Bush targets himself and those elusive weapons of mass destruction at dinn

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/03/24/national0016EST0401.DTL

President Bush poked fun at his staff, his Democratic challenger and himself Wednesday night at a black-tie dinner where he hobnobbed with the news media.

Bush put on a slide show, calling it the "White House Election-Year Album" at the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association 60th annual dinner, showing himself and his staff in some decidedly unflattering poses.

There was Bush looking under furniture in a fruitless, frustrating search. "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere," he said.

There was Vice President Dick Cheney, a frequent butt of gentle Bush ribbing, holding his fingers a few inches apart. Bush said, "Whenever you ask him a question, he replies, 'Let's see what my little friend says."'

[PartyPooper]

1. It's so nice to see Junior joking about WMD when thousands died!

:evilfrown:

[pinniped]

3. My post exactly...

Heartless Omen child bastard.

[rocktivity]

48. Especially now, when it looks like he LIED about the WMDs to begin with.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Enraged_Ape]

2. Dead American soldiers are always good for a million yuks...

when you're a fucking Republican assclown.

[daleo]

4. Only a psychopath could act like this

To joke about the justification of a war that killed thousands and maimed tens of thousands being wrong, or a lie, it beggars belief.

[benfranklin1776]

28. He is indeed the Narcissus of our age.

It is always all about him you see. This is yet another example of how in Junior's worldview everything and everyone apparently exists for his benefit and, thus, an illegal war launched on phony pretenses is merely an excuse for an exercise in jocularity designed to make him look like a "good ol boy." He sees absolutely no problem with trivializing a costly travesty to earn some cheap amusement points, even though many people have died as a result of being sent on the REAL weapons hunting activity, which was of course not done in the comfort and security of the White House. Of course the coffins of the people who died in Mr. Bush's phantom WMD "snipe hunt" were not shown. To them it was a deadly serious matter not a cheap dinner joke.

[JohnyCanuck]

29. And what's telling as well

The media whore SOB's all had a good belly laugh at the dead peoples' expense. FUCK THE LOT OF THEM. MAY THEY ALL ROT IN HELL.

[benfranklin1776]

31. I agree, that is appalling as hell.

So the media licked his boots and had a good belly laugh at the expense of the dead. That is the depths to which the self appointed ruling class and its craven, glory seeking enablers have sunk.

[SammyWinstonJack]

40. Makes ya proud to be an 'Murikan don't it?

:-(

[icymist]

5. He really thinks the Iraq war is all fun and games!

And what's that little quip about Cheney's 'little friend'? Is Chimpy trying to suggest that he thinks with his dick? What a bunch of arrogant, pompous dopes!

[buycitgo]

21. war is HELL!

pass the icetray, dickie!

[allalone]

6. that jerk

I can't believe anyone can be so callous. The families of the dead must be beside themselves with anger. It's hard for me to type when I really want to scream. Oh, he's a laugh riot already.

[SammyWinstonJack]

41. Yep! Mr. Trifecta is a laugh riot!

I can't think of one single person I loathe more than bush* :mad: :grr:

[truthisfreedom]

7. lighthearted about 568 US deaths, over 10,000 civilian casualties

hundreds of billions of dollars of our treasury blown sky-high. ok, now i understand how these people raped the corporations they set up as scams to rip off investors... and manipulated enormous corporations like haliburton to the tune of billions, and played "i wanna be president" with kenny-boy lay.

they just don't care about anything. they are total sociopaths.

[Demonaut]

8. Thats My Bush, art imitates reality...reality imitates art

art like a Madonna made of feces

[TheWatcher]

9. This man should be tried and convicted of Treason

To him all of this death and destruction is just one big joke.

After reading things like this, it doesn't really matter of we win this election or not. If we do not do something about what has transpired over the past three years, if this country does not wake up and hold these bastards accountable for what they have done, then we still have no future as a country. The criminals will go running back onto the walls like cockraches like they did in 1992, waiting for their moment to come out and try again.

They are NEVER going to gove up unless they are stopped.

This particular criminal element has to be dealt with once and for all.

If people think a single Democratic victory in an election is going ot solve all of this, they are naive and not paynig attention.

This country has lost it's way. It has no hope of finding it again if we do not deal with these people, and make sure they are NEVER able to rise to power again.

The past few days have given me hope, but until Bush and his cabal are put before an Internation Court and held accountable for being the murderers and traitors they are, instead of being allowed to pross around like this like ignorant trailer trash and make light of all the Death and Destruction they have caused, we will never be rid of the Neo-Cons, and we will never get our country back.

