Decision Points by George W. Bush [Bumped]
I recently finished Decision Points
Bush discusses major decision points in his presidency, having to do with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the response to 9/11, the fiscal crisis that arose at the end of his presidency, and many others.
In many places, Bush acknowledges where his assessments went wrong. For example, after he said of Vladimir Putin that “I was able to get a sense of his soul,” Bush wryly says: “In the years ahead, Putin would give me reasons to revise my opinion.”
Some of his admissions don’t go far enough, in my view. Bush is defensive about not catching Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora, and claims he is not at fault. That may be, but I think there is plenty of evidence that his administration had bin Laden in its grasp, but devoted insufficient troops to the task of tightening the noose, allowing local warlords to let bin Laden slip through the cracks. See, for example, the evidence provided in Jon Krakauer’s book about Pat Tillman: Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman
The book has some amusing lines. For example, after the 2004 election, Bush says he hugged a group of senior aides, and then gave Dick Cheney a hearty handshake, explaining: “Dick isn’t really the hugging type.” Speaking of hugging, Bush says in the midst of a discussion of his unprecedented (and too-often forgotten) fight again AIDS in Africa that he had been told by the director of an agency fighting AIDS that Bush was “the first world leader he had seen hug an African with AIDS.”
One passage I found very interesting related to his handling of Katrina. Bush says he should have taken a far more active role early on in the crisis. He says that, despite the fact that responsibility for responding to the disaster lay initially and principally with the mayor and governor, the president nevertheless needed to get out front of the crisis and show he was a leader. It is a lesson that many could learn — I was reminded of it, for example, when Chris Christie went to Disney World during a major blizzard in New Jersey. If you want to be a leader, you have to show it at moments of crisis, and this is a lesson Bush imparts well by discussing where he failed to follow this advice.
The book is well-written, and the picture that emerges is of a man far smarter than he is given credit for by the numbskulls of the left. His presidency was not perfect, by any means, but now that Barack Obama is in charge … yes, we miss you, Mr. President.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND COST-FREE BLEG: All the links in this post help out this site, by giving me a small pecentge (4-7%) of the proceeds of your purchases. There is a box on the sidebar to the right that you can use to search anything on Amazon, and any purchase that you make benefits this site, at absolutely no extra cost to you.
Especially if you have large purchases that you are going to make through Amazon anyway, it will benefit me if you choose to make those through that box. For example, if you have large purchases that you make for your job — things like toner, printers, or other computer items — please consider making those purchases through that box. If you recently bought a house and are about to furnish it with electronic equipment (you know who you are!), please consider making the purchases through that box. If you can’t see the box, you might have to whitelist this site through AdAware or AdBlock (and then refresh) — or, more simply, just click on this link to get to Amazon’s Main Page
Thanks.
I don’t have the sort of vitriol for Bush that they do on the left, nor am I a fan of Obama; but I don’t miss Bush, and I think it would have been better for the country all around if he had not been president. Bush doesn’t strike me as “stupid” at all, nor as a villain, the way the left sees him, and I’m sure he’s a man of much personal decency. But I think he had numerous limitations, was not far-seeing, and lived a type of life that did not give him certain necessary perspectives about this country and its people, to say nothing of the world abroad. And as a result, his lack of wisdom and depth (not a lack of intelligence) have caused some serious damage that we will all have to deal with for a long time to come.
d. in c. (6d8a47) — 3/5/2011 @ 3:00 pmI was half way through the Bush book when Rumsfeld’s book came out and I am about finished with it. Rumsfeld’s career can be compared only to historical figures like John Quincy Adams, who was ambassador to Russia, Prussia and the Netherlands, US Senator, President and Congressman for 17 years after his presidency. Rumsfeld would be a great candidate for president if he were only ten years younger. He was elected to Congress in 1962. Four presidents considered him for VP but none chose him, to our loss. He spent 25 years in private industry after Ford lost the 1976 election.
The book will be a major source in US history. He pulls few punches although I think his private opinion of Bush is less generous than that in his book.
Mike K (8f3f19) — 3/5/2011 @ 3:10 pmThanks for the review. I actually bought a copy of it, Rove’s book, and Rumsfeld’s book all at once a couple of weeks ago through Amazon through your link, I think, but I haven’t read any of them yet.
Beldar (d162eb) — 3/5/2011 @ 3:28 pm(BTW, I expect you to spend that commission on a decent bottle of wine or some other indulgence shared with your better half, and if so, I hope you’ll drink a toast to “Friends Still in Texas.”)
Beldar (d162eb) — 3/5/2011 @ 3:33 pmFor example, if you have large purchases that you make for your job — things like toner, printers, or other computer items — please consider making those purchases through that box. …
I would be hesitant about doing this sort of thing with other people’s money.
James B. Shearer (f5e800) — 3/5/2011 @ 3:51 pmI’m self employed right now, so I’ll try to spread job purchases out between you and Instapundit.
SteveG (cc5dc9) — 3/5/2011 @ 3:55 pm_______________________________________
his lack of wisdom and depth (not a lack of intelligence) have caused some serious damage that we will all have to deal with for a long time to come.
In basic terms, his biggest goofs were when he leaned left. That includes when he was permissive about the bloated budgets handed to him by Congress, illegal immigration, Harriet Miers. Part of that probably is rooted in his falling for the notion that rightism, in order to get the seal of approval, should be of the “compassionate conservative” variety.
As for the truly serious damage that we all will be living with well into the future, most of that derives from the foolishness, fecklessness and phoniness of “limousine liberalism.” That represents a major ailment throughout modern Western society.
Mark (411533) — 3/5/2011 @ 4:06 pmBooks like those from Bush and Rumsfeld are another reminder that current and recent decisions and events (headlines or not) are tomorrow’s pages in the arc of history. I think many of us now wish we had been more cognizant of that when, as youguns, we lived and experienced the Vietnam era, the Carter years of malaise, and Reagan’s magnificent presidency.
elissa (18d376) — 3/5/2011 @ 4:06 pmWhere was the true source of weakness in the search and destroy OBL mission(s)? Was it W? Rumsfeld? Condi? The Joint Chiefs? JAG Corps? Field commanders?
It seems entirely odd that this was a lack of will on W’s part. Certainly possible, but I smell a Pentagon or Foggy Bottom-based rat, or nests of rats.
Ed from SFV (7af9a6) — 3/5/2011 @ 4:08 pmCommenter number 1 seems to think Bush had not foresight. Guess he must have liked Saddam. Or the thought of ballistic missles having unimpeaded paths to our soil. As a result of Bush’s actions, Libya is not a nuclear nation. If critique of Bush includeds Katrina, let us remember he responded faster, by magnatudes, than Obama did to the gulf oil spill. Bush was far from perfect and one of his greatest faults was his not defending his policies against the lies of the MSM, but history will show he was far, far more effective than the amature we have currently or the cereal rapist who preceeded him.
Zelsdorf Ragshaft III (84b781) — 3/5/2011 @ 4:14 pmIn light of Mr. Rutten and Ms. Cox, how refreshing our host actually *reads* the entire book before reviewing it.
