Is the President mentally/physically incapacitated and unfit for office?

[BlueEyedSon]

For all you folks who think that Bush appears drugged or implausibly inarticulate.....

"At some time in the past, according to both and the President suffered what one of his aides called "a very minor seizure" and as a result of this, the President has a very difficult time following any unscripted conversations. For this reason, his staff carefully and aggressively protect the President from "unexpected" questions that he is not capable of answering."

"The President takes oral medication at least twice a day according to because of an unspecified "indisposition' and this subject is strictly off limits for any casual staff conversation."

"Vice President Cheney is the de facto President of the United States. When he arrives at the White House for one of his "briefings" of the President, all employees are cleared from the West Wing and especially from the Presidential office suites. Cheney arrives in an escorted armored limousine surrounded by his own personal, heavily armed bodyguard and is always shown directly into the President's office. It is reliably reported by that Bush has a thick pad of lined, yellow note paper on his desk, placed there by just before the Vice President arrives."

"After Cheney's departure, the notes taken by the President are transcribed by and prepared as talking points for the President..."


http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a876.htm


Time to call our congresspeople?

[bryant69]

1. Hmmmmmm

This is kind of a hard sell. Do you really doubt that the white house could provide expert testimony that President Bush is in fine mental and physical health? More to the point, whiel he is inarticulate, there's no evidence that he's ever been articulate.

Plus this sort of attack makes us look like jerks willing to do anything to tear down the president. It's akin to going out a limb and them cutting the limb behind us.

I think we are better off calling our congerss people and telling them to keep the pressure on the Bush administration to explain the bad information that led us into Iraq, for example. Explain why President Bush showed secret war plans to high officials in Saudi Arabia. Focusing on winning the election.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Q]

4. "Focus on winning the election"

- What an odd thing to say. Are we gong to continue to ignore the corruption and secrecy of the Bushies for the sake of political expediency? Is winning more important than making sure we have a 'sane' president in office?

- Bush* is obviously in trouble and his 'delusions' are putting this country at great risk.

[bryant69]

10. Yep

Well I don't see the point in wasting a lot energy in a pointless exercise that will make the Bush administration stronger. That's the secret to combat, you hit them where your punches will do the most damage; you don't just strike out randomly.

I certainly don't like President Bush, but I don't think he is insane, just nuts.

[sangh0]

70. Furthermore

I don't think it's wise for anyone to attack Bush* on the basis of what's posted on a Holocaust deniers web site

[Q]

2. This would explain a lot about his behavior...

""At one point during a staff conference, the President stood up and began to speak in an unknown language. Mr. Rove was able to stop the President and get him to resume his seat. It was reported by that for a period of time (about fifteen minutes) after this incident, the President appeared to be 'somewhat confused and very inarticulate.'"

"White House staff members report that they rarely see the President during work hours and that when they do, he is generally accompanied by Mr. Rove and almost never either looks at or speaks to members of the staff. He does not appear to recognize many of the staff members and almost all contact with these individuals are carried out by his close aides, especially by Mr. Rove."

- Lying about a president's ability and capacity to hold office is a crime against the United States. Given that he has his finger over the 'button' and commands a 'superpower' military is a good reason to demand that the CIC is in good physical and mental condition. It would be 'treason' to hide such things from congress and the people.

[MallRat]

7. Dubya: Instrument of God's Glory?

"At one point during a staff conference, the President stood up and began to speak in an unknown language. Mr. Rove was able to stop the President and get him to resume his seat."

Glossolalia? :wtf:

If this became mainstream news, his poll numbers might actually go up among religious conservatives. Better keep this quiet.

-MR

[havocmom]

55. Rove = Nurse Ratched?

OK, I'll buy that.

Yep, it's a junta, not an administration.

Are there provisions in the Constitution for Congress to call for an outside evaluation of the President's fitness to serve?

The insistence that bush* appear before the 9-11 Commission ONLY with Cheney next to him was not because bush* is afraid. He would probably love to talk it up without chaperons! It is to protect Cheney and the rest of the criminals.

When is Babs gonna pay the ransom to the neocons and rescue her lad?

[BostonTeaParty04]

3. Not saying Bush is 'competent' but what you posted is CRAP

I won't bother going to whatever that link is.

There are a BUNCH of nouns mysteriously missing from the text you posted.

LMAO because every single SOURCE that should be referenced in that piece is just simply deleted.... .

What's your point???

But, yeah, based on my personal observations, bush in incapacitated.....

[Gin]

6. even though it appears the lights are on but nobody is home when shrub

speaks...if he goes before the election...think of who gets the seat..so...our pathetic saviour is the lesser of 2 evils.

[BostonTeaParty04]

12. Except... Cheney has no power if he is out in the LIGHT of day....

And a 'president' brought about because the president had to step down or whatever has sooooooooooooooooo much less power.....

Cheney wouldn't get jack-sh*t accomplished .....

I'd risk it because.. well, CHENEY IS the president. It might be better to have him out in the light of day.

[BlueEyedSon]

8. Just look at his public behavior.

Something is definitely up. Yeah, he is no brilliant public speaker (or brilliant anything for that matter), but remember how he got to where he is. While campaigning he was affable, witty, engaging, NEVER at a loss for words (see "Journeys with George" for example). People LIKED him.

Now, he is dismissive and fumbling, repetitive and repetitive. (Did I mention repetitive? :))

Also, condsider the pretzel incident.

