We here at The Lake have just received word that President Potemkin is making his way to Blacksburg, Virginia tomorrow to stage a photo-op attempt to address the topic of the tragedy that befell us as a nation earlier today in the senseless slaughter of students and faculty at Virginia Tech University. Not to be unduly cynical (Us, cynical? Never! Perish the thought!), but we put our heads together in the comment section of the previous thread and made a list of our predictions for tomorrow's press conference in Blacksburg.
Given that spokesperson Dana Perino couldn't even wait for the bodies to cool to rush up and plant a big wet tongue-kiss on the NRA ("The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed."), we're thinking that the Number One Thing we can absolutely count on tomorrow from Teh Preznint is:
1. An assertion that if everyone in the building had been armed, this never would have happened.
We also suspect that:
2. He will gather students from the ROTC to use as props. Failing that, he will scare up some veterans, a arrangement of Marines, or a lovely bouquet of family members of soldiers killed in action.
3. There will be at least one comparison of what happened today in Virginia to the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
4. He will take at least one breathtakingly nasty dig at Democrats for "not funding the troops".
5. Within the same breath as his dig at Democrats, he will urge the nation to "come together" and eschew "partisanship", accusing "some" of attempting to "politicize this tragedy".
6. He will use the phrase "in a time of war" at least twice.
7. He will take no questions.
Evil Dr. Puma says:
Oh, I’ll shoot for the obvious. Bush will be in Blacksburg for a grand total of two hours, but the faculty and student body will be harassed by his security goons for at least two hours before and after.
He’ll spend most of his time doing staged shots at the scenes of the shootings, which his goons will make possible by disrupting the lives of everybody who had their lives so hideously disrupted today.
Naturally, he will invoke 9/11…most likely to compare the way “Murkins came together when confronted with terrible evil.”
He will use the words “evil” or “evildoer” repeatedly, and he will smirk when he says them.
Everybody involved will hate him for his ham-handed self-promotion and his security apparatus, but the media will only show the staged footage.
And finally from Eureka Springs:
God has a plan for all of us.
We are grieving over here so we don’t have to think about grieving over there.
He will also speak with his mouth full.
Will ignore his wife.
Will double his dose of valium.
Will nudge someone out of the best camera angle.
Will make fun of the wrong person at the wrong time. (this could happen several times)
Will leave as soon as humanly possible.
I'm in for fifty bucks. Anybody want to handicap these odds?
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i stopped reading comments on this shooting thing and went for a walk. nothing else seems appropriate.
GW Bush, 4/16/07: Ich bin eine Hokie.
OK, Ill venture one prediction: repeating the highlight of his visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Preznit will find time for a work-out at the campus gym.
punaise @ 3
Oh how gross!
Yes, this will happen.
punaise @ 3
And, of course, his security goons will clear out the entire gym while he does it.
There will be a bullhorn, and rubble will be trucked in and carefully lit.
Wow, ES and EDP both make the front page.
In addition, he will at least once smirk inappropriately after mentioning something awful.
No, Bush will tell us that “God works in mysterious ways” — one of which is serial murder.
Here’s my prediction for his speech:
“My fellow ‘Merikins. This is a very tragic event that has befallen here. I have thought long and hard about why these terrible shootings keep on happening to our schools. And I believe the answer is education. That’s right – education. If we close down the schools (except, of course, the Bible-centered ones, because God will protect them) then we will not have any more school shootings. We have to stop the school killings before they start. This means no more schools. To tell you the truth, I never did like school myself (except for the fraternities!). So, effective today, all secular schools will be closed. Instead, all former students will be required to watch 8 hours a day of Fox News. That way, they’ll learn what’s important. God bless America.”
Suzanne @ 7
That’s ESP for short.
He will casually demean his wife…who, by the way, will be wearing her usual Smilex rictus.
EvilDrPuma @ 5
clear the rowing machines! (enforcing the old Gym Crew laws)
EvilDrPuma @ 12
The wife has all the good meds. (and never gets searched at the airport)
Y’all are just scary. And, no doubt, will have an 80% overlap with the actual speech. 90% if you keep generating ideas all night.
Eureka Springs @ 14
That may be why they both travel on Air Force 1
He will insist that Air Force One land first even though Gov. Keane’s plane is almost on the ground, leading to an embarassing runway elbowing incident.
Redshift @ 8
I’ll place money on the inappropriate joke being something linked to a Turkey (Hokie) Shoot.
IF he takes questions, his astronaut diaper will make him waddle away from the podium.
What no one has mentioned yet is that he will blame Michael Moore. “That ‘Golfin’ for Columbia’ movie he made got everbody riled up.”
hehe.. listening to NBC now… apparently shrub was in a “private lunch” at the time he was first advised of the shootings. Of course, “it took him a while to realize the magnitude…” ..too bad, no “goat footage”
With whom was he in a private lunch?
Tweety will gush about how manly our preznit was, striding onto the stage in this time of tragedy.
I’m already sick of the story.
He’ll find an opportunity to rub the top of at least one African-American faculty member’s head. (God help him, ’cause I’d be straight out the door at that point.)
Not to make light of what happened today by any means whatsoever, 32 people dying in Iraq is a slow day.
TREX — you get this from the last thread?
TexasBetsy @ 15
Basic observation skills, TexasBetsy. Granted, i stopped watching him on tv several years ago. His voice irritates me beyond all reason. I used to listen to the stuff to mock it, but it’s just gone on too long for me to withstand his voice. It rings all sorts of alarms in me, instinctively. There are bad speakers with empathy and then there are bad speakers with no empathy and no emotion. Bush is the latter and it’s all in his vocal tone.
I’ll leave the predictions to those more used to the visual tricks. *grins* It’s fun to watch.
Blub @ 21
he was with Abu, his goat-to guy.
EvilDrPuma @ 23
EDP, bonus points if it is a bald head
TexasBetsy @ 26
They have the right to drive, too, but there’s usually a test involved.
Interesting all the questions that the CNN news team is rattling off that they want to ask the police that handled that first shooting at V.Tech. Contrast that with the fact that they haven’t asked Pete Domenici or Heather Wilson one question about the Iglesias firing……. and so it goes.
Suzanne @ 29
Captain Sisko? I can’t picture him having anything to do with Bush.
Patrick 4/4 @ 30
DING!
I predict this outing could be be Karl Rove’s last advance.
Wrong place, very wrong time, very great hurt and rage.
oops – I forgot – that’s Karl’s idea of paradise.
punaise @ 28
Makes you wanna look under the table and count cloven hooves, doesn’t it?
Patrick 4/4 @ 30
That was my prediction and not my philosophy.
I’m sorry, but who gives a fuck what he says? I can’t even stand to look at this failure anymore, much less listen to anything he has to TRY to say.
tbsa @ 25
How true…and Dafur. And, let’s not forget that hundreds die everyday in Africa from hunger.
He’ll stack up Mandarin and Urdu books and put ‘Murican stickers over them, to show that we only teach people how to talk right in this country.
Steambomb @ 31
Have they ever asked Giuliani why he put the emergency response office in WTC?
TexasBetsy @ 36
Mine, too. He’ll be talking about the way his wife goes after ex-boyfriends.
TexasBetsy @ 40
Just in case his wife walked in?
TexasBetsy @ 40
Port Authority couldn’t lease the space commercially. I’m serious.
zig alert!
Suzanne @
22
I still haven’t gotten “Tweety picturing Fitz as an Irish virgin” out of my mind …
He’ll tie respect for life to his take on the abortion issue, and stem cells, too, if he can.
Please remember to think of the margins. Using the Quote This Comment button when there are already quoted comments within can and will bust the margins.
Yo! Homies!
I didn’t call this miserable excuse for a human being President Death back in 2005 ’cause I hate the foul scumbag.
Nope I called him that because that’s what he is and many, many Americans have now seen the face of evil all this while and sadly they will be looking upon it again tomorrow in Blacksberg.
Take a good long look and then let’s come together and drive this evil from our fair land.
I’m an American. I bust margins.
Patrick 4/4 @ 30
I once worked with, um, shall we say, a member of the extreme gun fringe (the guy’s roommate said, “he left an AK-47 leaning up against the silverware drawer for three weeks–I ate with my fingers a lot then”), and he was going on and on about how many people killed other people in cars.
What else could I say? “How many times have you seen someone pull a `53 Studebaker out of their pocket and rob a convenience store with it?”
Suzanne @ 47
Won’t somebody think of the margins?!?!
