Was Idiot Son really drunk in Bejing?

[Stinky The Clown]

There were many pictures posted here showing what appeared to be a dead drunk and physically incapacitated US president being helped from the stands, his arms and legs all akimbo, and his spouse and spawn looking disgusted with him.

That is what it appeared to be.

But what was it? We all had a good laugh at this, no doubt ...... and the snark level was high.

But was he, indeed, drunk?

Was it just him looking like his usual doofus self or is there some confirmation that he was drunk?

Here's a sample picture:

[spanone]

1. we're just the people, we'll never know

[roguevalley]

75. look at Laura's face and how she is finding her seat without watching

him. He's drunk on his ass. Look at his daughter. she has the look and Laura does too of someone who has been a drunk a long time and is putting a stoic face forward in public.

[DFW]

2. Unless you can smell his breath (ewww!) how would you ever know?

[Mabus]

37. Even then it would be hard

Remember, Chavez hinted that Bush leaves the smell of sulphur behind.

[gratuitous]

3. Was Bush really drunk?

Or just his standard crocked? Only his bartender knows for sure.

[TahitiNut]

4. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

Long-term alcohol abuse causes brain damage .... and one of the symptoms can be loss of balance, particularly to the rear. "Falling-down drunk" can be a permanent condition.

[BrklynLiberal]

13. I remember Janeane Garafolo and Sam Seder discussing this a few years ago

when they were on AAR in NYC.
It sure sounds plausible. He is a "dry drunk" and shows all the symptoms.

[yardwork]

57. Personally I think he's an active drunk plus has brain damage.

Plus he's an arrogant jerk. He hits the trifecta.

[BrklynLiberal]

79. Couldn't agree more....

[yellerpup]

93. That's my read on it, too. n/t

[Duncan]

107. Precisely.

[Warpy]

25. Yes!

It also causes confabulation, making stuff up to fill in gaps in memory, like talking about seeing the first plane hit the WTC on a television at the Booker School.

It causes distinct eye movement problems, which he displays.

It causes slurred speech, which he has.

It causes many other things, most of which he displays.

It can be partially corrected by large doses of thiamine, but only if the person has quit drinking. He has continued to deteriorate, however, so it's pretty apparent he's got a supplier somewhere.

No one can drink as heavily as he did for as long as he did without suffering central nervous system damage. He's showing it very clearly.

[TahitiNut]

54. Yup. I'm very familiar with it ... and have dealt with it as a caregiver every day for 5 years.

The degree to which each and every possible associated symptom is evident is highly variable - every individual is different and the loci of brain damage/atrophy variable. But the overall array of symptoms is unmistakable, imho. A brain-scan would no doubt show extensive atrophy and damage in Shrub's skull.

[Warpy]

70. Yes, definitely

I had an uncle with it who finally died of cirrhosis. I've also dealt with a lot of it in the VA system.

It's been like a flashing neon sign to me since 2001.

[yardwork]

58. Arm flapping. He has that symptom too.

[Cleita]

52. A stroke can do the same. I know. I had a couple of small strokes

last year I was unaware of that made me loose my balance and I was weaving all over the place like I was drunk. I had to go through physical therapy to regain my equilibrium and must exercise now all the time to maintain it. It seems to me though that if this is Bush's problem either through stroke or alcohol abuse in the past, his physicians would have zeroed in on it and prescribed exercise therapy long before this. I think he's just drinking. Who is going to stop him if he wants to? I don't think even the SS can. All they can do is keep him from falling.

[yardwork]

59. "Who is going to stop him if he wants to drink?" Indeed.

We all know drunks who won't stop, and nobody can make them stop. And this is the Decider!

[Sheets of Easter]

98. I think it's more along the lines of Wotta-Jerkhoff Syndrome.

[Magginkat]

114. RE: Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

"Falling-down drunk" can be a permanent condition, especially if one never quit drinking!

[El Supremo]

5. I'd sure like to se a video of these events.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. No shit .......

..... that's not the face of a man kidding. It is the face of a drunk.

But I'd love to know if any witnesses have spoken up about what they saw. This was in public, fer krissakes ...... **some** civilian saw what happened.

[bluedeminredstate]

6. Wow! I hadn't seen that picture.

Do you have anymore? Did you see the picture of him on KO last night holding up the US flag backwards? My God, he is an international disgrace. I cannot believe things are as close as reported between McGeritol and Obama.

