Day: February 23, 2009

Bush Surfaces Still in Presidential Garb And, Like 75% of His Staffers, Still Unemployed

Jon Ponder

George W. Bush made a rare public appearance on Saturday, showing up unexpectedly at a hardware store in Dallas:

But customers arriving for an organic gardening class — and even store employees — were surprised Saturday when the 43rd president of the United States showed up to, um, shop. According to the store, Bush walked in around 11 a.m. wearing a light jacket emblazoned with the presidential seal. Accompanied by a small Secret Service detail, Bush signed autographs and posed for photos…

True, Kyle Walters, president and CEO of Elliott’s, had offered Bush a job as the store’s greeter. “Like you, many of our greeters are retired from the corporate world, so we’re sure you’ll have no trouble making new friends,” Walters said in an open letter to Bush in a newspaper ad, offering him a cut rate on items purchased for Laura Bush’s “honey-do” list.

The pathetic part is that Bush is still wearing his presidentin’ outfit — a bomber jacket with the presidential seal on the left breast and his name on the right. (His “Mission Accomplished” flight suit was probably at the cleaners.) Really, he should stick to civilian clothes from here on out — although he would look good in an orange jump suit.

When Bush was asked a few months ago what he planned to do after he left the White House, he said he thought he’d give a few speeches in order to “replenish the ol’ coffers.” There have apparently been no offers so far. It’s hard to imagine who would pay to hear a speech by the Worst President Ever.

But the Republicans’ former Dear Leader is not the only member of his administration in exile to be otherwise unengaged. According to the report, 75 percent of the 3,000 people who worked for the Bush government are still unemployed.

Among them is former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who left office in disgrace in September 2007, and who has yet to land a job.

Signs of Hatred: Westboro Baptist Hate Group Protest at Oscars

Jon Ponder

In accepting his Oscar for Best Actor last night, “Milk” star Sean Penn said, “For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, and, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support.”

The “signs of hatred” he referred to were held by protesters from a Kansas-based hate group that calls itself the Westboro Baptist Church, and that is infamous for its “God Hates Fags” signs and for staging ugly protests at the funerals of U.S. military servicemembers.

I found the photo over the protests above at LAist. It was taken on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue (that’s Hollywood High in the background), on the limo route about four blocks south of the Oscar venue. There are more photos of the protests in LAist’s Flickr account.

On a side note, on Feb. 19, the British government refused to allow Fred Phelps, the Westboro hate group’s leader, entry into the country on grounds he worked to incite hatred. Phelps had intended to lead a protest outside a production of “The Laramie Project,” a play about the murder of Matthew Shepard, who was killed because he was gay.

H/t: Trish

Sean Penn on Oscar Telecast: Prop 8 Supporters Will Face Shame

Jon Ponder

Sean Penn accepting the Oscar for his portrayal of Harvey Milk:

You Commie homo-loving sons of guns! I did not expect this, but I — and I want to be very clear that I do know how hard I make it to appreciate me. Often. But I — I am touched by the appreciation and I hoped for it enough that I scribbled down — so I have the names in case you were Commie homo-loving suns of guns. And so I, I wanted you to thank my best friend Sato Masuzawa. My circle of longtime support, Mara, Brian, Barry and Bob. The great Cleve Jones. Our wonderful writer, Lance Black. Producers Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks. And particularly, as all us actors know, our director either has the patience, talent and restraint to grant us a voice, or they don’t, and it goes from the beginning of the meeting to through the cutting room, and there is no finer hands to be in than Gus Van Sant.

Finally, for those — two last finallys — For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, and, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.

Lance Black accepting the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for “Milk” last night:

[…]

Quote du Jour

Buck Banks

Well, Governor Sanford says that he does not want to take the money, the federal stimulus package money. And I want to say to him: I’ll take it. I’m more than happy to take his money or any other governor in this country that doesn’t want to take this money.

— California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), interviewed on This Week, about some Republican governors saying they will not take money from the recently passed economic stimulus package.