Bush apologizes to vision-impaired reporter

[Thor_MN]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/14/bush.apology.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush, who often teases members of the White House press corps, apologized Wednesday after he poked fun at a reporter for wearing sunglasses without realizing they were needed for vision loss.

Bush called on Los Angeles Times reporter Peter Wallsten and asked if he was going to ask his question with his "shades" on.

"For the viewers, there's no sun," Bush said to the television cameras.

Classless. Clueless. Dumbass.

The reporter has a form of macular degeneration

[mucifer]

1. sorry can't get worked up about this story.

It was a mistake.

Now starting a war on a pack of lies. There's something to get angry about!

[sweetheart]

5. Agreed

If we're honest, many of uz could have made the same mistake.

I loathe bush for his bakcers, for cheney, for his crimes and so many serious
and substantive crimes that to make a deal out of a mistake diminishes the seriousness
of why he's REALLY got to go.

He's got to go, pronto, and his whole party with him; for the real reasons.

[journalist3072]

9. Co-sign

This is nothing for us to make an issue out of.

I'm sure Bush feels bad about it.

[Divine Discontent]

21. Bush mocks to TV audience about blind reporter wearing glasses

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/14/bush.apology.ap/index.html

"I'm sure Bush feels bad about it."

HUH?

Yeah, he was told to apologize to not have it turn into a huge issue with his big 2% bounce being a welcome sign for their troubled administration.

Sounds like you're saying the man that had no problem lying to go to war (of all things) - guaranteeing the deaths of Americans over false intel - has a sensitive side? Adults who are mature know that people who wear shades inside are very well likely blind or near blind, so why take the chance as the President and being on TV and making fun of him?

Remember, this is the guy who stayed on VACATION and ate cake, played guitar, and went to a country club, while all those people drowned to death, or died from exhaustion, heat, or medical needs during the 5 days after Katrina. I don't think he really gives a shit about making fun of a blind guy's sunglasses for laughs into the camera, even if he didn't know he was blind, which I'm sure his little brain didn't think could be possible.

You're giving him too much credit for being a nice guy. I think he's a complete jerk that makes fun of people's differences every chance his little brain gets to.


www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable

[goclark]

54. I agree

[Divine Discontent]

64. thank you very much nice to know someone supports that he is a jerk.

this is the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES... once again proving, it's nice to put someone in there who has a BRAIN (not that any of us are at fault, but stating that he's a jerk)



www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable <--- Top Anti-Bush, Pro-Dem 06 08 stickers & shirts!

[Kailassa]

56. Huh? As if ....

Only a little fuctard bully with protecters to hide behind claims it's funny to be constantly personally insulting people.

Could you see Clinton or Kerry ever behaving that way?

Or getting away with it?

[Radio_Lady]

63. I fell into a similar situation one day on the radio -- a man called in

and his voice sounded very monotone. I said, "You sound like a machine -- what's with that sound?" and then I laughed and laughed.

He explained to me that he had had a laryngectomy because of cancer.

Boy, did I feel STOOPID!

Glad I didn't do this in the national spotlight.

In peace,

Radio_Lady

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[daleo]

28. There were no chemical "weps" found

Show us the money.

Damn near every thing was a lie.

[ronnie624]

31. Chemical "weps" were found?

LOL. Please open a discussion thread detailing the nature of these "weps".

[UpInArms]

33. oops! your faux is showing!

[saigon68]

35. Enjoy your stay

[fasttense]

37. You really have no clue do you Tanam? Just keep spouting

those talking points, don't bother with the facts and the truth. Maybe you'll sound intelligent. :sarcasm:

[LostinVA]

38. What a nice early morning giggle

Hey, do you know what glass is?

[MaineDem]

39. Prove it! n/t

[goddess40]

42. It's his "regal" attittude that bothers me - not the content

He was being dismissive of this guy - how dare you where sunglasses in my presence, not the mistake of not knowing the reporters condition. It was the attitude and the delivery of the "message" not the content.

[Supersedeas]

60. another example of misplaced arrogance--as if he is keeping the viewers

ahead of the Washington Press.

[mwb970]

44. Did you actually see and hear the exchange?

It's not so much that he made a mistake - Lord knows, he does that every day. It was the arrogant, prickish, I'm-so-clever way he made a lame, unnecessary dig at a person he doesn't even know. Was he trying to be "funny" or "cute"? Must be more of that famous right-wing humor.