[grannie4peace]

12. and....

i just called cnn tip line and asked why aren't they reporting on bush drunk in china.. .because it is all over the internet. she said she'd check into it,, yeah right, but at least i saved that number!!!!

[Stinky The Clown]

16. There are probably three .... four ..... more ..... threads still active on DU that have ........

.......... a bunch of them.

[dysfunctional press]

28. how about this one...? (and once again- check out his daughter's expression)

he's PLASTERED.

[Wickerman]

8. Drunk, or has a total contempt for the country he leads

[caledesi]

18. Look at his daughter! NT

[Ishoutandscream2]

48. I am looking at the daughter. And again, I gotta say it

She is one beauty. I know that may be unpopular around here, but I have always found her very, very attractive.

[jmowreader]

105. You're right--she's beautiful.

In that little nuclear family (mother, two daughters and a sotted father with his finger on the button), Barbara is definitely the prettiest.

[eshfemme]

109. I always thought that too. It's just too bad that she's always been in Jenna's shadow.

Maybe it was because she shares her name with her grandma. But I always liked how low-key Barbara was in comparison. Actually, if you want to compare likability, I would say that Jenna is more like George while Barbara seems to take after Laura and/or her namesake.

[mcg]

46. He's holding up the flag for the people BEHIND him.

What, you don't buy that?

[SammyWinstonJack]

51. Total contempt for us, for sure. All the bu$he$ have the same contempt. They were taught

early. Taught to have great disdain and contempt for those beneath them, which apparently is most of us in their POV. I read that some where.

[Arnold Judas Rimmer]

115. Well, the total contempt for the country, we already knew about.

That's been true of the Bush Crime Family for the last century.

[City Lights]

9. Remember, you're not really drunk if you can lie down without holding on!

[grannie4peace]

10. i just called the wh

and complained that i'd seen ap pictures where he looked drunk & i didn't like seeing the president of the usa drunk

[tridim]

19. You're sure making lots of calls this morning.

[MiniMe]

42. Hope you aren't planning of flying in the near future

Wouldn't surprise me if you are now on the do not fly list. But I agree, he looked totally stewed to the gills.

[Apollo11]

11. The real question is: was he ever really 100% sober?

But I guess it could be his way of dealing with jetlag ...

[malaise]

14. Just look at his daughter's face and you tell me

If he was sick, she would have looked concerned - she simply looks as disgusted as the rest of us.

[JeffR]

17. It's almost enough to make me sympathize with a Bush twin.

[tridim]

20. That, and the fact that she's pretty hot.

Mostly because she doesn't look like her father.

[malaise]

22. Yes indeed - she has that look of

OMFG!!

[Blue Belle]

49. Exactly...

she looks totally appalled... but then again, she's probably not too shocked. She's had to live with this bastard her whole life, she's probably seen much worse from him.

[ThatsMyBarack]

27. I've never seen * hold the flag UPSIDE-DOWN.

That ain't photoshopped, is it?

[Stinky The Clown]

33. I think it is ......

.... look closely at the flag.

[JeffR]

36. Yes, it is.

And rather poorly, but I can't stand to look at that family for very long so I rushed it.

[MiniMe]

43. Yes, but he was holding it backwards. That one is real

[MissDeeds]

53. And he's always got the sweat stains

when he raises his arms. Can't the dumbass find a deodorant/antiperspirant that works? Sheesh. He's so repulsive.

[yardwork]

61. Is that Henry Kissinger sitting below the Joker?

What's he doing there?

[chatnoir]

88. It was

Prob b/c he was some "pioneer" in US-Sino relations or sth:

http://gawker.com/5035463/henry-kissinger-has-olympic-f...

[Z_I_Peevey]

89. And the lovely Mrs. Kissinger beside him.

What an array of arrogance all in one little knot.

[chatnoir]

91. All sorts of war criminal nastiness in one shot n/t

[knitter4democracy]

122. Because it's safe for him to travel to China.

They won't get him on war crimes, like other countries would.

[WhiteTara]

74. was that picture photoshopped?

Upside down AND backwards? Kissinger is used to drunk presidents...He held Tricky Dick's hand...wouldn't let him on the phone after certain hours at night...too bad he couldn't corral the monkey before he humiliated all of us.