Any other public officeholder, no matter how belligerent or ignorant could spin a better press conference than we saw the other night.

[BostonTeaParty04]

16. Oh blueyed... I agree... something is up with our little king....

He can barely get through ANY event without displaying signs of 'no one is home'.

I think back to when he was supposedly having trouble with his knees... and he couldn't jog for a while. And he is still limited in his jogging...

Well... I couldn't believe the pics of bush during that time. He was wearing these HUGE jackets... HUGE... they were really long down past his butt... big shoulders... and long, long sleeves. (like an arnold jacket)

His legs looked about 3 feet long.

There weren't many pictures of it... and bush's schedule was skimmed down.

The guy was wearing some big time stuff around his torso.... perhaps a back brace?

I bet he had back surgery.... or some such thing. Perhaps even heart bypass? But I think he stays heavily sedated on pain killers.... and he has to taper off them before he goes in the public....

Look how drugged out he looks when he shows back up in public! A few days later... the old boy looks slightly better. He is on a drug roller coaster, man.

Look at his fluffy hair.... or should I say bushy? That's where bad drugs detox to.. your hair... makes it all wirey.

I think he underwent some serious surgery... and they hid it from the public. I think (?) this was summer 2003.....

[kodi]

37. it explains why bush has to have cheney with him before the 911 commission

i have always said that bush looks like he suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome.

that news conference? christ, any one of a 100 names picked randomly from a local phone book would have performed better.

bush is disgraceful.

[tinanator]

11. damn right undisclosed sources are NOT journalism

Bernstein and Woodward should have been flushed too.

[NMDemDist2]

5. who is the tbr news

that guy looks a bit scary and i think i spotted "tin hat hair"

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

17. yep - big time tin hat hair

I like my pudding with more proof in it, please.


BTW, nice book list on that site. Not.

[amandabeech]

63. That is supposed to be a distorted picture of David Irving,

the historian-turned-holocaust-denier, with his nose punched in, or at least someone who looks like him. This is per an e-mail exchange with the site's owner, a guy named Walter Storch.

According to Storch, the site is anti-denier, and there are articles very critical of the deniers, and their publication "The Barnes Review." Accordingly to Storch, that is why there are links to denier sites. "The Barnes Review News" is the full name of the site. Storch would be better served IMVHO if the name were "The Anti-Barnes Review News," if, in fact, the site's purpose is what Storch claims that it is.

[TOhioLiberal]

9. Dupe....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1442774

[BlueEyedSon]

13. Not really.

Hard to take the other subject seriously....

[ElsewheresDaughter]

14. Dry Drunk Syndrome...Addiction, Brain Damage and the President

http://www.counterpunch.org/wormer1011.html

Dry drunk is a slang term used by members and supporters of Alcoholics Anonymous and substance abuse counselors to describe the recovering alcoholic who is no longer drinking, one who is dry, but whose thinking is clouded. Such an individual is said to be dry but not truly sober. Such an individual tends to go to extremes.

-------------------------------

First, in this essay, we will look at the characteristics of the so-called "dry drunk;" then we will see if they apply to this individual, our president; and then we will review his drinking history for the record. What is the dry drunk syndrome? "Dry drunk" traits consist of:

Exaggerated self-importance and pomposity
Grandiose behavior
A rigid, judgmental outlook
Impatience
Childish behavior
Irresponsible behavior
Irrational rationalization
Projection
Overreaction
Clearly, George W. Bush has all these traits except exaggerated self importance. He may be pompous, especially with regard to international dealings, but his actual importance hardly can be exaggerated. His power, in fact, is such that if he collapses into paranoia, a large part of the world will collapse with him. Unfortunately, there are some indications of paranoia in statements such as the following: "We must be prepared to stop rogue states and their terrorist clients before they are able to threaten or use weapons of mass destruction against the United States and our allies and friends." The trait of projection is evidenced here as well, projection of the fact that we are ready to attack onto another nation which may not be so inclined.

Bush's rigid, judgmental outlook comes across in virtually all his speeches. To fight evil, Bush is ready to take on the world, in almost a Biblical sense. Consider his statement with reference to Israel: "Look my job isn't to try to nuance. I think moral clarity is important... this is evil versus good."

Bush's tendency to dichotomize reality is not on the Internet list above, but it should be, as this tendency to polarize is symptomatic of the classic addictive thinking pattern. I describe this thinking distortion in Addiction Treatment: A Strengths Perspective as either/or reasoning-- "either you are with us or against us." Oddly, Bush used those very words in his dealings with other nations. All-or-nothing thinking is a related mode of thinking commonly found in newly recovering alcoholics/addicts. Such a worldview traps people in a pattern of destructive behavior.

Obsessive thought patterns are also pronounced in persons prone to addiction. There are organic reasons for this due to brain chemistry irregularities; messages in one part of the brain become stuck there. This leads to maddening repetition of thoughts. President Bush seems unduly focused on getting revenge on Saddam Hussein ("he tried to kill my Dad") leading the country and the world into war, accordingly.

