DailyKos: "My Pet Prez?: Even More to the Story"(Proof * Is a Prop)

[leveymg]

My Pet President?: Even More to the Story than you think
by Magorn
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/13/143032/127

Fri May 13th, 2005 at 11:30:32 PDT

Talk about missing a hanging curveball. The media was handed the Story of the Decade two days ago and none of them seem to care.
Not that the Capitol was under "attack" and our Dear leader was AWOL.; no there's a bigger story by far. As DC-Metro native, using a little simple geography, I think I can clearly prove that W was deliberately cut out of the loop, when it came to dealing with this crisis

<SNIP>

Diaries :: Magorn's diary :: :: Trackback ::
While the offical story is that the crisis was too minor to bother the President, the WH at first certainly didn't react that way. Federal offices, the White house and Congress were evacuated. Laura and a visiting Nancy Reagan were quickly hustled into the WH bunker. VP Cheney on was whisked out of Town in a VERY heavily armed Motorcade.

I spoke to an eyewitness who saw the Motorcade Crossing the Roosevelt bridge. He said that the Last SUV in the group had part of its top removed and some sort of multi-barreled missile launcher was clearly visible sticking out the top (I'm not enough of a military geek as to even hazard a guess). I know that I've never seen an offical motorcade, where the security force had weapons exposed.)

Clearly the situation was edging from Code red to Code Brown. But The one person who didn't swing into action was the guy supposedly in charge. He had better things to do than worry about it.

After the crisis, Press Secretary Scotty McC seemed to know they had a problem. He went from spitting out his usual non-answers and instead tried to cover up the inexplicable moment by, not to put too fine a point on it, Lying his ass off



<SNIP>

In other words, there was a time when a critical Shoot/Don't Shoot decision for the unknown plane had to be made. Either answer could put lives in danger. Shoot it down and you've not only killed the pilots but the wreckage could cause damage and death on the ground. On the other hand if you don't shoot and it IS attacking... However, at that critical moment, the only thing on the President's mind was which gear to use for the next hill.

And that dear, and patient reader is where the Local knowledge kicks in.

You see, the place where the President was biking is almost in my back yard. The White House seems to want people to have the impression its some sort of remote wilderness area. In reality its nothing of the sort. <SNIP>

Notice that the northern end of the Refuge (where the President was most likely biking given the abundance of trails in that area> actually borders the southern end of Ft. Meade?

So why is this significant? Well Ft. Meade besides being a US Army base, also houses the National Security Agency

In case you have trouble keeping your intel agencies straight, NSA is the one in charge of SigInt, or electronic intelligence. In other words they are the ones that can eavesdrop on virtually any electronic communication anywhere in the world,( As people following the Bolton nomination now know) and the folks who make sure OUR communications are secure. There would be no better placed to be plugged in during a crisis, except maybe the situation room at the WH.

So let's review. Washington's airspace was being invaded. Jets were being scrambled and defense grid was lit up. Laura and Nancy were rushed to the WH Bunker and, Dick Cheney split town in a motorcade that looked like it was headed to the Baghdad airport. and the city was placed in Full OMFG mode.

While all this is going on GW is less than five minutes away even by bike from the absolute Nerve center of America's entire secure communications and electronic intelligence network. And nobody even bothers to tell him what's going on

There's really no reasonable explanation for this except that his handlers made a deliberate decision to keep him away from the reins of power while the grown-ups handled the crisis. And this isn't the first time its happened

The sheer magnitude and uniqueness of 9/11 obscured the fact that that's exactly what happened on that day too. Dick Cheney, not the president, was the Man in the Situation Room that day, the one who almost had to order a pilot to shoot down an aircraft full of people.

<SNIP>

The pattern is there and its very clear. Anytime there is a crisis that require immediate action and split second decisions, W's minders seem to conspire to keep him as far away from the Big Chair as possible. They know he's not great even when exhaustively prepped for an appearance in front of a friendly crowd. There ain't nobody who wants to see him improvise.

I now believe that at some point in 2000, maybe after the SC primary, Dick Cheney turned to Karl Rove and said "Okay Karl, I was skeptical at first, but I now believe you can get this chimp elected. But you gotta promise me that if the shit ever hits the fan you'll keep him away from all the big red buttons, and let me handle it."

So the real question is, how long until the Media wakes up and recognizes it has a huge blockbuster story?

