Tag: Worst President Ever

Dan Rather May Call Bush 41 and 43 to Testify in CBS Suit

Buck Banks

I thought Dan Rather’s suit against CBS for wrongful dismissal was a big joke, since it took him two years to get up the gumption to file it. But then it was reported that he could be calling George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush to testify as material witnesses.

Rather is claiming that the Bushes’ open hostility to him stems from a story Rather did on W’s alleged service in the Air National Guard. Turns out some of the sources for Rather’s story were less than, well, accurate, and he was fired over it.

But the thought of George W. taking the stand to answer questions about his service record is intriguing, and it could happen, if the suit isn’t settled and goes to trial:

When asked by Carol Joynt, host of the “Q&A Café” held at Nathans restaurant who worked with Rather at CBS in the 1970s, whether “he’d like to” call President Bush as a witness in the trial, Rather paused, then said “I’d like not to answer the question,” leaving both Joynt and audience members wondering whether the newsman has Bush in his sights.” Joynt later told Yeas & Nays, “From the look in his eye — and he gave me a definite Ratheresque look — I got the impression he will call the president as a witness. Possibly both of them: 41 and 43. He implied the suit is not against them, but what the suit is about stems directly from his antagonistic relationship with them.”

In the lawsuit, Rather claims he was unjustifiably squeezed out of CBS by network executives following a 2004 story about President Bush’s service record in the Texas Air National Guard. After evidence emerged that the story’s primary documents were possibly faked or forged, Rather stated on air that “if I knew then what I know now, I would not have gone ahead with the story as it was aired, and I certainly would not have used the documents in question.”

Joynt asked Rather if he believes the president hates him, and Rather responded by saying that “hate is a strong word.” Then, he began to well up. “You’ve never met anybody who had more respect for the presidency than I do,” said Rather, choking back tears. He stood by his 2004 story, saying “we got the truth, but we left ourselves vulnerable.”

Book ’em, Dano!

Bush: “Childrens Do Learn”

Trish

…But presidentses have lost the ability to form sentences.

On pretty much a daily basis, Bush says something weird or phrases something wrong. Yesterday was no exception.

With a group of New York City elementary school students standing behind him, President Bush touted higher national test scores by proudly declaring: “Childrens do learn.”

…Bush followed with another cringe-worthy slipup: “Congress needs to work with this administration to pass legislation that helps gives our children the education they deserve.”

We believe the evidence indicates Bush has moved beyond the cute dumb stage to the dangerously incoherent stage, and someone needs to act. Very soon.

Bush: Saddam Hussein Killed Nelson Mandela

Trish

What is Bush on?

In a speech defending his administration’s Iraq policy, Mr Bush said former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s brutality had made it impossible to unite the country.

Bush: “Mandela’s dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas.”

“I heard somebody say, ‘Where’s Mandela?’,” he said.

“Well, Mandela’s dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas.”

The bizarre gaffe was made in a press conference in Washington yesterday.

Mandela became South Africa’s first black president in 1994. He won a Nobel Peace Prize for preaching racial harmony and guiding the nation into the post-apartheid era.

References to his death – Mandela is now 89 and increasingly frail – are seen as insensitive in South Africa.

Ya think? I imagine they’d be seen as insensitive anywhere, not to mention too stupid to contemplate

We already told you about the delusional antics of our president during his recent visit to Southeast Asia and Australia. We also postulated that Bush has advanced Lyme Disease, which causes brain fog and psychosis. But even we are becoming alarmed. This is getting way beyond just mispronouncing “nuclear.”

The Week magazine noted another mysterious Bush mistake.

He talked of the danger of terrorist groups such as “Jenna Islaaanah Nia,” which no one had ever head of (one can only assume that meant Jemaah Islamiyah).

The leader of the Indonesian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Dujana, was arrested in June in connection with the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings, along with more recent attacks. But hey, Bush knows someone named Jenna and it sounds a lot like that.

