I totally missed the speech tonight. Help?

[WilliamPitt]

I've been trying to piece it together from the dozen or so DU threads I've read, but I can't get an overall picture. Anyone mind breaking it down for me?

Oh yeah, PS, Ahmad Chalabi is the Iraqi Oil Minister now. Fancy fucking that.

I'm betting George didn't mention that bit.

Anyway, this is my benchmark:

http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/22/4162

Was it better or worse than that?

Thanks.

[MADem]

1. You mean the presser?

Same shit, different day. As inarticulate as ever. Bright spots: did not spit or drool like at the debate. Learned his lines a bit better, even though they frequently had nothing to do with the question. Plowed on relentlessly. Petulant. Querulous. Favorite words: unnnnnuuuuuuhhhhh, mmmuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhh, and huuuuuuuunnnnnnnnhhh!

Anyone else, have I missed anything?

[radfringe]

29. he flunked

99% of the "press conference" was the same pile of crappola we've already heard. It was like watching summer TV re-runs.

I do think the questions the "reporters" asked were a bit more pointed. However, I did notice that before calling on a reporter - bush* looked down at the podium -- did he have a "cheat sheet" to tell him which reporters to call on?

Didn't notice any "black box" or "ear pieces" -- but then the camera angles might not have showed it.

He did his smirking-texas-two-step on the questions. Smirked while answering questions, and followed it up with a "frown" before "moving on" to the next question. His "drawl" was pretty obvious and answers peppered with "quaint" cliches.

One thing continues to stand out -- his statements about not paying attention to polls. Polls are an informal "vote", they gauge the mood of the country. When he says he doesn't look at polls it's the same thing as saying "who cares what you think" -- it's a slap in the face of the American People and spitting on democracy.

Once a sElection is over -- the only measurement of performance is through polls. I don't believe he doesn't look at polls, nor do I believe he isn't at least a wee bit concerned about them. He just spent 60 days with a dog&pony show, dragged out a juggling cockroach - all to promote his social security scam -- polls are showing 64% disappoval / 31% approval on his social security scam.

Not concerned with polls? You bet your bippy he is worried about them - why else whould he make a "rare press conference" appearance?

My partner mumbled "how stupid does he think we are -- he's drawling at us like we're 2 year olds or something"

[global1]

2. To Give You An Idea As To How Well It Went For *.......

at the end he said "Thank you for your answers".

[global1]

3. To Give You An Idea As To How Well It Went For *.......

at the end he said "Thank you for your answers".

This was so precious - it just had to be said twice.

[Junkdrawer]

4. Here's a flavor...

Q Mr. President, under the law, how would you justify the practice of renditioning, where U.S. agents who brought terror suspects abroad, taking them to a third country for interrogation? And would you stand for it if foreign agents did that to an American here?

THE PRESIDENT: That's a hypothetical, Mark. We operate within the law and we send people to countries where they say they're not going to torture the people.

But let me say something: the United States government has an obligation to protect the American people. It's in our country's interests to find those who would do harm to us and get them out of harm's way. And we will do so within the law, and we will do so in honoring our commitment not to torture people. And we expect the countries where we send somebody to, not to torture, as well. But you bet, when we find somebody who might do harm to the American people, we will detain them and ask others from their country of origin to detain them. It makes sense. The American people expect us to do that. We -- we still at war.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/04/20050428-9.html

[sharonking21]

10. Yes, I saw that part

and his "begging the question" raised my blood pressure so much I had to go in the other room. I do not understand why they do not probe for real answers.

[proud patriot]

5. listen to Malloy

:hi: bush jumped the shark ...

[madinmaryland]

6. Well he actually used the "C" conserve word

twice. I guess he wants us to use less so that his buddies can put fuel into their gigantic yachts.

He actually did say we needed to conserve. Not like Jimmy Carter did, who really did mean what he said.

