Mornin’, Attaturk -

Where’re the usual early a.m. suspects? *g*

“The president believes very strongly that, if we get out and take our message to voters, that we can be successful,” said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel.

*GUFFAW*

Uh, Mr. Stanzel, I don’t think you understand the meaning of “successful”.

“be glad to have the president with me in any part of America … as much as is keeping with his busy schedule.”

Now why would McSame express concern over Bush’s busy schedule?

As if!

Bush thinking of the campaign trail. McCain thinking of campaign trail.

Nice Title Preach on Brother! Testify! The Times they will soon be a changin!

If Bush calls the shots, they’ll be seeing each other all the time.

Has the Lord Hardened Pharaoh’s Heart mind? Could we be so Lucky?
The GOP tried to sink us in those three special elections by linking our candidates to Obama AND THEY WON!
Now Mr Popularity wants to campaign for the GOP on the Republican Message? Which is what worse President since Herbert Hoover? Longest Most Expensive War Ever? Biggest Deficit Ever? No Child Left Behind, Heck of a Job Brownie, GOP Hispanic Outreach done with INS raids, KATRINA, Blackwater, Warcrimes! I could go on

http://www.netrootsmass.net/Hugh/Bush_list.html

Bush’s vacation schedule is very busy has he broken Reagen’s record yet?
Of Course for a wartime president maybe Bush might have won the war if he took a FEW LESS VACATION DAYS!
Not that I want him to win but I feel extra disgusted when people talk a good game but NEVER TRY!

a picture is worth a thousand words

and that picture of mcsame hugging george is gonna be worth millions of votes …

kinda hard to distance yourself from a man you’re agreeing with every other day

Its kind of weird when the African American candidate for President can stand safely in front of a crowd of 75,000 and the two time *cough* winner of the Presidency won’t speech in front of an audience unless they are checked for Weapons and Loyalty.
Portland used to have a skinhead problem I’m sure that there are still some there but Obama still went outside!
Bush’s indoor crowds are how big now? How big are McCain’s crowds FDL needs intel on this for Snark purposes!
I would volunteer to go undercover to a GOP rally myself but I have a slight skin problem.

Well, as fundraising goes, I’m not sure Bush is such an albatross. I would gather that the big donors are still 21 percenters, because, fuckit, they’ve made a fucking MINT on this administration. This world of sulfurous shit slouching towards Nuremberg does make certain people giddy and profitable after all.

As to small GOP donors, well, they don’t have much left to donate.

As votes go, on the other hand, the more they grope in public, the more I do the happy dance.

Hi mod my comment @7 should read speak instead of speech thank you and please can we get the edit function back?

“The president believes very strongly that, if we get out and take our message to voters, that we can be successful,” said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel.

What message is that? That the Republican Party is the party of arrogance and incompetence?

I believe the new slogan is “Kill. Destroy. Pacify.”

The Dollar is down about 30% to the Euro which it once was equal to. The DOW Jones average when adjusted for inflation keeps dropping below what it was before Bush took office.
And if you think Bush and Darth made a killing on oil compare Exxon’s stock price to Lefty Green company Vestas a Danish windmill company or any European green power company.
Damm Google won’t make charts for these companies so I can’t show a link.
I suggest looking up the price the day Bush got elected and the price today.
I would do it but without a Google chart people might accuse me of cherry picking with company links.
The Myth that Bush and Darth at least are making money needs to be put in perspective Big Oil, Haliburtron and KBR vs Green Power.
Lefties Win!

is it just me ???

Bush plans active campaign role for GOP

and then there is THIS in the first paragraph:

President Bush will help Republican John McCain raise money later this month in Arizona. Beyond that, the White House isn’t saying how much the two will campaign together.

one fucking appearance ???

that an “ACTIVE CAMPAIGN ROLE” ???

I’m lazy by nature, but I can’t compete with that …

I predict, the 2008 GOP Convention is going to be George Bush’s love note to himself.