<SNIP>

[smoogatz]

1. The media don't see it as a story

because they think it's more-or-less common knowledge. The Democrats have to MAKE it a story. Where's the outcry on Capital Hill? Every Dem congressperson should be shouting "where was George?"

[axman40]

29. Bush Gets Tough Queries From Youths in Holland

Here's another story everyone seems to have misssed.
At home, President Bush regularly travels the nation for "conversations" with hand-picked audiences who routinely shower him and his policies with praise. But abroad on Sunday, some youths in Holland had a rare, unscripted opportunity to ask questions that some Americans might want to pose if given the chance.

Based on the questions asked in the first half-hour, before reporters were ushered from the room, this group of students might not have passed muster at a typical White House event.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-dutch9may09,1,356803.story?ctrack=2&cset=true

:dunce:

[ClintonTyree]

30. Hey, Asshole.....

Not you axman40, this is directed at bush ;) And welcome to DU! :hi:

"Holland is a free country," Bush said in an interview with a Dutch TV journalist last week. "If that's what the people of Holland want, that's what the government should reflect."

Aren't WE a free country as well? :wtf: I'd say that right this minute a majority of people in this country want your sad ass out of the White House. Is our government going to reflect that? Is it? I didn't think so. So we're not all that free then, are we georgie? What a fucking idiot. He can take unscripted questions from non-hand picked people in Holland, but he can't do it in our OWN COUNTRY! This guy is an embarrassment to mankind, let alone America. :puke:

[Greylyn58]

43. Randi Rhodes talked about this last week

on her show and how the pResident was so stymied by the questions these young people were asking. The traveling press core that normally reports on the shrubs every move was made to leave when he began stumbling over the questions and basically standing there like the Idiot of the not-so-free world that he is.

Lovely. Too bad our press can't work up the cahonies to report the truth about too stupid to be President so everyone would see him for the liar he is.

[Call me Deacon Blues]

2. Nothing to see here . . .

Move along.


Nominated (for what it's worth)

[emanymton]

24. Wecome To DU.

[In Truth We Trust]

3. George W Frawd: a puppet without a brain George W FraWd nt

[Demit]

4. I think the media is well aware of *'s--shall we say--shortcomings

The guys at the bottom of the media totem pole--the reporters--can't do dick without prematurely ending their personal careers. Ditto with middle management--the editors. Only with a total greenlight from the top can they full-out expose this charlatan of a president. And why should the media big boys want that? This administration is gold for them. They're probably watching closely, though, and if Cheney--the real power--looks like he's taking this country too close to the abyss, they'll put down their glasses of bourbon and call their editors to say, "OK, now".

[Dover]

5. "Blockbusters" , especially those linked to Cheney, are interpreted

by the media as a literal description of what happens to those who tell the truth. They get their blocks busted.

No one is allowed to acknowledge Cheney's real role.

[mrdmk]

6. Don't you yet that you do not brother the president when he is on

vacation

Which I might add, is most of the time!

[NJCher]

7. terrific story and links at Daily Kos

But what do they envision the headline to be?

Bush President in Name Only! Dick Cheney Real President!


Cher

[peacetalksforall]

8. There is so much crap going on and they are so stupid.

Why do they think that they can get away with facts?

Now that they know that the can't get away with crap, they are probably going to stage another emergency where they will pretend to leave Bush in charge and they will make sure we know that he was in charge.

Why was Cheney motorcaded and missiled out of DC when he has this deep bunker?

Why were our legislators told to run out in the open and did Hastert run on the streets or go with Cheney?

Hollywood nearly predicted all of this if you take all their movies and put them together, including all the farces.

[Pirate Smile]

9. This was in the Washington Post today and I love the imagery of Bush

blissfully riding his little bike while chaos reigns not very far away. It epitomizes his role in his own Presidency.

"'Protocols' Left Bush Out of the Loop
Saturday, May 14, 2005; Page A07

The nation was put on red alert. The first lady was rushed to a super-secure location. Thousands of people ran for their lives. Yet government protocols apparently didn't call for the commander in chief to be interrupted from a noontime bike ride on Wednesday when an errant plane entered Washington's restricted airspace.

That is the message put out by the White House the past two days. "The protocols that we put in place after September 11 were being followed," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Thursday. "They did not require presidential authority for this situation."

So Bush kept on biking through the trails of rural Maryland, oblivious to the chaos miles away until 36 minutes after the all-clear was sounded.

