Steve Gilliard points us to an article wondering how Gee-Dubya is coping with the stress of turning everything he touches into great steaming piles of shite.
Bush-Watchers Wonder How He Copes With Stress
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: December 25, 2006WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 — President Bush marched into his year-end news conference last week with the usual zip in his step. As always, he professed little worry about his legacy or the polls. As always, he said the United States would win in Iraq. The nation might despair, but not Mr. Bush; his presidential armor seemed firmly intact.
Yet a longtime friend of Mr. Bush’s recently spotted a tiny crack in that armor. “He looked tired, for the first time, which I hadn’t seen before,” this friend said.
Mr. Bush has never been one for introspection, in public or in private. But the questions of how the president is coping, and whether his public pronouncements match what he feels as he searches for a new strategy in Iraq, have been much on the minds of Bush-watchers these days.
You know, the disconnect between what's actually going on and the way reporters write about it is starting to give me something akin to motion-sickness. It's like they're trying to subdue an angry alligator with a whiffle-ball bat. These words "never been one for introspection" are simply not the right tools for the job. How about, "The brain-dead sociopathic dickhead who is our President never thinks at all, never has, and appears to have no plans to begin doing so any time in the near future."
In fact, let's rewrite Ms Stolberg's first couple of paragraphs to more accurately reflect the situation on the ground in Washington:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 – President Bush swaggered into his year-end festival of condescension and obfuscation with his usual air of defiant arrogance. As always, he blew smoke up his own ass and compared himself to historical figures whose names he only knows because they were handed to him moments before he walked into the room. As always, he greased his pole for the crowd while displaying a breathtaking ignorance of world events and denied all responsibility for the catastrophic mistakes of his flawed and deeply ideological reign. His stupidity and moral vacuity continue to enable him to live in a virtual coma of denial.
Yet a hand-picked anonymous source (*cough* Peggy Noonan! *cough*) was sent to us to attempt to drum up a bit of sympathy for the Dickhead in Chief, "He looked tired, for the first time, which I hadn't seen before," Ms Noonan said.
Mr. Bush never thinks unless physically forced. But out here in Beltway Woof-Woof Land, we're wondering how much longer it will be before his painstakingly forged shell of ignorance cracks, and whether his current state of mind is the result of denial, delusion, or just plain old dumb-assedness.
Says Gilliard:
I was watching this White House Christmas special last night, and after a couple of minutes, I realized that people would have their Christmases killed by two guys in uniform showing up to tell them their kin was dead.
I became so agigated I had to change the channel.
Indeed. The people who are making the important decisions right now seem to feel no sense of urgency, no need for prompt action. We have arrived at an unprecedented state of affairs in US history. But you know, for the rich boy from Connecticut by way of Texas, it will all wait until after his bike ride and afternoon nap.
Can the president really believe, as he said on Wednesday, that “victory in Iraq is achievable,” when a bipartisan commission led by his own father’s secretary of state calls the situation there “grave and deteriorating?” Is he truly content to ignore public opinion and let “the long march of history,” as he calls it, pass judgment on him after he is gone? Does he lie awake at night, as President Lyndon B. Johnson did during the Vietnam War, fretting over his decisions?
Mr. Bush addressed the sleep issue in a recent interview with People magazine, saying, “I’m sleeping a lot better than people would assume.”
That's because you are thoroughly divorced from the consequences of your actions, Preznint American Psycho. You are living in a completely different world than the population of Planet Earth. Your advisors protect and coddle you, the media kowtows to you, and apparently, you are just stupid enough to believe your own hype.
God help us all.
*It should be noted that in no way do the proprietors of this site advocate violence in any form against the President, whether through the actions of a poorly masticated pretzel or otherwise. (Additionally, we do believe that the first pretzel who made an attempt on the President's life was in fact framed by a disgruntled Triscuit.) Thank you and have a nice day.
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zed?
Happy post-Festivus!
Ahaaaah, ’tis indeed Christmas! First zed!