Bush is an insufferable jerk, and every single thing he says and does shows it. Including this.

[Jawja]

52. he was trying to be funny in

his usual jerkass way.

[warrens]

46. Not just a mistake

A stupid, mean-spirited attempt at humor. Smirky's jokes always have a nasty edge to them.

[theboss]

53. So do mine

So, it's hard for me to get worked up about this.

[yellowcanine]

49. I would agree except it reveals the Bush bullying mindset. What other

president would have been thoughtless enough to talk about someone's sun glasses? Anyone who has any clue at all knows that an adult wearing sun glasses has a good reason. But someone with a frat boy bullying mentality might not think of that. So it is relevant and worth talking about. If he had said "I apologize, I can be a real jerk sometimes, and this was one." maybe I could accept it.

[silvermachine]

50. Have you seen the clip....

...it says it all about Bush really. I understand your point to some degree but this really captures the essence of the man in microcosm. He has one decent week out of the last 6 years of failure and he's back in cowboy mode, of course following his fake humility act of the past month.

[mike923]

51. How upset was the reporter?

I guess i can't get too upset, if the reporter wasn't.

[Blaq Dem]

55. Remember when Bush waved to Stevie Wonder?

Bush is an idiot. Plain and simple.

[shanti]

61. exactly!

i just remembered that too. this wasn't a "mistake", it was bullying. to quote *, "fool me once, won't get fooled again"! :rofl:

[Nickster]

2. I'm surprised that he apologized. I thought he'd send out the Swifties

to claim that the reporter actually has perfect eyesight and have several opthamalogists to claim that they treated the reporter and his eyesight is perfect.

[NYCGirl]

3. This is the first time I've ever used this phrase: Bush did the right

thing. He was right to apologize — he probably should do it more often, since he's often an insensitive boor.

[VegasWolf]

17. LOL. Agree with both your points. nt

[Thickasabrick]

4. At least he called him to apologize.....chimpy must have people

reading the blogs

He said, `I needle you guys out of affection,"' Wallsten said. "I said, 'I understand that, but I don't want you to treat me any differently because of this."'

Wallsten said the president said he would not treat him differently, so Wallsten encouraged him to "needle away."

"He said, `I will. Next time I'll just use a different needle,"' Wallsten said.

Wallsten said he thought that was a pretty good line. And his only complaint is that the president didn't answer his question at the news conference.

That was pretty funny for the chimp - wonder if he got the guy's cell phone number from NSA?

Wallsten seems like a really cool guy...I need to start reading the LA Times more

[no_hypocrisy]

15. You kidding? His mother made him do it, if not Laura. n/t

[spacelady]

24. Can you please point out the apology? I cannot find it. n/t

[Thickasabrick]

32. It's midway down in the article....I pasted the relevant part below

Wallsten said Bush called his cell phone later in the day to apologize and tell him that he didn't know he had the disease.

Wallsten said he interrupted and told the president that no apology was necessary and that he didn't feel offended since he hadn't told anyone at the White House about his condition.

[MaineDem]

40. I still think the White House should have known

But this President is an ignorant fool. The "joking" with the press corps is mean-spirited and belittling to the reporters.

[qanda]

6. I guess it was an honest mistake

But Bush really shouldn't be joking around with the reporters, they have a serious job to do.

[Thickasabrick]

7. But if he didn't joke around with reporters....Jon Stewart wouldn't

have that stupid laugh to imitate....hehehe.

[qanda]

8. LOL

You have a point.

[Orsino]

11. I don't know the context...

...but * is insecure enough to be petulant about being addressed as "Mr. President." I can't help but suspect that in this case he thought he was enforcing decorum.

This he apologizes for? This? He cheapens the very concept of apology.

[buff2]

16. Someone else had to have told him to apologize

That arrogant bastard wouldn't do it on his own.......he thinks he's far above that. :puke:

[Orsino]

18. I don't doubt it...

...but as noted, it's not the sort of thing any President would have known.

I believe that a Gore, Clinton or Kerry wouldn't have fallen back on such banal banter, and would have at least had the sense not to make fun of the only guy in the room in shades.

[laundry_queen]

25. This is what I was thinking.

He wasn't 'joking' around, I think he was using sarcasm as a way of saying, "How dare you address me with those things on, dont' you know who I am?" He only apologized because he realized he was mistaken for the reason for the sunglasses, not because he's sorry for what he said.