The Week also quoted the Sydney Morning Herald’s Annabel Crabb about Bush’s public speaking meltdowns in her country.

One could almost sense the craning CIA sharpshooters wearily exchanging their live rounds for tranquilizer darts.

“Time to get the big guy out of there, Hank?”

“Roger that, Chuck.”

If only it were that easy.

Richard Viguerie Is Kind of Right About Who Bush Should Choose for AG, But for the Wrong Reasons

Buck Banks

My favorite right-wing punching bag Richard Viguerie has an op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times today in which he proves once again why he’s not in George W, Bush’s cabinet. His free advice to Bush on who he should choose to replace disgraced Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has some elements that I actually agree with — but for reasons different from Viguerie’s.

Nominate someone with a record of toughness on law-and-order issues who
will not shy away from investigating government corruption.

Well, I don’t agree with everything the Goldwater conservative says:

Liberal commentators and, I’m sure, spineless Republican consultants are advising the president to attempt to make peace with such critics as Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) by naming a nonpartisan, inoffensive
fellow like Edward Levi, whom President Ford picked as AG in the wake of Watergate and of the 1974 election of a left-wing majority in Congress. Of course, Levi’s appointment did nothing to appease the liberal Democrats and deprived Ford of a legitimate political weapon against Democratic corruption. Levi wasn’t even the “moderate” he was advertised to be; he pushed Ford into appointing to the U.S. Supreme Court the radical John Paul Stevens, who remains there today.

Viguerie says the Democrats cannot be appeased, and he’s probably right, and I do agree with his next suggestion to Bush:

… nominate someone with a record of toughness on law-and-order issues who will not shy away from investigating government corruption (including vote fraud), and who will push for the nomination of highly qualified judges who faithfully follow the law rather than making it up as they go along.

That’s good, sound advice that Bush won’t take because a true law-and-order AG would have to be willing to investigate the party in power and oh, say Dick Cheney and his gang, which ain’t going to happen. But it’s still the description of the kind of AG who should always be sought out, instead of a party-line stoolie.

But then Viguerie goes off the rails back onto his familiar complaint that the Democrats want an activist judiciary — as if the Republicans don’t:

If the Democrats block the confirmation, expose them for their partisanship, for their refusal to be tough on law enforcement out of fear that they will upset their own base, and for their efforts to use the unelected judiciary to create policies that would never be enacted through a democratic process. 

[…]

What America Hears When Bush Speaks: “Blah Blah”

Trish

It finally seems like most Americans view George W. Bush as the bull-headed, tunnel-visioned, arrogant jerk we do. A new ABC/Washington Post poll shows his citizens have given up on their president.

Bush’s approval rating among political independents — the center of American politics — is at a career low, 25 percent

Just 28 percent think Bush — long seen as inflexible on the war — will use the report to adjust his Iraq policy. Sixty-six percent think he’ll stick with his war policy no matter what the Petraeus report says…

Americans, by nearly 2-1, disapprove of Bush’s handling of the situation in Iraq, 65 percent to 34 percent — around where it’s been for most of the last year and a half. His broader job approval rating is almost identical: Just 33 percent approve of his work in office overall, matching his career low. He hasn’t seen majority approval in an ABC/Post poll since January 2005.

And it’s not just folks like Pensito Review readers and writers — most of whom never liked Bush to begin with — who are down on him.

Bush’s approval rating among political independents — the center of American politics — is at a career low, 25 percent. He’s also at 25 percent approval among people who describe themselves as ideological moderates, matching his low in that group.

Americans also aren’t scared or convinced by the Bush, “If we leave the terrorists will follow us home” line.

There’s little public acceptance of two of the chief arguments against withdrawal — that leaving Iraq in its current state would make the United States more vulnerable, and indeed that victory in Iraq is necessary for victory in the broader U.S. war on terrorism.