On topic – the damning statement is first sentence, third para: “Mr. Bush has never been one for introspection, in public or in private.”
Therein lies the source of our woes.
Trex
Us dirty hippies would use the term “Get Real” but it has no meaning for those outside of consequences for their actions. Excellent post. Cannot wait till January.
Shouldn’t that be ‘from Connecticut by way of Texas’? [/nitpick]
They have no sense of urgency because no one they know is in Iraq (or at least, anyone they know who is in Iraq is inside the Green Zone). They also seem to think that they can avoid answering any subpoenas that come their way – do they have a friendly judge or two up a sleeve?
In fact, let’s rewrite Ms Stolberg’s first couple of paragraphs to more accurately reflect the situation on the ground
nicely done
Fitz!
Oops. Got it. Thanks.
Hopefully the Democrats are getting ready to serve Fredo a double Suckit on the rocks. Cheers!
Far be it for me to offer friendly criticism to a 60-foot theropod, but I’d lose the “give the pretzel another chance” line. Someone’s bound to use it to claim moral equivalence between left blogistan and the eliminationist wingnutosphere.
Besides, I’d hate to see Commander Codpiece pull a premature Pinochet and miss out on his day in the dock.
Goddesses bless us all.
(I read your posts all the time, TRex, I just don’t always have time to interact. You are wonderful.)
I have two close friends, each with a son in Iraq. During the day, I can push thoughts of my friends and their sons aside, with work and family… at night, I am sickened and sleepless. I cannot imagine how it feels to have a son over there, knowing that our President has no sense of urgency.
first rate writing. thank you. i needed that.
not sure what to make of this:
“He looked tired, for the first time, which I hadn’t seen before,” this friend said.
Well, if it was anything I said, I feel terrible. Awful, really.
Bush is having a pow-wow at Crawfish soon..
Cheney, Rice, and the new SECDEF will tell ‘em
to go balls up with 30,000… (I’m saying
40K)…
His madness is mad!
Viet Nam, all over with a hint of Cambodia…
The Dems must be ready to Impeach at the
first sight/site of January 3rd…
Jack
TRex,
I loved your re-write, I nominate you for chair #1 in the White House Pressers.
Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic:
Apple Canyon 2 @ 16
I second that nomination.
ralphbon @
10
I could do that, but it would require deleting this post and creating another, because if you look in the browser window, you will see that the title of this post has become the link to it. Even if I change the title in the top line, it will stay the same link name.
I can do it, but we’ll lose all these comments so far.
Your thoughts, oh hive mind?
Pat whats-his-name is filling for for Tucker with a couple nitwits on msnbc…
all of ‘em – a bunch of creepy concern trolls…
The impression here is that one way or another, I will be fighting the Bush family and it’s remnants for the rest of my life. These people and their ideas are insidious. Regardless of what happens between today and election day 2008. A structural and ideological shift in the U.S. are the only things which will save us from the Bush’s and their sympathizers. I’m in for the long haul. These operators will always be operating.
TRex @ 18
even as one of the resident persnicketies on said subject, the title didn’t set off any alarm bells for me
I defer to the hive (and loved the post otherwise).
ralphbon @ 23
Here, I have an idea. I am going to append a bit of an explanation and note that in no way do we advocate violence against the President.
this corner of the hive sez current title works for me … but it’s very cool that you asked!
CNN anchor just asked pundit party “so is this just the same old rhetoric from Pres Bush?”
Good to see you in daylight, TRex.
Bush is friggin crackers, batshit crazy, and that scares me. Let’s tie him up with everything we’ve got for the next two years.
I keep thinking about the fleet already in the Persian Gulf and more steaming that way. The American press seems to trust that we aren’t going into Iran…as if the last five years never happened. And now Bush can point to the UN sanctions: “not our decision, just backing the UN” bullshit.
If any further indication that we are going into Iran, even for some smart bomb shock and awe, we need to be ready to throw everything we’ve got at the WH. Everything. Does our new Congress have the nerve?