Sorry. I’m getting punchy.
That’s enough for me. Will see you fine people tomorrow.
Any chance that all of you are wrong and he just says appropriate things and acts in appropriately presidential ways?
Good Night from Betsy the Optimist!
Patrick 4/4 @ 30
That there is in my state.
Steambomb @ 31
It’s a conspiracy. No other excuse, period.
Bill Clinton said, to generally good effect, “I feel your pain.”
to Bush I say: “I peel your feign.”
Fine.
Please be kind to the margins.
That better, EDP?
TexasBetsy @ 52
No.
This has been another edition of simple answers to simple questions.
TexasBetsy @ 52
Not a chance in hell. G’night!
punaise @ 55
“I reel and feint.”
Bush will say something about “people who hate our freedoms.”
What’s the substitute for a codpiece tomorrow?
OMG… Will they have a 21 gun salute of some sort…tomorrow.
The words comfort, mourn, and weep …Words that George learned to despise at his mother’s knee, will be used conspicuously.
EvilDrPuma @ 58
Agreed, the stupid bastard can’t pass up the opportunity. He’s just not capable of acting human.
Patrick 4/4 @ 49
You have trouble with belt holes too?
Let’s hope he doesn’t bring up that talking point of fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here.
Eureka Springs @ 61
Unless all of the victims were in the military or police force, I think that would count as inappropriate.
montag @ 50
dodge the Magnum
TexasBetsy @ 52
Oh, Betsy, you sweet thing. You’re thinking of how President Obama or President Edwards would handle it. We have another couple of years to go before we can even imagine a President who handles things intelligently and appropriately.
God. Can you imagine? A smart president.
I can dream, right?!
LJ/Aquaria @ 65
From Eureka Springs:
We are grieving over here so we don’t have to think about grieving over there.
g’nite Lake…
…sleep well (as one can) tonight….
And let’s hope Cheney doesn’t get up there. I don’t think he could resist that “throes” word.
punaise @ 67
Or, the Colt.
Well, folks, it’s been real, and it’s been fun, but I can’t say it’s been real fun. Not with this tragedy unfolding.
See ya tomorrow.
I’m sorry the First Lady couldn’t join us this morning on this beautiful campus and she asked me to give you her condolences. Uncle Karl sez he needs Laura to help him find his missing emails before that mean old liberal Leahy fellow orders subpoenas duces tea combs or something like that to keep harming our troops.
I told Laura uncle Dick had already taken care of the turd blossom when he carted all the hot RNC computers off to the undergroud bunker connecting Don’s place with Dick’s there in the sand dunes for the Blackwater geek squad fix them hard drives Ben Laden’s terriorists planted in yer commander ‘n chiefs west wing.
See kids, the terrorists are everywhere as you learned with the brutal shooter on Monday. God Bless and pass the ammunition.
LJ/Aquaria @ 71
Cheney has been stashed at an undisclosed location until further notice. Rumors were he wanted to tag along with bush to quail hunt.
LJ/Aquaria @ 71
Speaking about the dark lord, anybody else catch that amazing presser today where somebody quizzed him about why he hasn’t bothered calling his friend scooter yet, to express his condolences, and he replied he just hasn’t had the occasion to do so? “Decent human” = double oxymoron
Clusterfuck says:
“Thank God these people got shot- I’m gonna get a second chance at New Orleans- Now here’s what I will do- go right on down there- pray all over the place- promise ta help in any way possible- send in FEMA- and then give em each a pile of money and a fuckin mobile home–yeah- that’s the ticket!”
He will refer to the slain students as “nappy-headed Hokies.”
tbsa @ 69
He may not say it…but he is sleeping soundly right now because he knows it to be true and will be thankful, at least politically, for it tomorrow.
“Ah’m real sorry `bout all this killin’ and stuff, and Ah been praying `bout it. Now, here’s Wayne LaPierre to say a few words.”
Eureka Springs @ 79
Sadly, yes.
How many times will he say “terrorist” and “right to bear arms”?
I think we’ve exhausted most of the possibilities of the talking points he’ll mumble. How about how many times he’ll say terra? And ‘Murkan?
I go with 8 of the former, and 17 of the latter.
Hm… Might be low-balling it there. How long will he attempt to speak?
He’s thinkin about raisin em from the dead.
rwcole @ 82
16 and 4, respectively.
“… wurds escape me at this time, so I ask my homeboy, Al Sharpton, to bring it on home …”
W will confuse the Virgina shootings with the Texas A&M bonfire tragedy
Suppose GWB goes to WVTech tomorrow to speak and nobody shows up to hear him. Then it wouldn’t matter what he says. Isn’t the day when he is ignored altogether approaching?
Steambomb @ 64
Like any good American, I depend on my God-given waistline to hold up my pants.
It will be interesting to see if he tries to use this as a recruiting stop.
“As long as I am president ahm gonna make sure that the american people have enough guns ta keep this kinda shit from happening.”
punaise @ 87
And they wonder why we make Aggie jokes down here… Okay, so that’s a little tasteless.
I wonder what obscure bit of trivia Bush will throw into his speech about VT? Ever notice that he always mentions some weird achievement thingie? Did something beneficial to the GOP happen there? One of their icons attend there? Gotta be something!
punaise @
87
He prolly thought “A student shooting up the school” meant someone was distributing drugs the way Dumbya did at Yale.
I already heard #1 suggested by the local chapter of the NRA on MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann…
He’s gonna try to love ‘em. It’s hard work, all that lovin’.
rwcole @ 90
It’s all the evildoers fault.
I’m sorry, but I don’t want to play this game, TRex.
Just back from playing a concert with three bands – mine from Mat-Su College, a HS band from the local Town, and the UAA Wind Ensemble. Two college bands.
We briefly talked beforehand about mentioning the VATech tragedy. I pointed out that if we brought it up, we should mention that this happens every day in Iraq and that none of us had thought to dedicate a piece or concert to the Iraqi students massacred along with their profs on a monthly basis over there. End of discussion.
Whatever Bush says will be more evil slime spewing from the most despicable American in our history, bar none.
suspendered animation
Petrocelli @ 92
And, right afterwards, “good thing I was a C student.”
Petrocelli @ 92
He probably thought it was an ‘A’ student shooting up the school, which is why he’s proud of his “C”.
Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll say that this type of thing wouldn’t happen if all these young folk would only do their patriotic duty and enlist in his wars instead of wasting their time with higher education… well, at least that subset of young folk in the audience who aren’t the scions of rethug campaign contributors.
I hear there are some fine bike trails around Blacksburg.
Ed*ard Teller @ 97
I already mentioned that 32 dead in Iraq means a slow day upthread. Not to dimish the gravity of what happend today.
LJ/Aquaria @ 92
My bet is Clifton C. Garvin, Class of 1943 (BS) and 1947 (MS), Chairman and CEO of Exxon Corp.
Jinx!
Clusterfuck plannin on a couple prayers- a few dead Hokie jokes- and then splitsville- “Hey- this is eatin into mah bikin time”
He will be heckled and security will unceremoniously hustle the miscreants out. Of course none of which will be televised.
I’m gonna predict that he inappropriately rubs someone’s shoulders, as well.
But other than that? Isn’t this a crime scene? Won’t they have to take the local police away from the investigations to protect his hide? Or will they just use the KK(campus cops?)
“Any widows out there that ah oughta hug?”
ET – You may find yourself in the strangest of places, if you look to the right.
Hmm, don’t recall anyone guessing the number of Bushisms that will be spawned by this. My guess is two, which will certify his actual indifference to the events.
Atikar @ 104
I knew there’d be something!
OT: saw Dave Brubeck in concert last night in SF. for a somewhat frail octagenarian he can still pull out the stops and kick out the jambs.
“Mission Accomplished—I can hear YOU- an soon the whole world will hear YOU—there’s gotta be a key to the officers mess- how many bowls of strawberries did YOU have?”
“Trent lost a HOUSE here”!
punaise @ 111
Playing with his son? Who else?
He might announce that in memoriam, Cheney’s new granddaughter will be named Virginia (and that her mom is still a virgin like Suze Orman, so technically, no rules have been broken).
punaise @ 112
Saw him out here in December (opened for the Ramsey Lewis Trio)… He was amazing for his age.. well worth the price of admission and then some.
As a life long hunter- I used ta hunt RABBITS here.
Eureka Springs @ 110
ES,
Good find! Weren’t you one of the doggies lauding me for torturing myself by spending time reading rightie blogs? How’d you find that out?
rwcole @ 119
I did too. A San Diego institution.
montag @
116
not the sons this time. a very accomplished grey-haired quartet, then a big band ensemble.