[area51]

33. conservation

Now GW Hoover decides it's okay to conserve? In the past, Tricky Dick F'n Cheney derided conservation as unrealistic. Naturally, the rt-wing press will "forget" about this flip-flop.


-------------
"Prosperity is just around the corner." — Herbert Hoover
"The economy has turned a corner." — GW Bush

Herbert Hoover = GW Bush

Neither man cared about the Depression their economic policies created.

[Jim Sagle]

7. I didn't.

:shrug:

[Jesus Saves]

8. It was a fantastic speech

It was totally your kind of speech.

[Tactical Progressive]

9. He was masterful

It was a command performance. He connected with reporters with down-home banter like 'You don't mind if I call you 'Stretch', do you?' ... "I've been called worse." and, in response to the last question with an innocuous reference to Cheney, Bush retorts "That's a cheap shot."

He was calm, with an easy grin, almost as if he had 'political capital' to spend, but he's already spent it and doesn't know it. Kind of like the rest of the country having spent themselves into debt but don't really get it yet as they smile tepidly.

I'm sure if you wait a day or two it'll give the mainstream 'media' the opportunity to cast it as a forceful, straight-talkin' success, tacitly agreed upon across the board on the cable networks.

[cyberpj]

11. Here are highlights from Guardian Unlimited

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4970593,00.html

They have part 2 of the text up so far:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4970558,00.html

Edited to add part 1 from Newsday:
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-bush-text-i,0,4248692.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Oeditpus Rex]

12. The Faux station in San Francisco

is being so kind as to re-run the "press conference." I missed the live presentation of lies, owing to weakness from hunger in this booming economy, so KTVU is giving me a chance to practice my profanity. (When he used "freedom and democracy" in a non-answer to a question about the rise in terror deaths, I gave the teevee a very forceful digital salute and yelled "FUCK YOU!" I probably should close the windows when W's on.)

It should be about to wrap up now. I'm waiting for "Thank you for your answers."

[cyberpj]

13. Now, having read your article, he did manage to control most of

his English tonight - except for the ever-present nuculer.

He said he couldn't do anything to lower oil prices (didn't mention kissing and hand-holding with the prince or Chalabi as Iraqi Oil Minister) - only that we had to pass the energy bill.

What struck me was how he kept saying the american people want to know what's holding up the judges and the SS work and the energy bill and the budget. I wanted to scream at him to TELL THEM! Or at least LET THE NEWS PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT! (By the way, I understand there's a hold now on the national id portion of the additional military funding - yay).

That, and the fact that he kept saying he was "willing to work with anyone with good options".

Oh. And his "we're all good and legal" response to taking suspects to other countries to interrogate. He just keeps smiling while he's lying - 'heh..heh...'

It was enough for plenty of bad dreaming for the night.

[hector459]

14. And this is the most "appreciative" President in history.

How many times did he appreciate a question or statement.

[stellanoir]

15. well these were my fave quotable quotations

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3563595

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3564153

don't sincerely think that most were paying attention. as usual.

He was extremely redfaced IMHO.

Wonder why. . .?

[tavalon]

21. Alcohol

I would bet good money that our dry drunk ain't so dry anymore and hasn't been since a bit before the second stolen election.

[Sparkly]

16. I *think* the video is at whitehouse.gov

I'm trying to download the right plug-in.

Watch his response to Suzanne Malveau's question.

[Toby109]

17. I really think you have to see

the "performance" to fully appreciate the magnificent splendor that is George W. Bush. Reviews could never do it justice.

[ismnotwasm]

18. I was in a room at work with it on

So I saw part of it. As noted above, he didn't stutter over words quite a much, but his ability to make sense is about the same. He tried talking about things like social security, energy and terrorism of course. He remains if not inarticulate, an absolute embarressment. I just cringe whenever I see him and realize he represents my country. Not to mention he's also my daughters boss, since she's in the army. I'm sure those who approve of him thought it a great press conference, but he just doesn't make any damn sense--really, I try to understand, I almost make it, then he blows it with some inanity. I loathe him, I absoulutly loathe him.