Wanna bet? My guess is that he gets 5 minutes or does not appear at all.

yo

this is off-topic but, THAT’S a statesman

“Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support,”

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., endorsed Barack Obama for president

I really hate the idea that Milton Friedman and his Chicago school of Economics still is considered a good idea.
We need to bring back Keynes!
We cannot let GOP lies about how they understand business better than the Left go unchecked!
We need to present an alternative that not only is nicer, fairer, but makes more money I’m a firm believer in Games Theory if people work together and try and make sure everyone wins then people will work harder.
The Green Power vs big oil Hal and KBR debate on stocks seem to be supporting my idea.

Wanna bet? My guess is that he gets 5 minutes or does not appear at all.

yeah, I want some of that action

how much ???

btw, georgie really BELIEVES he’s popular

and with clown handlers like he has, why shouldn’t he ???

OT – lots of interesting hearings this week. here are a few of todays (details, links and the rest of the week’s list)

10 am – Senate Judiciary
To hold hearings to examine global internet freedom, focusing on corporate responsibility and the rule of law.

10 am – House Education and Labor
Workforce Protections Subcommittee
Hearing on “ICE Workplace Raids: Their Impact on U.S. Children, Families, and Communities”

10 am – House Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment
Oversight Hearing: Burma in the Aftermath of Cyclone Nargis: Death, Displacement, and Humanitarian Aid

10:30 am – Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Financial Speculation in Commodity Markets: Are Institutional Investors and Hedge Funds Contributing to Food and Energy Price Inflation?

11 am – Senate Appropriations
To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Defense.
Witnesses:
The Honorable Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense
Admiral Michael G. Mullen, USN, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

2 pm – House Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight
Oversight Hearing: City on the Hill or Prison on the Bay? The Mistakes of Guantanamo and the Decline of America’s Image, Part II

2:30 pm – Senate Judiciary
To hold hearings to examine protecting the constitutional right to vote for all Americans.

2:45 pm – Senate Foreign Relations
Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs Subcommittee To hold hearings to examine Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) challenge, focusing on securing one of the worlds most dangerous areas.

I’m betting that George Bush is like politically like Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction”, he will not be ignored. His speechifyin’ in the Knesset when McCain was trying to dominate the news that day is the latest piece of evidence.

Good morning!

Hey Waccamaw… sorry I missed you yesterday. You still around now?

Ladies and gentlemen, the Stalker-in-Chief

.

Perfectly put. I was thinking of W as a “cooler” like in a casino, but stalker… how much more sinister.

TPM’s montage on appeasement uproar re Bush/McCain:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..smemo.com/

It is a cathartically unflattering press montage. If it has been posted, forgive me. Alas, I have tried to stay abreast of the great articles and comments but falling hopelessly behind suddenly. So how do you swim in this wonderful lake and stay functioning? My bosses are beginning to glare as they walk by my computer and catch unflattering pix of Bush, McCain from you know where.

A day or two ago I suggested we take Obama’s crowd numbers and divide them by the population of the city he is in and that we do the same to McCain
now we can do the same to Bush and compare the size of his crowds in the same city.
I wonder if we could do the same for fundraising money?
McCain was raising X amount of cash before Bush volunteered to help much of it from Corporate donors.
Now we shall see how much Bush/McCain can raise against Obama starting now.
I’m guessing Bush/McCain will be still be smaller crowds and smaller cash than Obama.

We need Bush to talk more this way the GOP will have their hands full explaining McCain and Bush’s mistakes.

Hey, I’m not saying ANYTHING’s been win-win — and that the Green industry is The Wave that may save — just that it’s cause and effect: douchebag kleptocrat regime will still have some Brooks Brothers Mafia assbuckets write them checks outta their blood-soaked windfalls, not to mention their precious precious “death tax”-protected estates.

they ain’t all Warren Buffets. and some of em still think the middle east is our colony by dint of Jesus and the coming New Jerusalem.

not saying the Green industry ISN’T . . . etc. duh. sorry.