SF Jazz
“9/11 taught us that oceans can no longer protect us from 24-year-old Chinese terrists with student visas,.22’s and 9-mm’s”
Ah only shot TERRORIST rabbits-
rwcole @ 123
Saw one the other day. Big one too.. white tail. it ran away and rejoined its cell.
rwcole @ 121
Didn’t think there were any nutrias in those parts….
“We gotta defeat em THERE before they go to college HERE!”
If he has to sit for a while at all, I wonder if he’ll slouch and pout like he did at Coretta King’s funeral.
Back in the very early 70’s, The Dave Brubeck Trio would play my high school (Mt Diabo High, Concord, CA) at least once a year as an assembly for the students and faculty. I think there was some connection between him and the school but I am aging and don’t remember what it was.
It’ll be a quick in an out burger fer president Clusterfuck.
LJ/Aquaria @ 125
Nah, that was because he wasn’t the main attraction, and because Clinton got more applause than him. Tomorrow, who knows? If he’s the big cheeze, he’ll be pleased as can be. It’s always all about him, y’know….
Decades from now goopers will remember fondly—”where were you the day the president said all those nice things to the dead people?”
Suzanne @ 127
Didn’t Brubeck grow up in Concord? Maybe he attended high school there.
Suzanne @
129
he’s a Concord native.
“Ahm not gonna spend mah time swattin flies”
Suzanne @ 129
whatever it was, it must have been aural ambrosia.
montag @ 129
But… Will he be any more the main attraction than he was at Coretta’s farewell? You’d think the Prez would get top billing just about anywhere he went here…
Of course, he did have to share the spotlight with a dead black woman. Then again, he’s going to have to share it with several murdered young people…
I call slouch and pout, unless he shows up only long enough to speak.
“Ah ain’t never seen nothin like this since Laura gave up drivin!”
“This is what happens ta them people that don’t make their annual NRA contributions>”
Thank you. It was during 70, 71 and 72 and the Charlie Brown Specials were just starting to really take off. I remember all the buzz about him being the guy whose music was the soundtrack for those shows but could not remember the connection.
I do believe we were his alma matter and that is why he gave us a free show.
“If we let the government take away our guns, the terrists win.”
rwcole @ 135
Could riff on that all day….
“Ain’t seen nothin’ like this since I quit drinkin’.”
“Ain’t seen nothin’ like it since I quit flyin’.”
“Ain’t seen nothin’ like this since I gave up coke.”
Ad infinitum.
All the goopers in heaven is packin heat!!
“There was an old saying in Virginia…well, it was an old saying in Texas, maybe in Virginia too. ‘Shoot me once–shame on–shame on you. Shoot me twice—don’t get shot again.’”
“If someone slaps you on the right cheek- turn ta him the left and blow the mother fucker away”
What the the the what the American people got to unnerstan…
Suzanne @ 137
Don’t want to disappoint, but the music for the early Peanuts specials was composed and played by Vince Guaraldi and his trio. Brubeck may have picked up some of it (some of the music was quite catchy).
kirk murphy @ 34
I agree. He will look like a fool (the decider) and fingers will point to his so convenient photo op of fools.
I hate guns.
Almost all of mine were given to me by my dad or left to me after he passed away. He played with guns. I don’t. I keep mine locked away, except for bird hunting and very occasional target practice and sight checks.
I hate what guns do in America. It has to do more with our country’s weird karma than with the guns themselves though. There need to be some severe and rational controls to handguns and semi-auto rifles.
But I wouldn’t trust George Bush with implementing a severe control regime on an armed citizenry.
Suzanne @ 138
A lot of people think Brubeck wrote the Peanuts music, but it was actually another Bay Area musician, Vince Guaraldi. A fun fact I learned when I was living out there. :)
Suzanne @ 140
Vince Guaraldi did the music for the Chalie Brown TV specials, not Dave Brubeck.
Here’s the thing- these people is DEAD- D-E-A-
D DEAD. They wouldn’t BE dead- if they was still alive- an that’s the kind of people amurikans ARE–Good People- even when they’re alive- cept for terrorist and democrats of course- It’s hard work flyin down here an sayin this shit- REAL hard- lot harder than bein DEAD. Mission Accomplished.”
“He also provided music for TV animated miniseries “This Is America, Charlie Brown”.”
Wikipedia, “Dave Brubeck”
dang, there goes another good high school story – perhaps it was all that recreational uh… uh… sharing before assembly.
thanks for the correction.
Ed*ard Teller @ 146
Funny thing. If Bush told `em to lay down their arms, I have a feeling the real Bush followers would do just that. The less-fond might not.
I agree, though, on a general dislike of guns. Had enough of them in the army, and my hearing is now about half-gone in one ear because of them (since I started shooting when I was eight), and tinnitis is becoming a problem.
But, of the genuinely crazy buggers I’ve known in life, most of them loved having guns around. It’s a bad combination.
rwcole @ 152
Winner!
For once, Laura’s Rictus Red lipstick will be appropriate.
Fewer people can name the VP of the Newnited States today than when Quayle held the office..
Eewww, Teddy.
My fellow Merkins, staff, parents, students, macacas …
I wonder if Webb will be there?
montag @ 155
No. One of things his core would part with him on is this. Notice how quickly the WH made sure the press had a sound bite for the NRA. Believe me, the AK gun nuts remember how NWO (new world order) his dad was.
Guns, God and Gays. The GOP fire triangle. Break a leg off the triangle and their fire stops.
Unnershtan, unlike the terrists in I-raq, in this country we respect life, in all forms, even the embrios. That’s why I’ll ve-to any stem cell legislashun.
lolo? I saw in an earlier thread you live in Orange County. We’re neighbors, girlscout.
Montag @ 155 said – Funny thing. If Bush told `em to lay down their arms, I have a feeling the real Bush followers would do just that. The less-fond might not.
————-
When an ‘NRA Head’ said that he would even refuse an order from the President to lay down his arms, Bush 41 turned in his NRA membership in protest but Bush 43 did nothing. When a head of Bush 43’s ministry (Southern Baptist I believe – please correct if I’m wrong) said he would ignore my freedom of religion and instead undertake to “… cure Hindus from their devil- worshiping ways”, President Carter handed in his membership in protest but 43 did nothing.
The world knew then what you realized later, Bush 43 has no respect for the American Constitution, the Bill of Rights and for all that makes America great. It’s not the terrorists that hate your freedoms, it is his administration that hates your freedoms, which is why they have trampled them into near oblivion.
(waives to Persiflage)
And we wonder why Aussies and the rest of the world thinks we’re nuts. We arm lunatics and elect (word used in most generic sense) George Bush
aliasofwestgate @
27
You gotta add that he’ll have the twins in tow, front and center.
Also, he’ll figure out some way to criticize the University for lax security (but won’t offer any funding help). Since the murderer was there on a foreign student visa, he’ll figure out a way to roll that into the immigration bill debate, and you’ll hear the words “crack down” at least once.
Bob in HI
Suzanne @
154
… and Bush is living proof of what drugs will do to your brain …
Ed*ard Teller @
120
No lauding from me on that round, although I remember it..)
Pretty weird how they nailed the very conversation you mentioned… (a little bird told me about it)
bunch of damned, malkintents…grasping for seed, I guess.
Eureka Springs @ 168
Ed*ard Teller @
120
Eureka Springs @ 110
ET – You may find yourself in the strangest of places, if you look to the right.
ES,
Good find! Weren’t you one of the doggies lauding me for torturing myself by spending time reading rightie blogs? How’d you find that out?
No lauding from me on that round, although I remember it..)
Pretty weird how they nailed the very conversation you mentioned… (a little bird told me about it)
bunch of damned, malkintents…grasping for seed, I guess.
ok… malkintents may be the word of the day.
Permission to steal?
Consider it a gift, Suzanne.
and please pardon my zig.
I’m back. Anyone still here?
