Nomad

This Is disgusting, hundreds of Americans died over these non-existed WMDs, and now this asshole Is joking about It.

Video Is 4.79 MB
President jokes about WMD

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kutulu

I couldn't agree more. Totally tasteless.

pan6467

I hate Bush as much as anybody possibly can BUT from the video on the link I cannot say with open mind that I take offense to it.

It was edited to where you just saw him say "those WMD's gotta be somewhere" and laughter. Granted poor taste and probably shouldn't have been said but because of the way edited I have no idea what the context was to flame the man.

After all I am a vocal proponent for freedom of speech and Stern so it would be hypocrisy for me to say anything such as, "I suppose when you were a pilot in the guard Mr. President they taught you how to spot WMD's. But you may have missed that class." It would just not be wise for me to say that.

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Lebell

I won't say it was good or bad, but I will note that it was taken out of context, so I don't know what else he said.

I actually thought the accompanying picture was kind of funny.

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losthellhound

Stupid, very stupid.. Any politician should know that they can't make comments like that especially in an election year.. At the very least one of his staffers should have known better

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Sparhawk

Context is everything. Standing by itself, however - very tasteless.

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"In Iraq, no doubt about it, it's tough. It's hard work. It's incredibly hard. It's - and it's hard work. I understand how hard it is. I get the casualty reports every day. I see on the TV screens how hard it is. But it's necessary work. We're making progress. It is hard work."

kutulu

It was at a dinner where politicians and media figures make fun of themselves. Still, it was tasteless.

He also make comments about the "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" show. He said that it's Rummy's favorite show and that he wants them to makeover Rummy. With his stance of gay marriage, I don't find that humorous either.

Lebell

Wow,

Somebody needs a hug and a tickle!

__________________
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis

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Mojo_PeiPei

What is his stance on Gay Marriage Kutulu?

Also I don't think this was a stupid move. I mean you the Bush-hating left know that Rove and Cheney run the show, I don't think they'd let anything out that would jeopardize their chances at a 2nd term.

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Kadath

"I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, and I think we ought to codify that one way or another." -- George W. Bush

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Mojo_PeiPei

He calls to respect the people, just not the act.

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To win a war you must serve no master but your ambition.

Kadath

That's great. His stance is still against gay marriage.
I'm against conservative voting. I call to respect the people, just not the act.

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Dostoevsky

Some of us really need to chill out. Did any of you actually watch the dinner on TV. He was poking fun at himself, his staff, other politicians, etc. The whole thing was light hearted and rather funny in my opinion. I don't think he crossed the line into tastelessness. I guess if you hate Bush you will go balistic over anything though, right?

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Jizz-Fritter

I'm not voting for him, but I would invite him to my barbeque.

Stare At The Sun

I agree, I don't like Bush much, but in the situation it was just fine. People need to stop blowing things way out of proportion.

j8ear

Self deprication is usually a very endearing quality.

This is no exception.

-bear

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ChrisJericho

Yes, this was done at a humorous dinner. When I first saw this story I wasn't too concerned, and I'm anti-Bush. But then yes, I started thinking about how more than 500 Americans have died because of the faulty intelligence regarding the WOMD that "led" us into the war. This joke segment might have been done in good fun, but I do not think it was respectful to those who given their lives in this war.

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Kadath

I guess if you like him you will forgive most anything.

Look, I don't think it was smart of him. It's something else for the Democrats to show anger about; it's something that's shown up on every morning news show I've watched lately. I don't find it all that offensive. I just find him stupid.

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Averett

Exactly. Was it a joke segment? Sure. Was it a bit funny? Yeah. Was it extreemly distasteful? Of course.

If a Joe Schmoe comedian had made the same comments I wouldn't feel as strongly about it. But this is the Commander in Chief. He sent the troops to Iraq because he said that they had WMD's. Now he's joking that they have to be around here somewhere? Fuck off. Go over to Iraq and have a look yourself. 500 + men and women have died, and over 3,000 have been injured because Bush foolishly sent troops over to search for WMD's.

People are talking about context. The only context I see is that the President is making jokes about WMD's when HE commanded that our troops go over to look for them, getting hundreds killed. And now he's cracking jokes. Not Funny.

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djtestudo

I'm just suprised no one claimes he was wearing a shirt made in Burma during the dinner

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Averett

I'm not sure if this is what you are referring to, but the other night I saw that the Bush/Cheney campaign shirts are made in some foreign country. I can't remember which. Just interesting I guess.

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djtestudo

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"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
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Tomservo

djtestudo - I think you missed the point of the other thread... this wasn't some left wing lie, it was a flat-out fact, and one that Spalding apologized for. They pulled the shirts, and the story blew over.