[noel711]

100. Look in the row in front of the Bushies....

Is that Henry and Nancy Kissinger?

[TahitiNut]

56. Empathy is NOT a family tradition.

[bluedeminredstate]

15. You're not the ony one asking...

http://wonkette.com/401833/was-bush-falling-down-drunk-...

[yardwork]

62. Notice that none of the people around him look concerned.

If had just lost his balance and fallen, people would be reacting. Instead, everyone is looking somewhere else, exactly the way people do when an obvious sloppy drunk is being helped away.

[Subdivisions]

21. Either that, or chivalry is truly dead. After all...

I don't see anyone offering Laura and Barbara any help.

[madinmaryland]

66. Whoa!! Is that Jeff Gannon/Guckert trying to take care of him?

[SpiralHawk]

71. Good question. Sure looks like the pate of the offical Bush White House male escort

Jeff Gannon? Where is CSI when you need them?

[Arnold Judas Rimmer]

116. Not unless he got a melanin transplant.

That SS agent is African American.

[Warpy]

23. It easily could have been early heat exhaustion

but my money's on having that brought on by too much maotai.

However, without seeing a closeup, I don't know for certain.

Even when he's sober, he's an embarrassment. He's also prone to dry drunks.

[Phred42]

24. Got any more?

[Ian David]

26. I say, yes... Bush was drunk off his ass.

[bluedeminredstate]

30. Excellent montage and commentary

of the drunken Chimperor's shame.

[Ian David]

32. And let's not forget...

You're not gonna tell me he did that sober, are you?

Or this...



Or these...

[Brundle_Fly]

29. if he wasnt drunk they'd splatter his wobbliness all over CNN

as it is seemingly locked out of MSM coverage, I think you can assume, yes, he is blasted.

[annabanana]

64. I don't think they would... There have NEVER been any questions

about his mental or physical fitness. Discussion of that is 'off the table' for corporate media.

[seabeyond]

31. looked like it to me but we wont hear about it. everything, the guys holding him

and guiding. his face. him holding on. his wife walking away. the look on the daughters face. and the people around them all look like guiding a drunk out. i have a brother, see it and know it well

[Warpy]

34. Yeah, and I was married to one

and the pictures upthread show the eyes that don't quite track, the clouded eyes, the slackened jaw....

Yeah, he's wasted.

[seabeyond]

38. there is another one a bit further out and a step or two after this one that

shows it even more. wasnt convinced on this one, but when i saw the progressive picture, i knew, as much as a person can know without being there. everything indicates it and the other picture more than this one. they even brought in a fourth ss man to help his stumbles and get him out of isle. if it were a mere trip, they would not have needed another to help

[yardwork]

82. And if he had tripped or lost his balance, people would be reacting. They're not.

The people around him look disgusted and they're studiously ignoring him. That proves that this is not simply a snapshot of a stumble. He was being helped out of there because he was falling down drunk, and it was obvious to everyone around him.

I've lived it. I've been in all three roles at one time or another - observer, helper, drunk.

[seabeyond]

90. yup. i told hubby when i first saw it, if he had stumbled, i would have whipped around

concern on my face to see if he was ok. you are right on. i noticed all that you say.

[yardwork]

94. And I agree with all that you point out!

He's drunk and he's brain-damaged from being drunk so often.

[Mabus]

35. There was that story in the National Enquirer that he's drinking

BUSH'S BOOZE CRISIS

By JENNIFER LUCE and DON GENTILE

Faced with the biggest crisis of his political life, President Bush has hit the bottle again, The National Enquirer can reveal.

Bush, who said he quit drinking the morning after his 40th birthday, has started boozing amid the Katrina catastrophe.

Family sources have told how the 59-year-old president was caught by First Lady Laura downing a shot of booze at their family ranch in Crawford, Texas, when he learned of the hurricane disaster.

His worried wife yelled at him: "Stop, George."

Following the shocking incident, disclosed here for the first time, Laura privately warned her husband against "falling off the wagon" and vowed to travel with him more often so that she can keep an eye on Dubya, the sources add.

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/63426

[cascadiance]

39. And a story in the Globe that Laura and he are splitting up!

http://www.globemagazine.com/story/218

Splitsville for Laura and George!