Late (as usual), but my antipodean sympathy & condolences to you all for the tragedy at VT…and a (possibly) tangetial aside. 12 years ago a bloke called Martin Bryant (WASP of course) went berserk with an assault rifle at a place called Port Arthur in Tasmania. 33 people died in half an hour, but Bryant survived and is now doing life (we do not execute). My brother was the Forensic Pathologist who did the PMs, and subsequently became profoundly depressed (though he thinks it prepared him well to do work he subsequently did with the UN in Bosnia and Kosevo). My point is that this occured just as our current PM, Howard, was elected, and he then did the only worthwhile thing that he has ever done: a ban on all automatic wepons, and a national buyback scheme that has reduced the number of firearm related homicides and suicides by an order of magnitude in the last decade. This despite the rural background legend (and consequent urban gun-fetish) of Australian males – though I suspect that the backlash from his conservative base was one of the factors that prompted him to cleave so readily to Bush in the Iraq fiasco, as the head of what one of our (now, sadly) ex-opposition leaders characterised as a conga line of suckholes. I suppose that my point is that VT may be an appropriate tipping point to revisit Moore’s thesis in Bowling for Columbine..and that even your NRA can be defeated. Good luck.
Texas Betsy @
171
I am !!!
petedownunder @ 165
Hi Pete,
Notice how I’m not piping up about America’s gun-centric culture? I’m trying to climb up on my high horse but I keep tripping over Martin Bryant.
Petrocelli @ 173
Well good morning to ya!
Texas Betsy @
175
Good mornin’, how’re you all holding up?
punaise might say malkintents implies content which gives them too much credit…
Can’t sleep. Dealing with pain.
Sr. Reyes,
I just wanted to let joo know, that the gumball machine joo use at the top of the post, she ees empty.
I am no certain eef that was what joo had foreseen, eh?
so.
Texas Betsy @
178
Ouch, what kind of pain?
Today on talk radio (KSFO) both Brian Sussman and Mark Levin were getting in early shots at the “gun control nuts”. This is really important for them because they know that any kind of gun related violence is the opportunity to bring out the NRA talking points to defeat any kind of response that they don’t approve of.
The NRA spokespeople MUST react this way with their preemptive talking points because the NRA knows that decent people will say, “Did this gun violence have to happen?”
They have to use some other “logical” method to make their bizarre ideas stand. So they use fear and appeal to the authoritarian types who can’t put themselves in the shoes of the dead parents, but only think about how this might impact their desires.
The NRA is prepared with talking points for every situation. They are really stunning in their rhetorical brilliance. They have done the debate prep work for every single gun related tragedy. They unleash an ARMY of people to the blogs screamign and bitching and arguing so that nothing will change. They have an answer for everything.
I’m already hearing and seeing the “well if anyone had a gun in the class room this would not have happened.” line.
As someone said on the Mike Malloy show, only an authoritarian thinks that if we had more armed strangers we would all be safer.
Are we doing languages?
Puedo hablar en espaol.
Je peut ecrire en franais.
Ani m’daberet ivrit.
Pick one. Or two. But too late at night for three in addition to English. Need a good night sleep for that trick.
Petrocelli @ 180
I have nerve and muscle pain. Constantly. Kinda a drag.
da brat is bushed literally and figuratively – sweet dreams all you fine firepups – its been good to have your splendid company on this otherwise sad morning, noon and late night.
((((((((((fdl))))))))))
wombat @ 169
I keep hoping that the next generation gets it. But, I’ve been thinking the same thing since 1970, and in many ways, it’s gotten worse since then. We have too many people with the “they can have my gun when they pry it from my cold, dead hand” mindset. Most of these people, unfortunately, think they’re going to resist the government when it comes for their guns, and most of `em have been encouraging the only government that would.
It’s goofy as hell, but, there you go.
newspaperbrat @ 184
sleep well brat!
dang, spocko, of course ksfo’s hate speakers were jumping at the bit to be first to be spewing that crap.
wombat @ 172
Wombat, I hope you’re right. I don’t understand how these assault rifles ever got to be legal anyway. I’m sure now that our congress is democratic, at least we will begin the discussion. I know I’ll be contacting my senators and representative. (Not that there’s any hope for my rep!
Texas Betsy @
183
Sorry to hear, there are some good alternative medicines that alleviate pain, if you’re open to that sort of thing. Of course, they are more popular in Europe than in Canada and the U.S., where the drug lobbies have a stranglehold.
I hate the NRA even more than I hate guns. People sometimes get fixated about another lobby here, but the power of the NRA over congress is quite strong, so we shouldn’t observe the NRA counterattack only in terms of watching the GOP.
Texas Betsy @ 186
Thank you Miss Betsy and I hope you feel better sooner than later. ;~)
Ed*ard Teller @ 187
Kerry hunting in the last presidential campaign, for example?
I take prescription and alternative medicines. Going to start a course of trigger point injections again for the first time in 18 months. Hoping that helps.
Texas Betsy @
193
Would that be cortisone shots or Gold shots?
Ed*ard Teller @ 177
Well I certainly don’t want to be charged with that… will go with Maladies for now..
My European neighbor’s mother makes her own “homemade medicine” and is fit as a fiddle at 70 ;-)
montag @ 192
Agreed. To both of you. I am in favor of rifles, especially in the most rural areas, shotguns where police are too far away, and that’s about it for civilians. Why do civilians need handguns? And no one besides military needs assault rifles.
spocko @ 181
Hey Spocko, thanks for your good work on monitoring that station.
I heard a caller on Randi Rhodes today making those very points. I cannot understand that thinking.
But, yes, this is a chance to take a fresh look at what kinds of guns we allow.
Petrocelli @ 194
Gold shots??
montag @ 192
Closest he came to a Mike D in tank moment. I’m sure there at least half of the Dems are looking to pose with a hunting weapon or hugging a nicely outfitted hunter holding one, as part of the Dem’s NRA checklist before the next cycle.
Texas Betsy @
197
Remember when Bush let the ban on assault rifles expire, despite Police forces across the country pleading with him not to do so?
Texas Betsy @ 199
Some people I know have gotten Gold Shots when a course of cortisone shots had proved ineffective. Perhaps it’s done in Canada and not the U.S.
And I thought of nothing more than shots of Jose Cuervo gold.
I’ve had nerve blocks and botox injections, but have never heard of gold shots.
Yep. And the police depts. knew what they were doing.
Loo Hoo @
203
That probably works better than the others ;-)
Texas Betsy @
205
Any chance the MSM will ask him about that?
Petrocelli @ 207
slim to none?
Any chance the MSM will ask him about that?
no.
Texas Betsy @ 201
Gold, I think, was used at one time for arthritis, before cortisone became the injection of choice (much cheaper).
I would warn about cortisone injections for trigger points. Had a girlfriend once who, as she said, was talked into them by a doctor, and she had relatively temporary relief from them. Years later, the points of injection themselves became a greater source of pain than the original discomfort.
Something to talk over in detail with your doctor.
Suzanne @
209
I didn’t think so. Remember the sickening NRA rally after Columbine?
Ed*ard Teller @ 190
The NRA and Republics have managed to use its power in order to keep DC, with its ban on guns, from gaining voting rights. What does the NRA have, three million members? Less than the number progressives could put together for a ban on assault weapons, imo. I am very much for the rights of gun ownership, but, if a very specific drive against assault weapons were to take place with inclusion of police and the “blackwaters” in the ban, you could count me in.
montag @ 210
They don’t use cortisone on me, and even a few months of relief would be welcome right now.
montag @ 210
Up here, they usually go through 2 courses of Cortisone and if unsuccessful, will then recommend Gold injections. We have great medical coverage, but unfortunately the drug companies do not allow alternative treatments to be covered, even when they are proven more effective. Even so, lots of people are opting for Acupuncture, Ayurveda, Homeopathy as frontline treatments. I had seriously injured my back a while ago and my sciatica pain would be unbearable, until a reflexologist taught me how to massage certain points. The pain, which was supposed to be chronic, went away.
I am very much for the rights of gun ownership, but, if a very specific drive against assault weapons were to take place with inclusion of police and the “blackwaters” in the ban, you could count me in.
I agree with all but including police in that ban. I was attending a Missing/Exploited Children conference in LA when the LAPD had the BofA shootout. They were outgunned by the bankrobbers.
Police and military should be the only exclusions to a well thought out, loophole free, ban on assault weapons.
I predict that if we all send Texas Betsy {{{hugs}}}, she will feel a bit less pain.
Hugs, Betsy!!!
Ed*ard Teller @ 216
(((((HUGS BACK)))))
I agree, Suzanne. Since the assault rifles are out there now, it’s going to be hard to rein it all back in for years to come.
hugs to betsy
that’s about it for me tonight on this dark, sad, evening. g’nite all.
My forte is yoga, my dad who I was talking to you about last night Aunt Betsy, had 30 degrees in natural sciences and I learnt a lot from him; mainly that the human body can overcome any ailment, given the proper help.