OK, I’ve reinterpreted the title to mean “give the pretzel a chance to reacquaint pResident B with an appreciation for the tenuousness of life and the wisdom of Dr. Heimlich.” All is well in my fevered mind again.
(Do you suppose pretzel-boarding figures among the classified Gitmo interrogation techniques?)
seems to me a “pretzel” in not violence from others but something you do to yourself, eh?
Even if I didn’t get a copy of Imperial Life in the Emerald City, I still don’t think I would have sympathy for the man. All Chimpy’s ticks and freaks and increasingly less athletic look. Never mind the “Lion in Winter” comments of breathless O’Bierne like commentators. It all leaves me so cold. Iraq is a dark void where hell on earth was unleashed thanks to the likes of Wolfowitz, Bremen and Chimpy. 600,000 plus are now dead.
Pretzel violence. As if a pretzel can willfully act violence on anyone.
Today’s Jeopardy: our contestants today are the president of the United States, and a pretzel. Who will win this contest of intellect?
AAAAAAAAHHHH!! It burns!! It BURNS!!
this morning I was reading someone’s link to Larry Johnson’s article on us seizing the Iranian diplomats in Iraq. My first thought was, “that nitwit is playing checkers when the rest of the world is playing chess”, but of course, the more I thought about it, the more obvious it becomes that he is trying to irritate, aggravate and PUSH Iran as hard as he can so they will start something, anything…
and I’ve been the person who, for the last year, has kept saying keep your shorts on – we aren’t going into Iran yet… that has really started to change for me now…
Dang, TRex, that’s some mighty fine writin’.
I just wish the MSM would publish your rewrite verbatim. Because it’s accurate and real.
OldCoastie @ 32
I couldn’t agree more. The NYT article is worth a read if you missed it.
T-Rex,
I’m usually in bed when you roam the night
streets of FDL.
I read you in the morn, and must say
you are a damn good writer… I think you gotsa
book in you…
Jack
OldCoastie, I’ve long believed that Bush is the type of creature who would burn down your house just so the smoke would blind you to the fact that he’s stealing all your valuables.
Stellar caveat, Trex! I’ve always doubted the magic-nugget theory and suspected the presence of a second snack food.
Bush is more like a kitten in autumn: he doesn’t have anything like the presence of a lion, and he isn’t nearly enough along in any way to be ‘in winter’.
Anyway, I doubt that Jenna and not-Jenna will be fighting to take over his position anytime soon.
Don’t get the violent pretzel point but I love watching TRex pour rock salt on the wound. Rock and roll TRex.
OldCoastie @ 32
OMG, could that be it? It will be the way out of Iraq (i.e., “Need to shift troops”) and look a hero again while keeping his profits growing? That avoids admitting failure and redirects attention elsewhere…ARGH!
Pachacutec @ 2
OT – Pach – I heard back from the Hutchinson News reporter today on where to send donations to help the meatpackers. Here it is:
I spoke to a spokesman for St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Dumas,
>Texas, which is helping spearhead efforts to help the people there. He gave
>me an address for donations of 900 Bruce; Dumas, TX 79029. We usually only
>print bank accounts that people can donate to, after verifying with the bank
>that the funds are indeed for the purposed stated. Good luck, Regards, Tim
>
>Tim Vandenack
>
>Reporter
>
>Hutchinson News
P J Evans @ 38
Kittens are way cooler. Lion implies royalty. How about a like a hot steaming turd in midsommer heat.
Talk to your systems administrator — there is more than likely a way to make the changes to the database, including the stuff you can’t change through the interface.
Today’s LA Times has an interesting AP article that says Iran is blowing their oil economy and is in danger of ending up an importer.
And so on. Including this little thought:
Truth be told, I don’t mind the lack of introspection. Methinks an inward-looker, who thinks only of him/herself, might not be the best occupant of the Oval. What our current pResident lacks, I fear, is extrospection, if there’s such a word: any empathy or recognition of the effect of his actions on OTHERS.
