I think it was staged (note the JK mention)

[ProSense]

I could be wrong, but with a history of throwing dissenters out and not admitting them to events, why this all of a sudden?

Critic tells Bush he should be 'ashamed of yourself' Thu Apr 6, 7:07 PM ET

CHARLOTTE, United States (AFP) - President George W. Bush faced a rare display of hostility from the public at a forum, when a man said he should be "ashamed of yourself".

The president, whose job approval ratings have sunk to all-time lows, had invited questions from the audience in a bid to show he was not out of touch with voters.

A man who appeared to be in his 50s and bore a slight resemblance to John Kerry, Bush's defeated Democratic foe in the last election, said: "Okay, I don't have a question.

"What I wanted to say to you is that I -- in my lifetime, I have never felt more ashamed of, nor more frightened by, my leadership in Washington, including the presidency, by the Senate, and ...," the man said, as the audience began booing.

"No, wait a sec -- let him speak," Bush said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060406/ts_alt_afp/uspoliticsbush_060406230637

[Mass]

1. I thought the same thing.

Bush was too ready to answer.

[whometense]

2. Did you catch the smirk

on Bush's face while he was "listening to the guy? That was really ugly.

[karynnj]

3. I didn't see it - did he look like Kerry?

(I guess it's a compliment that they say he was in his 50s and looked like Kerry.)

[ProSense]

4. Pic on DU home page

Not just no, hell no!

[Mass]

5. The comparison with Norman Rockwell's painting, OTOH, is surprising

Bush was way to composed. No way it was not staged.

[karynnj]

9. Thanks, and NO he doesn't look the least bit like Kerry

He does look like the Rockwell picture - but that may be more because he is standing in almost the same way.

[wisteria]

8. LOL, I was thinking the same thing. n/t

[wisteria]

12. OMG, no way. And that man doesn't look 50 either. He looks older

than Kerry.

[whometense]

16. Video on Crooks and Liars

here: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/04/06.html#a7814

[wisteria]

7. Exactly! n/t

[beachmom]

6. There's plenty of people on DU and dKos who say he's legit

I think he was real. * is, after all, a skilled politician, and he knows instinctively that you don't put down an underdog (who's being booed) in front of cameras. Behind closed doors is another story, of course.

The way the guy talks, too, was not in a talking pointy kind of way. It came from his heart.

As I said on another thread, *'s smirk was instinctive of a boy who's being yelled out for making a mess and knows he's guilty. That grinning smirk told us SO much about him, about the weaknesses he holds that cannot be hidden away. He did recover to propagandize his "Terrorist Surveillance Program", but his initial reaction told you everything you need to know about him. That he's a little boy who only cares about being embarrassed in public, but doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself.

[ProSense]

11. Here is the Kos entry

The audience that booed Taylor and was even there to listen to Bush, was laced with anti Bush people?

I asked him how the crowd reacted - afterwards, as he left, and as his day has gone on. He said that there was not one negative thing said to him while he was there, and that 4 people actually came up to him and shook his hand. One guy stopped him in the parking lot - Harry couldn't understand how anyone would recognize him - and thanked him.

He said that he took another call today from a military wife in Colorado Springs who called to thank him for saying WHAT SHE AND THE REST OF HER FRIENDS CAN NOT. You can tell that just the idea that people can not speak out truely bothers him.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/4/6/21185/97610

Paid plants are real and can be contacted, all too easy.

[wisteria]

14. I was inclined to be cynical, but after your post, I am not sure

what to believe now. If it was a set up, I am sure we will find out soon enough.

[ProSense]

15. Transcript is up at WH website

Exchange in Q&A

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060406-3.html

[Island Blue]

10. After watching this "exchange" for the second time last night

and actually listening to what Chimpy was saying (which I didn't do the first time), I have to agree. I think it was a set-up too. Hasn't he had a few other dissenting voices during his past couple of town hall style meetings? I think they're planting folks to make it look like he can "answer" tough questions from people who oppose him.

As for the dude looking like John Kerry - Whaaaaaa? No frickin' way.