With that, I’m almost finished with *Krakauer’s book, and think Patterico makes a valid point. (*purchased via P’s sidebar Amazon widget)
Mike K, don’t miss Rumsfeld’s spectacular scoldings of Andrea Mitchell as she attempts to set him up re claims in his biography.
Dana (9f3823) — 3/5/2011 @ 4:51 pmKnowing you, that does not surprise me.
But the implication that there is anything wrong with it is utterly misplaced. Again, I am only asking people who are going to make purchases ANYWAY to do so through my box. There is no reason at all that someone should be hesitant to do that with their own money or anyone else’s.
No reason at all.
Patterico (c218bd) — 3/5/2011 @ 5:01 pmCool. It would be wrong of me to suggest that Instapundit already makes a ton off of Amazon, therefore your purchases have a greater effect and are more appreciated here.
So I won’t. Point that out. Because it would be wrong. So I won’t.
Patterico (c218bd) — 3/5/2011 @ 5:04 pm12
But the implication that there is anything wrong with it is utterly misplaced. Again, I am only asking people who are going to make purchases ANYWAY to do so through my box. There is no reason at all that someone should be hesitant to do that with their own money or anyone else’s.
I think this is likely against the rules where I work. I think it would be a criminal offense if any of the money was coming back to me (or an associate) directly or indirectly. Even if it is technically ok (which I doubt) I would not want to have to explain myself to my boss. Perhaps many employers wouldn’t care but some definitely would.
James B. Shearer (f5e800) — 3/5/2011 @ 5:45 pmMr. Bush I love him very much. Especially now seeing what sort of cheap trash both parties in our little country have shown themselves willing and eager to elect.
Our oval office may never be graced with his like again. Ever.
Come back, Mr. Bush.
Come back.
happyfeet (ab5779) — 3/5/2011 @ 5:47 pmI promise not to send you any part of my cut, James.
Problem solved (other than in your imagination).
Patterico (c218bd) — 3/5/2011 @ 5:47 pmMr. Bush I have to celebrate you baby I have to praise you like I should
happyfeet (ab5779) — 3/5/2011 @ 5:49 pmCommenter number 1 seems to think Bush had not foresight. Guess he must have liked Saddam.
Against this, is that proper foresight would have prepared for what happened in Iraq after we invaded much better than the administration apparently did. This lack of foresight, of course, is not Bush’s alone; Rumsfeld and almost everyone else involved have share some of the blame there.
On the general subject of Bush’s supposed lack of intelligence, I think part of the reason for the perception can be laid at the door of Bush’s 2000 campaign. Part of the dynamics of that election was (on the part of the GOP) building up an image of Gore as being too smart for anyone’s good, as opposed to just plain folks George. (I remember seeing on the evening news a clip of a guy asked whom he preferred for President, who answered, “Bush, because he’s as dumb as I am.”) The picture of Bush being not-smart lingered on through his presidency.
kishnevi (38f6c3) — 3/5/2011 @ 5:50 pmAs far as the “criminal offense” thing:
A) That is not what is happening here;
B) If it were it would violate the Amazon rules;
C) I would love to see a criminal statute you think it violates.
Until you cite one — and you won’t — I think it’s every bit as criminal for you to try to discourage lawful behavior by insinuating it is criminal.
Which is to say, not at all.
It’s amazing how this topic invariably causes people to raise bogus objections. It’s advertising by Amazon, pure and simple. Relax.
Patterico (c218bd) — 3/5/2011 @ 5:51 pmMike K, don’t miss Rumsfeld’s spectacular scoldings of Andrea Mitchell as she attempts to set him up re claims in his biography.
Rumsfeld is a national treasure who will be more appreciated 100 years from now than today. He followed Churchill’s dictum on his first day of his First Lord position and later as PM. To paraphrase Churchill, “I intend to govern by the written word. All communications to or from me will be in writing.” Rumsfeld not only followed that rule but, except for classified subjects, those memos are on his web site, Rumsfeld.com.
Fools will get into public arguments with Rumsfeld, not realizing that his arguments are buttressed by the contemporaneous WRITTEN WORD. All the income from the book goes into a fund for service members’ families.
God ! How we could use this man as president now !
Alas, he is 79 years old.
Mike K (8f3f19) — 3/5/2011 @ 6:05 pmCan you imagine if Bush had kept the Iraqi army and security forces in place, the ones who had turned the country into a private fiefdom for the Tikriti
narciso (bcb6cc) — 3/5/2011 @ 6:24 pmmob that was Saddam’s family. Consider that they
were the ones who most readily turned to terrify
the Shia and Kurdish majority; they only really turned when they in turn were terrorized by the Salafi they had invited into their midst.
When Bush was running in 2000, a writer at, I believe, NRO, wrote that Bush was “very conservative in private.” This was an admission that Bush didn’t sound especially conservative in public. In other words, calling himself a “Compassionate Conservative.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen or heard a so-called conservative say after a private meeting with Bush: “George W. Bush is far smarter in private than his public image.”
Would somebody please tell me what good is a political leader who is unable to appear intelligent and articulate in his public appearances?
For example, when in Australia, Bush called the Australian contingent serving alongside the Americans “the Austrian army.”
I agree that Bush’s liberal critics are usually a bunch of numbskulls.
DN (322684) — 3/5/2011 @ 6:34 pmI am sure there are many theoretical presidents, and a number of people in the flesh, who may have made a better president than George W. Bush, but I sure didn’t see any of them running in the 2000 and 2004 elections.
Had the entire Democratic Party run off to Rockford, Illinois after 2000 I think Bush would have had a much more successful presidency. The Dems and MSM continually undercut the efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, they lead the PR campaign that Bush was out for oil, was hurting innocents, etc., etc.,. Had they actually tried to help govern and offer constructive criticism instead
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 3/5/2011 @ 6:38 pmof their short-sighted politics lefe would have been much better for everybody around the world.
For example, when in Australia, Bush called the Australian contingent serving alongside the Americans “the Austrian army.”
I don’t believe he ever said anything about the Austrians “speaking Austrian.” The president whose supporters attacked Sarah Palin because she had not traveled, does not know that Afghans and Iraqis speak different languages, for example. I don’t believe he had ever been out of the country since his grandparents brought him back from Indonesia to educate him. He speaks no other language while berating his countrymen for their lack of language skills.
Mike K (8f3f19) — 3/5/2011 @ 6:48 pmRe DN-
I have never considered malapropisms to be evidence of stupidity. Over my life I have heard many intelligent people mutter the wrong word in the midst of a sentence. If the sentence makes enough sense anyway that I know what the person meant I am not bothered by it. I think most “Bushisms” were like this. But the MSM did not share my perspective (the nerve of them!)
I am much more bothered by people who say what they mean to say and it doesn’t make sense (Joe Biden?), or “makes too much sense” by revealing things that were meant to be hidden, like “redistributing income” (Obama).