Grandiosity enters the picture as well. What Bush is proposing to Congress is not the right to attack on one country but a total shift in military policy: America would now have the right to take military action before the adversary even has the capacity to attack. This is in violation, of course, of international law as well as national precedent. How to explain this grandiose request? Jane Bryant Quinn provides the most commonly offered explanation in a recent Newsweek editorial, "Iraq: It's the Oil, Stupid." Many other opponents of the Bush doctrine similarly seek a rational motive behind the obsession over first, the war on terror and now, Iraq. I believe the explanation goes deeper than oil, that Bush's logic is being given too much credit; I believe his obsession is far more visceral.

On this very day, a peace protestor in Portland held up the sign, "Drunk on Power." This, I believe, is closer to the truth. The drive for power can be an unquenchable thirst, addictive in itself. Senator William Fulbright, in his popular bestseller of the 1960s, The Arrogance of Power, masterfully described the essence of power-hungry politics as the pursuit of power; this he conceived as an end in itself. "The causes and consequences of war may have more to do with pathology than with politics," he wrote, "more to do with irrational pressures of pride and pain than with rational calculation of advantage and profit."

Another "dry drunk" trait is impatience. Bush is far from a patient man: "If we wait for threats to fully materialize," he said in a speech he gave at West Point, "we will have waited too long." Significantly, Bush only waited for the United Nations and for Congress to take up the matter of Iraq's disarmament with extreme reluctance.

Alan Bisbort argues that Bush possesses the characteristics of the "dry drunk" in terms of: his incoherence while speaking away from the script; his irritability with anyone (for example, Germany's Schröder) who dares disagree with him; and his dangerous obsessing about only one thing (Iraq) to the exclusion of all other things.

In short, George W. Bush seems to possess the traits characteristic of addictive persons who still have the thought patterns that accompany substance abuse. If we consult the latest scientific findings, we will discover that scientists can now observe changes that occur in the brain as a result of heavy alcohol and other drug abuse. Some of these changes may be permanent. Except in extreme cases, however, these cognitive impairments would not be obvious to most observers

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

21. The most credible explanation IMO

Ya don't need pills to explain Bush when he's already got years of alcohol and cocaine consumption whittling away at his brain.

[BlueEyedSon]

22. Dissagree.....

1. He stopped a long time ago... presumably his state would be stable.

2. His demeanor now is entirely different than during the 2000 campaign.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

26. Brain damage is forever

And his demeanor isn't that different. It's the same guy under pressure he wasn't subjected to during the 2000 campaign.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

32. brain damage from alcholism is forever...

http://alcoholism.about.com/library/weekly/aa000425a.htm

• Study Expands Understanding of Korsakoff's Syndrome

New Technology Helps Study of Alcoholism Damage
New innovations in imaging technology have helped alcohol researchers study how alcohol damages internal organs, such as the brain and the liver.

Using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers are finding direct effects of chronic drinking on the brain and liver, according to a recent National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Alcohol Alert.

Imaging studies have revealed a consistent association between heavy drinking and physical brain damage, even in the absence of other usual symptoms of severe alcoholism -- chronic liver disease or alcohol-induced dementia.


Brain Shrinkage and Alcoholic Behavior
The shrinkage observed seems to be more extensive in the cortex of the frontal lobe, which is believed to be the seat of higher intellectual functions.

A small but significant proportion of the heaviest drinkers may develop devastating, irreversible brain-damage syndromes, such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome


Most alcoholics entering treatment perform as well as nonalcoholics on tests of overall intelligence. However, alcoholics perform poorly on neuropsychological tests that measure specific cognitive abilities (8). For example, an alcoholic who has remained abstinent after treatment may have no apparent difficulty filing office documents correctly, a task that engages multiple brain regions. However, that same person might be unable to devise a completely different filing system, a task closely associated with higher cognitive functioning.

[BlueEyedSon]

33. Is it a degenerative condition? He's definitely worse.

Anyway, unfit is unfit... so is he (now, or has he ever been, and when did he get that way...)?

[amazona]

52. yes, wernicke-korsakoff's is degenerative NT

.

[seabeyond]

36. i agree. i have a dry drunk 44 year old brother

told republican brother and father, jason=bush. look at them. one and the same. i know this man

this was the last time i talked to either on bush. they have both not brought him up again, my thought is they looked and see.

[rocktivity]

15. If Bush can't answer unexpected questions

then he's had more than a "very minor" seizure.

But maybe now we have a weapon with which we can undermine the mainstream media. If we can make them look as uncurious, incompetent, and not credible as Bush is, he'll have lost his greatest asset.

:headbang:
rocknation

[BlueEyedSon]

19. Come on, it's a press conference. He only got EXPECTED questions.

All the "unfriendlies" have already been banned (Helen Thomas for example) and the Bushies have a staff of HOWEVER MANY people they want/need to predict and analyze the potential questions.

So he can't answer expected questions, either.

[rocktivity]

27. Well, duh!

That goes WITHOUT saying, LOL!

:headbang:
rocknation

[0007]

42. There just may be something to what your saying!

It has been said that the press ganged up on junior and caught him completely off guard. This was reported by a reliable caller on Washington Journal one morning last week. (non bias Republican was the caller)

[amandabeech]

67. Maybe he had a light stroke affecting his brain,

but not the rest of his body much.

[randr]

18. He is the perfect tool for the neocons pulling his strings

If he had a mind of his own he would be dangerous!

[randr]

20. Didn't Powell refer some drug

that he infered "everybody is on" at some time?

[DoYouEverWonder]

46. That would be Ambien

and according to Colin Powell, 'Doesn't everybody take Ambien?'