I know that meditation is excellent at relieving pain, even chronic pain along with lots of chronic ailments – High Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, migraines, etc. Medical Doctors know that yoga can reduce and remove tumors but they do not know HOW it does, so they cannot promote it more forcefully.
Texas Besty, I can’t imagine having to live in chronic pain. Hope you find something that works. Keep us posted.
Suzanne @ 219
good night
Petrocelli @ 220
My chiropractor has recommended yoga as well. Hmmm. Maybe time to find a class?
I was a gymnast as a girl.
Suzanne @
219
Goodnight Suzanne.
Are you physically injured? By that I mean, do you have an injured spine or weak hip?
Petrocelli @ 225
I have nerve damage. In some areas the nerves are dead. In others, some of the nerves pulse 24 hrs a day, sending the muscles around them into spasm.
I posted this on my blog. It is directed to the reporters covering this VT story.
I wrote this because the people who run the NRA know that the only time the media think about guns is when something like this happens. And they know that they have to lock down any talk of the horrible “gun control” issue fast. And if people see their spin during the tragedy maybe they will see it for what it really is. It will take some very heartless people to say to the parents of the dead kids that this isn’t about guns yada, yada, yada. But I have confidence in them. They are the best of the best, and they have all the story nailed.
What they will do is substitute other narratives and scenarios. “If a student or armed guard in the classroom had a gun the guy wouldn’t have gotten far! Guns don’t kill people! Bullets do! The people in Virgina are to blame because they voted against a conceal to carry law! The school is to blame because the campus security didn’t have enough guns.”
This time around I’d like the parents of the dead children to talk personally with the NRA spokespeople. You want answers. Why did this happen? What forces are in place to make this kind of violence happen?
Don’t bother asking the gun man why, he’s dead. Talk to these people. They have answers (If you audio tape your phone call be sure to ask for permission first.)
The NRA spokespeople are the best in the world.
To contact an NRA spokesperson call them: Their PR firms is listed here: Here is the link to their results for NRA).
Shirley & Banister Public Affairs (link)
703 739-5920
800 536-5920
info@sbpublicaffairs.com They are even in Virginia!
Ask for Diana Banister or Craig Shirley
(FYI: Diane is the one who does music for churches so if you are interested in the Christian angle to gun violence she probably is the one to talk to.)
BTW, Shirley and Banister is the PR firm for Ann Coulter, CPAC (where Ann called Edwards a Faggot), the Federalist Society, the Gingrich Group and the Club for Growth (Grover Norquist). Bill Kristol sings their praises and the interestingly named group, ‘More Guns, Less Crime’is also a client. They do PR for WND Books (The World Net Daily book imprint that put out Melanie Morgan’s book)
I’m not kidding when I say these people are the world’s best trained spokespeople, they are prepared to offer soothing sound bites for the parents of the dead. If you are in the media don’t just talk to them one on one, you should really get them on the line together with friends and relatives of the dead. (And if you do talk to them please let us know what they say, we’ll post the replies. I’ll bet they are great and will be useful for other people to read.)
Those of you in the press who feel bad about interviewing the parents of dead children , why not call the NRA spokespeople? Do it NOW. Seriously.
It would be great TV/Radio. What, you think that it would be exploiting the tragedy? No.
When YOU call relatives you are already intruding, you are already exploiting the tragedy (and I know how much you HATE doing it, I would too). Now is the time to exploit the tragedy in a new way that will move the conversation forward with the two groups who are the most involved: The NRA the the Relatives of The Dead.
You are already pushing a view point when you call them. You KNOW that there will be screams for gun control right after this. Why not deal with WHERE the screams come from and WHY.
The people whose JOB it is to keep those screams silenced the rest of the year should deal with the sobbing parents, not you. You can understand. You see the pain. But you aren’t the one who is working to ensure this kind of violence keeps happening.
Don’t wait. This is raw emotion and I really would like the NRA people to be on air and on camera in the same frame with the people who have dead kids. Have them look into each other’s eyes.
NRA spokespeople’s job every day is to make sure that these great TV moments happen again and again. They have provided the TV people with excellent images and raw emotional interviews for years. Maybe it would be good if they could see what the press and media see and talk to the people the media talk to so that the next time the NRA PR people work to block a bill in response to this kind of tragedy, they can remember the look in the eyes of the parents and friends of the dead.
LLAP,
Spocko
Suzanne @ 212
I lived in England for a while, at a time when the local police never carried weapons (that started around the late `60s after IRA attacks on the financial districts of London). Not much trouble–simply because the typical criminals knew that if they were caught with a gun, it would mean many extra years on their sentence, and since they knew the bobbies weren’t going to try to kill them, there was no incentive to carry a gun in the commission of any crime.
Even into the `70s, I think there were something like 12,000 handgun deaths in the US, and in the same time frame in England, they were averaging something like seven a year.
I don’t know what the secret is, but there’s something going on here that’s radically different from Europe. Escalation of force might have something to do with it. Just a thought.
Suzanne, What about a timetable… after a few years pass as the assault weapons are destroyed, we no longer import, manufacture, or sell them, police won’t need them any more?
anyway, just a thought..it ain’t going to happen soon and I wouldn’t recommend D’s take on this issue right now.(maybe that is the best reason they should)
g’nite all (hope you feel better soon Betsy)
In that case, you must find a very knowledgeable yoga instructor, because the wrong postures can make your condition worse. There is such a great demand for yoga teachers that the good ones are very difficult to find. Ask your chiro for references and see if the instructor understands the nature of your ailments and which postures are to be avoided. Ask lots of questions and trust your own judgment, you will find a good yoga instructor.
My dad always told me, “You do not understand a treatment until you know when NOT to use it.”
He wrote his thesis for one of his degrees on why he would NOT use that method of treatment … and totally blew the professor’s mind.
I apply the same reasoning to yoga and meditations, so I know when a technique is good or bad, but no technique is good for everyone in every instance.
I think Acupuncture might help you quicker than yoga. Both together might be better.
Well, it’s almost 4 a.m. in my neck of the woods.
Goodnight all.
Petrocelli @ 233
good night
Sorry no time to read comments so this may repeat, but: I hope he does everything you predict. If he does, he might alienate all the rest of the college students who don’t already abhor him.
Having been on a University campus all day and experiencing faculty and students’ reaction to the tragedy, I suspect that any attempt to gain political mileage will backfire big time.
It’s all too raw, too close to home during this time of end-of-semester stress (we all know people who are cracking up), too much about our innocent friends, colleagues, and students, for him to get by with it. Let us hope.
Texas Betsy @
234
I thought you had gone to sleep ;-)
Petrocelli @ 236
not yet. was pondering the return to accupuncture
You did acupuncture before? was it any help?
Petrocelli @ 238
Not really, but it was 4 or 5 yrs ago. And other things have changed since then. Do you IM? I’d rather continue this in a less public forum.
Petrocelli @ 238
Are you a doctor? Healer?
tbsa @ 25
Let a dem take us to war, and 32 dead is a good day(i.e.Vietnam). More people died in the military when Clinton posed as president than with Bush(if you don’t believe me, look it up).
How many times have 32 died in Iraq in a day??
You people try to say things to sound intelegent, but that only works on libs who lack the ability to think.
Jim L @ 241
Run spell check.
Texas Betsy @
240
I do some healing but I prefer to teach private meditation classes – less touching, lawsuits, etc.
It would be better to chat in private, would you like my hotmail account?
Loo Hoo @ 242
LOL !
Jim L @ 238
Grossly untrue. Combat deaths during the Clinton administration were restricted to the less than two dozen in Somalia in 1993, and there were no combat deaths in the actions in Serbia and Kosovo.
Check your facts before making this idiocy of yours public.
Petrocelli @ 243
yes please. you prefer msn messenger or email?
Jim L @
241
You must be Bush’s speechwriter … welcome to the lake.
Texas Betsy @ 246
Petrocelli @ 243
Texas Betsy @ 240
Petrocelli @ 238
You did acupuncture before? was it any help?
Are you a doctor? Healer?
I do some healing but I prefer to teach private meditation classes – less touching, lawsuits, etc.
It would be better to chat in private, would
you like my hotmail account?
yes please. you prefer msn messenger or email?
indrs@hotmail.com
I am fine with chatting or e-mail, should I log in now?
Patrick 4/4 @ 30
What do you mean they have a right to drive?
CARS KILL PEOPLE!!!
adding you to my msn mess
I have logged on.