DESPITE the smiling public appearances, angry Laura Bush has secretly split with the president and is shopping for her own home in Dallas, White House insiders tell GLOBE. In a blockbuster world exclusive, this week's issue blows the lid off the couple's final showdown as sources reveal where Laura is living and George Bush's bouts with whiskey! You won't want to miss a single word.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200605260003

Coming soon to The New York Times? Globe reports Bush marriage breakup

Summary: In Patrick Healy's recent front-page New York Times article on the state of the Clintons' marriage, Healy noted that a "tabloid photograph" of former President Bill Clinton "was enough to fuel coverage in the gossip pages." Media Matters does not endorse the decision by elite media figures to take their cues from tabloids, but if they do so, we expect them to be consistent. As it happens, the cover of the May 29 edition of the Globe magazine contains a headline about another high-profile political couple: "BUSH MARRIAGE BREAKUP! EXCLUSIVE! SEPARATE LIVES IN THE WHITE HOUSE."

In his May 23 front-page article in The New York Times, staff writer Patrick Healy asserted that "hen the subject of Bill and Hillary Clinton comes up for many prominent Democrats these days, Topic A is the state of their marriage" and how it "might affect Mrs. Clinton's possible bid for the presidency in 2008." Healy offered no specific reasons for this purported interest among "prominent Democrats" aside from the amount of time the Clintons spent apart, a mention of a decade-old affair, and a reference to year-old "concern[]" over a "tabloid photograph showing Mr. Clinton leaving B.L.T. Steak in Midtown Manhattan late one night after dining with a group that included Belinda Stronach, a Canadian politician." Healy continued: "The two were among roughly a dozen people at a dinner, but it still was enough to fuel coverage in the gossip pages."

It was also enough to fuel a front-page New York Times article, and the rapt attention of the Washington press corps, as Media Matters has documented.

Healy did not identify the "tabloid" in question, but he seems to be referring to the Globe magazine, which in the spring of 2005 ran a headline about Clinton and Stronach that read "Bill caught with blonde AGAIN! New divorce battle with Hillary."

...

[Mabus]

41. When it says, "Laura Wins! Condi Loses!"

does that mean that Laura gets to ditch the POS?

[cascadiance]

55. Perhaps Laura could "win" more, if we'd imipeach this SOB!

Would save her the hassle of having to publicly explain her getting a divorce from him, if he could rot his ass in prison for the rest of his days, and stay the hell away from the rest of us then.

[galloglas]

40. A scientific explanation

Someone asked him is Blood Alcohol Content, in Spanish.

Afraid of botching his Spanish as he often does his Anglish (yes.. Anglish), he replies that it is 0.00%. Which I totally believe!!

I mean, isn't it obvious? As someone pointed out, there is something in his shirt pocket. And it is entirely too small to be booze.

So, what does it indicate? Perhaps GWB is singing,

"all I got for proof
Is rocks in my pockets and dirt in my shoes,
So goodbye nonbeliever" !!
Flashback Blues, John Prine, 1971



Well, he's BLOWING his rep in front of billions. Appears HIGH as he's GONE through China, TRIPPING around the LUSH, sun-LIT land of the East.

But perhaps there is another explanation?

While China has PLASTERED over WASTED areas of industrial growth, SMASHED and TRASHED by decades of war, and now a-BUZZ with new life, after being HAMMERED, BOMBED, BLITZED, and WRECKED by armies domestic and foreign, George has been seeing what interests him: the food and the competition.

Consequently, while watching his favorite American athlete, CRUNK BLUNT (Rep. Roy Blunt's other son), the Prez FADED from hunger, then LOADED up on some of those CRAZY Chinese foods. His energy was sooooo FADED that, as he TANKED up on MUNCHIES, he RIPPED into each dish, not caring if it was BAKED, FRIED, MASHED, TOASTED. Even whether it was COOKED or BURNED!

As you may well imagine, with our Prez TANKED on these delights, they SLOSHED around, causing indigestion. With no Tums readily available, he asked for some BAKING SODA, being intent on watching the finale of the CRUNK BLUNT match.

Unfortunately, BLUNT was a CHRONIC FADER and was TRASHED in his match by opponents who SMASHED AND HAMMERED him. Boy, was the Prez PISSED!

But by then, the food had SLOSHED into a HASH of indigestion. And by the time the match clock went BONG!, the Prez was ill enough that he thought CRUNK was a Ranger baseball player, and began coaching his player with, "TOKE the next pitch, CRUNK!