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 3/5/2011 @ 6:49 pmPrediction: having made a ridiculous and unsupportable insinuation that using the Amazon program to make purchases at work could somehow be considered “criminal,” and having been called on it, James B. Shearer will now disappear from the thread.
Like a cat that pisses on your socks, his work here is done.
Patterico (c218bd) — 3/5/2011 @ 6:51 pmI wonder, any relation; http://www.slate.com/id/28894/
narciso (bcb6cc) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:02 pm26.Prediction: having made a ridiculous and unsupportable insinuation that using the Amazon program to make purchases at work could somehow be considered “criminal,” and having been called on it, James B. Shearer will now disappear from the thread
You are telling me if I make a purchase for the government with government money and 5% makes it back to me that this is not a criminal offense? Seems to me people have gotten in big trouble for things like that. We are talking about the same thing right, purchases made with employer funds.
James B. Shearer (f5e800) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:10 pmTo me,
Bush is one of the greatist presidents, up there with Lincoln
1. for this reason
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_ashley_faulkner.htm
2. and for defending the thousands of illegals and children of illegals who fell and were wounded defending our country
EricPWJohnson (5cc53e) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:13 pmJimmy Shearer maintains his string of consecutive douchebaggy appearances.
JD (d4bbf1) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:22 pmMy cousin was convicted of shopping on Amazon I go see him at Christmas every year next year he’ll be up for parole and we’re hopeful with good behavior he’ll soon be starting the process of reintegrating himself back into society, five years older but much much wiser. He’s not a bad person he just thought hey this is a great deal on white chocolate-covered gummi bears I will click and buy me some.
I know what an idiot.
happyfeet (ab5779) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:23 pmAS John McEnroe would say ‘you cannot be serious’,
narciso (bcb6cc) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:32 pmI think they put you in an invisible box, with a mime, as punishment.
Thank you for sharing Happy. I tell you, with those Nigerian scams, Facebook threats, Ebay cheats, Craigslist predators, and Amazon affiliates–the perils of what can happen to someone on the internet is just amazing.
elissa (18d376) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:35 pmif I can spare just one family our pain it was worth it elissa
happyfeet (ab5779) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:36 pmalso, Tora Bora… Bora Bora is actually in France and you can go there but you have to save up a lot of starwood points
happyfeet (ab5779) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:42 pmGot a cite for that? No, I didn’t think so. As you report it, at least, it never happened.
Obama, however, actually thought Austrian was a language. There’s no other explanation for what he said.
Mike K, Obama had been out of the country since his childhood and before his presidency. For instance, he visited Pakistan in 1981.
Milhouse (ea66e3) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:43 pm@ MD in Philly,
I have never considered malapropisms to be evidence of stupidity. Over my life I have heard many intelligent people mutter the wrong word in the midst of a sentence. If the sentence makes enough sense anyway that I know what the person meant I am not bothered by it. I think most “Bushisms” were like this. But the MSM did not share my perspective (the nerve of them!)
I agree. This certainly brings to mind Jacob Weisberg’s book The Ultimate Bushisms, followed by his Palinisms: The Accidental Wit and Wisdom of Sarah Palin. Althouse had a good Bloggingheads and questioned him if the idea is to skewer and poke fun at our politicians and most powerful people, why not Obama? He essentially said that Obama is very cautious and careful in what he says and thus doesn’t provide the material needed.
Dana (9f3823) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:46 pmNo, nobody is telling you that. Its relevance, though, is nil. Pat isn’t offering you any of his money.
Milhouse (ea66e3) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:49 pm#31
That happyfeets guy slays me.
Dave Surls (ce67b1) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:51 pmOh, but he isn’t. And while some of the dumb things he says are accidental “speakos” such as anyone could make (the “57 states” slip was one of those), others betray Biden-like ignorance (e.g. “corpsemen” and the Austrian language).
Milhouse (ea66e3) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:52 pmI have had several nobel prize winners, nominees as co-workers, employers, university lecturers, out of all of these only Krugman was reasonably well spoken
Bush made his decisions on what was the best for the country, not for his legacy, I dont think you can make that claim of any president since Ike or Nixon
EricPWJohnson (5cc53e) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:53 pmOf course he’s not, Milhouse. It’s just that Weisberg is an ideologue. And dishonest about it.
Dana (9f3823) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:53 pmWell, yes, this is actually perfectly true. Just not the part of France you’d be in if you booked a ticket to France. That would get you about as far away from Bora Bora as you could possibly get while remaining on the same planet.
Milhouse (ea66e3) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:54 pmNext someone will claim you accused feets of murder!
Milhouse (ea66e3) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:55 pmHahahahahahaha. Yes, you got me.
Although they didn’t catch him in Bora Bora either!!
Patterico (c218bd) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:55 pm“I think it would have been better for the country all around if he had not been president.”
Yeah, right. We would have been so much better off with Al Gore as our prez.
Not.
Dave Surls (ce67b1) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:57 pmA comment from President Obama, which would certainly indicate he does provide the necessary material:
“If I had to name my greatest strength, I guess it would be my humility. Greatest weakness, it’s possible that I’m a little too awesome.”
“I’ve now been in fifty…seven states. I think one left to go.”
“Throughout our history, America’s confronted constantly evolving danger, from the oppression of an empire, to the lawlessness of the frontier, from the bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor…”
…and so it goes.
Dana (9f3823) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:58 pmHey James B. Shearer:
If you order from Amazon using personal or company money and then commit an unrelated embezzlement against your employer, that would also be illegal.
That scenario is about as relevant.
I put your socks on the porch by my shoes. Turns out you pissed on your own socks, kitten. Meow!
Now SCAT!
Patterico (c218bd) — 3/5/2011 @ 7:58 pmWhen he didn’t understand the difference between health insurance and car insurance, when he said
narciso (bcb6cc) — 3/5/2011 @ 8:00 pmdoctor’s amputate limbs unnecessarily, for money,
there are hundreds of examples, if Weisberg cared
to look.
I’d ask ya ta have him “talk” ta Jimmy Shearer — but Jimmy’s too smart fer dat.
Patterico (c218bd) — 3/5/2011 @ 8:01 pm47) and that last one, he’s from Hawaii right, it’s kind a big deal over there.
narciso (bcb6cc) — 3/5/2011 @ 8:02 pmSometimes it’s hard to tell when people are being purposely and destructively obtuse or just happen to be stupid. James Shearer comes to mind. It’s like a “commission”, James. The Amazon product’s price is fixed and on their website. It does not change, nor does the buyer get cash back. It’s just that Patterico gets a small commission on the sale for helping drum up business among his readers. Retail has worked in this general manner for several millennia.
elissa (18d376) — 3/5/2011 @ 8:04 pmJimmy’s one comment a month blog has catapulted him into the next level….
TWO comments a month…
EricPWJohnson (5cc53e) — 3/5/2011 @ 8:09 pmMr. Shearer, perhaps if you are so concerned with the legality (or possible illegality) of using the Amazon widget, you could always just sign up for the monthly $9 subscription to Patterico’s Pontifications.
Either way, it’s nice to be able to support an independent blogger whose site one frequents, no?