Believe it or not the following statement is on the Dept. of State's website:



http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2003/26028.htm



Interview by Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed of Asharq Al-Awsat

Secretary Colin L. Powell
Washington, DC
November 5, 2003

2003/1138
(4:40 p.m. EST)

SECRETARY POWELL: -- from Panama to Nicaragua, from Nicaragua to Honduras, and that's our air base in Honduras, Soto Cono.

So in a helicopter it's Tegucigalpa, then back out to the -- Tegucigalpa to Soto Cono, then Soto Cono to College Station last night, then I had to change all of my software and take out all of the Central American software and put in the Chinese software to give a speech this morning in Texas.

QUESTION: So do you use sleeping tablets to organize yourself?

SECRETARY POWELL: Yes. Well, I wouldn't call them that. They're a wonderful medication -- not medication. How would you call it? They're called ambien, which is very good. You don't use ambien? Everybody here uses ambien.

[randr]

47. I knew I had read or heard that---Thanks!

[Qutzupalotl]

56. Finally, a straight answer to the question of

"How do you sleep at night?"

[Emillereid]

59. Holy Moly! Maybe this explains the whole Bush administration --

there are all on Ambien and they think everyone else is too! I've taken this stuff a few times -- you don't just fall asleep, you switch off like a light with this stuff. Also it definitely makes me feel weird the day after.

Here's some side effects of ambien:(source: http://www.ambiensleepingpills.com/ambien-side-effects.html)
Ambien Side Effects



What side effects may occur while taking Ambien?



Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, tell your doctor immediately. Only your doctor can determine whether it is safe to continue taking Ambien.



More common side effects may include:



Allergy, daytime drowsiness, dizziness, drugged feeling, headache, indigestion, nausea



Less common side effects may include:



Abdominal pain, abnormal dreams, abnormal vision, agitation, amnesia, anxiety, arthritis, back pain, bronchitis, burning sensation, chest pain, confusion, constipation, coughing, daytime sleeping, decreased mental alertness, depression, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, difficulty concentrating, difficulty swallowing, diminished sensitivity to touch, dizziness on standing, double vision, dry mouth, emotional instability, exaggerated feeling of well-being, eye irritation, falling, fatigue, fever, flu-like symptoms, gas, general discomfort, hallucination, hiccup, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, increased sweating, infection, insomnia, itching, joint pain, lack of bladder control, lack of coordination, lethargy, light-headedness, loss of appetite, menstrual disorder, migraine, muscle pain, nasal inflammation, nervousness, numbness, paleness, prickling or tingling sensation, rapid heartbeat, rash, ringing in the ears, sinus inflammation, sleep disorder, speech difficulties, swelling due to fluid retention, taste abnormalities, throat inflammation, throbbing heartbeat, tremor, unconsciousness, upper respiratory infection, urinary tract infection, vertigo, vomiting, weakness



Rare side effects may include:



Abnormal tears or tearing, abscess, acne, aggravation of allergies, aggravation of high blood pressure, aggression, allergic reaction, altered production of saliva, anemia, belching, blisters, blood clot in lung, boils, breast pain, breast problems, breast tumors, bruising, chill with high temperature followed by heat and perspiration, decreased sex drive, delusion, difficulty urinating, excessive urine production, e ye pain, facial swelling due to fluid retention, fainting, false perceptions, feeling intoxicated, feeling strange, flushing, frequent urination, glaucoma, gout, heart attack, hemorrhoids, herpes infection, high cholesterol, hives, hot flashes, impotence, inability to urinate, increased appetite, increased tolerance to the drug, intestinal blockage, irregular heartbeat, joint degeneration, kidney failure, kidney pain, laryngitis, leg cramps, loss of reality, low blood pressure, mental deterioration, muscle spasms in arms and legs, muscle weakness, nosebleed, pain, painful urination, panic attacks, paralysis, pneumonia, poor circulation, rectal bleeding, rigidity, sciatica (lower back pain), sensation of seeing flashes of lights or sparks, sensitivity to light, sleepwalking, speech difficulties, swelling of the eye, thinking abnormalities, thirst, tooth decay, uncontrolled leg movements, urge to go to the bathroom, varicose veins, weight loss, yawning

[thebigidea]

62. geez, I thought that list of side effects was a joke...

Herpes infection?

Rectal bleeeding?

Loss of reality?

Kidney failure?

Joint degeneration?

heart attack?

hemorrhoids?

shit, what DOESN'T ambien do?

[Emillereid]

69. A lot of drugs are like this. It's the problem with point solutions drugs.

You mess with the whole web of bio-chemical reactions in the body affecting a lot of stuff down-river so to speak. A friend of mine likens drugs to this: imagine trying to take out a single marble in a large bowl full of marbles -- of course, you're going to disturb every marble getting to the one. Better to use something that works more synergistically with the body.

[doni_georgia]

79. And it's ADDICTIVE! Hello!!

Wow, I'm going to sleep a helluva lot better knowing that our whole government is taking an addictive sleeping medication. Yeah, right. Just what I want, the guy with his finger on the button taking a med that can make you lose touch with reality.

[bobthedrummer]

23. He has that horrible time lag when he's listening to the voice of his

handlers trying to direct his response imo, sometimes it's a mic, sometimes it's whoever has the frequency imho.

It's difficult to process, isn't it?