-snip-
The president also tried to deflect concern about being out of the loop, telling an audience yesterday, with a grin, "I strongly urge you to exercise on a regular basis." Eric Dezenhall, a Washington-based crisis-management consultant, said the president's role reinforces the scariest aspect of the episode. "The question becomes 'Do we know what we're doing when this stuff happens? The answer is that it's a crisis. Nobody does know what they're doing."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1471444&mesg_id=1471444

[EFerrari]

11. Scotty said it himself. We have selected protocols, not a president.

What a shocker.

[izzie]

40. He seems to be out of the WH when anything goes on.

Odd,what does he do for his 400,000 a year?Guess we have our own figure head while we know who is running the country.

[DulceDecorum]

42. blissfully riding his little bike while chaos reigns not very far away.

[Robworld]

10. This story just proves again that the "President" is just a puppet.

The crisis that occurred a few days ago was a real situation that involved decisions and action. the hand puppets only purpose is to be in front of cameras, saying little slogans and confusing the masses with his intelligible messages.

http://www.dumdumgoestothecircus.com/

[librechik]

12. My first thought was "Of course, they had cell phones"

so they could have easily reached the posse of SS agents that no doubt ride with the dauphin. I have also heard he never exercises without his doctor being right there with him on a similar bike.

The 72 minute figure surprised me. You mean the SS agents were informed by cell immediately, and they kept it from Shrub since he was right there in their sight and not in apparent danger? Just wondering.

It woulld have been easier for Scotty to say, yes he was kept informed, even if it was a lie. Nobody believes him now, cuz they MUST have known! Anything else is absurd!

[HR_Pufnstuf]

36. yes, and why isnt he pissed off...

...about being left out of the loop, when his wife was in clear and present danger?

or is he?

If anything, if they kept him out of the loop on purpose, this may awaken him to the position his handlers have put him in. If it happened to me, and I was the president, heads would roll.

The question becomes "Who made the decision NOT to contact him?"

[DeepModem Mom]

13. Great story -- thanks for posting! NT

[Southsideirish]

14. Nobody CARED where he was as he is completely irrelevant other than

for photo opps.

[ooglymoogly]

15. well its either that or it was a hoax and * knew it;

(as in the my pet goat scenario) or that he is in fact redundant...either way it is a frightening prospect.

[bonzotex]

20. I don't think it was a hoax...

At first I was sure this was just a way to throw some flashy disinformation into the news cycle to distract from all the nasty bad press the Prez and his crew was enduring. That would have been clever and in keeping with Rove's track record.

If it was a planned distraction though, they would have had Chimpy whisked from the trails (with photos) and then "man of action in control" shots and sound bites as he monitored the situation from a "secure location". As it was, the Secret Service quickly decided there was no threat and let him finish his playdate undisturbed.

I think the FAA air traffic controllers, Air National Guard, Secret Service and every other agency with a dog in the hunt really did think this might be a real threat. They panicked. They hit all their lil red buttons and then couldn't stop it fast enough once it was clear this was nothing.

The evacuation and attack hysteria was allowed to proceed once it got rolling, because:
a) it couldn't be stopped without it looking like more of a cluster-fuck than it was.
b) it would make the administration look unconcerned about safety from attack
c) it was a good unplanned test of evacuation "protocols"
d) There was nobody in charge. Not Chimpy, Unc'a Dick, Rummy, Karl... nobody who could make a judgement call other than to run up the red flag and hit the sirens.

Like we need another reminder of how much these guys suck.

[Vyan]

16. Problems with this theory...

First of all, during 9/11 Dick Cheney was not in the situation room - he was in the bunker, which has a video conferencing center that links the SitRoom and most of the Cabinet, State, Defense, Transportation and Justice together.

The man in the SitRoom was Richard Clarke, with Condi Rice at his side. (According to Clarkes Book "Against All Enemies" which gives and extremely detailed account of events inside the White House on that fateful day) It was Clarkes idea to get authorization for "shoot-down" and called Cheney in the Bunker to have that request passed to the President. So ultimately, Bush did make the decision to authorize "shoot-down" as only the President can. Cheney did nothing more than relay info and Presidential requests to Bush, including the order to shutdown all the airports.

Now, what's interesting about the Cessna incident is not just that they didn't contact Bush about it, it's that they didn't bother to get shoot-down authorization from him, but it's entirely possible that the rules within in the military chain of command may have changed, and the decision has been brought down several notches to either the pilots or their CO so that Presidential authorization is no longer required as getting that "OK" can cost precious time.

The President was outside of any reasonable target areas, he was safe and they didn't really need his OK to respond anymore - I have no problem with that.