Dana (9f3823) — 3/5/2011 @ 8:11 pmelissa
There are always those who feel that those who are more successful than them are/must be doing something wrong or need to pay a penalty for their “accidental” success
At James one commentator a month blog he’s not going to have that problem for some time
EricPWJohnson (5cc53e) — 3/5/2011 @ 8:11 pmI agree. I originally supported Kasich in 2000, except that he pulled out even before the first primary. Then I supported Forbes. Either of them might have been a better president than Bush. And I definitely think that Cheney would have been a better president than Bush; it sounds ghoulish, but I often wonder what might have been, if Cheney had become president on 11-Sep-2001.
Milhouse (ea66e3) — 3/5/2011 @ 8:16 pmMilhouse
My last boss was Cheney, I was not impressed at all, he brought me in a project after he hired a supposedly international team of experts to get a steel mill undercarriage plant started in Houston and then after two years of disaster had me brought in to fix everything – expensive. Cheney didnt grasp the fact that German, Italian and British steel mills were government subsidized, and they had no concept of profit just capacity
Cheney is a good person, but he’s too quick to believe anything thats told to him first and it was a game to watch these guys try and get his ear first.
EricPWJohnson (5cc53e) — 3/5/2011 @ 8:25 pm“Bora Bora is actually in France”
Not really. It’s in the Society Islands, but the French do like to pretend that’s part of France, kinda like we like to pretend that Hawaii is part of America.
France is actually a dingy little republic in Europe (as opposed to a tropical paradise in Polynesia). Local customs include: dining on fungus and frogs, running around saying “Sacre Bleu!”, and bathing as little as possible. Casual adultery is strongly encouraged there, while the use of certain contoversial substances, like deodorants, is strictly prohibited.
By way of contrast, people in the Society Islands are a lot more civilized. For example, they prefer to bathe daily, rather than semi-annually.
Dave Surls (ce67b1) — 3/5/2011 @ 8:49 pmJames B. Shearer – Arranging a kickback for yourself out of your employers purchases is generally frowned upon in the private or public sector. I’m surprised that you introduced the subject on the thread. Have you been investigated for these activities before?
Can you describe why your indiscretions are relevant to Patterico’s arrangement with Amazon?
Thanks in advance.
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:00 pmDave,
The are two Frances Paris and everyone else – you described Paris – which many of the real French would agree with you – the other France is brave, resourceful, hardworking and so on.
EricPWJohnson (5cc53e) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:03 pmMy point is simply that before doing this at work (with your employer’s money) you should be confident that your employer won’t mind. And if your employer does mind the fact the Patterico and bunch of his readers think the employer is wrong won’t help you a whole lot.
James B. Shearer (f5e800) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:05 pmSome Obamaisms here although some of the gaffes seem to qualify only under the definition of a gaffe as saying something that’s true by accident.
And Here seems to be a cite for the Austrian army quote.
kishnevi (38f6c3) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:14 pmAlthough they didn’t catch him in Bora Bora either!!
Comment by Patterico
But did they look? Maybe he took a wrong turn at Albequerque.
========================================================
Comments by Dana
He essentially said that Obama is very cautious and careful in what he says and thus doesn’t provide the material needed.
I would agree that Obama doesn’t provide the needed material, though not for the reason he gives. I don’t find most of those comments humorous, but worrisome.
47. — 3/5/2011 @ 7:58 pm
A comment from President Obama, which would certainly indicate he does provide the necessary material:
“If I had to name my greatest strength, I guess it would be my humility. Greatest weakness, it’s possible that I’m a little too awesome.”
I would agree that is not funny (unless it was said tongue-in-cheek, which I doubt), it’s pathologic.
“I’ve now been in fifty…seven states. I think one left to go.”
I know some have said there is a group of 57 Muslim states, or something, I don’t know. Again, I find that more worrisome than explainable as a malapropism.
“Throughout our history, America’s confronted constantly evolving danger, from the oppression of an empire, to the lawlessness of the frontier, from the bomb that fell on Pearl Harbor…”…
I can’t figure out what he meant to say.
49.When he didn’t understand the difference between health insurance and car insurance, when he said doctor’s amputate limbs unnecessarily, for money, there are hundreds of examples, if Weisberg cared to look. Comment by narciso —
Again, scary in my book, outrageous, but not funny.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:15 pm61.My point is simply that before doing this at work (with your employer’s money) you should be confident that your employer won’t mind.
I assume Patterico uses none of his employer’s resources to run this blog, either in providing support for it or in having a share of revenue, and you’re trying to make an issue where there is none.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:19 pmJames
Maybe you shoud take your advice one step further and advise all of us here that we shouldnt pay for goods on the Amazon link with illegal campaign donations, or with food stamps, or maybe even with proceeds from a fraudelent enterprize or larceny.
If you could further expound your advise to not use Pat’s Amazon ink to funnel money and guns to Mexico as well
or you could go back and see if anyone left a comment on your blog this month
EricPWJohnson (5cc53e) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:21 pm“Throughout our history, America’s confronted constantly evolving danger”
I wonder what it’s evolving to?
Hopefully, something nicer than danger. Like a daisy, or something.
Dave Surls (8bd99e) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:21 pmadvice
sorry
EricPWJohnson (5cc53e) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:22 pmWhen things get sufficiently nonsensical, like so,
narciso (bcb6cc) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:28 pmI’m reminded of this;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31FFTx6AKmU
My point is simply is that before you listen to James B. Shearer, you should be confident that he is not just raising irrelevancies because he is is upset that people read this blog.
Patterico (c218bd) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:33 pm“My point is simply……………..”
James B. Shearer — If you had a simple point rather than a nonsensical snipe, you would not still be explaining it. QED.
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:34 pmJames B. Shearer – It’s 12:30 a.m. in Ossining. Don’t you have better things to do than make sh*t up?
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:37 pmI like to remind critics of Bush that hindsight heroism is as big a problem as alleged lack of foresight.
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:42 pmBush wasn’t a coward he would never have just sat and dilly-dallied like a cowardly douchebag while people were yearning for freedom – yearning and dying – in Egypt and Libya and beyond.
It’s increasingly easier and easier to be more and more deeply unimpressed with America. We’re not exactly the most respectable of countries anymore. We squander and pout mostly anymore. No surprise they didn’t give bumblef the Olympics or the World Cup. Who wants to come to America and get molested by the TSA and hang around a bunch of broke cowardly whiners?
It’s kinda a hard sell any way you look at it.
happyfeet (ab5779) — 3/5/2011 @ 9:47 pmYes, this is the source on which the claim is ultimately built. But did you watch it? Are you sure he said “Austrian” and not “Australian”? I’m not. It’s hard to tell. I would like to know what was on the script he was reading from.
I see three possibilities: 1. the typo is in the script, in which case his reading it correctly is nothing to make fun of; 2. the script said “Australian” and he pronounced it in a way that could easily be mistaken (most of the other “flubs” on that recording are mispronunciations of names and places); or 3. the script said “Australian” and he read it as “Austrian” and his internal censor didn’t sound an alarm and make him reread it. Only the third possibility makes him look bad. Obama, however, wasn’t reading from a script when he said “Austrian”, and it wasn’t a context where he might have just mispronounced a word on the teleprompter.