Obama should challenge McCain to see if McCain can get half he crowd Obama can in the South and the West.
After all if the GOP can’t beat Obama there then never mind loosing the Presidency, the GOP will loose the ability to filibuster in the Senate!
In other words we can run the table provided we get rid of Harry and Nancy.
hmmm When Harry met Nancy a tale of two people without spines who fell in love with the idea of ending the war…but were to chicken to actually do it

Good morning, pups. It’s that dull tool Bobo and Mr. Herbert today. Guess whose fault hunger in Africa will be? Bobo typed a thing called “Talking Versus Doing,” and he says Barack Obama’s vote for a recent farm bill may help him win Iowa, but it will lead to higher global food prices and more hunger in Africa. Mr. Herbert, unlike Bobo, says “Let’s Be Serious.” He says here is growing evidence that the election may yet be undermined by the wholesale trivialization of matters that are not just important, but extremely complex. Gee — ya think?

http://mgpaquin.wordpress.com/

The coffee, tea and hot chocolate are ready, and I’ve got a variety of bagels with lots of cream cheese this morning. Keep your fingers crossed for us — today’s the day we’re going to try to bring Hoover (the new kitty) into the household after his trip to the vet for neutering, shots, flea treatment, etc. Pay no attention to that howling sound, it’s only the Siamese, the Empress of all Creation, making her feelings clear.

Thanks, selise. Sounds like a good day ahead.

Glenn Close, Attatuk! I hope you’re right.

Hiya, Twin -

Present and accounted for…….went back for a short snooze since nobody seemed to be around for talkies that early.

So how do you swim in this wonderful lake and stay functioning? My bosses are beginning to glare as they walk by my computer and catch unflattering pix of Bush, McCain from you know where.

Retiring worked for me. *g* ‘Course, now I get quite a few complaints from people trying to call-in and the ‘puter is on dial-up the better part of the day.

Its kind of weird when the African American candidate for President can stand safely in front of a crowd of 75,000 and the two time *cough* winner of the Presidency won’t speech screech in front of an audience unless they are checked for Weapons and Loyalty.

@ 9 – IANAM (I am not a mod) but fixed it for you; works ever so much better than “speak”. ;-)

Sorry I didn’t want it to seem personal its just that even with mafia payments a 30% drop in the dollar is hard to get out from under.
Imagine how much money Bush could have made if he were honest,smart and worked hard on the economy and the stockmarket when adjusted for inflation had grown just 5% on average a year every year he hd been in office on average.
Instead of that Imagine Bush’s dad at the Carlyle group hedgefund a few months ago when that Carlyle Groups foreign subprime fund went under.
Bush’s base the economic elite bet at $30 to every $1 of collateral they had on subprimes!
They need a financial bailout from the taxpayers they created this mess!
I did use your comment as a springboard for everything I hate about Bush’s economic policy. I do not think you support Bush or believe in his economy.
again sorry

With this economy… I suspect I will have to give up the idea of retirement.

Though my last job was outsourced, so the horizon may come to me!

Glad to see you back.

I see 2pm in the House Gitmo to be discussed. Sounds like a meaty subject. Wonder if torture techniques will be honestly addressed.

Why do newspapers let people like bobo comment about anything when they are wrong so often.
If Bobo was at the lake we would have laughed him out of here by now.
Crazed Netroots ? Heck we are better than the MSM at predicting stuff! That and when wrong we admit it well after some argument of course.

I would rather have Bush hound McCain then bomb Iran to get his ego fix of attention. What does a lame president do…. during the lame duck period. He was already at the end of the dial.

You are a God/Goddess? of Snark!

“I predict, the 2008 GOP Convention is going to be George Bush’s love note to himself.”

Gawd, I hope he doesn’t start crying during his speech.

On second thought, maybe I do.

Bobo is a dull tool, but the one that really baffles me that they brought in was Kristol. He’s a dangerous lunatic. Who can’t get simple facts correct. I could also happily live without MoDo and La Collins. (Whom we also would have laughed out of the lake, or gotten them to straighted out and address issues. Both of them used to…)

The quality of the NYT has decreased. The decline can be closely tracked by the ascendency of the sultzbugger junior imho.

Good morning all.

Bobo is a tool, but at least he can manage to not outright lie in most of his columns. His subjective interpretation leaves a lot to be desired — but Kristol just flat out lies.

‘dess………been hangin’ around the punster too long; the Lake should appoint him Master of Quip. *G*

Kristol got nailed again by KO I remember when George Will seemed to be the only GOPer wrong about stuff now I can’t think of a MSM GOPer who I think is right about anything.
Didn’t any of them go to college and learn to research facts and read up on a subject?
Do they have any expertise in any field beyond journalism although Kathleen Parker and Judy Miller make me wonder about that.

