A Word on Bush's MEAN SPIRITED ATTITUDE Toward the Press of Late >

[The Cleaner]

Sorry DU, I've been typing away this morning. One last point I'd like to make re: this morning's press conference.

What's with Bush's rotten attitude toward the press lately? I mean, insulting a reporter's suit; interrupting the black lady who was simply asking a question about Katrina and insulting her, half-joking with the reporters with that evil smirk on his face, contorting his mug whenever he gets a question he doesn't like, looking like he's bored and irritated...what gives?

We NEVER saw Clinton display this kind of assholey attitude. And now Bush, who calls himself a "Christian," is this mean and rotten? I simply don't get it.

I think the press ought to fight back, and hard. The only way to fight a bully is to hit back, and harder. That's the only way to garner his respect. Don't take his bullcrap anymore! Hit him where it hurts, and keep hittin' him until he blows his stack.

Press, get some balls and let's get this thing rollin.

[karlrschneider]

1. They remember all too well how Helen Thomas was punished

for having a spine a couple years ago.

[Supersedeas]

24. the White House press whores are a poor excuse for journalism

[magellan]

2. He has no respect for anyone who questions him

Even our joke of a press.

[WinkyDink]

5. You could have stopped with "anyone". Seriously. If you are a

human being, he despises you and wishes you dead. You are consuming what rightly belongs to him, aka, the world's resources.
Well, that and that he's a psychopath non pareil.

[oldtime dfl_er]

6. Respect being the key word

He has no respect for anyone. His half-joke/insults are in the same vein as his constant nicknaming -- in other words, a bullying, hostile and condescending attitude couched in what others are forced to pretend to see as humorous. Ughly.

[BurtWorm]

12. Respect for anyone else isn't even an issue for the prince-boy.

He thinks he's owed it all.

[lonestarnot]

19. So the "others" need to stop fucking pretending with this asshole.

[Marie26]

21. How does someone

w/so few good qualities acquire such high self-esteem? What, exactly, makes him feel so superior & condescending to everyone else?

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. He has the least amount of respect for himself. Very low self esteem

and he takes it out on anyone and everyone.

[ixion]

3. * has NEVER respected the press... he 'tolerated' them while they played

nice. Now that they're asking questions, his true feelings come forth.

[graywarrior]

4. Welcome to DU

Bush is an untreated alcoholic. That's what happens.

[Iwasthere]

11. This is true

Bush is a dry drunk (and a bully, serious combination). Explains a lot huh? He does need to get treatment and face his demons but you know that won't happen. His family has the same problem. I heard on Randi's show from a well known Psychologist when Bush's sister died (he was a kid) in an accident The family went golfing the next day and didn't attend, or even have a funeral. Mental problems in this family.

[AndyA]

13. BINGO! Made worse only by his contempt of others who he views

as beneath him, which is everyone who isn't a millionaire.

Bush has always been a person of privilege, doors have been opened for him when they would have remained closed for everyone else. His family has always bailed him out (sometimes literally) from whatever predicament he got himself in to.

Be it service to his country during Viet Nam, a failed oil company, the hot shot, nose-picking, sports team owner wannabe, or whatever, when things got difficult, Georgie bailed out. And his family made sure he didn't have any ill effects from doing so.

Now the alcoholic, drug abusing, foul mouthed, idiotic, bigot has somehow wound up in The White House. And when things don't go his way, he's going to get a little pissy about it, simply because he's always had his way.

And I think it's a good thing. Americans will see what contempt this man has for others, and maybe the press will get sick of being treated this way and come out with some hard news stories for a change. Stories which don't always cast a flattering light on Little Lord Pissypants.

[warrens]

8. He's a pissy little punk

When things aren't going his way, he gets nasty. This is nothing new.

[MrModerate]

9. He's furious, and rattled, and cranky, and . . .

Basically losing it.

He's never been very good with the press. In fact, they kept Fleischer and McClellan around long after they went rancid and began to stink largely because anyone more effective than them would have highlighted how incapable of rational speech Bush was. Now they've got Snow, who lies much more smoothly (if not convincingly) than either one of his predecessors, and the contrast is striking. Bush simply can't speak coherently.

I think his face is being rubbed in the shit of his own failures every day (if you think what WE hear about Iraq is bad, imagine the reports HE's getting) and he can't take much more of it.

I wouldn't be surprised if he went postal pretty soon. Rigid guys don't adapt to stress very well. They break.

And lest we forget -- this is a guy who could nuke Tehran if he wanted to. Or for that matter, San Francisco*


*I used this in an earlier post but I'm trotting it out again to see if it works.

[donsu]

10. where you been? they have always hated the press

nt

[driver8]

14. He knows his "Iraq policy" is a miserable failure and he has no idea what

to do about it.

He also knows that Iraq will be his "legacy" and that he is going to be seen as one of the worst presidents, ever.

Little Lord Pissy Pants is supposed to get what he wants...this wasn't supposed to happen this way.

[acmavm]

15. All his mental gears are stripped and all that we're seeing

now is his inability to keep it secret. And even with his handlers feeding him his lines, he still can't help but make an ass out of himself.

He is starting to be a very scary guy. His pettiness knows no limits.

[Marie26]

22. We ain't seen nothing yet

IMO. He'll only get worse as his defense mechanisms fail.

[acmavm]

25. I totally agree. The 'best' is yet to come.

[Hamlette]

16. it's a tactic, to divert attention

I'm not sure from what this time, Iraq maybe? The anniversary of Katrina? (I'm thinking he has nothing to worry about since the press hasn't been hard enough on him for either of those things.)

When "look, the sky is falling (terror alert)" doesn't work, he beats up on the press. He did it whenever things turn particularily sour in Iraq over the years, as pointed out in Fiasco. A great read by the way.

The hoped for result is that people will think the press is a bunch of chumps and we should all believe Bush instead of what is being reported.

[lonestarnot]

20. The distraction is for the nukes he wants to lob into Iran.

[Marr]

17. What exactly did he say?

He's always acted like a spoiled child towards the press, but what did he do this time?

Like that time a reporter called him "Mr. Bush" and he snapped back, "who are you talking to?!". The reporter rephrased it with "Mr. President", and Bush's ego was sated. Just pitiful.

[Marie26]

23. Suzanne Malveaux

always makes a point to refer to him as only "Mr. Bush" in her reports. I like to think it's a small slam at Bush's narcissism.

[spanone]

18. It's because he is, as you stated, an asshole.