He then became dis-Oriented to the point of calling play-by-plays.

"OK, BLUNT! Watch for that EIGHTBALL! It's comin' down the PIPE!! The pitcher ROCKS and fires! BUD he is HIGH! CRUNK get a FREEBASE!!"

By this time the Secret Service realized the prez's reactions were due to his meal, and planned to take him back to crash.

Having none of that, the Prez said, "Let's go watch the CROCAINE matches! I'll bet CRUNK can't even hit the wickets! But we'll TOKE that match. Even if the SCORE's a TWEAKER!"

Then he blew his lunch and returned to the hotel.

Now who can blame the guy? "Food poisoning can get to anyone!" said Alexander Litvinenko

[Karenina]

99. BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

44. In the pics here and at Wonkette

he looks absolutely boiled - skunk drunk and barely able to sit or stand. Jeebus, what an embarrassment.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

95. Why is his right elbow scraped?

photo from wonkette

Generally, you don't get an injury like that unless you fall onto something hard -- like concrete.

[MiniMe]

45. I'd say yes

[SammyWinstonJack]

60. He sweats like an old lush. Probably stinks like one too.

[Blue_In_AK]

47. He certainly looked impaired

at the opening ceremony. It could be something else, but I've spent a lot of time around people with alcohol problems, and the symptoms looked very familiar to me.

[Cleita]

50. His usual doofus self is to all appearances that of a drunk.

Without being able to test him, we can only assume. However, I don't think he would pass a street drunk test as administered by the cops from his appearance in that photograph. I don't think he could pass the ABC part of it. His speech patterns when he's sauced point to that. I'm an ex bartender and am used to sizing up people as to whether they are too drunk to serve as the law at one time made me liable as well if they got into an accident.

[Javaman]

63. I have it from a VERY GOOD source, that yes, moron* was indeed drunk.

I have a contact in one of the alphabet agencies.

[yardwork]

83. So it is an open secret that is being ignored by the press. That ticks me off.

They sniff every Democrat's crotch in sight but the fact that our president is falling down drunk in public they ignore.

[Javaman]

128. The fact is, he* never stopped drinking in the first place.

that was all just bullshit and mirrors to get the holy roller vote. "he* saved himself* with god!!!!"

[PatSeg]

65. I think he's been drinking off and on

for quite some time.

What is it about GW that he lets it all hang out when he goes overseas? Does he not know that we can still SEE what he's doing?

[Mabus]

67. He doesn't know we can see him

He can't see us so he figures that we can't see him.

[PatSeg]

69. Oh, that explains it

The man is an absolute train wreck.

[yardwork]

84. That's not uncommon behavior among drunks, actually.

Many alcoholics have times and places where they feel "safe" enough to let themselves go. Of course, those "safe" places are safe only in their soused brains. They're usually drinking all the time anyway - they just work a little harder at hiding it day to day.

The chimp hasn't bothered to hide his drinking for a while, but when he's overseas, he really lets go.

[PatSeg]

87. That makes sense

Now that you mention it, I've seen that behavior in drinkers before. Of course they weren't president of the United States, in the public eye 24/7.

[tilsammans]

68. Plastered, potted, polluted to the gills . . .

. . . stinkin' from drinkin'.

More embarrassing than ever before.

[hamsterjill]

72. What a disgrace!

Yet again, he disgraces the country. What a slouch!

[krispos42]

73. He looks and acts like a victim of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

I bet his mom drank like a fish.

<snip>

The main effect of FAS is permanent central nervous system damage, especially to the brain. Developing brain cells and structures are underdeveloped or malformed by prenatal alcohol exposure, often creating an array of primary cognitive and functional disabilities (including poor memory, attention deficits, impulsive behavior, and poor cause-effect reasoning) as well as secondary disabilities (for example, mental health problems, and drug addiction). The risk of brain damage exists during each trimester, since the fetal brain develops throughout the entire pregnancy.

<snip>

Several characteristic craniofacial abnormalities are visible in individuals with FAS.<25> The presence of FAS facial features indicates brain damage, though brain damage may also exist in their absence. FAS facial features (and most other visible, but non-diagnostic, deformities) are believed to be caused mainly during the 10th and 20th week of gestation.<26>

Refinements in diagnostic criteria since 1975 have yielded three distinctive and diagnostically significant facial features known to result from prenatal alcohol exposure and distinguishes FAS from other disorders with partially overlapping characteristics.<27><28> The three FAS facial features are:

• A smooth philtrum — The divot or groove between the nose and upper lip flattens with increased prenatal alcohol exposure.
  