Even if we do win the election, do you really think poeple like this are going to give up peacefully?

These people think they can get away with ANYTHING, and they have shown the willingness to do ANYTHING to achieve their agenda.

For God's Sake, a former AIDE, a REPUBLICAN, someone who could be considered a CONSERVATIVE ALLY all but lent credence to LIHOP today in his testimony.

They FAILED to protect this country, they USED a tragedy and politicized it for POLITICAL GAIN, to ATTACK a DEFENSLESS country based on LIES. The WRECKED our ECONOMY, we are far less safe than we were or have EVER been in HISTORY. They have held this country hostage and isolated us from the rest of the World and created and established us as a ROGUE NATION. They have interfered with DEMOCRATICALY ELECTED GOVERNMENTS around the globe for intents and purposes that have NOTHING to do with the INTERESTS of the PEOPLE of this country.

And the list goes on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on.

America is at a crossroads and we must decide what time peiod we are in.

Is it the New Millenium or is it 1939?

We are running out of time.

Nixon was CHRIST compared to this Man and his bunch of Neanderthals.

[Demonaut]

10. good post................imagine bush being held like milosovic

before a court.........now I can sleep tonite

[calimary]

33. Okay, folks - you know what to do! CALL!

I called this morning to several offices, including my three (Feinstein, Boxer and Henry Waxman-the-Righteous). I called Chuck Hagel's office. The staffer who answered spent quite a bit of time with me and seemed sincerely appreciative. Reason is: I saw him on "Larry King" last night - a truly kick-ass program, with Richard Clarke and a panel, afterwards, that included Hagel, Joe Biden, Newsweek's Michael Issikoff (the one who was all over Monica-gate)and Judith Miller of the NY Times (the apologist mouthpiece for Ahmed Chalabi). EVERY ONE OF THEM ON THE PANEL, including Hagel, really above all, was on the side of The Light. Hagel was, actually, rather UNrepublican. Never once tried to blame Clinton, or Clinton's dick, didn't try to make excuses for CON-job Rice OR cover up for bush, and voiced what seemed like pretty sincere and realistic concern for what has happened. NOT ONE OF THEM found anything bad to say or any holes to punch in Clarke's story. NOT ONE. Even the two reporters had nothing to criticize, and in fact spoke a couple of times each about how Clarke is spot-on, or made some really strong points, or said what needed to be said, or was backed up by what they've heard from others (like Paul O'Neill). NOBODY, NOT ONE OF THEM, even Biden, for heaven's sakes, challenged Clarke's credibility. Hagel certainly did not. I called his office this morning and told them that I wished Tom DeLay and Orrin Hatch and Rick Santorum and the rest of that sorry bunch could take a lesson from Hagel, and if more of them were like him, maybe we could get to the bottom of this. Hagel acted like one of the adults these schmucks all said were "back in charge" at the beginning of 2001.

I URGE everybody here who can - to CALL THEIR CONGRESS-CRITTER! SOMEBODY. ANYBODY! Use the info in my sig line. You can do it for free. PLEASE! The staffers in these offices say they're really hearing about it. Lots of calls. These 9/11 hearings are hitting home. For the FIRST TIME since this horrid regime took over, I'm actually optimistic. I see a light at the end of the tunnel, and the light is not faint or distant, either. I think this is it, folks, barring the unforeseen. I am hoping and praying that it is. These people need to be NOT JUST under oath, but UNDER INDICTMENT. But we have to keep this fire stoked. And there's NO chance these people will be dragged to justice or held accountable for their misdeeds and inactions, if we don't.

Folks, the folks in Congress are REALLY paying attention now. They've been forced to. The staffer in Hagel's office indicated that she certainly felt that republicans are in trouble. When I said, somewhat gently, that I appreciated Hagel's not trying to blame the Dems or Clinton, and it's too late to do that anyway because Clinton's been gone for several years now and the republi-CONS have been in the majority and have been in charge and it's THEIR DOING AND IT'S ON THEIR HEADS, this staffer did NOT disagree with me. I've had enough experience with calling these offices, even in the enemy camp, and getting excuses, arguments, passing-the-buck, bush-is-God and Dems-suck crap from these people. And, at least in Hagel's office, there wasn't ANY of that. I think some of 'em are starting to see handwriting on a wall or two. Now, we just have to drive this ALL THE WAY HOME. They're closer and closer to on-the-ropes.

Let's not assume it's a done deal and go take a break so they can regroup.

