asleep. Barney
was there. And the agent comes running up and says, "We're under
attack. We need you downstairs," and so there we go. I'm in my
running shorts and my T-shirt, and I'm barefooted. Got the dog in one
hand, Laura had a cat, I'm holding Laura --

Laura Bush: I don't have my contacts in , and I'm in my fuzzy house
slippers --

George W. Bush: And this guy's out of breath, and we're heading
straight down to the basement because there's an incoming
unidentified airplane, which is coming toward the White House. Then
the guy says it's a friendly airplane. And we hustle all the way back
up stairs and go to bed.

Mrs. Bush: And we just lay there thinking about the way
we must have looked.

Peggy Noonan (interviewer): So the day starts in tragedy and ends in
Marx Brothers.

George W. Bush: THAT'S RIGHT-- WE GOT A LAUGH OUT OF IT!
(emphasis added)



http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?messageDate=2003-09-15



If this actually did happen as Bush describes -- that would be kind of interesting. I've talked to a lot of people about how they felt that night, and even non-Americans told me about being solemn, grim, and numbed to various degrees. Not only was there not much laughing going on, but even routine family disputes got suspended. I know that Bush has been deliberately flippant regarding that time period (his idea of playing it cool -- e.g. the "one terrible pilot" quip), and this might be an example of his own form of "historical revisionism".

Another reason why they might have fallen about laughing was that both of them were showing an hysterical response due to stress. Which is a normal human reaction, but when one considers the job that they had to do, it's not reassuring to think that the people who are supposed to be guiding the nation through a time of crisis are that close to snapping (and not wanting to admit it). Either way you look at it, Bush's account really isn't funny.

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. That's disgusting

I mean, obviously, if it happened, it happened - nothing wrong with that. Surely, the pres. awakened to quickly evacuate to the basement ISN'T gonna put on a suit.

But the way they talk about it - that's disgusting. "It started in tragedy, and ended in Marx Brothers". Jesus, don't be ashamed you had to run downstairs in fuzzy slippers, but have the common decency NOT to make stupid comments about it.

"Ha ha ha - yeah - while NYC was breathing lethal checmicals and mourning maybe 10,000 missing people and wondering if they were gonna go up in a giant nuke that night and eveyrone was walking around like goddamn zombies from fear, Laura and me, we was laughing our asses off in the secure bunker becuase we looked so ridiculous in our jammies. Ha ha ha. Ah, the things that happen to a president."