I got sick watching him trying to appear as The War President.
I felt ashamed as an American observing George W. Bush failing to respond to questions by members of the press.
Sickness and shame is what I felt, and I'm sick of feeling that way-it's not healthy for any American, now, as long as The War President and his corrupt administration hold office imo.

[Stephanie]

24. Why post this as if it is true?

There is no author, there is no source, and the website looks a little shady. Did you read the intro?

Part 38

Note: The following material is from a reporter with access to the White House and Presidential press briefings. Some of this material has surfaced before but only in small segments. If any of this is true and not the product of an unhappy person, we are all in serious trouble. Ed.

[BlueEyedSon]

25. Why post anything damaging about the Bush admin as if it is true?

O'Neill
Woodward
Clarke
Premature Iraq war plans
hyping WMDs
$700 million
LIHOP
etc.

Bushco runs the most secretive administration ever and DENIES everything anyway.

[mainer]

28. I'm a doctor, and I think he is neurologically impaired

Have said this before on the boards, after watching his "press conference". The man confabulates -- he invents new realities because his memory is impaired. I've seen it before in patients with early Alzheimers and/or longstanding alcoholism.

[BlueEyedSon]

30. In your opinion, is he impaired enough to be unfit to continue to serve?

Do you have any comments about the seizure/medication parts of the story?

[mainer]

34. Unable to comment on that "seizure and drug" claim

Since it's hard to know if it's true.

But just my own observation of his speech patterns, and the way he continually makes up facts, and then believes them to be true, indicates neurologic deficits.

And no, I don't think he's competent as a leader. That's why he requires "handling" by his staff.

[seabeyond]

29. can we say the movie "dave"

doesnt he have to show all medical records on health and all pills taken

easy enough question

[JHB]

31. Source is RW kook Willis Carto's network of publications.

see the other thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1442774

These guys are Nazi apologists, so their beef: the "real" president is doped up and the government is being controlled by the (pro-Likud, absolutely Israel-aligned) neocons.

One doesen't need to visit ZOGland to find dirt on His Squandership, Chim-Chim.

[amandabeech]

66. I am concerned about this as well, but I had an e-mail

exchange with the site's putative owner, a guy named Walter Storch. He claimed that TBR News is not related to The Barnes Review, but is critical of it, hence the link to The Barnes Review web site. He claims that he is not a denier, but there is a definite anti-Sharon, at least, preoccupation.

Do you have any link to information that TBR News and The Barnes Review are owned/run by the same kook? It's all very bizarre.

By the way, as a work of fiction, "Controlling the Media" is a lot of fun. I read it and it was like a novel that I couldn't put down.

[sangh0]

71. Here's a suggestion

If you think someone might be a Holocaust denier and Nazi apologist, it's probably best to assume that they are not the most credible source.

[JHB]

75. I may be mistaken about a direct connection...

...but his "Booklist" page lists the Barnes Review Selected Booklist (no "News" in there), the phone number to order books is the Barnes Review number. Compare:
http://www.tbrnews.org/booklist.htm
(scroll to the bottom for the phone number)
and
http://www.barnesreview.org/Contact/contact.html

Maybe the guy is just sloppy with his web site, but he doesn't seem to have any other connections, which doesn't speak well for the veracity of his claims.

Something's fishy with this, and it ain't the halibut.

[BlueEyedSon]

35. *kick*

[BlueEyedSon]

50. *kick*

[lumpy]

38. To answer the lead line

The president is mentally/physically unfit for office. Actions speak loader than words. His disability to answer a simple question, his tortured facial expressions, his mindless rhetoric, his intellectual ignorance, his distemper, his rash decisions, his physical stumbling, his misplaced humor are all indications that he is incompetent and requires constant care and a quiet atmosphere. Whatever the reasons, the man is incompetent.

[candy331]

39. What does this say about a nation that is willing

to overlook any and all obvious facts that prove in stark reality that the man is mentally unfit. I suggest that it is more than the man, it is an alarming symptom that shows that the nation is even sicker and rests in an ever so sad state of denial.

[lumpy]

49. I agree, one reason:

A nation that lives and dies sprawled in front of a mind numbing TV screen is doomed to failure. Dr. Phil, Howard Stern, Tinkie Winkie, and room makeovers just don't make the best of teachers.

[TNOE]

40. Bush Goes Mad Right Before Our Eyes

Snip:


However, issues of critical circumspection aside, Bush has revealed recently why he is so dangerous: his belief that he has a higher calling to bring freedom to the world. Once committed to the cause, Bush has not wavered in his support for the occupation of Iraq; despite the growing chorus of opposition to his disastrous policy, he has only grown more recalcitrant and stubborn regarding the rightness of his mission, as was attested in his own address to the nation one week ago.

An article by Antiwar.com’s Justin Raimondo entitled, “George W. Bush, Neocon Napoleon” quotes from the speech, revealing the president as a megalomaniac caught up in his own self-deluded belief that he and his American vision are quite literally God’s gift to the world. According to Raimondo,

“…the President stumbled through most of the Q&A, but there was one point where he waxed passionate, and became momentarily articulate, as if possessed by some neocon demon speaking through presidential lips.”


