May 1, 2006: 3rd Anniversary of Junior's "Mission Accomplished" stunt

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Mission Accomplished: A look back at the media's fawning coverage of Bush's premature declaration of victory in Iraq

http://mediamatters.org/items/200604270005

On May 1, 2003, President Bush landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln aboard an S-3B Viking jet, emerged from the aircraft in full flight gear, and proceeded to "press[] flesh," as The Washington Post put it, as he shook hands and hugged crew members in front of the cameras. Later that day, Bush delivered a nationally televised speech from the deck of the Abraham Lincoln in which he declared that "ajor combat operations in Iraq have ended," all the while standing under a banner reading: "Mission Accomplished." Despite lingering questions over the continued violence in Iraq, the failure to locate weapons of mass destruction, and the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein, as well as evidence that Bush may have shirked his responsibilities in the Texas Air National Guard (TANG) during the Vietnam War, the print and televised media fawned over Bush's "grand entrance" and the image of Bush as the "jet pilot" and the "Fighter Dog."

Chief among the cheerleaders was MSNBC's Chris Matthews. On the May 1, 2003, edition of Hardball, Matthews was joined in his effusive praise of Bush by right-wing pundit Ann Coulter and "Democrat" Pat Caddell. Former U.S. Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-CA) also appeared on the program.:

MATTHEWS: What's the importance of the president's amazing display of leadership tonight?

<...>

MATTHEWS: What do you make of the actual visual that people will see on TV and probably, as you know, as well as I, will remember a lot longer than words spoken tonight? And that's the president looking very much like a jet, you know, a high-flying jet star. A guy who is a jet pilot. Has been in the past when he was younger, obviously. What does that image mean to the American people, a guy who can actually get into a supersonic plane and actually fly in an unpressurized cabin like an actual jet pilot?

<...>

MATTHEWS: Do you think this role, and I want to talk politically <...>, the president deserves everything he's doing tonight in terms of his leadership. He won the war. He was an effective commander. Everybody recognizes that, I believe, except a few critics. Do you think he is defining the office of the presidency, at least for this time, as basically that of commander in chief? That <...> if you're going to run against him, you'd better be ready to take away from him.

<...>

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you, Bob Dornan, you were a congressman all those years. Here's a president who's really nonverbal. He's like Eisenhower. He looks great in a military uniform. He looks great in that cowboy costume he wears when he goes West. I remember him standing at that fence with Colin Powell. Was the best picture in the 2000 campaign?

<...>

MATTHEWS: Ann Coulter, you're the first to speak tonight on the buzz. The president's performance tonight, redolent of the best of Reagan -- what do you think?

[uppityperson]

1. This would make a good road sign.

Happy 3 yr Anniversary.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. I hope his stupid-ass picture is plastered all over the media to make sure

everyone remembers what a total schmuck he is.
The number of dead and wounded American soldiers should be right underneath!

[NoAmericanTaliban]

3. If Mission Accomplished was to steal another election it was done

I remember the big flap about who put up the sign to begin with. WH claimed they knew nothing & said the ship put up the sign, but I believe it turned out that WH had done not only knew about it, but put it all together to begin with. Is my recollection correct?

[BrklynLiberal]

5. That is the story I heard too.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

6. Karen Hughes is supposedly the "sign person" in the White House...

...all of those warm and fuzzy backdrops you see like "Taking Care Of America's Seniors"...the dramatic, colorful propaganda pieces that provide those oh-so-perfect photo ops for the Boy King...that's her handiwork. I've heard it said that Rove was the mastermind behind "Mission Accomplished," but if he was, he didn't do it without Hughes' help.

And yes, they denied it. They said it was the idea of the people on the USS Lincoln...they conceived it, they hung it, it was a "complete surprise" to all.

[JeffR]

4. 3rd anniversary of the stupidest things Tweety has ever said

And he probably doesn't have the sense to know just how stupid he is.

[calmblueocean]

7. Oh, barf. Tweety was so in love back then...

It still seems amazing to me that so many people thought Bush's little pageant on the aircraft carrier actually meant we'd accomplished the freaking mission. I remember that day wondering why the news wasn't pointing out how premature this was, how we'd barely started the real job over there. Instead, they swooned, just like Tweety did here. The fact that anyone could think THIS little stunt was LEADERSHIP just blows my mind. If we'd had any real leadership we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with.

[acmavm]

8. Geez, what is WRONG with this guy (or would it be easier to

ask what is right)?

<snip>
He looks great in a military uniform. He looks great in that cowboy costume he wears when he goes West.
<snip>

Sounds like a stripper of Village People guy to me.

[Democrats_win]

9. He won game 1 of the world series, proclaimed victory & lost the next 4.

Maybe the chief idiot will understand the baseball analogy cuz he sure doesn´t understand much of anything else.

[calmblueocean]

10. that's a great metaphor!

I'm going to use that from now on. Thanks!

[diamondsndust]

11. I would like to see Dumbya charged with war crimes for every ..

single day since May 1, 2003, plus add a charge for every soldier who has died since then, plus a boatload of other crimes as well... impeachment is not enough for this asshole.. only criminal charges for war crimes and treason, then hang the bastard!