As for the issue at hand- it was a joke, and it was completely inappropriate. Bush thought it was funny, but he's not in danger, and neither is anyone close to him. I find the assertion that the troops are over there *TO* search for WMDs hilarious, especially after noting the UN's stance all along was that there WERE NO WMDs, and our intelligence backs them up on that... but I don't find the fact that our guys and gals are still targets over the issue to be very funny.

djtestudo

From what I heard, the entire White House media corps, who are the reason the party is held every year, found it a pretty good joke.

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"Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen."
--Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

Sparhawk

From what I've read, *most* found it funny. I'd say they should be ashamed of themselves, but we all know they have no shame.

Also, it was the Radio/TV Correspondents Dinner. The White House Correspondents Dinner is 1 May (I had the same misconception myself).

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"In Iraq, no doubt about it, it's tough. It's hard work. It's incredibly hard. It's - and it's hard work. I understand how hard it is. I get the casualty reports every day. I see on the TV screens how hard it is. But it's necessary work. We're making progress. It is hard work."

Yakk

I'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

(note: I don't have family in Iraq. Do know aquantances.)

Assume, first, that he actually thought there where WMD in Iraq. Given reports of his leadership style, facts contrary to what he wants to believe could easily never have been brought before him.

He goes to Iraq, and they aren't there. This is one of the biggest mistakes of his carreer, argueably.

In this self-roast, he cannot find the WMD anywhere. Even when he looks under the couch, they aren't there. He failed. Taken this way, it is a bitter self condemnation.

(Bias: I am politically, and was politically, opposed to the Iraq war. Political spectrum wise, I'm far closer to democrats than republicans: I'm for individual freedom, governments that pay their way, some socialization of personal economic risk, against religion in government, and hold taxation to be less intrusive than killing people.)

If you take the alternative view, that Bush actually entered Iraq using WMD and 9-11 as flimsy excuses for a war he had intended to execute anyway, then this would be far more insulting. The WMD search would then represent a deception upon the American military and people, convincing them to fight and die for a lie.

However, I actually believe that Bush is more incompetent than evil. His business and personal life before being recruited to become Bush 2.0 is the basis of my theory...

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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.

guthmund

I just think this is disgusting any way you look at it.

Yeah, it's the correspondent's dinner; Yeah, it's meant to be self-depricating. However, to make light of such an enormously serious subject....He's the President of the United States!

He made the case to send troops to Iraq, He sent soldiers thousands of miles from their homes into hostile territory. He is ultimately responsible for the thousands wounded and hundreds dead and he makes a fucking joke about it? Cracks wise to get some cheap laughs from a bunch of shitsucking (and they are shitsucking, if they laughed....) reporters and journalists?

I'm sure "his little joke" is real funny to the families whose kids are being carted home in body bags. That's one thing Chris Matthews and I can agree on at least.

You can cry "CONTEXT!" all you want, but the fact of the matter is, it's him in the video and it's him in the picture that followed. Regardless of the "context" (and seriously, I don't know how it can be taken out of context) it was a distasteful joke to be made by anybody; it was incredibly distasteful for The President to make it.

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Lebell

An interesting observation:

It seems to me that those most offended by this

a) don't support Bush
b) don't support the war and hence
c) believe the only reason we were there was for WMD's


Now myself, I am upset that there was such a collosal intelligence blunder (on both Democrat and Republican watches, I'll add), but I also believe that it is a net positive that we are there and that in the long run this is a good thing.

I also add that I personally know people that are/have been in Iraq and Afghanistan, so the possibility of losing family is very real to me.

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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis

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ChrisJericho

Yes I came to that conclusion recently. I don't think he was trying to be insensitive with this joke, but the fact that he would actually say it shows that he lacks the ability to empathize with others. I think this is analogous to his desire to make a constitution amendment against gay marriages. It's not that he hates gay people, it's just that he cannot understand how someone who does not live his lifestyle would feel about having lesser rights than others.

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pocon1

I think Bush made a bad joke. It was in poor taste, and he is costing us lives and money in Iraq right now. Every day when we first got over there, I hoped we found wmd's. but after numerous intel reports after the fact came out stating that there was no solid proof of wmd's, I came to dislike him a lot.

Jizz-Fritter

I can completely see it both ways. I'm "confused".

mml

Because I am partisan and not a fan of President Bush, I initially found it offensive - a gut reaction. However, as I thought about it, and remembered the context of the situation (a dinner where presidents always make jokes, many a bit edgy) I began to soften my critisizm. Then I learned that Bush later took moments out of the program to make some very emotional and touching comments in regards to our soldiers abroad. Virtually everyone in the room(libs and cons and everything in between) said they were not offended and infact thought he hit the right tone between comedy and the reality of the situation.

So, I recommend you let this one slide, and vote John Kerry in November.

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