• Thin vermilion — The upper lip thins with increased prenatal alcohol exposure.
  
• Small palpebral fissures — Eye width decreases with increased prenatal alcohol exposure.

<snip>

Primary disabilities
The primary disabilities of FAS are the functional difficulties with which the child is born as a result of CNS damage due to prenatal alcohol exposure.<4> Often, primary disabilities are mistaken as behavior problems, but the underlying CNS damage is the originating source of a functional difficulty<38> (rather than a mental health condition, which is considered a secondary disability).

The exact mechanisms for functional problems of primary disabilities are not always fully understood, but animal studies have begun to shed light on some correlates between functional problems and brain structures damaged by prenatal alcohol exposure.<3> Representative examples include:

• Learning impairments are associated with impaired dendrites of the hippocampus
  
• Impaired motor development and functioning are associated with reduced size of the cerebellum
  
• Hyperactivity is associated with decreased size of the corpus callosum

Functional difficulties may result from CNS damage in more than one domain, but common functional difficulties by domain include:<38><3><42><43> (This is not an exhaustive list of difficulties.)

• Achievement — Learning disabilities
  
• Adaptive behavior — Poor impulse control, poor personal boundaries, poor anger management, stubbornness, intrusive behavior, too friendly with strangers, poor daily living skills, developmental delays
  
• Attention — Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), poor attention or concentration, distractible
  
• Cognition — Mental retardation, confusion under pressure, poor abstract skills, difficulty distinguishing between fantasy and reality, slower cognitive processing
  
• Executive functioning — Poor judgment, Information-processing disorder, poor at perceiving patterns, poor cause and effect reasoning, inconsistent at linking words to actions, poor generalization ability
  
• Language — Expressive or receptive language disorders, grasp parts not whole concepts, lack understanding of metaphor, idioms, or sarcasm
  
• Memory — Poor short-term memory, inconsistent memory and knowledge base
  Motor skills — Poor handwriting, poor fine motor skills, poor gross motor skills, delayed motor skill development (e.g., riding a bicycle at appropriate age)
  
• Sensory integration and soft neurological problems — Sensory integration (SI) disorders, tactile defensiveness, under-sensitive to stimulation
  
• Social communication — Intrude into conversations, inability to read nonverbal or social cues, "chatty" but without substance

<more>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_alcohol_syndrome#Dia...

[GreenPartyVoter]

78. His eyes are actually closer together than normal. That's what gives him the ferret-faced look

[Hekate]

101. Film of him from, say, 15-20 years ago argues that he was once sharp-witted...

There are periodically threads here accusing Big Babs of alcoholism during her pregnancy with W, but he doesn't *seem* to have started out his life with actual brain damage.

Hekate

[RamboLiberal]

108. I saw some film of him from Texas debates

He wasn't the bumbling stumbling talker that he is today. IMHO he is brain-damaged from the booze and he is still drinking.

[Hekate]

117. I'll definitely buy that he brought this on himself. nt

[madrchsod]

76. pickles does`t give a shit cause she`s been through this before

another photo shows a rather large scrape on the area around his elbow...the boy is in bad shape

[bunkerbuster1]

77. I've always assumed he probably has been sober all these years.

I know that puts me in a serious minority here at DU, but that's just my gut feeling.

As for the photos, you take enough of them, and you can pick out a few that are damning.

Beyond that--doesn't this guy's complicity in war crimes and domestic terrorism trump the possibility that he may or may not be back off the wagon? I really don't get the blogosphere's fascination with this topic.

(Like I said, I'm in the minority here.)

[PatSeg]

81. When I first started to notice it

my primary concern was his state-of-mind when making serious decisions. I was also concerned with how he interacted with other world leaders. I personally could care less if people drink as long as the drinking does not interfere with their job performance. In Bush's case, I think it is a serious problem, though he already was pretty inadequate to begin with.