Snip:

Well that’s all well and good, George- everyone has their own beliefs, about both their personal values and the great beyond. That does not however give one the right to impose them on everyone else- unless one is a mentally deranged megalomaniac sociopath. Take him out of the suit and high office, and George W. Bush would be interchangeable with any deluded leader of a religious cult. Raimondo continues:

“…in this moment of spontaneity, unscripted by Karl Rove and completely unfiltered, Bush revealed the madness at the heart of his presidency, the corruption that eats away at the White House and infuses Washington, the Imperial City, like a dense hallucinogenic fog. He really does think his job is ‘to lead this nation into making the world a better place.’ Not defending the nation, not protecting our security, not getting out of the way of prosperity, but ‘changing the world.’”


http://www.balkanalysis.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=331

[BlueEyedSon]

43. Freedom is "speaking in code"

I'm not sure of all of it, but these are parts of it:

You are free to be a Christian

You are free to participate in US (non-free market) capitalism

You are free to implement a foreign policy favorable to the US

its 1984 speak

[TimMooring]

41. Bushes brain, such as it is, is his biggest asset

dems won't make much headway on this front. it's a deadend.

[genius]

44. I've thought he was crazy for quite some time

Cheney, however, gives Manson a good name.

[lapislzi]

45. Deconstruction alert

This site doesn't appear particularly reliable. No links to the sources of the material in question.

Need more proof. Lots more.

[onecitizen]

48. YES!!! nt

~

[amazona]

51. Chimpy has karsikoff syndrome...

as a result of prolonged substance abuse. It will be acknowledged some years after he leaves office, with much pretense in the press that it is a sad new development. See under Ronald Reagan and Alzheimer's.

We do not have any real procedure for removing an incapacitated president in the United States. That's how we ended up with Edith Wilson for president back in the day. Much less Nancy Reagan and Michael Deaver. And so now it's president Rove. Sadly, we have a pretty long tradition of unqualified people leading this country who were never elected by any voter.

Most men in their 50s and older take oral medication of some sort. Believe me, if we did have a process for removing incapacitated presidents, it would not be used to remove Republicans. That party wants puppets and figureheads on the front lines, so the people can't see the real face of the party. It would be used to relentlessly attack Democrats. Best to leave well enough alone in this area.

[BlueEyedSon]

53. Thanks, I did a quick google

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/wernicke-korsakoff.htm

What is Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome?
Wernicke's encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disorder caused by the lack of thiamine (vitamin B1). It may result from alcohol abuse, dietary deficiencies, prolonged vomiting, eating disorders, or the effects of chemotherapy. Symptoms include mental confusion, vision impairment, stupor, coma, hypothermia, hypotension, and ataxia. Korsakoff's amnesic syndrome-a memory disorder-also results from a deficiency of thiamine, and is associated with alcoholism. The heart, vascular, and nervous system are involved. Symptoms include amnesia, confabulation, attention deficit, disorientation, and vision impairment. The main features of Korsakoff’s amnesic syndrome are the impairments in acquiring new information or establishing new memories, and in retrieving previous memories. Although Wernicke’s and Korsakoff’s may appear to be two different disorders, they are generally considered to be different stages of the same disorder, which is called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Wernicke’s encephalopathy represents the “acute” phase of the disorder, and Korsakoff’s amnesic syndrome represents the "chronic" phase.

Is there any treatment?
Treatment involves replacement of thiamine and providing proper nutrition and hydration. In some cases, drug therapy is also recommended.

What is the prognosis?
Most symptoms can be reversed if detected and treated promptly. However, improvement in memory function is slow and, usually, incomplete. Without treatment, these disorders can be disabling and life-threatening.

[BlueEyedSon]

54. morning kick

[ethereal]

57. TBR

That site, while endorsing many things I do not agree with, has been running this "Controlling the News" series for some time.

Here is their intro about this:


"During the middle of March, 2003, tbrnews received an email from a man who claimed to be a mid-level executive with a major American television network. He stated in this, and subsequent, emails that he was in possession of “thousands” of pages of in-house memos sent from his corporate headquarters in New York City to the head of the network’s television news department. He went on to say that these memos set forth directives about what material was, and was not, to be aired on the various outlets of the network.

This individual claimed he was developing serious doubts about the strict control of media events and decided that he would pass this material along to someone who might make use of it.

There was the question of his job security. If someone published his name, it would be certain he was not only fired but blackballed throughout his profession.

If tbrnews.org would agree to protect his identity, he would send us these alleged thousands of pages of notes, going back to 2001.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating so we accepted his caveats and he then sent to us by disk the pages he spoke of. All are on corporate stationary, signed or initialed by the senders and again, signed or initialed by the recipients in the news division.

It was always possible that this material consisted of a very involved hoax or was something designed for the news site to use and then have it revealed that it was not original. It would not be the first time that spurious disinformation had been sent to us in the hopes that it would be used.

There were not “thousands of pages” of memos but a total of 1,497 separate pages involved. Many of them consisted of short memos while others ran to a larger format.

Naturally, someone could easily have obtained correct in-house network letterheads, made copies of them and prepared false memoranda but the sheer size and depth of the collection was impressive.

If these memos were true, they showed with a terrible clarity that at least one part of the American mass media was strictly controlled and that the news was so doctored and spun that it might as well be official news releases from the White House and Pentagon.

The best way in which to ascertain whether or not these documents contained original information was to check the dates of issuance and compare the information with subsequent news stories.

This was a terrible, time-consuming chore but by selecting random memos and looking through the archives of various national newspapers, checking AP releases and so on, the results indicated that indeed, news was being managed.