[aaronbees]

30. Bingo...

It's a way to control and intimidate the press corps. That's why Bush "jokes" with reporters. It's very subtle but sick.

[qanda]

29. I just watched it on The Daily Show

And Bush actually had a scowl on his face when he said it. I'm thinking that he really was upset at first that the guy had on sunglasses.

[Erika]

10. He is too glib and silly for his or anyone else's good

But he did do the right thing to apologize.

[NoodleyAppendage]

12. Honest mistake...magnified by King Chimp's general assholishness.

There wouldn't have even been an opportunity for a honest mistake if Chimp didn't treat reporters with such distain and unnecessary towel-snapping bullshit.

J

[shanti]

62. it wasn't a mistake

he did it before with stevie wonder.

[buff2]

13. How much more stupid and insensitive can that jerk get?

God almighty....I've never in my life seen anyone insult people as much as he does and then plays it off like it was all in good fun. He is a creep with a huge case of FOOT IN MOUTH disease. I can't watch him......it's like watching a bad accident with gruesome results. He is a huge embarrassment to this country. I can't wait until that bastard is gone.

[Magleetis]

14. I guess

Booshs' best week is continuing. We get this puff piece to make him seem human and sensitive. Someone is working overtime to change his image before the elections. Its all a charade.

[Divine Discontent]

19. it shows his incompetence

I think someone of his stature would know from going around the world that there are people who wear shades who are blind or nearly blind because they don't want their eyes seen, or bright light bothers them, and for the President to say to the cameras "there's no sun in here" or whatever shows all he can ever do is try and make people laugh, which he is sometimes good at, but further shows his inability to answer tough questions...

he sucks.

[Lefty48197]

20. I wouldn't be surprised if President DipSh*t called him "blinky"

he always has a stupid nickname that puts people down. It's his way of overcompensating for his many shortcomings.

[theguvnorgc]

23. hardly a blip on the radar...

On the endless list of this evil dullards' list of deadly sins.

[spacelady]

26. This is playing like Clinton's expensive hair cut for all the

"honest mistake" explanations, except for the fact that *smirk* made fun of someone who was wearing a MEDICALLY NECESSARY device much in the same way of a wheelchair, hearing aid, etc.., So NO, not giving a pass on this; it should be the straw that breaks the camel's back - this fool must not be in charge anymore!!

[dflprincess]

27. I was amazed when they actually showed the clip of Bush

doing this on NBC news.

[MaineDem]

41. Countdown AND Scarborough both showed it (n/t)

[PlanetBev]

34. Remember now...

We're talking about the same idiot who waved at Stevie Wonder at a honors dinner.

[OneBlueSky]

36. right up there with "Oh, do you have blacks, too?" . . .

asked of the president of Brazil soon after Bush stole the presidency the first time . . .

[ckramer]

43. He invaded Iraq with the same attitude

The arrogant man never learn.

[Neecy]

45. huh

Notice how carefully CNN worded this story?

Bush mocked and belittled a blind guy but CNN tells us this:

President Bush, who often teases members of the White House press corps, apologized Wednesday after he poked fun at a reporter for wearing sunglasses without realizing they were needed for vision loss.

Note that his semi-angry mocking is now changed to "teases" and "poked fun". A man who is legally blind now has this softened to "vision loss".

How nice of CNN to clean up Bush's shit time and time again.

[opihimoimoi]

47. Bush covers his negative arrogant ass with a fake apology to spin it into

a Positive.

If he was enjoying 75% approval...no apology would have come.

[yellowcanine]

48. Classic bully tactics. Bush calls it "needling" but it is the behavior of

a bully. Pick on someone who is different to rally support from other people against the person who is different. And the White House Press Corps goes along with it instead of calling him on it. Was there not ONE reporter there who knew the reason Wallsten wears dark glasses and had the balls to say - "Hey wait a minute, that is over the line, Mr. President."

[Judi Lynn]

57. It only reinforced his "power" when they refused to stand up for the guy.

It proved the ones who swallowed their tongues, or looked into space while the bastard verbally spit on the man are more than happy to throw anyone under the bus as long as they are able to maintain their access.

Despicable.

[fshrink]

58. The Idiot probably took the shades as a sign of disrespect.

The little man is, rightfully, suspicious.

[Jazz2006]

59. Yep.

Quite rightfully suspicious ~ ~ ~ ~

:rofl: