Bush was definitely being fed lines via ear bug yesterday -

[Stephanie]

Definitely. Finally saw a lot of the press conference on the Newshour last night and there is one section where you can really see him flounder, then listen to his prompter, then screw up the line, then he gets it almost right and spits it out. It's the part where he says democracy is progress, it's, it's progressing. Anyone catch this?

*edit* This section:

Vladimir Putin -- I have discussed with Vladimir Putin some of his decisions. I will continue -- as you might remember in our meeting in Chile. I will continue to do so. I will remind him that if he intends to continue to look West, we in the West believe in Western values.

I <flounders here - listens for cues - screws it up> -- democracy is a progress -- <finally figures it out> you'll see progress toward a goal. There won't be instant democracy. And I remind people that our own country is a work in progress. We declared all people equal, and yet, all people weren't treated equally for a century. We said, everybody counts, but everybody didn't count.

And so I fully understand developing a democratic society in the -- adhering to the traditions and customs of other nations will be a work in process. That's why I said we're talking about the work of generations. And so in my talks, in my discussions with world leaders to solve the problem of the day, I will constantly remind them about our strong belief that democracy is the way forward.



video at the link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050126-3.html

[patrice]

1. I've watched him stop and try to remember some phrase or word he's suppose

supposed to use, like, "Dred Scott Decision". I taught 12 graders; I know what I'm looking at, and what I hear.

What did you think of his daydreams of glory in his inaugural image making a la Rove.

[Stephanie]

5. sometimes the pause is an attempt to remember, but sometimes

he is listening to cues - play the video at the link above and watch for this section - it's very obvious

[patrice]

2. Brainwashing requires repetition of the Master's words. n/t

[barbaraann]

3. The media needs to start indicating pauses when he speaks.

Maybe even by saying "inappropriate pause" or "long pause" or "pause to flash a violent look at a reporter." No other politician I can remember ever talked the way Bush does.

If the media were truly liberal or even fair, the pauses would be noted.

[mpanno]

4. If Clinton had talked like that

you KNOW the "liberal" media would've reported it.

[Jim__]

6. I'd swear he was reading his answers.

He kept looking down at the podium and it looked like he was reading. I was wonderingif there's a teleprompter in the podium; or if they give him "talking points" to take out with him.

[yellowcanine]

7. "... and yet, all people weren't treated equally for a century."

"We declared all people equal, and yet, all people weren't treated equally for a century."

Obviously Bush (or his verbal coach) can't count and/or doesn't know basic U.S. history. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal...." was in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, which was written in 1776. Anyone who thinks people were being treated equally by 1876 is just whacked. Women couldn't vote, for one, and blacks were just figuring out that they weren't getting their 40 acres and a mule and dodging the KKK when the sun went down. Native Americans? Well they were still getting shot and herded into small and smaller reservations.

[sherilocks]

8. I listened on satellite radio

and the number of uh uh uh uhs was incredible. It was like listening to someone who couldn't remember his next line and was waiting for the prompter to feed it to him.