Milhouse (ea66e3) — 3/5/2011 @ 10:00 pmJeez
Vienna you guys gonna stop with this Australia/Austria stuff? I canberra nother second of it.
Dave Surls (8bd99e) — 3/5/2011 @ 10:20 pm_________________________________
Some Obamaisms here
I recall Obama being interviewed in the White House by Barbara Walters and his telling her that what is now known as the Lincoln Bedroom was where Lincoln signed the Gettysburg Address. Given that the current president is a big fan of Lincoln, I recall going “huh? what?!”
I was even more surprised in light of Obama’s race-based sensitivities and fascination with victimhood ideology. IOW, I thought he of all people would have immediately honed in on the correct response of the “Emancipation Proclamation.” Moreover, signing a piece of legislation has legal implications—ie, it’s required. Signing a speech doesn’t.
BTW, I find it laughable when people of the left dismiss GW Bush’s intelligence and then are strangely quiet about our current vice president. I’m referring to the guy who said that FDR gave his famous fireside chats on the television. I won’t mention that Biden also claimed that FDR was president when the stock market crashed in 1929.
Mark (411533) — 3/5/2011 @ 10:33 pmOh, it’s not the silly slips of the tongue like ‘Austria’ or ’57 states’ that worries me about either of these guys; it’s the patent nonsense, half-truths, un-truths, misunderstandings of history, falsehoods about history, ideological hoo-hoo and general intellectual shallowness that they both display(ed) in their serious speeches when they WERE speaking correctly.
d. in c. (72c165) — 3/5/2011 @ 10:50 pmComment by narciso — 3/5/2011 @ 9:28 pm
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 3/5/2011 @ 11:28 pm“Reality” version of “Silly Candidates”:
http://www.surroundedbyreality.com/UW/Other/Presidents/PailShov.asp
MD @ 9:15,
Clearly you took those listed gaffes with more seriousness than did I. While not malapropisms per se, they are gaffes that I find humorous enough to be worthy of a a book of Obamamisms, including unintentional irony (which can also be humorous): “If I had to name my greatest strength, I guess it would be my humility. Greatest weakness, it’s possible that I’m a little too awesome.” (Such a statement is so utterly unbelievable that we simply must believe it was said in jest.)
My point being that while Weisberg thinks President Obama the Intellect too careful and thoughtful with his words to provide fodder, clearly he does. Perhaps not to everyone’s liking, however.
Obama seems to take himself very seriously – that being the result of believing his own publicity; I don’t think Bush did though. It’s a huge difference. I believe Bush to have that wonderful quality of self-deprecation. It is certainly easy to picture him having a chuckle at his own verbal flubs. Too, considering how frequently he butchers the English language, it’s a good thing he can.
Dana (9f3823) — 3/5/2011 @ 11:50 pmMy cousin was convicted of shopping on Amazon I go see him at Christmas every year next year he’ll be up for parole and we’re hopeful with good behavior he’ll soon be starting the process of reintegrating himself back into society, five years older but much much wiser. He’s not a bad person he just thought hey this is a great deal on white chocolate-covered gummi bears I will click and buy me some.
I know what an idiot.
Comment by happyfeet — 3/5/2011 @ 7:23 pm
LOL
no one you know (e7daa1) — 3/6/2011 @ 12:11 amWow, james is more dense than kwhatever. That is quite an accomplishment.
∅ (e7577d) — 3/6/2011 @ 1:13 amJames, did you ever figure out how to play the card game, Go Fish?
Obama seems to take himself very seriously – that being the result of believing his own publicity; I don’t think Bush did though. It’s a huge difference. I believe Bush to have that wonderful quality of self-deprecation. It is certainly easy to picture him having a chuckle at his own verbal flubs. Too, considering how frequently he butchers the English language, it’s a good thing he can.
Comment by Dana
I agree with you completely Dana, and I agree with the point you make in terms of Weisberg being completely wrong about Obama. Some of the difference is that Bush has accomplished things and he knows it, such as being a successful 2-time governor of Texas, whereas in some ways Obama has accomplished very little. But having heard Obama talk about how the oceans will return to where they belong and the sick “will begin to be healed” demonstrates such a pathological arrogance that I find him just too worrisome to find him what I would call humorous. Bush is humorous in that we can laugh with him about himself. Obama may be laughable, but it is laughing at his arrogance. At least that’s how I feel about it.
Bush can look at how he misjudged Putin and be up front about it, for example, while Obama makes a pronouncement that Russia and Georgia should “stop being mean to each other” and is bewildered why they don’t listen.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 3/6/2011 @ 3:00 am69
My point is simply is that before you listen to James B. Shearer, you should be confident that he is not just raising irrelevancies because he is is upset that people read this blog
I read your blog sporadically myself, why would I be upset that others do. For what it is worth my comment however wrongheaded was sincere, think of me as the analog of a reader who is absurdly prudish about sex or cursing if you like.
James B. Shearer (f5e800) — 3/6/2011 @ 7:18 amHeck, based on Obama’s performance to date, I miss Mickey Mouse, Alfred E. Newman, and Larry Moe and Curley.
Paul Johnson had a great line in his interview in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal. He said that one of the USA’s great contributions was the “one liner”. He noted that Reagan and thousands of them. He said that Obama doesn’t do “one liners”. Obama talks in paragraphs.
Wonks talk in paragraphs. Presidents speak one liners–and get their point across. Reagan one liner? “I don’t worry about the deficit. It’s big enough to take care of itself.”
Mike Myers (0e06a9) — 3/6/2011 @ 7:26 am71
71.James B. Shearer – It’s 12:30 a.m. in Ossining. Don’t you have better things to do …
Apparently not. Of course someone who seems to have nothing better to do than figure out what the local time is when I comment maybe isn’t best positioned to be throwing stones.
James B. Shearer (f5e800) — 3/6/2011 @ 7:27 amYes, but you read through the paragraph, and you kick yourself for bothering, it’s usually full of
narciso (bcb6cc) — 3/6/2011 @ 7:29 amwhat Ingraham called the ‘but monkey’ conditional statements, that undermine the previous statement.
“Apparently not. Of course someone who seems to have nothing better to do than figure out what the local time is when I comment maybe isn’t best positioned to be throwing stones.”
James B. Shearer – DEVASTATING! I am feeling the burn from that comeback. You could rule the internet with material like that!
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/6/2011 @ 8:38 amI did like ‘Decision Points’, and read it in conjuction with Laura Bush’s “Spoken From The Heart.”
There is a real humility about both of them, that is refreshing in public and political figures. Human weakness, regret, and falling short are all part of even the best-lived lives. I really did take some lessons from both books. By contrast, I learned nothing from Louis Freeh’s book or George Tenet’s book; just exercises in @$$-covering.