PLEASE - now MORE THAN EVER - CALL YOUR CONGRESS-CRITTER. CALL THE MEDIA! DO IT. DO IT FOR YOUR COUNTRY.

[Skittles]

11. so he thinks it's funny

arrogant f***ing a**hole

[Demonaut]

12. Dude, its" fucking asshole" no more pulling punches

we need to fight at all levels

[Skittles]

13. I am not a dude

and I temper my cussing for the benefit of those not used to reading such language. We all know what it means and I still get my point accross; it is simply my style.

[Demonaut]

14. stand corrected, dudette..........doesnt sound right though

[truthisfreedom]

16. i for one agree that we all should post using our own style and identity

and at the same time, i would hope that Demonaut was trying to make a point without purposefully being offensive.

i guess Demonaut wants to say what seems obvoius about bushco... they NEVER pull punches.

that being said, i'm so happy that people of all sorts get together on this board often sharing a common objective and a common party, the DEMOCRATIC party. woohoo!

bush is toast!

[Demonaut]

19. To those children who I offended with my post I'm sorry and...............

Do you know what time it IS??...get to BED! thanks truthisfreedom, brusque is usually my style

[Skittles]

26. LOL

catch me on an extreme rant one day, when I slip and do not use ***. It's rare but it happens. :D

[Demonaut]

45. I'm glad you didnt feel insulted, I like most here really really dislike

this whole administration and I'm so sick of being the "nice" guy/girl, its the nature of liberals to be forgiving and understanding but that same nature also makes us appear weak and undecided to those who would take advantage, and take advantage the RW has, what a friggen joke this pResident has been, what a liar and what a divider.

[Skittles]

66. we certainly agree there

I've said it before - I'm through being courteous to people who are actively trashing my future. As far as I am concerned, the gloves are OFF.

[calimary]

34. Even so, we can't get complacent. ESPECIALLY not now.

Folks, I think the tide is turning.

Uh, by the way - notice any polls lately? Any at all? It's THURSDAY now. This all really jump-started with last Sunday's "60 Minutes." By now, under ordinary circumstances, we'd have some quick polling data coming out. There has been plenty of time to react, and to gather that react.

I am DYING to see the next poll numbers.

[TheWatcher]

17. You Kick Ass Skittles :)

It is your spirit and those like you that keep me going every day. This is one of the ONLY places you can come to escape Bizarro World.

But no matter how you spell it, I think we are all in Solidarity on this one.

Bush has got to go.

Life is not a Game, and we are all going to lose if he stays in Power.

[Skittles]

27. I agree, Watcher

thank you; I see DU as my sanctuary too and believe me, living in north Texas I certainly need it!!! :hi:

[calimary]

35. Hey Skittles - some appreciation here from Southern California!

Actually, I appreciate you ALL, but I SO, WAY agree with you. DU is MY sanctuary, too, because even here in Henry Waxman country, there are still some knuckle-draggers. I actually see an occasional "bush/cheney" bumper sticker out there - but a LOT more of Dennis Kucinich, and a few more Kerry ones, too, as time goes on (I still have my Dean sticker in my car window, but I sent for a Kerry one earlier this week).

Blessings to you all. From one who scarcely ever pulls her punches anymore. I remember posting one time that since I was a Catholic, I felt only God had the authority to say "damn bush." So I hesitated, myself. I eventually got over that...

[Skittles]

55. HOWDY CALIMARY

:hi:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

20. I'm kinda disappointed that you didn't do it in all caps

[Skittles]

25. WHOA!!!

why DIDN'T I ??? :7

[Emillereid]

15. This guy is sick --

hundreds of our soldiers dead, thousands wounded and 10s of thousands of Iraqis dead or maimed and a country and culture destroyed and this idiot jokes about it. God help us all to wake up from this nightmare!

[jeanmarc]

18. Trifecta Tour 2004!!!!

That's a fucking riot! He also did a stupid queer eye for the straight guy joke at the expense of Dick Cheney.

This dummy is the same guy that even a Carlyle group member found distasteful and useless.

[Exultant Democracy]

22. Makes me want to puke.

At one point they moved the camera over to Holy Joe who was also having a good laugh at the WMD jokes.
Fuck you Bush, and fuck you too Joe.

[RamboLiberal]

23. When's Holy Joe going to team up with Zell

to promote this "war pResident"? I'm as sick of him as I am of Zell.