[yardwork]

85. It irritates me because the press is complicit. I'm convinced that he's drunk much of the time.

I think everyone knows it and everyone keeps it quiet. This infuriates me. That's my opinion. I respect yours. You're right that it pales in comparison to everything else he does. If he were a spectacular president who had done lots of good I wouldn't give a damn if he was high as a kite every day. Of course, if he were a spectacular president who had done lots of good he would have been impeached for some minor infraction like not using his napkin by now.

[bunkerbuster1]

106. You're right about the napkin

and I totally get why it's popular to imagine the guy's relapsed. I also realize it's possible they're right and I'm wrong.

Maybe it's personal; I'm a recovering alcoholic.

[Regret My New Name]

127. I hope you're right...

because it's very embarrassing if he was in fact acting like a drunken fool, as opposed to just a goofy mofo trying to be funny(which has it's own problems when you're the leader of a country, hah!) But the fact that are so many pictures of him that look questionable is pretty damn weird. I mean, if it was just one or maybe two, but there are a lot.

[beac]

80. The Bushes should be forced to pay his SS agents a bonus ON TOP

of their government salaries.

It's one thing to have to be on the lookout for snipers and to be ready to take a bullet, but having to carry your drunk charge down the stairs and probably undress him and clean up his puke later SURELY deserves some extra "hazard pay."

[yardwork]

86. We can hope that one of them will write a book - although they're probably afraid for their lives.

People who attempt to write tell-alls about the Bush crime family have a high rate of "suicide."

[WinstonSmith4740]

92. I'm not really sure he's ever really been sober.

We all remember how he "choked" on a pretzel early in his reign. Spare me. I thought then that either Laura had cold-cocked him, or he was falling down drunk. Probably both.

[Hekate]

96. What really did it for me was the photo of * making the American A-OK sign...

... which apparently a lot of DUers know to be outstandingly vulgar in Asian countries (sorry, I was not really aware of that myself, but I also don't have an entire staff of protocol experts at my disposal). It was his face -- I never before in my life actually saw a face that illustrated "shit-faced drunk".

Edited to add: I just saw that pic again in post #5 in this thread

In that same photo the Bush wife and daughter look as stone-faced as in this one. "This is not happening. If we keep pretending all is normal, then everyone else will think all is well."

So yes, my sickening conclusion is that our president was drunk on his ass while representing us in a key foreign land. The Chinese, to whom "face" is as important as power itself, must think we are an entire nation of soft idiots just ripe for the taking.

Sadly, I didn't see these photos anywhere but here.

Hekate

[4_TN_TITANS]

97. My guess would be tranquilizers...

the only way he could live with himself and keep his wife. If he found his way to DU and got a dose of reality, his little head would pop.

[leftofthedial]

102. he's a brain-damaged drunk

and is good only at being an arrogant spoiled rich piece of shit.

[RamboLiberal]

103. Philadelphia Examiner Speculates on their website

No one's saying teetotaling President Bush would actually try and sneak some shots of alcohol while enjoying himself at the Beijing Olympics as his apocalyptically bad presidency recedes into history. That's the sort of thing you'd read in, say, the National Enquirer, which as everyone knows is full of trashy tabloid lies. Besides, the president doesn't have to consume actual alcohol to act like a bumbling fraternity president. Still, it's worth noting that Bush has been doing a funny/terrifying impersonation of a drunk president for all the press photographers at the Olympics. He's even got the red face thing down! After the jump, enjoy a photo gallery of the president looking his most wasted, from that beach volleyball embarrassment to daughter Barbara looking embarrassed next to Bush at a swimming match, plus some of the other ones Wonkette found on Four Winds 10 last night and some other ones thrown in for fun. The AP caption reads, "U.S. President George W. Bush stumbles as he and his wife Laura, front, arrive to watch the swimming competitions." So it's not that he's having trouble standing, as some have suggested. It's sitting that's the problem. Totally different. "This is all you have to show for the past four years of your life?" Note the nose. "Kidding, heh. Actually I'll take this now." Note the red face. "Nice flip turn or whatever, dude." "Seriously, Dad, maybe just..." "OK, what the hell are you even..." "Now you've gone and embarrassed yourself in front of both of Mitt's wives. Ugh." Bush with Chinese president Hu Jintao, looking a bit ruddy.... ...and a bit droopy-eyed. To be fair, she asked him to back-spank her. Looks like somebody fell! (Photos: AP and Getty Images)

http://www.examiner.com/r-1536554~Bush_Looking_Drunk_At...