TimesDisliker (a7b801) — 3/6/2011 @ 8:41 amDonald Rumsfeld will be at the Reagan museum on March 16. Book signing at 4:30 and lecture at 6.
Vermont Neighbor (68ff46) — 3/6/2011 @ 8:57 amSorry, just wanted to add a specific example: Bush quitting drinking. Laura Bush talks about how it was coming between GWB, and his family. It was part of the Texas culture, and seemed like it was very accepted socially and in their circles. But there would be moments when Laura would be disappointed in some crude joke, or have a serious conversation that would not be remembered the next day. It was not a big dramatic “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” kind of moment, but just one too many wasted nights. In her book, Laura was asked by a friend (who also had a husband that drank) “how did you get him to quit?” Laura replied “I just asked.”
In ‘Decision Points’, GWB described how he met Laura on a blind setup and they were both a little older and travelled when they got together. He clearly appreciated her so much. He was ashamed that he would blurt out embarrassing things, all in the name of ‘fun’ and knew it wasn’t the way he wanted her to think of him. Anyway, it wasn’t easy for him to make this change in the face of a social culture and circle that didn’t encourage this change. But he was happy to go read in bed with his wife, instead of staying up alone drinking. Good choice, she is a great lady.
TimesDisliker (a7b801) — 3/6/2011 @ 8:58 am==one of the USA’s great contributions was the “one liner”. He noted that Reagan (had) thousands of them.==
He is so right about that! For a recent 100th birthday party for Ronald Reagan guests were asked to come prepared with their favorite Reaganisms to offer after dinner as toasts during the birthday cake, ice cream and champagne portion of the festivities. After you get past “tear down this wall” and “there you go again”, there are still so many gems to choose from (and so many of them humorous) that there was little need to worry about duplicates. In fact, we went around the table at least three times offering memorable one liner quotes from him, clinking, laughing, sipping, refilling, etc.
As one guest was leaving (after we’d had several cups of coffee) he said, “You know, while we were toasting and reminiscing I had a hard time envisioning our current president effectively, or with a grin, saying even one of those comments.”
elissa (44984d) — 3/6/2011 @ 9:36 am________________________________________
There is a real humility about both of them
There is a sense of great decency and down-to-earth-ness about such people, which includes Reagan too. But I sometimes wonder how much of the appreciation or respect I have for them is also because I’m comfortable with their political philosophy. However, I think it truly goes beyond that.
I know when I’ve pondered the image and history of JFK and Bill Clinton, if I knew those people were truly honorable behind closed doors — or at least didn’t have such an overly pockmarked (way too pockmarked) background — I’d have a hard time discounting either their likeability or the appropriateness of the admiration they receive from their biggest supporters (ie, mainly people of the left).
Of course, there is Jimmy Carter, who apparently doesn’t have a lot of skeletons hanging in his closet. But his post-presidency flaw — or a sign of his no-class character — has been his big-mouth activism, including his public criticisms of his successors—or at least GW Bush.
By contrast, I appreciate Reagan and Bush I and Bush II (and, for that matter, Ford and, naturally, Nixon too) following correct etiquette and staying in the background after their presidencies, choosing not to flap their gums about the people who’ve followed them in the Oval Office.
Mark (411533) — 3/6/2011 @ 10:03 amI’m going to buy from Amazon through Patterico, thanks for reminding me of this cost-free way to support this blog.
However, I agree with Shearer that buying for your employer this way carries potential problems, even though there is no additional cost. For instance, it’s highly unlikely that my company, a newspaper, would approve of its money used for purchases in a way that even indirectly supports a politically oriented blog.
Bottom line: To protect yourself, find out the company’s policy first.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0a09eb) — 3/6/2011 @ 10:27 amThat makes sense, Bradley, I suppose. A lot more sense than James B. Shearer throwing in non-sequiturs about how it would be criminal if I were to send James B. Shearer back part of the cut. Which I ain’t gonna do.
I think this is debatable, since it’s Amazon sending me the money and not the company making the purchases. But I can see the argument, and had Shearer left it at that, I would not have gotten irritated. But instead he tossed in an absurd and totally irrelevant comment about how it could be a crime under circumstances that will never happen.
Patterico (c218bd) — 3/6/2011 @ 10:55 am“For instance, it’s highly unlikely that my company, a newspaper, would approve of its money used for purchases in a way that even indirectly supports a politically oriented blog.”
Bradley – I agree you should check company policy first. Unless somebody is using a company credit card, given no difference in cost, how would the company’s name even be associated with the purchase? It would not.
The employee is making a purchase in accordance with company policy and requesting reimbursement.
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/6/2011 @ 10:58 amI got the distinct sense that Mr. Shearer was making a personal dig and challenge rather than just genuinely questioning the ethic of Amazon purchases here. I don’t know if there is already history there w/him, but it certainly seemed that way to this reader.
Dana (9f3823) — 3/6/2011 @ 10:59 amIf a company had no policy I personally wouldn’t think too much about it; but if the company had a policy of preferred vendors, or you know you could get a discount for your company on a different site that would be different. But if one is going to buy from Amazon anyway, or pay the same price somewhere else anyway, I don’t see how it could be criminal. Maybe the boss would prefer you go through a different web site so someone else gets the money, but I don’t see that as a criminal issue.
In fact, we went around the table at least three times offering memorable one liner quotes from him, clinking, laughing, sipping, refilling, etc. – Comment by elissa
I liked his comment about communism working only in heaven where they don’t need it, and in hell, where they already have it.
Another/similar thing about Reagan was when he said, “Trust and verify”, you believed he was going to follow through on what he meant.
The main thing I have problems with about Reagan was Iran-Contra, as far as I understand it. I realize the Dem Congress was continuing to do despicable things (following on abandoning S. Vietnam), but I don’t know about purposefully going around Congress (whoever it was highest in the know).
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 3/6/2011 @ 11:12 amOn the matter of the private behavior of politicians and your own political beliefs. Hubert Humphrey was beloved by people who knew him well. My father-in-law was a Democrat and active in politics in California. He knew Humphrey well and confirmed this. Mondale was another who was probably a nice guy in private. It is significant, I think, that Mondale laughed harder than anyone else at the 1984 debate at Reagan’s quip about age. He had to sense that the quip had hurt him badly politically, but it didn’t seem to affect him manners and his appreciation of a joke. I suspect that, privately, he is a good man.
The modern Democrats, like Clinton and Obama seem to have little humanity and are associated with questionable behavior in private. Obama does not seem to have the sexual issues that Clinton had but his associates before the presidency are uniformly corrupt. His governing philosophy seems to be pure Daley. Clinton had a warm manner but it was probably faked. As the Hollywood producer once said, “The most important thing is sincerity. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.”
Mike K (8f3f19) — 3/6/2011 @ 11:17 amThat addresses a different issue than what I asked, which is that people use my site when they have already decided to purchase the item from Amazon.
