LATimes: Democrat Lanny Davis confesses he likes Bush

[quaoar]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-davis20jan20,1,2609060.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

True Confessions: A Democrat Likes George

By Lanny J. Davis

Lanny J. Davis, an attorney in Washington, was President Clinton's special counsel from 1996 to 1998.

I have known President Bush for 40 years — ever since we attended Yale College together in the 1960s. I'm a Democrat (and I was a Democrat then), but I liked him and I still like him, as a sincere and kind man and a good friend.

< snip >

The master of low expectations — that is my clearest, and fondest, memory of George Bush at Yale. We would hang out together in the wood-paneled common room at Davenport College, where we both lived. I'd be worried about studying for my history exam or outlining my outlines; he would be relaxing on the couches, observing people walking by, maybe chatting up a girl or talking sports with another guy. As far as I could tell, he never studied or worried much about his grades. He looked exactly the same then as today, without the gray hair. Same sardonic grin, always comfortable with himself, no sense of pressure, coasting intellectually. Yet when the term was over, he would get by — sometimes Bs, sometimes Cs. I could never figure how he did it without, apparently, ever opening a book.

But despite what you may have heard or read, George was not just frat-house party boy. One of my most vivid memories is this: A few of us were in the common room one night. It was 1965, I believe — my junior year, his sophomore. We were making our usual sarcastic commentaries on those who walked by us. A little nasty perhaps, but always with a touch of humor. On this occasion, however, someone we all believed to be gay walked by, although the word we used in those days was "queer." Someone, I'm sorry to say, snidely used that word as he walked by.

George heard it and, most uncharacteristically, snapped: "Shut up." Then he said, in words I can remember almost verbatim: "Why don't you try walking in his shoes for a while and see how it feels before you make a comment like that?"

[Soopercali]

1. Doesn't surprise me...

Since he clearly has some attraction to men.

[mhr]

2. Empathy Is Not A Trait Seen In George W Bush

eom

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. If He Said That I Am Shocked And Forced To Reassess My Opinion Of Him

Because it's the small things that define us.....

[notadmblnd]

4. Lots of people are facinated with reptiles

some even keep them as pets. Go figure:shrug:

[PROGRESSIVE1]

5. This is such SHIT!!!

Lanny is another Armstrong Williams!

:grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr::grr:

Where are the real Democrats?

[Straight Shooter]

6. Umm, yeah, sure, right

Maybe that comment hit a bit too close to home for georgie's comfort.

I don't care what Lanny Davis says, any touchy-feely story about georgie is bullsh*t. If he were such a kind-hearted guy, not only would we have heard countless stories about it from other Yalies, but we wouldn't be dealing with the bush Legacy of Death now.

[Cheswick2.0]

7. I am not surprized that he defended the gay student

since I think he is leaning in that direction himself. What disturbs me is that he then went on to pander to the very worst gay hating element in america to become the messianic incompetant fraud that he is.
Thousands of people have died for this man's ambition and he fans the flames of radical right Christian hatred...the very crowd he told Howard Dean he can't stand.

And they think he was chosen by God...if they only knew.

[seabeyond]

8. i dont think bush has issue with gays, all the more his hypocrisy

i have heard and seen over the years where i dont think he has issue with gays, he is merely using this issue to get the vote and make the right angry. which is the true hypocrisy of the dude. he is never going to go after a constitutional amendment, but i do believe the party is going to use this issue election after election. that is why now, i think the battle of right against homosexuals should commence. in all the ugly go thru the fight this year, before another election. force his hand. more than anything he wants it to stay quiet til he needs it again. why give them what they want, to just use on us again

[joefree1]

9. Need work Lanny boy?

Here's a tissue to clean the brown stuff off your nose. You might want to look at the recent poll numbers. Bush's future looks dim and you just lost all your democratic friends.

What a looser.


Seating now available in the Smoking Section:
Politics, humor, death and the Devil - http://www.eDiablo.com

[GOPBasher]

10. That's interesting.

I really don't see how he can possibly think Bush has all those good qualities. I see an arogant, ideological nutcase. He did get the stubborness correct, though.

[realFedUp]

11. Bush hasn't put on other's shoes in a long time, if he ever did

Firing gays from military intelligence and translation
services is just stupid and Bush hasn't said word one
about it.

Gay couples deserve the same rights given to straight
couples and he is against it.

Seems like that one comment stuck with Lanny but
hasn't stuck with Bush.

[quaoar]

12. Bush probably won't appreciate

Davis letting the Christian Coalition know that he was once a gay rights advocate. LOL

[cestpaspossible]

13. So much for Lanny Davis's credibility.

So he says he's a Democrat, big deal, Zell Miller says he's a Democrat, too. Lanny Davis is no Democrat, he's a corporatist. And with this vomit-inducing article he's lost absolutely any credibility he might have ever enjoyed.

[quaoar]

17. He never had much to begin with

[AlCzervik]

14. Maybe he's client shopping.

[quaoar]

15. Maybe he and Bush are going on a fishing trip

I hear the brown-nosed bass are biting.

[WI_DEM]

16. aw, that brought a tear to my eye and a choke to my throat

but I'm sorry to say--any man who can start an unprovoked war with another country and lie about the reason for doing it and in the process kills and maims thousands of Americans and even more thousands of innocent civilians is not a nice, good or honest man.

[paineinthearse]

18. You lnow those skull and bones boys stick together.....

[Cha]

19. I always knew there was something slimey

about lanny davis..just confirms it!

bush is a sociopath, lanny..what does that make you?

[roguevalley]

20. oh pul-lease. I think he's been replaced by a pod person.