However, it was also possible that someone else did this and was preparing these after the fact and making the memos conform to published material.

That having been said, we insisted on absolutely current memos so that we could then check these against future publications. If, for example, a corporate fiat was to show certain pictures or spin a story in a certain way, it would be relatively simple to simply read the press or watch television news to see if these suggestions were implemented.

It was both shocking and gratifying to note that this proved to be the case in a preponderance of cases and so we began to put these up, either in toto or, more often, in excerpt and watch as ordained news was created before our eyes.

When a corporate order states, for instance, that certain pictures should be shown with accompanying commentary and the memo predates a published story by a week or more, then it is more than likely that the memos are not inspired guesswork but genuine.

When tbrnews put up the first two pages, there were two basic forms of public response. One was to thank us for exposing something many people believed; that the American media was controlled and not free. (That much can easily be ascertained by reading the websites of various reputable foreign publications such as the Swiss NZZ, the British Guardian, the Canadian Toronto Globe and Mail, Reuters News Service, AFP and the Jerusalem Post. What any viewer can see on these sites is certainly not reflected in the American media.)

The second response consisted of irate, and literate, statements to the effect that all of these items were just stupid hoaxes and should not be believed. “I believe,” one writer who claimed to be a Professor of Journalism at an Ivy League college said, “these are just disinformation designed to discredit American journalists whose reputation for honesty and integrity is certainly beyond question. You are performing a great disservice in repeating these politically-motivated fictions…”

This is certainly a true statement because if it became generally accepted that the American media was only a mechanical parrot for various political organizations, it would no longer be either believed or watched. If viewers turned off their television sets, the networks would lose huge amounts of advertising revenue, reporters would be laid off and people would turn instead to the Internet for their news.

The file, “Controlling the News” has proven to be the most durable and viewed section of tbrnews. As the result of our earlier postings, we have been receiving a significant amount of input that extends far beyond the scope of our original informant. These sources include, but are certainly not limited to; an employee of a major American news magazine, a source inside the corporate offices of a major media conglomerate, various military sources, foreign press and intelligence individuals and persons connected with official agencies who are greatly disturbed by the machinations of the current Administration.

That these sources have requested anonymity is self-evident

In the final analysis, it is always up to the reader to make up their own mind as to the truth, or fiction, of what they read. The media has an opposite view of this.

It is fairly obvious that the average Americans get their news either from TV, mostly, or, to a shrinking number, from the print media. If someone in East Peoria, Illinois sees something on CNN, the Voice of the White House, they have no reason to question it. And don't. The establishment does not worry about a website that, as in our case, reaches perhaps 100,000 people at a time when they have control over NBC, CBS, ABC and CNN that can, and do, reach millions a day.

What do they care about people who email messages back and forth? Even if a Pentagon plan to nuke North Korea were up on the net, all that would happen is that some would say, "See, I told you so!" while others would say "Oh shame! You are questioning our Glorious Leader (appointed to his high office by Almighty God Himself!) and putting our Brave Troops in danger!"

If the honesty of the American mass media is finally brought into serious question, perhaps the ruling Establishment cannot jam their lies down the public's throat with such ease.

I've been following this series for months, as what it discusses is usually followed up weeks or months later with "credible" reporting.
Scroll to the bottom of each page to get the latest update.

For example:

(January 14, 2004) There are two major and very serious problems looming on the horizon for us. The first is the coming vote in November and the strong probability that there will be a reprise of the Florida mess. Our sources, Beltway rumor and other indicators, are very clear that vote stealing via badly flawed “electronic voting” is in train now. This has the fingerprints of Rove all over it but there is always plausible deniability, as in the Wilson “leak” case. The NYT has been pounding on this and it is also a favorite theme of anti-Bush internet sites. If the White House rams this national “Electronic Voting” program through, it could lead to another stolen election and that could lead to revolt inside both the Congress and the public…We have also learned that it is being “suggested” that all GI absentee votes be “directed” towards a Bush election. Considering the anger of the troops at this point, these absentee ballots are anticipated to be strongly anti-Bush. “Electronic Voting” is being thought of as a “fast and convenient” method of allowing “our stalwart heroes” a “quick method of reelecting their Commander in Chief.” Read Thomas Carlyle on the origins of the French Revolution or even study our own…We have been firmly requested to conduct interviews of returning troops. The theme will be satisfaction on job well done. As the temper of the returning troops is highly uncertain, it has been suggested that we use actors in uniform. This has happened before…the Pentagon was writing dozens of praiseful letters allegedly from troops in Iraq to “their” local papers. The problem is that all of them were written by the same Pentagon PR official and sounded like it. 2004 might be an interesting year…Now the second major problem is illegal immigration which has reached epic proportions. It is officially estimated that there are 12 million illegal immigrants, mostly Mexican, now in America. Many are on welfare and many are taking jobs away from the lower level Americans, especially teenagers. No politician, and certainly no one from any level of the media, is going to tackle this one. I personally predict this will be the fuse that will ignite the public powder keg, if not this year, probably the next. Everyone from the President on down is keeping their mouths shut on this demographic disaster…

http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a810.htm

Of course, most people who are capable of figuring out how to use Google have already figured out that the votes were stolen. And we are just now starting to hear more about the immigration fiasco as we read about efforts in border states in the mainstream press.