Patterico (c218bd) — 3/6/2011 @ 11:31 amPatterico-
You are absolutely correct (not that I need to tell you that). I was making a point on when it would be reasonable for a concern to be raised, ala Mr. Shearer, and trying to emphasize that what you were asking was indeed not a problem. Sorry for the confusion.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 3/6/2011 @ 12:00 pmdaleyrocks
Unless somebody is using a company credit card, given no difference in cost, how would the company’s name even be associated with the purchase? It would not.
I can’t figure out how, but relying on not being discovered is dangerous practice. Just because I don’t know how it could be discovered doesn’t mean it can’t be. And it could easily be taken as evidence that I know the conduct is wrong.
My approach is to assume whatever I do will be discovered, possibly by unfriendly eyes. Far better to be out in the open.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0a09eb) — 3/6/2011 @ 12:07 pm“My approach is to assume whatever I do will be discovered, possibly by unfriendly eyes.”
Bradley – Much better not to spend money anywhere as an employee I suppose, because an establishment you patronize might make an embarrassing contribution or statement, whether you know about it or not. Much cleaner to let central purchasing handle everything.
Those veggie restaurants that contribute 5% to enviro causes – off my list going forward!
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/6/2011 @ 12:25 pm“I got the distinct sense that Mr. Shearer was making a personal dig and challenge rather than just genuinely questioning the ethic of Amazon purchases here.”
Dana – I got the distinct sense from looking at Mr. Shearer’s website that he is a chronic whiner and complainer and just not a very happy person.
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/6/2011 @ 12:27 pmIOW, a typical liberal.
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/6/2011 @ 12:28 pmwhatever happened to bumblef’s servitude initiatives where he was gonna make everyone do national service to their stupid loser broke dirty socialist country? M’chelle and the Pelosi had seemed particularly excited about this, and I can imagine Daddy Soros popped quite the chubby as well. Did it just not pass or did everyone say no thank you douchebag I have better things to do with my one God-given life or is it just nobody is reporting on it?
happyfeet (ab5779) — 3/6/2011 @ 12:42 pmHere is an example of what some were discussing above.
Obama was addressing a group and mentioned his joint visit to a FL school with Jeb Bush. Reportedly, when he mentioned that name there were booos and hisses from the audience.
“Aside from being the former governor of the state, Obama continued, “Jeb is best known as the brother of … ” — and here, Mr. Obama stopped for an elongated pause, before adding, “Marvin Bush.” The president went on, “Apparently the rest of the family also did some work back in Washington — back in the day.”
Slime.
elissa (44984d) — 3/6/2011 @ 12:53 pmhe has no class elissa it’s reflective of his being a former pothead whose daddy was a drunk what abandoned him and his mom being a welfare ho what also abandoned him to pork her way across the pacific and his grandma being a race-baiting white trash bigot
He never really had a chance it’s very sad
happyfeet (ab5779) — 3/6/2011 @ 12:57 pmSorry, meant to include the link in my previous comment above.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/us/politics/05obama.html
elissa (44984d) — 3/6/2011 @ 12:57 pmdaleyrocks,
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0a09eb) — 3/6/2011 @ 1:00 pmMuch cleaner to let central purchasing handle everything.
With company money, that’s a good idea. With my own money . . .
Bradley – If challenged, I will Sar-Box you into submission and it won’t be a pretty sight. Heh!
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/6/2011 @ 1:37 pmBecause I am sure he wrote this book…
funter (11507e) — 3/6/2011 @ 1:59 pmI will give him credit for surrounding himself with people who were smart enough to hire a ghost-writer who understands the rules of grammar.
funter (11507e) — 3/6/2011 @ 2:05 pmwhatever happened to bumblef’s servitude initiatives where he was gonna make everyone do national service to their stupid loser broke dirty socialist country? … – Comment by happyfeet
feets- Who do you think has been in occupation of the Wisconsin State Capitol??
Wait another year until all those college students have student loans with the feds. Do I hear “National Student Loan Payback Czar”? They first do
MD (from UW-Madison) in Philly (3d3f72) — 3/6/2011 @ 2:06 pmindoctrinationorientation in Chicago with Rahm.Bradley – If challenged, I will Sar-Box you into submission and it won’t be a pretty sight.
I haven’t the slightest doubt of that. You are a formidable opponent.
Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0a09eb) — 3/6/2011 @ 2:13 pmBradley – Heh. Thanks. Internal controls ain’t beanbag.
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/6/2011 @ 2:18 pm“I will give him credit for surrounding himself with people who were smart enough to hire a ghost-writer who understands the rules of grammar.”
funter – Better than Bill Ayers?
daleyrocks (ae76ce) — 3/6/2011 @ 2:20 pmThose fun-lovin’ republicans can’t get enough of the Bill Ayers references. I guess it is easiest to play to the xenophobic tendencies of your base than to discuss policy, especially for a simple fella like yourself.
funter (11507e) — 3/6/2011 @ 2:34 pmfunter, we say Bill Ayers and you say Koch brothers. Funny, those fun lovong xenophobic references, yah? Only the K brothers never killed anybody.
elissa (44984d) — 3/6/2011 @ 2:43 pmWell… now that you mention the Koch brothers… the pollution laws (or lack thereof) that they’ve been able to buy with politicians have killed many more people (with a tally still running) than Bill Ayers dreamed of.
funter (11507e) — 3/6/2011 @ 2:49 pmElissa
But it was sooo long ago….
EricPWJohnson (5cc53e) — 3/6/2011 @ 2:53 pmI’m sticking with the wives’ comments on their husbands. They have direct knowledge and experience and Mrs. Bush said/implied Pres. Bush was a handful to live with but there was no doubt about his intelligence. On the other hand, before Mrs. Obama was properly trained, she made it quite clear that obama was a stupid, incompetent, absentee husband/father with messy, smelly personal habits.
J (2946f2) — 3/6/2011 @ 2:58 pmI’ll take Pres. Bush, man who dearly loved my country, over obama who openly detests my country.
Despising Bill Ayers is a sign of “xenophobic tendencies”? Someone needs to stop using big words he doesn’t know the meaning of. No one doubts that Bill Ayers is an American citizen, even if he displays few of the traits typical of Americans.
Dr. Weevil (27cd84) — 3/6/2011 @ 2:59 pmand funter confesses th Bill Ayers killed people
astonishing
EricPWJohnson (5cc53e) — 3/6/2011 @ 3:07 pmfunter #119 …
Do you refer to the Indulgences imperially-clothed as “Carbon Credits” scam currently making Almost-yet-fortunately-not-quite-President Gore an even richer hypocrite ?
Do you refer to the corruption of so-called-science which prefers to generate energy through the burning of coal than through nuclear power generation, even though the burned coal in its millions of tons releases significantly *more* harmful radiation while being mined and then burned (in the form of radio-carbon and other radioactive elements and compounds which had been trapped in the coal seams) than the nuclear power industry does ?
Or do you refer to the Cult of Anthropogenic Warming Believers who prefer to have electricity generated by methods which release CO2 (that evil environment-destroying greenhouse gas) rather than by nuclear which generates negligible amounts of greenhouse gases (and most of those are during construction of the plants) ?