Vyan

[progressivebydesign]

19. I disagree with you strongly...

The president is the FIRST person that should be told about these things. He's in charge of the Country. Simple as that. Anyone would be hard pressed to name a president (besides Reagan) that would have been kept in the dark.

Give me a break... people are running from the White House and Capitol like a Godzilla movie, Cheney is whisked out of the White House... and BUSH'S WIFE is rushed into a bunker and they dont' tell him???

Please.

[bonzotex]

21. The President should be informed

I think you are right in that certain authorizations have been moved down the chain. That's probably good, no matter who is moistening the chairs in the White House.

What's silly and inexplicable here is that fighters were scrambled, thousands of people were sent scurrying, the city was essentially shut down, The Presidents own wife was shuffled down to the bunker with Nancy Reagan and Nobody felt it was important enough to even tell Shrub what was going on until it was over.

[donco6]

22. No way.

I've worked for a lot of important people, and I can't think of ONE of them that would say, "Hey, if something really important is going on, I don't need to know about it."

Never. Ever. It just doesn't happen.

[ClintonTyree]

31. So in your estimation....

they just decided that bush was not on a "need to know" basis and kept him out of the loop so he could finish his bike ride in peace? He's "supposedly" the leader of the free world. I can't think of ANY President that would sign himself off on a situation like that. Except george w. bush. As self absorbed as the day is long and as dumb as a basket full of hammers. :eyes:

[stickdog]

35. Problems with your explanation.

It's complete CYA bullshit.

[LibraLiz1973]

17. Thank you for posting that

interesting read

[progressivebydesign]

18. Could have been another 9/11, and AGAIN Bush was clueless

Doesn't this give ANY pause to those that supported that ne'er do well? Had the small plane released a dirty bomb, or a bio weapon, or worse, Bush would be shown to be once more out of control of things. Cheney is the fucking president... Bush is a joke.

[Lizzie Borden]

27. The thing is he's ALWAYS clueless.

I get some strange kind of comfort in knowing that he's Not there in an emergency. If it were a true disaster, I'd be much more at ease if he wasn't running things.

[donco6]

23. Here's the crux, IMO.

"The pattern is there and its very clear. Anytime there is a crisis that requires immediate action and split second decisions, W's minders seem to conspire to keep him as far away from the Big Chair as possible. They know he's not great even when exhaustively prepped for an appearance in front of a friendly crowd. There ain't nobody who wants to see him improvise."

The guy's an idiot; everyone knows it; no one trust him. Not even his closest advisors.

What kind of trouble are we really in?

[Mugsy]

25. My first thought *exactly* when I heard the news.

When the TV started blathering about an evacuation in D.C. and the violation of a plane entering "Washington Prohibited Zone", and THEN to learn that no one bothered to tell President Bush until after it was all over... I too was thinking that the-powers-that-be didn't want Bush involved.

Great line about "Let the grown-ups handle it". Just as good was Jay Leno's comment: "Dick Cheney was in the White House while Bush was out riding his bike. What is he, twelve???"

[earthboundmisfit]

26. "Bicycle Race" by Queen keeps going thru my head!

Now every time I think about Chimpy's bicycle ride, the Queen song "Bicycle Race goes thru my head & I start laughing quite uncontrollably - I can't help it!

And catch this, in the last part of lyrics:

BicyI want to ride my bicycle
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
Bicycle race
You say coke I say caine
You say John I say Wayne
Hot dog I say cool it man
I don't wanna be the President of America
You say smile I say cheese
Cartier I say please
Income tax I say Jesus
I don't wanna be a candidate
For Vietnam or Watergate
Cos all I want to do is
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

[blue northern]

33. damn that's prophetic songwriting by Freddie Mercury and Co.

[Firenze777]

28. I'm sure you saw Jon Stewart's map....

that the 'escort' planes took the cessna's path over almost every important target in the DC area. National security is a joke. It is hair-pulling, screaming frustration that the repugs get points for 'keeping us safe.' as if!

[teryang]

32. obvious that Cheney is the National Command Authority

The same thing happened on 911. When a potential national security threat arises, real or imagined, the opportunity to manipulate it for political purposes has to be evaluated. The chimp is incapable of analysis. No one would seriously leave with him the security of the criminal coup plotters and corporatists running the country. He's too stupid and everyone knows it.

