Rude Pundit nailes it: It's not about you, Georgie

[TayTay]

I love this. The first law of politics (according to TayTay and what does she know anyway) is: It's not about you! Ever! It's about them, that "We The People" gang. Apparently That Friggin Idiot has forgotten this.

Because George W. Bush actually said this about his job as leader of this cobbled-together, problem-ridden nation, with its dead soldiers' mothers demanding some feint at the truth, "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life," and then added, "I think the people want the president to be in a position to make good, crisp decisions and to stay healthy." What this bag of douche doesn't seem to get is that being President ain't about his life. It's about ours, motherfucker. And, frankly, we don't give a single fly fart's worth of concern about his balance. Fuck, howzabout imbalancing a little, huh? And where did the President go after he said this? A local Little League game. Well, shit, maybe he could give the kids a wink-wink lecture on steroid use.

http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/2005/08/president-who-gives-shit-part-3.html

[beachmom]

1. That is SOOOO New Age -- "Balance"

SOMEBODY has been reading too many self help books, Mr. President. I mean -- he sounds like me!!!! But you know, as I have been saying, people vote "personality". They want to be ENTERTAINED by their president. And then they figure out he's a self absorbed *^&(@# -- SURPRISE!!!!! I'm sorry, but this guy should just get it over with and go on the Oprah show to talk about his feelings of being JUDGED by that awful women whose son died in Iraq. Because poor W needs some love . . . Can we next time elect a president who's a stronger person than the average guest on Dr. Phil, who can function even without "balance". I thought this guy hated Freud and psychobabble.

Christ, how are we going to get through the next 3 years??!!

[ginnyinWI]

2. I really liked a related article on Huffington Post

By Justin Frank:

With every passing week, President Bush marches deeper and deeper into a world of his own making. His August move to Crawford and his refusal/inability to meet with Cindy Sheehan are only the latest steps in that long retreat from the real world. Central to Bush's world is an iron will which demands that external reality be changed to conform to his personal view of how things are.

Starting with his June 28th speech to the nation, insisting that he was right to invade Iraq unprovoked, Bush continues to hold fast to his familiar phrases through the tragic London bombings, the accusations swirling around Karl Rove, the wave of deaths in the first week of August, into the persistent challenge posed by families camped outside his prairie fortress that he personally explain to them why their sons had to die.

June 28th will be remembered as the "turning point" in America's perception of Bush's motives for the war in Iraq. August 15 will be remembered as the "tipping point" in America's perception of Bush's humanity. For on that day he became a Marie Antoinette clone -- using his own version of "Let them eat cake" -- when he said of his choosing strenuous exercise over talking to Cindy Sheehan, "I have to get on with my life."

Leading Republicans, such as Senator Chuck Hagel, have already found fraudulence in the party line, claiming that President Bush and his cheerleaders were "disconnected from reality." On August 3 he continued to offer nothing more than more of the same, prompting Sheehan to go to Crawford the following Saturday. He keeps saying our world is safer while his world continues to shrink. Now columnist Frank Rich writes "Someone tell the President the war's over."

more:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/featuredposts.html#a005752

[Noisy Democrat]

3. Totally OT

I love that pic and notice it's called "CondiHearingSmaller." Do you happen to have a larger size copy? :)

[ginnyinWI]

4. yup

I made it smaller for a sig line pic. :)

[ginnyinWI]

5. another thought

That statement-- "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life", etc. echoes that line from his mother about not wanting to "clutter up her beautiful mind", or something to that effect, with thoughts of people suffering. Quite the self-centered elites, the Bushes. And the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

I just hope these low approval ratings translate into less influence on legislation this Fall. That's where it really counts. If not, look for a blowback against the repubs in Congress in 2006.

[Island Blue]

6. When I heard that quote, I was reminded of President Carter

during the Iranian hostage crisis. Remember how he basically remained in the White House for the duration of the hostages' captivity? He didn't "go on with his life", he was so concerned about the fate of those 52 people that he was basically willing to sacrifice his presidency in hopes of gaining their release. (Of course we know how that all turned out. The Reagan Cabal made backroom deals with the Iranians to ensure the hostages' release AFTER Reagan was sworn in.)

The contrasts though are striking. One President remains in Washington, steadfast in trying to find a solution to a crisis, while another President** leaves Washington and goes on vacation for 5 weeks riding his bike, going to Little League games and ignoring the mothers of soldiers who died in HIS war! I know President Carter was criticized to no end for his decision to stay "captive" in the White House while the hostages remained in Iran, but dammit he did it out of a felt sense of responsibility, morality and concern - three things that George Bush knows NOTHING about!