Or, while they (AGW Cultists) continue to ignore that much more prevalent and efficient greenhouse gas – dihydrogen monoxide – which, worldwide, kills an estimated 388K of people who come in contact with it, annually ?
Are those the polluters to whom you refer ?
Cuz the Koch brothers are *none* of those folk …
Alasdair (205079) — 3/6/2011 @ 3:27 pmInstapundit is a site with unabashed self promotion… something you should do if you want the $$$.
He’s always tossing out a link to “markdowns of patio furniture” etc
And I don’t mind it at all.
So when I wrote I’d split my spending, I was thinking about how I hit Amazon based on the ease clicking on something that interests me.
SteveG (cc5dc9) — 3/6/2011 @ 3:34 pmIf you can bring yourself to fit in links to what people like, you can build some sales.
I read nearly everything on the site, and it wouldn’t bother me if after every ten or so topics you threw in a link to fitness gear or whatever
“funter” eats boogerz.
JD (d4bbf1) — 3/6/2011 @ 4:25 pmObama was addressing a group and mentioned his joint visit to a FL school with Jeb Bush. Reportedly, when he mentioned that name there were booos and hisses from the audience.
“Aside from being the former governor of the state, Obama continued, “Jeb is best known as the brother of … ” — and here, Mr. Obama stopped for an elongated pause, before adding, “Marvin Bush.” The president went on, “Apparently the rest of the family also did some work back in Washington — back in the day.”
Slime.
Comment by elissa — 3/6/2011 @ 12:53 pm
And so he manages to lower the bar yet again for presidential classlessness. Didn’t think he could do it at this point, really.
His passive-aggressive venting of his spleen on those he thinks he can get away with it with is always remarkable to watch. If nothing else, you’d think he wouldn’t want to make himself look quite so bad.
no one you know (e7daa1) — 3/6/2011 @ 4:42 pmFunter is on the mark regardless of what you rightwing Neanderthal’s might insist with you revisionist histories. Even that esteemed Rethuglican has been outed. Yes, honest Abe wanted the blacks to relocate to central America. Liberals believe in true justice for the working man. At least Obama’s version of crony capitalism redistributes some of the money from the rich to needier union thugs. Tell me how many Nobel Peace prizes your Jooooo-loving neocons and compassionate conservatives possess? Look at true greatness and actual practical leadership as espoused by those glorious peace prize winners Jimmuh Carter, Algore and Obama. If Palestineans were really so bad and not persecuted endlessly by Zionists, why then did Arafish win a peace prize?
Calypso Louie Farrakhan (798aba) — 3/6/2011 @ 4:42 pmLooks like real Americans are more behind the unions in Wisconsin than union-busting, koch bros.-loving walker. At least the polls are saying that. You want the truth, then don’t listen to far-right wing Faux news. Trust the NY and LA Times, CNN, PBS, CBS, MSNBC and NPR for factual news and opinion. Or better yet, the BBC.
Cops and Firemen deserve decent pensions and respect from real Americans. These days a dollar doesn’t go as far and a poor Police Capt. in Hollywood, Fl. surely deserves his $700k lump sum and $120,000 annual pension at age 46. Also on an unrelated note we are very glad to see the Miami Heat throwing a bone to their actual fan base and using “El Heat” on their uniforms. jajaja.
Let’s hope we all start to get with the p3
The follower of the Cult of Candid Camera, smells too much, like iamadimwit, kman, or other troll droppings
meg whitman (bcb6cc) — 3/6/2011 @ 4:50 pmI read the book and thought it was interesting. I don’t think he was being too defensive about Osama Bin Laden..hell I think the man might well be dead no matter what we hear to the contrary. I am not sure enough he was in Tora Bora at the time to assume that anyone let him go..if he was alive and he was that easy to catch..it would have happened by now.
Terrye (7379d2) — 3/6/2011 @ 5:34 pm___________________________________________
— and here, Mr. Obama stopped for an elongated pause, before adding, “Marvin Bush.
If you hadn’t pointed out that article, and its very revealing quote — and unless it receives some public airing in the upcoming days on a prominent website (like Drudge) — I wouldn’t have been aware of it. It makes Obama look very obnoxious and scroungy — and ironically within the context of a supposed bipartisanship event (with his contrary, phony nature being pointed out by the NY Times, no less) — that if I didn’t know better I’d think it was exaggerated by his opponents.
I recall a bit of controversy back in 2008 when some claimed that Obama, at a public speech, used his fingers — in the guise of scratching his nose — to say “FU” to Hillary Clinton. At that time I thought such an assumption was reading too much into the guy’s idiosyncrasies. As skeptical and cynical as I was about the character of the guy at the time, I now suspect I wasn’t skeptical and cynical enough.
I recall George W Bush being asked not long ago by Oprah Winfrey what he thought of his successor. He had the good sense and class to pull back and purposefully avoid politicizing such a moment.
His successor in the White House really is a low life, which seems somehow fitting and appropriate during this era of “goddamn America.”
Mark (411533) — 3/6/2011 @ 5:53 pmMark– this why I get sort of irritated when I hear people say, “oh, I never read the NYT (or Newsweek, or the Dog Trainer, etc.) anymore because they’re just so awful and biased”. In truth, it’s exactly why we have to keep reading them. Their blindness to their own bias often (quite unwittingly) causes them to reveal important information which might otherwise go unreported. I imagine their reporter on the scene thought that Jeb/Marvin Bush line out of Obama was absolutely hilarious.
elissa (44984d) — 3/6/2011 @ 6:42 pm96
… I don’t know if there is already history there w/him, but it certainly seemed that way to this reader
There is history of a sort in that I don’t have anything in particular against Patterico but sometimes seem to be able to get on his nerves without really intending to.
James B. Shearer (706ecf) — 3/6/2011 @ 7:02 pmYes. shearer is unintentionally consistently a douchenozzle.
JD (d4bbf1) — 3/6/2011 @ 7:52 pm…sometimes seem to be able to get on his nerves without really intending to….
Um. Right. Thanks for explaining that
Simon Jester (4f2244) — 3/6/2011 @ 8:38 pmWasn’t aware it was possible for americans to be xenophobic about other americans.
We learn something new every day Funturd.
Tell me how many people did the Koch brothers kill compared to Bill Ayers?
DohBiden (984d23) — 3/6/2011 @ 8:42 pmRe: Marvin Bush
–As reported on the local paper (the Miami Herald), that was a joke, and laughed at by everyone in the room, including Jeb–the humor consisting mainly in substituting the name of the least famous brother for the expected name of the most famous brother (George W.).
The Herald, I might mention, made no mention of anyone booing anyone.
kishnevi (b40a74) — 3/6/2011 @ 8:52 pmI’m going to side with kishnevi on the joke.
Hell, even I chuckled when I read it.
Scott Jacobs (d027b8) — 3/7/2011 @ 12:55 amI bought some computer toner for my job last week, then a few other things for me, which was a fairly large amount. Hope that i’m doing this right.
G (58eb2b) — 3/7/2011 @ 6:59 am