But that is not their intended purpose.
Petrocelli @ 247
Thanks for the welcome, but I wont be here long.
I can’t take much of this mindless hate and childish name calling.
Many pundits on the right are implying that had the students been armed, this killer would not have done the damage he did. An armed student/teacher coalition could have prevented some of the carnage. This knee-jerk response is so numbingly typical as to have become simply noise. But it’s not.
“The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed” – Dana Perino, White House spokeswoman, about President Bush’s response to the slaughter of students by a gunman at Virginia Tech today.
Maybe I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill but what is it they’re actually advocating? Passing out hand guns and ammunition during orientation? I think they are. If the student-body at Virginia Tech had been armed, much of this could have been prevented. Give everybody a gun. That’s what’s being said. In fact, if every student-body at every college, high-school and university was armed (except Berkeley, of course), we could prevent these lone psychopaths from wreaking their violence.
The fact that this mind-set is taken seriously is frankly more frightening than the shootings themselves.
Texas Betsy @ 252
That’s not the intended purpose of a gun either.
The constitution gives us the right to bare arms for self protection. Yesterday only shows What happens when law abiding citizens don’t have guns, and the criminals and nut cases decide to take advantage of that fact.
And, by the way, owning and driving a car isn’t a right under the constitution, it is a privilege allowed by the states.
“Thanks for the welcome, but I wont be here long.
I can’t take much of this mindless hate and childish name calling.”
Are you referring to the mindless hate of being accused of being a Bush Speech Writer? Just asking.
Jim L @ 255
If all college students and all professors were armed on a regular basis, how many additional fatalities would result from accidents, arguments, etc. in a year?
Signing off again. Good night.
I’ve posted a few key pieces from yesterday’s tragic news: An excellent piece from CNN Anderson Cooper’s 360 wrapping up the day’s tragic events in Blacksburg Virginia at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute plus the extraordinary video of the young woman who “played dead” in order to fool the gunman who had entered her classroom and immediately began shooting
http://tinyurl.com/3xed4a
http://tinyurl.com/2ulayc
http://youtube.com/tullysvision
“Yesterday only shows What happens when law abiding citizens don’t have guns…”
Thanks for illustrating my point, Jim.
Troglaman @ 256
No, I would take the “Bush speech writer” comment as a compliment, if I thought I was worthy.
I was talking about most of the comments on this sight in general.
It’s been my experience that most liberals are programmed for Hate and most of what they say is the result of knee-jerk reaction to anything said by the right.
To prove my point, honestly ask yourself if there is anything a conservative or republican ever did or said that you agree with.
If your answer is no, that proves my point.
No one is ever all right or wrong, or all good or bad.
I could even find something good about Bill Clinton if i tried hard enough.
Texas Betsy @ 257
Did I say “arm all students and teachers”? I didn’t offer any solution to the school shooting problem. But even the solution that you tried to put in my mouth is better than the results of yesterday brought on by the liberal solution(wish the problem away).
Maybe somebody should have “talked nicely” to the nut case and he would have put down the gun and started hugging everybody instead.
Dream on.
Early morning troll feeding huh?
is it gone yet?
Ah, good morning all. Haven’t quite washed away here in western Maine, but it’s a near thing.
I’ve never quite understood how “gun control” or “assault weapon ban” translates to “they’re gonna take away all our guns!”
Hint to the NRA: when your pResident appends signing statements to any and all legislation, specifically exempting him from following the law, what on earth makes you think he WON’T take your guns away if it suits him?
OK here is an unreconstructed socialist, a BIG L Liberal, a dirty commie if you will but…. unless one turns the VT students into a “well regulated militia” the 2nd amendment has no bearing.
The VT affair was a domestic violence issue apparently and once one puts a gun into a domestic violence situation it will result in a shooting.
‘nuf said
Bloggers Debate Whether Students Carrying Their Own Guns Could Have Prevented Massacre
By SCOTT CARLSON
First came mourning. Then, at least in the conservative blogosphere, came outrage and speculation: If students at Virginia Tech had been carrying handguns, would this tragedy have happened? Would armed students have killed the shooter, or shooters, within the first few minutes of his rampage?
“These things do seem to take place in locations where it’s not legal for people with carry permits to carry guns,” wrote Glenn Reynolds, a University of Tennessee law professor well known for his conservative blog, Instapundit. “I certainly wish that someone had been in a position to shoot this guy at the outset.”
In the annals of campus mayhem, there is precedent for such rough justice. Peter Odighizuwa, who shot professors and students at the Appalachian Law School in 2002, was apprehended by armed students (The Chronicle, January 17, 2002). Charles Whitman, who fired at people from the tower at the University of Texas at Austin, took fire himself not only from police but also civilians with guns. The Texas incident led President Lyndon Johnson to push for stricter gun control laws.
The Virginia Tech shootings will likely re-energize the debate about guns on both sides. To gun advocates, the incident had a special resonance: Virginia has a law that allows citizens to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons, but most universities in the state prohibit students and employees from bringing guns to their campuses.
More than a year ago, Virginia Tech was at the center of a debate over whether students should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on its campus. The gun advocates lost that debate.
The debate started in 2005, after a Virginia Tech student who had a concealed-carry permit was disciplined after he brought a handgun to that campus. The Virginia Citizens Defense League, a pro-gun organization, enlisted the help of C. Todd Gilbert, a state delegate who pushed a bill that would force Virginia universities to allow guns on their campuses. The bill died in a statehouse subcommittee early last year.
Reached on Monday, Mr. Gilbert was cautious when asked about both the shooting and his bill.
“It’s tragic, and I’m certainly not trying to make any political points out of today,” he said. “But the events make the point that there isn’t any gun law or rule that will stop a committed killer from carrying out his plan. The only way to stop someone with that kind of intent is with an equal amount of force.”
He believes that if Virginia Tech’s policies had not prevented students from legally bringing guns to class, armed students might have been in a position to stop the carnage.
He said he wasn’t sure whether he would present his bill to the Virginia General Assembly again. “I don’t know if I’ll bring this up. I don’t want to go there today, with everything being so raw.”
The issue has also been contentious in some other states. In Minnesota, which also permits citizens to carry concealed weapons, some colleges have signs at the doors of buildings telling students and employees not to bring guns inside.
Last month, the University of Utah lost a bid to prevent students from bringing concealed weapons onto its campus. The state legislature allowed students to request roommates who do not bring weapons to the campus, but legislators did not allow the university to ban weapons in dorms, athletics facilities, classrooms, and other venues (The Chronicle, March 2).
Michael K. Young, the university’s president, said in an interview on Monday with The Salt Lake Tribune, that people should not politicize the events at Virginia Tech.
“Arming everybody is not the answer and disarming everybody isn’t entirely possible, so you have to look for other solutions,” he said.
Brent Tenney, the president of Second Amendment Students of Utah, fought the university’s effort to ban guns. He said the Virginia shootings would “fuel both sides of the debate.”
On The Chronicle’s online discussion forums, readers debated the gun-control issue. Many posters suggested that using the day’s events to score political points for one side or the other was unseemly, to say the least. But one regular participant, a self-described Virginia Tech graduate, wrote: “If anyone at all in those buildings (professor, janitor, whomever) had been a licensed carrying citizen, the shooting could have been stopped. That is a plausible fact.”
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Gunmen killed the dean of the Political Science College and a professor at Mosul University’s College of Arts on Monday, authorities said, topping a series of violent incidents
Surgery is over, another one year old who ought to live and thrive.
And alas, time for a new city. Catch ya later.
Here’s for the morning folks:
z
Of course he’ll go to Blacksburg. It’s an irresistible opportunity for him. He’s attracted because more than anything else in life he loves blood, turmoil and death.
morning all.
Good morning, pups. Today it’s Wright and Kristof in the NYT, Wright on how technology leads to impersonalization in society, and Kristof on how genocide is caused by greed.
http://mgpaquin.wordpress.com/
The temperature and wind have returned more to normal, for which I’m grateful. Coffee and tea are ready, and the biscuits are out of the oven. Have a wonderful day.
ohboy! @ 269
No… He will go because its part of his job. I’m sure you would bitch if he didn’t go too.
Just be glad it’s not your responsibility.
Jim L, it’s part of his job respond in some meaningful way. It’s not part of his job to prance around at photo ops while further disrupting the lives of the students, faculty and staff. The kindest thing he could do would be to stay away and have someone write a statement for him, using small, simple words.