Just 22 percent of Americans say withdrawing from Iraq would increase the risk of terrorism occurring in the United States. Half as many say the opposite — that remaining in Iraq increases the risk — while most by far, 65 percent, think the risk of an attack is about the same either way.

I don’t know if my fellow Americans are getting smarter or have just given up hoping Bush will be better.

Bush Bumbles Across the Free World — Confuses Australia with Austria, Pisses off South Korea, Nearly Falls Off Stage

Trish

Now we know why it’s best for Bush to stay home and clear brush. Not long after answering Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile’s question about progress in Iraq, “We’re kicking ass,” Bush went on to really offend.

Bush strode away from the lectern on a path that would have sent him over a steep drop. Howard and others redirected the president to center stage

“Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit,” Bush said to Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

Oops. That would be APEC, the annual meeting of leaders from 21 Pacific Rim nations, not OPEC, the cartel of 12 major oil producers.

Bush quickly corrected himself. “APEC summit,” he said forcefully, joking that Howard had invited him to the OPEC summit next year (for the record, an impossibility, since neither Australia nor the U.S. are OPEC members).

…Talking about Howard’s visit to Iraq last year to thank his country’s soldiers serving there, Bush called them “Austrian troops.”

That one was fixed for him. Though tapes of the speech clearly show Bush saying “Austrian,” the official text released by the White House switched it to “Australian.”

Then, speech done, Bush confidently headed out the wrong way.

He strode away from the lectern on a path that would have sent him over a steep drop. Howard and others redirected the president to center stage, where there were steps leading down to the floor of the theater.

But wait, there’s more. Being addled in Australia was only a warm-up. If you really want to mess things up, piss off a country that is trying to help you fight one of the members of your axis of evil.

[…]

LBJ Visited New Orleans Within 24 Hours After Hurricane Betsy

Jon Ponder

“This is your President!” Johnson announced. “I’m here to help you!”

Hurricane Betsy came ashore at Grand Isle, Louisiana, on the evening of Sept. 9, 1965. Like Hurricane Katrina would do 40 years later, the surge devastated New Orleans, flooding parts of the city, including the Lower Ninth Ward, for days.

One striking difference between Betsy and Katrina was the response of the president and the federal government. Less than 24 hours after Betsy hit and New Orleans was flooded, Pres. Lyndon Johnson was in the city, making surprise visits to shelters, offering encouragements to the city’s newly homeless residents.

Here is a transcript of LBJ’s remarks upon landing at the New Orleans airport at 3 p.m. that day, via John Edwards ’08 Blog:

Today at 3 o’clock when Senator Long and Congressman Boggs and Congressman Willis called me on behalf of the entire Louisiana delegation, I put aside all the problems on my desk to come to Louisiana as soon as I could. I have observed from flying over your city how great the catastrophe is that you have experienced. Human suffering and physical damage are measureless. I’m here this evening to pledge to you the full resources of the federal government to Louisiana to help repair as best we can the injury that has been done by nature.

And then there is this:

In the Ninth Ward, Johnson visited the George Washington Elementary School, on St. Claude Avenue, which was being used as a shelter. “Most of the people inside and outside of the building were Negro,” the diary reads. “At first, they did not believe that it was actually the President.” Johnson entered the crowded shelter in near-total darkness; there were only a couple of flashlights to lead the way.

“This is your President!” Johnson announced. “I’m here to help you!”

The diary describes the shelter as a “mass of human suffering,” with people calling out for help “in terribly emotional wails from voices of all ages. . . . It was a most pitiful sight of human and material destruction.” According to an article by the historian Edward F. Haas, published fifteen years ago in the Gulf Coast Historical Review, Johnson was deeply moved as people approached and asked him for food and water; one woman asked Johnson for a boat so that she could look for her two sons, who had been lost in the flood….

It’s hard to imagine George W. Bush visiting a shelter so soon after a disaster — or rather it is impossible to imagine because it would never happen.

