MyPetGoat.com

[Plaid Adder]

As research for tomorrow's column (http://www.democraticunderground.com/plaidder/04/30.html) I spent some time at mypetgoat.com viewing a 5 minute video clip of Bush's immediate reaction to being told that the nation was under attack, which was, as you will recall, sitting there on his ass doing nothing.

Now, the explanation they always come up with (and I know it is prima facie lame) is that he didn't want to alarm the children by walking out all abruptly on them.

Here's what's interesting about that: Card comes in right *before* the drill gets started. The teacher is getting ready to tell them what to read, and then Card comes in and whispers, and the there's a little while when the kids get the books out, and then the teacher starts the drill.

This, to me, suggests 3 things:

1) Card actually waited until there was a 'break' in the activity to inform Bush of what was happening.

2) This was no doubt either because they didn't htink Bush really needed to be told ASAP (since he was out of the loop anyway) or because Card thought that this would give Bush the opportunity to cut the photo-op short without causing undue alarm by saying, "OK, kids, you go ahead, I have to talk to the nice man out in the hallway" and splitting before they got the drill started.

3) Either way, you gotta figure even Card was surprised that Bush didn't take the opening and just sat there nodding along while the kids read what really is a stultifyingly boring story to a metronomic beat.

Fuckin' yeesh, man,

The Plaid Adder

[CarolynEC]

1. Be sure, also, to remind anyone spouting the

... "Won't-Someone-Please-Think-of-the-Children" defense... that Bush USED THESE KIDS AS STAGE PROPS half an hour later, when he finally stammered out a few lines in front of the cameras.

There he is on stage, saying "America is under attack" with these kids behind him, looking stunned, scared and frankly traumatized.

Not to mention that the POTUS is a walking bulls-eye, and the school visit was widely publicized. They all could have been creamed any second, who knew at that moment?

Have I mentioned I think Bush is an idiot?

[mulsh]

2. come on plaid

its obvious W was really into the book and 'member when he perked up when the teacher asked the class about commas? I surprised W didn't raise his hand.

seriously I think you should consider what I think of as the Al Franken explanation for things Bush " He just didn't know." he sat there tryng really hard to form a thought but it was too much, too many distractions. nobody to tell him what to do. he just didn't know what to do.

;-)

[gumby]

3. During that 5 minutes,

he was witnessing the press "corpse," all around the back of the room going nuts.

Add to the 5 minutes the amount of time he took for photo-ops at the school. That was about another 20 minutes. Thereafter, he scared the little children by telling them they were under attack. Bah!

[MrBenchley]

4. You'll notice Card doesn't ask pResident Toot what to do....

Card and the staff aren't even pretending he's anything more than a prop for the photo op.

[nostamj]

5. surprised they got the name wrong...

not "MY Pet Goat" but "THE Pet Goat" and people still think that it's the name of a book when it's really a story in a 'reader'

NOT that it is a BIG issue, duh.

the fact that Card doesn't hesitate for a second it most telling. he doesn't wait for ANY response. doesn't even give * a chance to go WTF? or any other reaction...

UNLESS, we don't really know what he said. ONLY if he said something other than what has been reported would a) his failure to wait for a response and b) *'s lack of response make any sense.

what did Card REALLY say? we'll probably never know.

[ComerPerro]

6. Your column (tomorrow's) is outstanding, BTW