[beachmom]

13. But this is speculation based on no proof

I have seen no evidence that this guy is a plant. Until I see that, I'm going to assume that he is legit. Maybe someone should look into Freeperville, et al (not me, though, no way) and see what they're saying. Because of *'s smirky pacing reaction, I don't think it was a plant. I think he looked downright nervous and fidgety, but you know that he has politician genes in his DNA and does know how to work a crowd. Unfortunately, that's the ONLY thing he's good at.

Completely agree that the guy does not look like JK in any shape or form.

[Island Blue]

22. You're probably right.

I think at this point I just have a knee-jerk reaction to anyone or anything even vaguely connected to Bush* (meaning anyone who is in the same room he's in, breathing the same air).

I was really, really wrong about something else this week so it doesn't surprise me that I'm off base on this too.

[ginnyinWI]

17. well whatever it was, it was a distraction

Something for the media to chew on besides McKinney. I'm surprised he didn't proclaim, "let me finish--it's hard work!" :eyes:

[TayTay]

18. If it was a set-up, it failed badly.

I saw the whole exchange on TV and this guy came off well and Bush came off badly. Bush had to actually stand there and take a whole long question about his competence, honesty and morals. I liked it. The media is starting to show the questioning. This never would have happened a year ago. That's because this Pres HAD to start facing crowds like this. He has no choice.

And he looks like Kerry about as much as I do. Not much. (Well he is male and has all his hair and, presumably, teeth. There is that. JK has wicked nice white teeth. Whitestrips?)

[benny05]

19. I Don't Think He's a Plant Either

Harry Taylor is a patriot! He's not like Jeff Gannon at all...:applause:

[ProSense]

20. There is a post that stating that he's a member of MoveOn, so

I guess my suspicions were wrong.

[Mass]

21. One of the reason I think he is a plant and if not, did not do a great job

He did not mention the continuing war in
Iraq, which Bush is seeking to justify, but criticized the administration's wiretapping without warrant, environmental policy and the president's restrictive views on abortion.

In the mess we are now, he does not criticize the government over Iraq, jobs and poverty, or healthcare? If Bush should be ashamed of something, this is about these things and cronyism first.

If this person is not a plant, he is definitively somebody who is living out of the real world (and I care deeply about what he said, particularly the environment, but frankly, there are currently issues that are far more important)

It would be interesting to see his profile.

[kerrygoddess]

23. the WaPo

I posted about this yesterday on the Dem Daily after reading the WaPo - what struck me in the WaPo was they said the interchange was “just what the White House wanted.” - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/06/AR2006040601828.html

“I would hope, from time to time, that you have the humility and the grace to be ashamed of yourself,” Taylor told Bush after rattling off a litany of grievances.

Bush responded only to Taylor’s complaint about warrantless eavesdropping. “You said, would I apologize for that?” he said. “The answer is absolutely not.”

I wondered about the whole thing myself and still do.

[wisteria]

25. Isn't it awful that we can't trust that this administration is being

honest with us. I question everything and have become so cynical because they have proven themselves to be so dishonest.

[fedupinBushcountry]

26. KG, good catch

"just what the White House wanted."

The guy did not have a bit of passion in the words he spoke. Then thanking * at the end, I'm not buying it for one minute.

IMO it was a setup, I expect to see more of these little skits in the coming days.

[ProSense]

28. What if

that was the only way Taylor could get into the event and be allowed to ask questions? They say he's a member of MoveOn, but what does that mean if an arrangement was made before the questions were allowed?

[jillan]

24. Whether it was staged or not, it was probably the best

question that anyone every asked the lying idiot.

And looks like Kerry??? wtf - maybe we should send this journalist some glasses.

[ginnyinWI]

27. nothing's going to get through to him, though

For * to feel ashamed, he'd have to reflect on himself and his actions--something he can't afford to do. Might find something! Better to live in Lala Land. So I think efforts like this are useless, except it makes the people feel better to vent. Conversly, I think the negative attention is kind of a rush for the chimp--it still puts him in the center of the action. That's where the "Let him finish" came from.

Oh, for a grown-up president!