[ms liberty]

34. And here's another thing that just effing ticks me off...

It's the middle of the workweek, middle of the day (more or less), lots of business going on that is actually IMPORTANT and this dufus is out TAKING A BIKE RIDE. Why is the press continually ignoring the fact that the idiot comes to work at 8am, takes the middle of the day (oh, it's just a few hours) off to work out - most of us would call that "playing" and would be expected to do it on our own time - and leaves the office by 5pm. Even our vastly overpaid titans of business work more than this spoiled pisswad excuse of a world leader. If he ever had a real job he would be so fired so fast it would make everybody's head spin.

Thanks for posting this. While it just confirms all of our suspicions, you can't know you know something until you have enough information to know that you know it.

OK, that was a really convoluted sentence, but I'm leaving it because ya'll will understand what I mean!

[bunkerbuster1]

45. Same tough schedule he had as Texas Gov.

It had been reported prior to the election that a typical Bush workday was 8-5 with a couple of hours off for a workout.

I've always assumed it's been ever thus; not sure why anyone's surprised by this.

[TwentyFive]

46. I read that Bush plays video game golf and solitare for 2 hours a day!

Bush is actually quite a video game addict. He's hooked on Microsoft Golf, and loves to play the solitare game that comes on Windows computers. I guess these are exercises for his mind and the biking keeps him in shape.

The only kind of work I've seen that he likes is physical labor....like clearing brush at the ranch. Whatever the case, the motor inside his head doesn't get used very much.

[MGKrebs]

37. Irony: Bush biking on northside, could have seen plane fly over.

I mean, that park is on the north side of town, right? And the plane came in from the north? If anybody would have looked up, they might have been able to see the airborn confrontation. Being closed airspace, I would think any air traffic would be noticable.

[understandinglife]

38. Contrary to popular belief, and just as with 911, Bu$h is totally in ....

.... control.

The plane wasn't shot down because Bush (and some small number of folk) knew who was flying it.

They are not lying when asked "Was Bush told....blah, blah, blah..." for the simple reason that BU$H ALREADY KNEW.

As with 911, you have all witnessed another spectacular bit of terror theater.

That plane would have been vaporized under any other scenario -- i.e., if key folk hadn't known and hadn't had a hold on the shoot-down until sufficient 'terror theater' had been enacted.

Another Academy Award for Bu$h (how many did Reagan win?).

Think about it.

Just my humble speculation.

Peace.


www.missionnotaccmplished.us

[BrklynLiberal]

47. I was just about to post a link to the thread where you posted this

when I saw your post.
The concept is DEFINITELY worth considering
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x369548

[Virginian]

39. Who, besides security detail, was with him?

That is another question that has not been asked. Was he biking alone or did he have a "companion?"

[JDPriestly]

41. This is the normal corporate/Republican MO

Remember how Reagan wasn't "in the loop"? Notice how Ken Lay wasn't "in the loop"? Sophisticated organizations shield themselves from having to take responsibility by appointing a figurehead person to play a public relations and very general policy setting role. That person is just for show, gives the speeches and represents the company -- but is intentionally kept away from the dirty stuff that keeps the company going -- the scams the little guys pull behind the scenes to get good performance numbers, the reviews, the bonusus, the raises. Lay did not need to know what his CFOs and salespeople were doing as long as the sales figures and profits looked good to stockholders. Reagan did not need to know the details about Iran Contra as long as his guys in Central America got their money.

Similarly, deciding to shoot down an intruding plane is a risky thing to do. You don't want your top guy, and therefore, because he symbolizes it, the whole organization, exposed to criticism for making such a gross mistake if it goes wrong. The person who actually makes the decision has to be someone at a level below Bush.

Example: who decided to let the plane full of Saudi Arabians including some Bin Laden family members leave the U.S. before the investigation of 9/11 was completed? There is circumstantial evidence that Bush may have been involved. But we can't even find out whether he even knew about it. The decision, we are told, was made by someone at the FBI. Hard to believe, but the top guy -- with regard to the plane, probably Bush himself, must be distanced from the decision even when it is such an important decision that you would hope it would be made at the highest level and when, in fact, it most likely was. We'll never know. That's what keeps the organization's nose clean.

[triguy46]

44. No reason to not let him finish the bike ride

On 9/11 he sat frozen as a zombie for 20 minutes. If they had told him on the ride, they would have had to carry him back. So let him finish, then tell him, he goes 'day of the living dead' and they prop him in the back of the Presidential Suburban. by the time they get back, all is well, our boy is sobering up, and time for his next feeding.