And, he could sponsor a bill raising the penalties for such crimes and making those penalties mandatory. And he could up the enforcement budget.
He should also do that for suicide bombing, as a deterent. Possibly even make it a capital offense carrying a mandatory death penalty.
Wigwam @ 275
you funny!
montag @
35
Gee, wish I’d got here earlier. I just found this potential photo resource for Thursday’s catwalk turn of the man who can’t recall major events. I particularly fancy (!) the fan.
Yesterday, Krugman has an especially good op-ed. in which he points out how skewed are the political coordinates of people inside the beltway. Conventional wisdom is that the political center is somewhere between the Republicans and the Democrats inside the beltway, while on both economics, social policy, and foreign policy it has shifted far to the left of all of them.
This was so painfully obvious in the MCA debates last September, with Democratic leadership saying, “We don’t want to leave any daylight between us and them on this issue.” That meant rolling over, playing dead, and voting for that repugnant abandonment of freedom.
Perhaps the problem is that their constituency is their donors, not their voters. Perhaps that is what their most vocal donors were telling them. Also, the strategy groups like the DLC. Hmmmmm.
There’s a:
95% probability~
The President’s stylist will pick out a blue chambray shirt for him to wear (with the sleeves rolled up) — because comforting people is “hard work” and also he’s going to a “rural” area.
100% probability~
The President will be sporting an inappropriate smirk.
Mornin’ all
“My fellow Cavaliers, Laura and me……”
I could be wrong,but Sand Creek and Wounded Knee happened with guns,and I think the dead numbered higher,so this nonsense about this being the “worst massacre in the US ever”isn’t accurate. I couldn’t take more than a few minutes of bloodthirsty “news”coverage,calling these people vultures is a total insult to the bird of the same name.
I don’t even know where to begin on this one. I have a kid in middle school who has dealt with bullies all year(yeah,make fun of the autistic kid,how nice. I hate Atlanta’s suburbs,ack)and I am scared to death some messed up kid with gun access will pull a copycat.
This culture teaches violence as a way to solve problems or as a way to get what you want,and we just don’t seem to learn as the lesson is presented to us over and over and over again.
It makes me cry.
anangryoldbroad @ 282
Yea but it’s way harder to get gungs here in Georgia!
I imagine Karl Rove is going over the soothing speech Bill Clinton gave at Oklahoma City after the bombing, and taking out all the hard words so George doesn’t stumble.
Jim L @
273
Jim L,
He doesn’t have to go. It’s a photo op. In fact, he will just get in the way and make life even more difficult for the traumatized city of Blacksburg.
Being the immoral man that the President is, with the blood of hundreds of thousands on his hands, why would anybody take comfort with his visiting there?
Ok, there’s an inconsistency in Jane’s “Informed” post yesterday. This is the first time I’ve had a chance to read it. I read the link and something jumped out at me. Here is part of Jane’s post:
And her is the same paragrph from the E&P site this morning:
Anybody see the difference?
This is disgusting. Who cares if Bush goes to pay is condolences? We all know he’ll bring his security detail and ham handed ways. But if you hadn’t noticed, you’re all making a mockery of a terrible moment in American history, regardless of Iraq or September 11th or Columbine. You mock the dead and wounded and entertain yourselves with smirking remarks and bullshit about gun control. There is a frenzy of ego and self-righteousness in here. Just take a moment to think about what happened yesterday. Where is your sense?
Speaking of predictions and in light of Gonzo’s deferred appearance before Congress, I guess I’ll have to update mine from Easter. I feel justified in making this change, because previously I had thought that only hell or high water would defer his testimony. Turns out that hell did arrive… :(
—————
The probability of that event is undeniably increasing, neh? :)
This is JL earlier:
Let a dem take us to war, and 32 dead is a good day(i.e.Vietnam). More people died in the military when Clinton posed as president than with Bush(if you don’t believe me, look it up).
How many times have 32 died in Iraq in a day??
You people try to say things to sound intelegent, but that only works on libs who lack the ability to think.
Are you really going to debate this dude?
Jim L @
273
Thank you for saying this. ANY President would and must visit and pay his respects. I would rather focus on the victims of this terrible event, rather than Bush, who is frankly irrelevant.
And I feel compelled to say that I am extremely distressed at the tone of this thread.
32 people are shot dead. If you think of the number of people who knew and loved those 32 people, the tragedy increases by orders of magnitude.
Joking and ridicule seems extremely premature at this point. I know that no harm was meant, but I can’t help thinking what someone who was personally involved with VT would think or feel if they read this post and thread.
Imagine 10 armed students from 10 different classrooms running out into a hallway ready to exact Rambo on the shooter. How likely are they shoot the shooter instead of the first Rambo they see waving a gun?
Police wear visible IDs so they don’t shoot each other in these situations. Even then (like the FBI agent last week) they sometimes mistake ID.
What would the police do if there were a shooting and 10 Rambos were waving guns around? Would be Rambos have grand fantasies about taking out the evil doer with their heat and being the hero. Realitiy is that crazy person walks into room of unsuspecting and unloads a couple dozen rounds in 10 s. Our Rambo is going to calmly assess the situation and be able to find his heat and use it? Crazy suicidal people with guns need intervention long before they start shooting. After they go postal, it is too late.
raven @ 289
It’s funny – when you hear a conservative say “look it up,” it’s clearly not true. It’s like they think that saying “look it up” makes it true.
raven, by the way, who’s JL?
What a waste of manpower to guard this moron in the middle of an investigation. Leave it to this clueless man to inject himself into this University at the wrong moment for a Political Photo Op with his entourage. They will shut down the investigation to go in and insert Bush into the grief of the families here and use it as a NRA add. I don’t like either side of the gun argument going on right now but instead would like to see all ideologies put aside while we try to figure out what makes someone do something like this. Let’s put all things on the table. Here is a few of the questions that should be asked in a honest effort to try to prevent future violence.
Is it because of bullying? Is it because of the predominance of violence in media? Is it violence in music? Is it the availability of guns? Is it bad parenting or broken families? Is it hopelessness or lack of skills to deal with failures and anger? What are the common denominators of the shooters in all these stories? Do they usually give off warning signs that we as a society or parents are ignoring? I would love to know the answers to some of these questions because at this moment all I can think of is that this was such a waste and why not learn so maybe we can prevent this from happening again. My heart and prayers go out to the Parents and families of these kids and Professors.
JF @ 293
Beats me, I started reading his comments early this morning, I don’t recall seeing him before. Trolling motor?
These are words you’re not likely to see me write ever, ever again: Cut Dana Perino a break, here.
Her comment about the right to bear arms came in direct response to a reporter’s question about gun control. She was not, as numerous blog posts claim, champing at the bit to provide a sop to the NRA. The reporter opened the door. She responded as directly as a spokesperson for a conservative administration would have been expected to respond.
And FWIW, I’m strongly pro-gun control and fervently wish for the day when NRA members pry their minds from their cold, dead arguments.
mornin’ all
ralphbon @ 296
Not much non-hysterical thinking going on today. Everyone seems to want to push their agenda. I guess that’s what a “discussion” is about but I think it sucks. Nice post.
Overwhelming News, Except in Prime Time
JF @ 292
“Intelegent” I believe that would be intelligent
Of course he will defend the only constitutional amendment that he hasn’t trashed since becomming president,
THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS!
This will not be bad. What will be bad is when Bill O Rielly starts if it is true that this was a Chinese national on a student visa that did this.
The immigration hounds of hell will want a feeding.
Virginia gun laws
Anti-trafficking
Is there a one-handgun-per-month limit on gun sales? Yes
Assault weapons
Are there limitations on assault weapons and magazines? No
Attorney general regulations
Can the attorney general regulate guns? No.
Background check At state level
Do state police perform a background check in addition to federal NICS check? Yes
Ballistic fingerprinting
Must handguns be ballistic fingerprinted prior to sale? No
Concealed weapons limits
May police limit carrying concealed handguns? No
Child access prevention
Are gun owners held accountable for leaving guns accessible to kids? Yes
Child-safety locks
Must locking devices be sold with guns? No
Gun manufacturer accountability
Do cities have authority to hold gun makers legally liable? No
Gun show checks
Are background checks required at gun shows? No
Juvenile possession
Are minors restricted from possessing guns? Partial
Juvenile sale
Is it illegal to sell guns to kids? Partial
License or permit to purchase
Is a license/permit required to buy handguns? No
Local gun laws – preemption
May cities enact laws stronger than the state’s? No
Record keeping
May police maintain gun sale records? Partial
Registration
Are all guns registered with law enforcement? No
Safety standards
Are there consumer safety standards on guns? No
Safety training
Is safety training required for handgun buyers? No
Saturday Night Specials
Are there limitations on ‘junk’ handguns? No
School zones
Is it illegal for concealed weapons permit holders to carry guns into schools? Yes
Secondary sales
Are background checks required on “private” gun sales? No
Waiting period
Is there a waiting period on gun sales? No
Source: Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence • Print this
2007 MSNBC Interactive
Imus R Us?