Glenzilla had a few words to say about the bloody Kristol

In the short time since he was named an Op-Ed columnist at The New York Times, Bill Kristol has written a series of sloppy, error-plagued and incomparably hackish columns. He has already had to issue two factual corrections — including one for the very first column he wrote — and even his former comrades in war cheerleading, The New Republic Editors, said on Friday that Kristol’s columns are “[b]landly written, intellectually lazy, and — worst of all — hopelessly predictable,” and asked: “does Bill Kristol have to be this bad at it?”

if you haven’t read it, please do.

nah, no big, and good background how a lowering tide leaves MOST boats floundering around like dead fish.

Hey you took my best comment of the day and Snarked it better so you must be pretty good!

A lowering tide I like that phrase I may just borrow it sometime:)

And Good Morning!

Marion, a new kitteh?! congratulations!

I’d like to see that, hope it turns up on youTube

I said this yesterday in re Kristol but it bears repeating: How many farmers do you know who fail to raise any crops year in and year out?

And if you do, are they, in fact, still farmers?

Was just fortunate to be the right age when the powers that be decided my discipline wasn’t needed anymore. Spent an entire year keeping record of every cent spent (never claimed not to be an anal-retentive) to see if it was possible. “Who could have imagined” shrub would put the economy in the toilet and now am questioning whether there’s gonna be food in my old age. :-(

He has already had to issue two factual corrections — including one for the very first column he wrote

2 factual corrections already is he going for the record? Does William the Bloody have a bet going with Judy Miller and Jayson Blair about how bad a hack writer he can be for how long before getting fired?

hey, go nuts. actually, though, you better make that “dying fish.”

today’s the day we’re going to try to bring Hoover (the new kitty) into the household after his trip to the vet for neutering, shots, flea treatment, etc. Pay no attention to that howling sound, it’s only the Siamese, the Empress of all Creation, making her feelings clear.

pictures please?

I see 2pm in the House Gitmo to be discussed. Sounds like a meaty subject. Wonder if torture techniques will be honestly addressed.

Lotsa hearings on selise’s schedule today so who knows whether C-Span will record that one? Can’t watch on-line so am reduced to trying to catch a rerun on C-S 1 or 2; sometimes accounts for my weird sleep schedule.

Who isn’t waiting to exhale with this economy and future. Talk about living one day at a time. I run more A.D.D. in coping or rather responding. Could use some anal retentiveness. I never even caught the economic wave of the 80s. Still waiting for that damn wave.

Good News Morning pups,

Don’t know if this news has graced the threads yet, but scandal-scarred Vito Fossella(R-NY13) to announce today that he will not seek another term. A DWI arrest (May 1) and his subsequent admission that he had a three year old daughter as a result of an ongoing extramarital affair with retired Air Force Col. Laura Fay probably helped him make up his mind.

Staten Island and Brooklyn factions to slug it out for his seat. Stephen Harrison of Staten Island (act blue) has the backing of Peace Action Staten Island and ran a close race (46%) against Fossella last time out.

Good morning.

I learned from the book: They Knew They Were Right, about the neocons, why there’s no R party anymore. Mostly the book (which is quite informative) describes all the institutions and connections (incredible family ties, including intermarriage) among the neocons. But toward the end of the book, the author says that there are few traditional Rs left because they never developed and mentored the next generation (unlike the neocons, where the next generation reveres the older one). Thus there aren’t and old-style Rs left, which is why McCain must stick with W. That’s all there is.

If that hypothesis is correct, it will be a long, long time before the Rs get out of the shadow of the neocons.

Yeah, but who knew Frank Rich would be a far better political writer than a drama critic?

And if you do, are they, in fact, still farmers?

Hmmm to be a farmer you must grow crops or raise animals failure means that you tried to a farmer but for whatever reason it or you didn’t work out as a farmer.
William the Bloody though really does not seem to be trying although the Times is still paying him for writing but with writing of such quality any payment the Times makes to him must honestly be called Charity!