[Athame]

24. Lucky me, I (*) hit the Trifecta...

Now, watch this drive...

and the big question is: Did all those correspondents laugh and enjoy this? :puke:

[smirkymonkey]

30. I saw it this morning on NY1 and I thought

that I might not be quite awake yet because I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. That smirk on his face while he was joking about the WMD's and then saying "Nope, not under here either" made me sick to my stomach.

The thing that was even sicker was that his audience was laughing uproariously (unless it was a laugh track) but how f**ing SICK. People are dying every day, and this monkey's ass has the nerve to joke about it at a publicly broadcast forum!! They have no shame and no remorse. I can barely get my mind around that fact.

[calimary]

36. Watch caesar fiddle while Rome burns. The 2004 version.

Call your Congress-critter. Fight back HARD! Stand up for Richard Clarke. Send some money, if you can, to John Kerry. Make bush laugh all the way back to Crawford, permanently. If not, more appropriately, to a penitentiary somewhere. Or to The Hague.

[Dr Fate]

32. Joke all you want, it does not turn your lies into facts. n/t

n/t

[54anickel]

37. WTF is this part about? Am I reading this wrong? Did I miss this in the

news?

His slide show segued into a somber ending, showing a group of special forces troops in Afghanistan at the site where they buried a piece of the fallen World Trade Center in commemoration of the dead from Sept. 11.

Did the US actually bury a piece of the WTC in Afghanistan? If so exactly HOW does this commemorate the dead from 9-11?

[NeoConsSuck]

38. I wish he would have told the WMD joke

in front of the 10,000 families who lost loved ones in Iraq. And I wish the cheerleading compliant media would have been forced to write about the reception the joke received.

[SmokeyBlues]

39. My sentiments exactly!

"The thing that was even sicker was that his audience was laughing uproariously (unless it was a laugh track) but how f**ing SICK."

Unfortunately, the belly-splitting laughter you heard was real! Hell, for a minute, I thought I had been transported back to the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, listening to Ed bust a gut at one of Johnny's joke.

Listening to the reaction of the so-called journalists in attendance made me want to throw up right on the spot! They are worst than apologists; they are criminal enablers.

Bottom line is that when *hole realized that his "trifecta" joke had grown stale, he dropped it like a hot potato. If these assholes in the media and elsewhere would not laugh at his unfunny and incredibly insensitive 'jokes', he (or his handlers) would get the message that it's time to put the brakes on the bullsh*t!

[SammyWinstonJack]

42. Exactly!

Laughing with bush* when he makes these UNFUNNY and INSENSITIVE jokes only fuels the sick little slime's ego all the more! His ego is all ready higher than a Georgia pine.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

43. Ever watch "Caligula"?

'Nuff said.

[alarcojon]

44. David Corn of The Nation was there

http://www.thenation.com/capitalgames/index.mhtml?bid=3&pid=1336

[glitch]

46. an mpg of this needs to be spread over the net - where's wonk? nt

[flatbroker]

47. Its a trap,

The only way even this dumby would joke about the WMD is if they are about to be "found".

[NewYorkerfromMass]

49. Interesting take

if they are "found" then it is fairly obvious they were put there by other than Saddam.
Anyay, this shows Bush is out of touch with normal feelings on such matters.

[Az_lefty]

50. Kery needs to get hold of the Video of this outrage.

It should be put in every campaign add from now to November!!!!!
:mad:

[Ganja Ninja]

51. He's as funny as a crutch. Maybe he should try his stand up ...

routine over a Walter Reed Hospital. I'm sure the people in the recovery ward who have given up eyes or limbs or parts of their faces trying to find WMD's he lied about and now jokes about could use a laugh during their convalesing.

[rawstory]

52. Beautiful.

If only he could become a suicide bomber. In his own backyard.

[Fovea]

53. Note to *

Don't quit your day job... on second thought, maybe
you should hit the stand up circuit.
Boffo! Socko! Big Reviews!!!

You could put up pictures of limbless Iraqi kids, and tell 'Matt' jokes.

[young_at_heart]

54. After the disbelief fades............what is left?

There are no words to explain the immense feeling of hopelessness at having such a person "leading" us.

[alarcojon]

56. Here is some coverage on MSNBC

Thanks to Nomad559 in the Media discussion board

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=109x6726

on edit: I meant to reply to the original message, not to young_at_heart

[Clyde39]

57. Bush & wmd joke?

Really? What can you expect other than this type of action from a psychopath. He has no concept of anything other than himself. His action was unbelievable, but more unbelievable was the laughter from the press. So much for hearing about this on the "real" news because to report on his actions would mean they would have to report on how they reacted.