Another of note:

(January 23, 2004) It looks like the O’Neill book has legs after all. Threats to prosecute because of the use of confidential or secret documents have died away. Coming up now is Bush’s dismal military record. If Kerry gets the Democratic nomination, the combat issue will certainly come up. The true story about Bush’s alleged AWOL from the Texas Air National Guard is fairly simple. He flunked his drug tests and no way they wanted him to fly expensive aircraft into downtown Houston. He refused to take any drug tests and just walked off the job. With Dad’s connections, that got him into the Guard and safely away from ‘Nam, it was not likely he would get gigged for his vanishing act so he was safe…but now copies of medical reports stating our Prez had “serious drug and alcohol” problems have surfaced. Most were destroyed on Rove’s orders after Bush was a serious contender but some were stashed. Of course we can’t air these or we would lose our license but this is no secret in certain circles. Bush does not want to extend the mandate of the 9/11 commission but he may have to. They are all afraid of what most of us know is clear knowledge of the attack and the deliberate failure to do anything about it. Their arrogance is unbelievable….

http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a819.htm

I took the time to read through all the archives of these alleged *insider* media memos and was flabbergasted. If any of this is credible, major major coverups are going on all the time. Pretty much as we figured.

Archives:

http://www.tbrnews.org/Archive.htm

[Emillereid]

58. For those of you dismissing this report as 'tin hat' stuff -- go

check out some of the archived stories. I just randomly selected about 10 and they were all stories that have played out here at DU and/or were from 'reputable' news organization such as the guardian, AFP, AP, the Independent, etc. Maybe we're tin hat too!! I don't mind when someone repudiates a story on the basis of facts -- but when the dismissal is based on shooting the messenger, I think it shows the same kind of unscientific thinking on display so often from the Bushits themselves.

Take a look at this one about the most recent death toll of American soldiers in Iraq -- quite moving: http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a877.htm#001

[sangh0]

72. Poor argument

Anyone can link to a bunch of credible stories, but that doesn't make the linker more credible

[Emillereid]

76. Argue with what is being said, not with who is saying it.

What about the claims made in the article to you want to dispute. Frankly the article is not all that revelatory -- the signs have been everywhere that Cheney is the de facto president, that Bush seems to have some kind of cognitive (neurological?) disorder, that the administration is full of evangelical freaks, etc., and that Rove keeps him on a short leash for fear of him embarrassing himself.

[Emillereid]

60. Why are people calling this a holocoust denier site? -- Because of

the picture of David Lewis? I clicked on the picture and it took me to a paper that seems to be very unflattering of him. As the picture suggests, it beats him up.

[lapislzi]

61. Don't give the bum a buy

Sorry, that's just too easy.

Aside from the fact that I have doubts about the credibility of the information, I think it's just too easy to write off people whose actions are beyond the pale or incomprehensible as being crazy.

You might want to call Hitler crazy, and crazy he may have been, but that in no way excuses the behavior. I think crazy, incapacitated, etc., have to be taken off the table if we are to deal with the man and his actions.

[ethereal]

64. The source

From what I can gather, the material was sent to the owner of the TBR website unsolicited. Regardless of what the man himself believes, *IF* the memos are authentic, they should be looked at for their content, not judged by our feelings about the *messenger.*

I, for one, will continue to have an open mind that the content might be legitimate until proven otherwise.

[sangh0]

73. I suggest you keep an open mind

about whether "the content" even exists. You seem to have assumed it does exist, even though the only evidence that it does exist is this persons website, and we don't know how credible this person is

[lapislzi]

78. I need sources.

This stuff is rumormongering at its most virulent. There is nothing on the site to suggest hard evidence.

It might be legitimate...but you know what? That doesn't excuse ANYTHING. Just to label Bush impaired, is, first and foremost, an insult to genuinely impaired people...and it gives the fuckwit (there! I said it!) a buy.

No sir. Fuckwit's gotta answer.

[deacon]

65. I agree with nader, he is out of touch and unstable

his remarks in the woodward book are downright scary.

[ComerPerro]

68. Well, I assure you, he is VERY UNFIT to hold office

But he was unfit when he ran in 2000.

Apparently, not enough of a majority was able to see that.

Is he insane, however?

no.

Hes just the some old arrogant, moronic asshole he always was.

[BlueEyedSon]

74. Ok, go here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=1451413&mesg_id=1451413&page=

He's nuts.

[Carolina]

77. all of the above!

mentally, physically incapacitated AND unfit

[amandabeech]

80. I wonder if the pretzel incident was actually a seizure.

This BBC story reports that *bush had been feeling unwell for a few days before the incident. The doc said bush's heart rate fell when he choked on the pretzel. He supposedly choked on 1/13/2002.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1758848.stm

Also, could the bulky coats after his "knee problems" have been body armor?

Who knows with this crowd.

[drfemoe]

81. That's what I thought about the pretzel

and there have been some other recent pictures where his face looks scratched up. This story changes my view of him somewhat. Being stupid is one thing. Having a medical condition / handicap is quite another. (Not that stupidity isn't a handicap.)

He has no clues to reality. If these stories are true, he is a sick person and needs to be removed from his position. If Chain-gang is going to run things, the People need to know!!

I just can't wait to see what they will pull next. If he gets a serious head wound, but miraculously recovers . . . we'll have a new bead on this fascinating little portion of world history.

[lindashaw]

82. What is TBR?