Why You Should Care About New Orleans

Trish

On the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall near New Orleans, all the ink was about the progress, and lack thereof, in restoring the city and the rest of the Gulf coast.

We live in an era of failed leadership. Corrupt and incompetent politicians. Thieving CEOs. Priests as pedophiles. Media monopolies. A president’s unpopular, intractable war. Steroid-enhanced sluggers.

Two years later, Ron Fournier says it’s time to start learning the real lessons of Katrina, and they’re not about wind or water.

We need to wake up to the fact that we are all just one big storm or disaster away from being one of those people whose calls for help were answered by voice mail.

Katrina is old news, right? New Orleans — who cares? It’s just another big city with big problems, bad luck and bad weather. Get over it.

Actually, please don’t.

Don’t ever get over the tragedy of New Orleans. It’s your tragedy, too.

What happened to this historic city two years ago is more than the obvious cautionary tale of what might befall your community after a natural disaster or a terrorist strike. It’s also a sad reflection of what’s happening now — today, in your hometown and across an anxious and ailing nation…

If this country can’t help New Orleans rebound — if we and our leaders break the promises made to its citizens — what are the odds your health care will ever get cheaper? Your bridges safer? Your schools better?

“New Orleans is an incubator for all our nation’s ills,” said historian Douglas Brinkley, author of “The Great Deluge,” a book about Katrina.

“If you study what’s going on in New Orleans, it’s just an exaggerated version of what’s hitting us in many areas of the country,” he said. “Just pick your topic.”

OK, let’s start from the top.

[…]

Roll Call on Gonzalez Resignation

Trish

George, Laura, Al and Becky on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2007

Sad. So sad. I might just cry.

George Bush: “After months of unfair treatment that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Department, Judge Gonzales decided to resign his position, and I accept his decision. It’s sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeded from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons.”

Edwards: Gonzales “oversaw a political purge of U.S. Attorneys at the Justice Department, approved torture techniques at Guantanamo Bay and approved illegal spying on Americans. His leaving is a victory for all of us.”

Or not.

— The most concise reaction came from John Edwards: “Better late than never.”

Following the Bush press conference, Edwards expanded on that, saying Gonzales “oversaw a political purge of U.S. Attorneys at the Justice Department, approved torture techniques at Guantanamo Bay and approved illegal spying on Americans,” and his leaving “is a victory for all of us.”

— Hillary Clinton: “This resignation is long overdue, and so is the appointment of an Attorney General who will put the rule of law and our Constitution above partisan politics…Time and time again, [Gonzales] demonstrated that his loyalties lie with the President and his political agenda, not the American people or the evenhanded and impartial enforcement of our laws…from warrantless wiretaps to the firing of U.S. Attorneys.

— Barack Obama: “I have long believed that Alberto Gonzales subverted justice to promote a political agenda, and so I am pleased that he has finally resigned today. The President needs to nominate an Attorney General who will be the people’s lawyer, not the President’s lawyer, and in an Obama Administration that person will first and foremost defend and promote the rights and liberties enshrined in our Constitution.”

— Bill Richardson: “The resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is long overdue. The President must nominate an Attorney General who is a lawyer for the American people not a political arm of the White House.”

— Rudy Giuliani: “Judge Gonzales served his nation honorably and I wish him well in the next phase of his career.”

— Florida Sen. Mel Martinez (R): Gonzales “is an honorable man has conducted himself always with honesty, dedication and integrity. He is my friend and he is a good man. He and his family have my thanks for their sacrifice for serving during difficult times, and my best wishes for the future.”

Starting With No Exit Strategy Means No End in Sight

Trish

The question isn’t “Will we leave Iraq?” The question is, “When will we leave, and how do we begin that process?” Bush answers by insisting we can’t leave now. He never says when we can, and that’s because he never had an exit strategy beyond shock and awe and mission accomplished. After three months, he was out of ideas.

See this film. If your nearest theater isn’t listed here, email them. I did, and they answered immediately and told me it’s coming my way soon.