Mornin’ All,

Marion – as always, thank you for reading Bobo so we don’t have to –

new kitteh – we can has pictures ?

in addition to Miguelito and Dora, mr cbl and I have both been feeding this poor stray tom hoping the other wouldn’t find out – he’s been eating double for 2 weeks – lol

but mccain has no choice

like it or not, chimp can still raise money, he is still the poster boy for the nec cons and they cannot say no to his demand request for moeny

and mccain cannot raise money without both the neo cons and bush, nobody else wants him to win

investing contributing to a campaign is an investment that they expect dividends

but nobody thinks mccain can win and nobody thinks there will be dividends

except the neo cons

c-span has an audio only online feed that supposed to be for dialup listeners. can you use that?

New kitteh is about 8 or 9 months old (ballpark guesstimate) and solid pigeon gray with golden eyes. As soon as he’s settled in I’ll see what I can do about pix. He’s a real sweetie. And don’t worry about his name, Hoover. He’s not named for the president… we’ve seen him eat!

good to know. thanks. my tv blew so it is restful but miss CSpan moments.

Oh I have no problem with Frank

*handing ll a large container of A-R (plenty more where that came from) with instructions, “Use in moderation”*

Keep meaning to give that a try….thanks for the reminder!

Do the Neocons really believe McCain can win?…. Well OK they still think Bush can win in Iraq. But just how removed from reality are they?

Best laugh I’ve had all week.

St. Francis: “Nothing to excess. Including moderation.”

On Washington Journal now
defense deputy assistant for detainne affairs who was canned after spoke out against those law firms that were defending the detainees now on wingnut welfare at the Heritage Foundation.

no, I don’t think they think mccain can win a legitimate contest

but I think they are told the fix is in and he will win

Home Depot that company Mitt Romney’s hedgefund Bain Capital bought just had a 66% drop in first quarter profit.
Note to self if a GOPer with a hedgefund buys a company I must sell.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080520…..depot.html

Yep…yelling at a cloud. This should be McCrazy’s campaign slogan!

ok, here we have it, I have been saying they are going to have some kind of “catastrophe” before bush leaves office so he doesn’t leave office and here it is staring us in the face

think progress

US President George W. Bush intends to attack Iran in the upcoming months, before the end of his term, Army Radio quoted a senior official in Jerusalem as saying Tuesday

hold on to hats, martial law about to be declared

me been warning this for some time now, here it comes

libby liberal – welcome.
glad to see you taking in the healing waters of the lake. I have never had the misfortune of having to read along from a cube at work – if I did, I would invest in one of these. I would of course spend about a week beforehand complaining about ‘that horrible glare’, (cough cough) before I installed it :D

off to work, will read how everyone thinks they can’t do it when I return

ps

there were patriots that revealed the plan to attack Iraq before we did it and we turned a blind eye

there are patriots right now trying to get the word out so we stop these madmen before it happens

we will go down the same path, cheney and bush are sociopaths, they overthrew our government in a silent coup aided with men in black and they do not intend on releasing the reigns of power they have taken in their overthrow

hold on to hats, martial law about to be declared

me been warning this for some time now, here it comes

and they’ll know where to look for you, see Main Core by emptywheel

I look forward to the big campaign event on the aircraft carrier, with McCain standing next to Bush in their flight jackets under the sign, Mission Accomplished.

McCain is going to choose Cheney for Vice President. Apparently, he wants to have someone younger than him on the ticket.

Any fix will drop the market like a stone nobody likes investing in places where a democracy is being overthrown. That and every Liberal will be selling at the same time either to buy guns and or leave.
Bush wold have to freeze our bank accounts to prevent a run on the market, banks, hedgefunds, etc foreigners trying to pull their money would also be unable to sell.
Which means that no new money would go into the US not even China or Japan would buy our T-Bills then if they can’t redeem them and without new T-bills being bought as the old ones come due and even more T-bills being bought to cover our new debt then the Dollar will really fall!
I’m not arguing that Bush won’t do it. I’m just saying it would be very stupid.

also – for audio only feeds… most of the senate hearing rooms have an audio feed (although they sometimes are working and sometimes not). so, if you want to listen to a hearing that isn’t on c-span and can’t watch the video webcast the audio room feed is something else to try.

i made a webpage that has the links to all (i think) of them. you’ll have to check the hearing website first to find out what room it is in though (and i haven’t found anything similar for house committee hearings).

most eXcellent resource page selise, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Have you met AltheSpook he does have some interesting sources on topics like this? Texas Betsy knows how to get in touch with him.