Add in the sycophants and their cumulative effect on His personality, and I do wonder if earthlings will survive this sociopath’s service to His Nation and its Owners.
PS
Give all the Bushes pretzels for Boxing Day! Especially the old battleaxe who spawed this brood we daily suffer under. (NSA minders — metaphor, simile, satire, free speech, etc, etc, etc.)
…oh, and OfT:
Troops
Home
NOW
SusanD @ 35
that sounds about right.
Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to become cannon fodder.
Yeah, I had waaaay too many of the preznit’s “pretzels” last night and I am so hung over.
Great piece, and daylight becomes you. :)
PNWster @ 39
no, I don’t think so – if Iran wants to retaliate for a U.S. strike, they have plenty enough power to just run in and massacre our troops in Iraq… it’ll be a total slaughter…
Dubbya’s basically a not-quite-passed-out Hitchens. The accent is different and so is the vocabulary but they’re equally arrogant and stupid.
And now I have about an hour to write my next post. I swear, I don’t know how Jane and Christy do it.
Any requests?
If this Bush ends forever the electability of anyone from the Bush family he will have at least one positive accomplishment. If he marks the return of the Republican Party to minority status, he will have a second, providing that return is very long lasting.
Great writing, TRex. I love the rewrite of the Stolberg piece.
All of Bush’s posturing and faux macho swaggering is for one purpose. And that is to conceal from the world his true self. A weak, effeminate, unskilled, frightened, ignorant fool. He knows this to be true, and he fears other’s realization of it.
So he steps onto the world stage with puffed chest and inflated codpiece and movie lines like “bring it on!”. And he fools 30% of America. And the rest of us stand by in horror as this fleshy bag of nothing is allowed free rein in bringing destruction everywhere he looks. He is a festering infection in the heart of our nation.
Great post TRex …am enjoying reading your wit and wisdom from beautiful Eden!
In all fairness to the media, the fact that Bush is a brain-dead asshole isn’t really a scoop. You’re never going to make a name for yourself as a journalist if all you do is report what everybody already knows.
ncnygirl @ 55
This is only the second Christmas of my life that I haven’t been in Eden.
Sigh.
I miss my grandmother so bad sometimes.
He’s a lyin’ in Winter.
And Spring.
And Summer.
And Autumn.
T-Rex!
We re finally on the same thread at he same time!
How is Ned the Fighting Koi? I have sucha crush on him. *g*
marksb @ 26
I keep waiting for the “Persian Gulf Incident” to occur–some contrived excuse fot the U.S. to attack Iran.
Should we attack Iran,and my best guess @ this time is we will,we will all get to see what the inside of a “greater”depression looks like.I am of the mind that this will be the true legacy of bush…destuction of the world economy.
uh-huh… same fear here…
snuffy @ 61
Attack Iran? With what army?
If they don’t we’d better get behind them and push.
John Edwards on Hardball is nailing the preznit on Iraq.
I’ve said a few prayers asking that Iran not be attacked. (Polite requests that extreme stupidity be avoided in some way!)
TRex, the press is looking pretty like a pretty fat target these days. Everything but everything in the WH and GOP is going down the shithole and we get stories about GW’s sleeping habits. And so on. Big fat target.
I think the number of war dead passed the number of 9/11 dead today. So I heard. Yet on the news it’s all about the hanging. Bah!
marksb @ 44
My intuition tells me Stern is total bullshit.
All it takes to do the dirty work in Iran is a air force….20 or 30 pilots,and tac nucs…what you say the information that they got from the Irainian diplomats is used as a pretence for hammering Iran?how good of forgries do they need to make of farsi?
I really don’t know how any of you can manage to look at his pressers. I simply have to change the channel or even the radio station if he’s on. The mere sound of his voice sends me into such a temper I’m not fit to be around. I salute those of you who go down into the shit-filled trenches for those of us who can’t.