I guess we have to hope for "faux" news from John Steward to tell the truth.

[johnlr6]

60. Absolutely appalling . . .

but I expect bush and his followers to joke about such serious and sensitive matters. But the dems, like Pelosi and mucous joe, were yukkin' it up, too. Just remindin' everybody that they're appeasers, not opposers; and the pundits, too, acting so benign . . .repeaters of The Lie, and not reporters. Dem politicos who were present at that bush pep rally need to be called or Emailed, and bashed for their complicity.

[alarcojon]

61. Welcome to DU, johnlr6

and good point! B-)

[johnlr6]

62. Thank you, alarcoeg.

nm

[Sparky McGruff]

58. Barbara Starr slammed him about it in today's Pentagon briefing

Saw it on CNN as I was leaving for a dentist appt. Barbara Starr asked Donald Rumsfeld if it was appropriate to make light of the "missing weapons". She asked something like "Is it appropriate for the President to make light of our failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, considering that was the justification for a war that has killed many people?" Rumsfeld just kind of stumbled about...

I'll post the full text if and when I can find it online.

[Sparky McGruff]

63. Transcript from today's pentagon briefing...

During today's pentagon briefing, CNN's pentagon reporter (Barbara Starr) asked Don Rumsfeld about the appropriateness of Bush's joking about the "missing" weapons of mass destruction (our stated reason for invading Iraq). This was carried live on CNN. It definitely made Rumsfeld squirm...

The whole transcript can be found here.

---- begin transcript -----

           Q     I wanted to go back for a minute, if I might -- for both of you -- to the question of the seriousness of Iraq.  And I want to stipulate two things.  We understand and we know at neither of you gentlemen were at the Radio-Television Correspondents dinner last night here in Washington where the president spoke.  I also want to say that I am specifically asking you this question -- it's difficult to ask, but with all respect to the Office of the President.

            And I brought the transcript with me.  And it goes to the point of whether Iraq is really a serious matter or not.  The president made some remarks in a humorous fashion, and he showed some pictures there which most of us there saw.  And he made some jokes about the hunt for the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.  And he said, quoting from the transcript, showing a picture, "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be here somewhere."  And then there was, in fact, laughter and applause from the audience.  And then he showed another picture: "No, no weapons over there."  Laughter and applause.  Another picture: "Maybe under here."  Laughter.

            So my question, really, truly in all seriousness, is -- both for the president, with respect, and for the news media -- is it appropriate to make a joke -- seriously, sirs -- about the hunt for weapons of mass destruction, when both of you, of course, were involved in the difficult issue of sending troops to war for that hunt?  And did the news media also blow it by sitting there and laughing?  Did we blow it last night?

            SEC. RUMSFELD:  I wasn't there, and I --

            Q     I understand.  (And that is why ?) I'm reading the transcript very accurately to you.

            SEC. RUMSFELD:  I think you have to -- to know what I would think, I would have had to be there.  I think the context of those evenings -- I wasn't there, as you said, but I think I've attended in previous years on occasion, and I just am not in a position to be judgmental about that.

---- end transcript -----

[Mari333]

59. please call for our kid in Iraq , we want him home

please call for all the kids over there, they want to come home.
please call and scream about this outrage.
please.
last email from our kid "get us out of this hellhole".
the White House and their wealthy friends think its funny that those kids are dying.
http://www.bringthemhomenow.com

[llmart]

64. Disgusting piece of shit!

What do you expect of a guy who blew up frogs for fun when he was a kid? I'm sure Babs and Poppy thought he was a real hoot even back then. They must be real proud of this asshole of a son (of a bitch).

[Malva Zebrina]

65. We have an insane man as our president--a cowardly man

who makes fun of the reasons for the 585 dead soldiers he put into harm's way with lies.

He thinks it is funny that they died on his lies. How crass this prick of a cowardly man.

Bush is an insane man--and those who laugh at an insane man's jokes because he is the appointed president, and weilds power, are complicit in the absolute pathological unconcern and lack of dignity in this man who had to steal an election instead of being elected by democratic means.

He is crass, without compassion and without concern for anyone but himself, and that includes all the 585 troops he sent on a wild goose chase because of his greed, incompetance, and quest to be king of the world.

This country is broken. All that matters is money and the inflated, shallow, rewards it can bring, signifying the "success" of those who are striving day by day, and who will willingly do anything to be included amongst those "successful" people, whose money defines them as above the rest.