Learning this morning about the Ukraine political turmoil. And the upcoming election in Nigeria. And the honeybee crisis in Europe. And the rising value of the sterling against the dollar. And the US soldier on trial in absentia in Rome. And….
Yes, I did switch to BBC America when the CNN guys had to correct their reporting within minutes of pontificating their pronouncements….
Someone at Virginia Tech is going to catch some tongue lashings. Why not a more serious code red alert after the first shooting?
Excerpt from Bush’s speech….
Fresh thread, up and running for everyone.
aaaack! the flooding left water in my basement and now it’s snowing. Maybe my basement will be dry when i get home.
New thread upstairs…
Will leave as soon as humanly possible.
If only he’d leave as soon as humanely possible.
As for predictions:
1. Far more students than you’d expect for Virginia will protest Bush’s drive-by photo-op.
2. At least one will carry a placard reading something to the effect of, “Our grief is not your prop!”
3. The protesters will be man-handled way out of camera range and earshot.
4. You’ll hear about their rough treatment on Democracy Now! first and, more likely than not, last.
Blub @ 43
That was THE ONLY good thing that happened that day. It created Class A real estate on property that was previously ONLY commercial.
Prior to 9/11/01, the inventory of Lower Manhattan was predominately Class B and Class C space. The inventory of Lower Manhattan is changing to a weighting of predominately Class A property. Currently Class A is 40% of all inventory; Class B space is 22%; Class C space is 26%; and Class D space is 12%. Residential conversion, demolition of property surrounding Ground Zero, and the addition of new buildings at Ground Zero are starting to change the inventory mix.
http://www.tenantwise.com/repo…..wntown.asp
Silverstein did well.
YEP! As I predicted yesterday, he will shamelessly exploit this thing to push his own agenda, carefully staged photo-ops and all. It’s also a convenient little way to deflect attention from the Gonzo scandal. Smart move, the Senate, to postpone the hearing till Thursday.
No offense to the keen intelligence of the FDL writers, but it’s always easy to predict the predictible. ;)
Bush will never openly offer
“An assertion that if everyone in the building had been armed, this never would have happened”
That case has to be made with “dog whistles”, as Perino attempted so ineptly yesterday.
By the way, you forgot to include the inevitable media comparisons to Clinton after Oklahoma City and Bush after 9-11, how Americans mourning together will look to our President…blah blah blah…blechhh.
Hi, TRex. I’m really late to the party on this thread, but I have a couple personal questions for you. I know you hang out at the public radio station in Atlanta. But what do you do there? Did they have to build a special studio to accomodate your vast size? If you do engineering, how do you see the control board while working the sliders with your tiny forelimbs? And lastly, if you do voice, how did they configure the DSP to turn your roars into intelligible speech? Youth wants to know!
Pursuant to the above, I assume they are roars…never clucks.
spocko @
181
I heard a fine analogy to this logic. We are required to use seat belts but generally are inconsistent on enforcement. Like taxes, we call it mandatory while relying on “voluntary” compliance. Same with guns and gun control. Regulations can be installed, but compliance is inconsistent at best. So the best way to insure driver safety would be to have a long pointed dagger projecting from the steering wheel into the belly of the driver of every car—one false move, you all die. Mutual Assured Driver Destruction. Everyone who drives would be safer—and whole lot of others would take the bus and pay exhorbitant sums to the bus company who has to insure the bus drivers.
I think the Bush visit is basically irrelevant – he won’t say anything that will make a difference to anyone, and it will be formulaic, pious, and meaningless.
But it is a fucking stroke of arrogance to add the absolutely huge burden of providing presidential security to the already overworked and overstressed law enforcement personnel in Blacksburg.
The last thing these people need is a fucking lock-down on overtime to protect C Plus Augustus.
wombat
If you think that Martin Bryant did it, you’ve been conned.
I know this thread is long past epuland…but I wanted to add my too sense worth
First and foremost..there really is nothing I can say that will change the events and tragedy that occured yesterday but to those who are directly involved ..my thoughts are with them.
Secondly, think of this, Junyah prolly thinks the students on campus should be allowed to pack heat…yet does he really think that secret service and others would allow anyone with a gun (because that’s what he says is their right) anywhere near Dear Leader whether it be a college campus or a political event? I don’t think so…funny how that is, Junyah believes everyone has the right to carry a gun, just not if you go to an event where he is speaking.
First I wish to express my sincere condolences to the family memebers and friends of the deceased and to the Virginia Tech campus.
Predictions:
1. I predict Dubya will propose a constitutional amendment to allow Professors, TAs, RAs, and cafeteria workers and janitorial staff to carry concealed weapons (but not WMDs).
2. I also predict that he will announce support for new program of Campus Homeland Security. Halliburton and Blackwater, etc. will be given no bid contracts to carry out the program. A Bush or Cheney family member will named as the Head but this will not reported in the Press until much later.
Perhaps he will explain how, even though we’ve had troops in Korea for more than 50 years, we haven’t been able to stop them from ‘following us home’ and committing horrors in Virginia.
It would be about the only thing as disgusting and absurd as him visiting Blacksburg today.
Can’t he just fly over it, like he did New Orleans, and let the people and local authorities worry about picking up the pieces without a Presidential motorcade and security detail?
I don’t know exactly what he will do, but I suspect it will involve a platter with a rubber turkey on it.
I heard he was an Asian. Why does it always have to be a foreigner?
After reading your list of predictions and from what I know about our Leader, I wouldn’t bet against you.
Patrick 4/4 @ 2
Yep, Patrick, I’ve perennially placed “Bush” and “hokey” in the same thought-sentence, too.
tbsa @ 33
Patrick 4/4 @ 30
TexasBetsy @ 26
TREX — you get this from the last thread?
TexasBetsy says:
April 16th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Americans have the right to own guns.
They have the right to drive, too, but there’s usually a test involved.
DING!
Hate to be a jerk, but technically you don’t have a right to drive. You have a right to travel, but you operate machinery on the public roadways at the pleasure of the State.
Americans have the right to own guns? Are they all in a free Militia? I’m not saying the 2nd Amendment doesn’t state a right to bear arms; just keep in mind its a little more complicated than that. The NRA always quotes the end ” . . . the right of the people” etc., but they never put the qualifying language in. Keep in mind, the 2nd Amendment is the only Amendment that is qualified with an explanation (or justification).
Its a tough and complicated passage of the Constitution — far more intricate than “it says I get guns!!”
So?
So the argument/counter-argument quoted made at least one, possibly two misstatements. I was letting them know. Didn’t mean to ruffle feathers, Mr_ersnefna. My apologies.
No, no, sry, I was referring to the original post. So what did the Preznit say? I’m stuck at work, no way to watch/listen in.
Moose @ 319 (why do gun nuts always have archetypal yokel tags?).
As I pointed out, my brother did the PMs at Port Arthur – I know that I’m not the one being conned here. Bryant did it on his little twisted lonesome, though I’m sure phallus-challenged gun nuts (like you?) contributed to the genesis of his perversion. There is a carefully promulgated myth that Bryant couldn’t possibly have shot all those people by himself ’cause everyone knows that you need enormous skill and constant practice to wield these weapons (which is what you blokes use to justify justify everything from wanking to pig shooting), that Bryant was a “borderline personality disorder of low intelligence”, and so the whole thing was a conspiracy (involving teams of SAS snipers and a massive cover up) to yank the automatic and semi-automatic weapons from the cold dead minds of the gun-dependent. Grow a brain.
I wonder if George even asked who was killed or what happened. Or, is he just ushered along on these trips with a speech in hand and nary a clue?
I wonder if Laura told him he had to do this or if Rove told him this was “an opportunity”?
After all the other crap it amazes me that I still care in the slightest what the man thinks or says.
Can you imagine someone who put their child in school to keep them away from the military and then Preznit Dubya comes along and gives some nitwit speech? If they weren’t in mourning I could easily imagine one of them taking a fist to Dumbya’s face.