Marion in Savannah @ 70
same here…I cant stand the sound of his voice
snuffy @ 69
Lookie here
Frank Probst @ 63
That’s Ahmadinejad’s line…
You and what army?
contd @68 especially with China and Japan biting each others’ heals to be Iran’s no 1 business partner.
Gilliard:
The next -gate, perhaps? Agi-gate?
Where one becomes so agigated, one twists up in his/her own pretzel logic?
Stearns story just made CNN.
beware the disgruntled Triscuits
If I recall right,a wing is 40 aircraft…add that to whats there,and a few doz.from Israil{sp} and we got enough to smash Iran back to the 19th century
and as soon as they knock out every oil terminal,pipeline,and node in the middle east,the usa goes straight to the world of “the postman”
TRex @ 51
http://www.waronterrortheboardgame.com/thegame/
Far enough along in the tread for me to ask, what or where does the pretzel reference originate? Perhaps it’s an east coast saying, it’s new to me.
I had the same conversation with a wingnut friend last week. He had never heard this meme before. Go figger! Dumbass is a quart of ice cream short of a crack-up. Combine that with a desperate need to look presidential, some prodding from yahweh, and you have a real dangerous situation. With no adult supervision.
Eureka Springs, AR @ 80
The dumbshit choked on a pretzel and fell down, giving him a shiner.
Eureka Springs, AR @ 80
Some time back, Bush passed out while watching TV, supposedly because a pretzel he was eating became lodged in his throat.
Eureka Springs, AR @ 80
Masticato5r-In-Cheif in his own words
http://archives.cnn.com/2002/A……fainting/
I just cringe every time it is mentioned that the clownmander in chief is “from” Texas.
Honest FDLers, most of us here in Texas are not responsible for this nitwit. Unfortunately, in Texas we suffer from the finest government money can buy and that includes governor “good hair” Perry. On an even sadder note we lost our Air America affiliate in Dallas last year, that just made a bad year that much worse.
Help us if you can!!!!
Site Admin
FWIW I am still unable to correct my heinous typos in IE7
(Doctor says: Dont move your arm like that)
I blame the Wheat Thins. Never did trust that Sandy Duncan, what with the glass eye and all.
I know I shouldn’t but *laughing*. Thanks all.
Eureka Springs, AR @ 88
It beats crying….
more pretzels please.
Twisted Martini @ 86
no risk of W choking on popcorn in 2007
How about a pretzel only diet plan at the Hague!
Eureka Springs, AR @ 91
As long as they are stale
We have a saying, one of many actually, that this guy (shrubby) could F up an anvil with a toothpick
It’s okay Mr Pres, free beer..)
Bush a Texan? NOT @ 91
stale the coarse.
speaking of Carville-hive-rates…
Whats really funny and a not well kept secret is the the prop (ranch)(I see the hat but where’s the beef?) was a hog farm before his daddy’s friends bought it for him. another not well kept secret is he’s afraid of horses. finally you ever notice that all he does there is “clear” brush? He’s only programmed to destroy.
George Bush is in no way protecting ‘his’ country. He is now in full protect himself mode. Just like Nixon did so many years ago.
edwards is coming across quite well on Hardball, imo.
Next up – *Elizabeth* Edwards.
I wanna see Kucinich (has he announced?)
Bush a Texan? NOT @ 93
My favorite;
He could tear up a brass ball with a rubber mallet.
“A pretzel a day could save us someday”
FWIW, a DKos diary. not sure where opednews.con fits on the credibilty spectrum.
Bush is no more a Texan than I am. He’s a rich, delusional, hobby-horse cowboy freak, spoiled little brat, who has killed a lot of people and belongs in juvenile hall. But he does carry a large nuclear powered gun.
Back. Ran off to write the next post. It should be posting in about ten minutes.
Hi TRex, we need more reporters like you. Great stuff!
How about a little speculation into this?
And, how is little Evan doing? I think of him all the time.