[uppityperson]

19. CNN transcript

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/28/bush.transcript/index.html
My favorite question/answer:
What's your response to that? And do you think that No Child Left Behind is working?

BUSH: Yes, I think it's working. And the reason why I think it's working is because we're measuring.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

20. USA Today has the full text

don't know why I can't get the link to show up. Anyway, it will make you cringe.

[moddemny]

22. He seemed lucid at some points.....

.....for a total of about five minutes. The rest was his typical incoherent, bumbling style (expecially when compared to Al Gore's speech yesterday).

[FreedomAngel82]

23. Simple

Visit http://www.cspan.org They have it up there on the main page. You just need Window's media player or real player.

[hfojvt]

24. I did not see it, but the text is here

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/04/20050428-9.html

[dogonarug]

25. Max barked the entire time

Crazy mutt gets all excited when I throw shit and yell...MOTHERFUCKER!

[sandnsea]

26. Actually, it was the makeup

And rouged cheeks, made even rosier from the reflection of the tie.

But the blithering, yeah. And no one will EVER forget, "thank you all for your answers", conveniently altered in the official transcript by our ever diligent Bush clean up crew.

Oh, and I could personally do without the Kerry canard, we really don't need to help reinforce their bullshit. The party does have other elections to run.

And one more thing, he ran and I mean at lightspeed, AWAY from religion. No, the judges are not about religion. Religion is personal. Read that section. This will be the end of Bush overtly courting religion, and/or the beginning of an even bigger push by the radical right when they realize what's happening.

[Lexingtonian]

27. sucked as per usual

The new fudging, i.e. "plan", on Social Security is another transparent attempt to sucker the rubes- voters and Democratic Senators, evidently. Wish I knew who the 'target' was...Ben Nelson, maybe, or Max Baucus, or Byron Dorgan?

All the other crap...bumbling and bamboozling in all usual ways. Lots of strawmen got the crap beaten out of them. But as bad as it was for Topamax Boy, the f-ing "journalists" who got up and orated "um, ah, Korea, your reaction- uh, nukes...I think, Hi Mom?" and 'questions' of analogous articulacy and dialogical contribution and stage fright were the true embarrassments of the evening. If I were in Bush's place I would've told these jokers in $1500 suits shit I didn't believe too, just out of contempt.

In short, it was an evening yet again illustrating Charles de Gaulle's observation that "Politicians are surprised when people believe what they say, because they themselves can't afford to."

Dubya was feeling pretty safe. Filibustered a lot of questions a la "Condi" (sic; he forgets the 'Rice' bit almost every time. Makes you wonder.). Droned on and on about NCLB and said everything about it except what the question posed asked- why Congress wasn't funding it properly, and why he wasn't doing anything about that- but you got the distinct impression he was telling the states to fund it themselves.

Oh yeah, I missed the first half. Well, not "missed", I just happened not to see it and have discovered no reason to regret that happenstance yet. The description of the Soc Sec "plan" tells you enough about what the political trick and calculations are.

[anitar1]

28. I watched 5 minutes of it and

turned it off after a reporter asked him about the price of gas. * kindly explained that when the price of crude goes up, then the price at the pump goes up. Wow! I didn't know that! Could not waste my time listening to him.

[mopaul]

30. Jeff wasn't there this time

the major disappointment of the evening.

[Solly Mack]

31. The man lied about rendition. He lied about torture.

He boldly claimed "we operate within the law"

He said "We assume that the countries we send people to don't perform torture"

He was frazzled and became angry. He stammered and hedged. He worked any question around to Social Security that he could...making his answers all the more disconnected and disjointed than usual.

A few more questions and that man would have imploded on the spot.
It would have been embarrassing for me to watch if not for my anger at his cavalier attitude regarding rendition and torture.

[B Calm]

32. He said Al Qaeda was on the run and hurting bad..