[patrick t. cakes]

113. just checked it out.

that is one sloppy drunk. very obvious in those photos

[Ilsa]

104. His arm appeared to be banged up also.

Pictures taken over several days showed a huge scabby scrape on his right arm near the elbow. I was wondering where he fell down again.

[eshfemme]

110. Perfect ad for how finding Christ and prayer helped Bush stay on the bandwagon there.

I also thought that he was supposed to be proudly sober and crap. WTF is with the MSM in not reporting this gigantic case of hypocrisy? THIS IS NOT APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!! Is the MSM all Presidented-out by Obama's statesman-like tour of Europe?

Goddammit, I'm gonna go look at images of Obama to erase these pictures from my head before I completely lose it.

[ColbertWatcher]

111. THIS QUESTION MUST BE ANSWERED!

How can the GOP-controlled liberal media continue to ignore this smear!?

Let The President defend his reputation from these slanderous accusations!

Americans demand nothing less!

[bridgit]

112. Heard some time back on radio, that bush's handlers take a fully contained toilet...

with him/them wherever they go. It was alluded, that it is more than just the Presidential Excrement that is being guarded over, as somehow precious. But the guard thought to be over the extravagant pharmacologies that bush is ingesting. Who knows But when you have a hard time popping a volleyball off your inner elbows without losing your balance in that tricky sand box...something seems amiss. He's always in a cold sweat. And the look on his face has been more than gaunt & desolate. He seems near the end of whatever course he's running. Toss in a little booze and I would think the trolley rolls right off the tracks.

The look on the Chinese woman's face just behind, seems the look of the world. The look on his daughter, Barbara's face; seems the look of a lost little girl. He should have stayed in Houston/Dallas, sat on half a dozen boards and made piles on money like we said he would have if he wasn't running for pretzeldent...and left the rest of the free world the hell alone.

[PatSeg]

118. I noticed that woman too

She was in a lot of the photos and her expression said it all. Her look confirmed what we all are thinking.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

119. I genuinely feel sorry for Barbara

She didn't choose this imbecile to be her father, and she's an attractive young woman but she's stuck with the Chimp, poor thing. Note that even Pickles is ignoring His Drunken Chimperial Highness mightily. Everyone who knows this moron is embarrassed for him. This country is certainly embarrassed by this alkie chimpleton.

[many a good man]

120. Hero of many a well-fought bottle

[Maureen1322]

121. Who cares, no excuses.

He's still a piece of shit, m.fer.

[Stuart G]

123. Some addictive prescription drugs do this to people..

He could be addicted to strong prescription drugs. They act the same as booze in every way. Clumsiness, inability to talk straight,think straight , kind of out of it, etc. That could be the real reason he looks like this so often. Wouldn't go over very well if people knew the truth about it..would it?

[Stuart G]

124. If this were true, then he would be an active, using drug addict..

How would the country feel if the guy who says he is "clean" was actively using drugs, and addicted to drugs which were as powerful or more powerful than booze?
... A friend of mine was hooked on that crap, (a strong tranq) and he looked just like Idiot Son looks. Out of it, stumbling, unable to speak clearly, unable to think clearly, that lost look. A real work..He got off of it, but it was very very hard. And he is ok too.

[Highway61]

125. Holy cow....

I didn't see this...thanks for posting.
Something is going on with him....(more so than usual, that is). He hasn't looked so good for awhile now (not that he ever did) but what ever it is has taken it's toll (and it's NOT the intelligence of running the country!)

[LibDemAlways]

126. I'm amazed that his handlers would let him out in public like that.

It would have been so much easier to explain his absence as "feeling a little under the weather." He must be a hell of a mean drunk to insist on going and get his way - even though he could be (and was) photographed looking completely shit faced and unable to properly stand up. Pickles and Barbara look embarrassed, humiliated, and (no doubt) thankful the corporate whores have coated him with teflon.

[Stuart G]

130. It is just possible that this time he will get outed ...

These pictures are everywhere. My guess is, that when the games are over, someone will come back with video of him being tipsy..It doesn't matter if it is booze or some kind of meds. These pics are being sent, and will be sent all over the world. If there is video, someone with a phone or something..it will be hard to live it down. Especially if it gets to You Tube...Only time will tell. Let see. Let us hope he finally gets some pay back..

[MiniMe]

129. Secret Service Intervention required