Pity that highly-paid “Bush watchers” have sensibilities too rarified to see that he is “coping” by not giving a damn, just as he always has. Idiots.
bookwoman @ 104
sigh…never mind…
Might that be caca door? as in shithouse door?
Oh, Punaise @ 106
I get the chills just thinkin’ of the possibilites. Plus, old Holier than Thou Joe got caught with pants down (again) taking money from the WWE:
http://drinkliberal.blogspot.c…..rning.html
My cup could runneth over soon.
Jaysus! A faith based Dem strategist with clients.
bookwoman @ 109
I jumped the gun. Both of Delaware’s current Senators are dems: Carper and Biden. Now please excuse me while I try to extract this foot from my mouth.
Punaise @ 111
At any rate…Lieberman is digging a perpetual ditch for himself. (I goofed, too, about the senate possiblities…hoof in mouth disease is rampant, I guess)
Eureka Springs, AR @ 110
Gag me. And not just for the obvious reasons. Once again we have a whole bunch of folks trying to make a generalization based on far too few data points. Thanks to this consultant’s being so photogenic, I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more about this.
I’m actually stunned that we sit in very much the same place as your avg Soviet citizen circa say 1981. Trying to see what does this article mean or how this plays to the Politburo, etc.
Russian Tea Leaves.
or
Three Card Moscow
or
Red Roullette
Stop chewin’ on that pretzel, pardner. There’s a new thread in town.
He’s such an idiot. Which is why this card, cheerful, seasonal and festive — and accurately portraying our not-so-esteemed president as a village idiot, with bells on — is my favorite holiday card. Three years old, and more relevant than ever.
bush has spent his entire life turning everything he touches into steaming piles of shite – it is the ONLY thing he is good at and qualified to do. It is the ONLY condition – creating and sitting in steaming piles of shite – that he is comfortable with – it is his comfort zone. Today’s bush-empowered steaming piles of shite were the ONLY thing that ever could have resulted from bush as POTUS.
bookwoman @
109
Firedoglake’s rabid readers must be desperate for anything to read if they are reading my silly rant’n’ravings. I come here to learn… not to be more confusled. lol jk
And yes… Joe “drops his pants” and gets a spanking all over the CT Blogosphere today! AGAIN.
How about this thought. We keep talking to each other. It is nice to know that You have support in the wilderness.
A more effective way is to write to Your Senator. I know, they think those who write them are a pest to be delt with.
What works best is to be short and to the point. (as I will try to be). ,State the issue/why you for/against an issue.
Then just send all Your cash to K street,in name of Your former Gov. or Sen., or what the hell a congress person.
Mack @ 86
Mack, I couldn’t correct either until some kind soul here told me to download Firefox. Firefox is free, it’s great, and you can edit up a storm. Go thou, and do likewise!
bookwoman @ 109
Well, it’s ghastly but you do have to admire the choreography… The truly creepy thing is that there are people (a lot of them live down here) who think this crap is “real.”
I think George Bush handles the stress quite easily: he doesn’t care what the great unwashed think. He and his circle of friends think everything is going fine. And as far as they care it is all going fine. Their only issue is that enough dirty hippies are being heard that it seems that the gravy train might start running a little slower and a little lighter than normal.
In their mind they’re getting what America owes them and they have no notion that their actions might actually harm America. Sure, America’s been around for ages, how could it be harmed?
The full story of that pretzel incident never saw the light of day. The news accounts were plainly unbelievable.
My theory: The president was alone in the den, watching a football game with his two dogs. The sight of all those tight rear ends and muscular padded shoulders got the president aroused and he began fucking the dogs. In an effort to heighten the intensity of his climax, the president attempted auto-erotic asphyxiation by jamming a pretzel down his throat (and note that we were never told whether the pretzel was the loopy kind or one of those big, hard pretzel rods, know what I’m saying?) and blacked out.
Either that or Jeff Gannon was involved. Didn’t that picture of Bush with the shiner have “rough trade” written all over it?