Sounds like a plan.

But now… the emotional addiction … what to do about that? Glued to the latest “fresh hell” report from the witty and sharp fire dogs.

Why are these people interrupting me … the corporate infidels. Oooops. Lucky to have a job… keep repeating that mantra.

Easy to see why he was a bush appointee.

This jumps my upcoming, cynical snark-driven post going up in a few minutes, but this is not funny:

US President George W. Bush intends to attack Iran in the upcoming months, before the end of his term, Army Radio quoted a senior official in Jerusalem as saying Tuesday.

The official claimed that a senior member of the president’s entourage, which concluded a trip to Israel last week, said during a closed meeting that Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were of the opinion that military action was called for.

However, the official continued, “the hesitancy of Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice” was preventing the administration from deciding to launch such an attack on the Islamic Republic, for the time being.

i wonder if someone will ask gates about that in today’s hearing?

88 comments now and not one Digg for me?

I feel quite unloved.

…and cheapened in asking.

Has anyone here seen the cartoon Invader Zim? Zim reminds me of Darth and the Neocons Zim’s defective robot GRRR reminds me of Bush only innocent and smarter.

Dana Millbank on npr joked about how empty the press room was and that Bush would be ignored heretofore, unless he bombed Iran. whaaaaa????? He actually vertbalized that … half joking?

Biden said if he went near Iran he would call for impeachment. Conyers promised the same thing.

And baby Bush, tell the baby not to touch that…. authority figure issues, etc.

i confess i’ve never been the first to digg a post – i never know what to write in the little description box. but if someone else will do the honors, i am happy to pile on.

This is serious? Not Snark? Well what are the Spinless Dems going to do or do I start withdrawing money and checking out Canada?

i’m sorry elliott, i thought you knew about that one already. i always forget who i’ve told what to.

I’m a fan of Attaturk! (HuffPo speak) Don’t know how to digg!!!

He actually vertbalized that … half joking?

Says it all about the state of journalism in this country. *gag* *retch* *spit*

digg it here
then new post upstairs

Yeah, it was kind of an amusing story… about how Bush was off meeting up with a Dog show winner, and the assistant to the assistant of the Press Sec was addressing the empty chairs in the press room and his party crack was that about bombing Iran…. like a dare. Remember Mailer calling daddy Bush a wimp?

Chin up Attaturk. Ya don’t want me submitting, I’ll only mess it up.
The Lurker Union diggs ya the most. Land of No Toobz is only time I can’t digg ya.

There is a VERY sarcastic post above on the USSR vs. Iran

yes VERY. one of your best

Yes, kind of like the way LBJ kept Hubert Humphrey’s balls in his pocket to the very end of the 1968 election.

the massive George Bush ego.

To suggest an au contraire, Ellen Ladowsky in her episode with Rob Long on bloggingheads,, “Neuroses, Psychoses, and Politics”, argues that Bush has very little ego and gives no feces for his ‘legacy’.
She says “He’s evil”. Then she says it again. “He’s evil”.
Very matter-of-fact. Simple professional judgment (of a sort uncommon among psychotherapists).

Fresh anxiety over what he’s capable of doing. Apocalypse, anyone? As I understand it, he’s cool with that.

A year or so ago, someone made this clever video about the Rethugs including McCain to the tune of Abba’s “Waterloo”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSuhuopoLiI

Anyone find it hilarious that Bush has to help McBush raise funds in Arizona?

If McBush needs help in his own backyard, it’s too late for him to click his heels three times and say, “There’s no one like Bush, there’s no one like Bush, there’s no one like Bush.” Arizona might also be the one place that McBush can be seen publicly with his clone and not worry he’ll lose so much money and so many votes he loses the state. Which has me wondering, did McBush ask for the visit, or is it the only gig Bush could get.