This photo in the LA times made me hurl (Bush spanking an athlete):

[electropop]

Honest to goodness, the accompanying story is about Bush spanking a girl in a bikini. I am not making this up.



http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/08/george-bush-mee.html

[Renew Deal]

1. He hit her in the back at her request.

But visually, it looks bad.

[electropop]

4. OK, fair enough. But why in god's name did she want him to touch her?

Ewwwww. There isn't enough sanitizer gel in the world...

[Wickerman]

5. It pains me to say it

but I think, after watching video of it and reading of her request, he actually showed some good judgment. :yoiks:

He lightly brushed her back with the back of his hand, at her request, in stylization of their tradition.

Bush and good judgment. Hmmm, first time for everything, I guess. Too bad it wasn't for anything worthwhile.

[Mike Daniels]

16. She did actually invite him to slap her butt

Bush opted to hit the lower back but the invite was extended by the player herself.

From what I heard during commentary during one of their matches it sounds as though that team is pretty fond of Bush (at minimum, they don't dislike him).

[gatorboy]

2. He actually just slapped her on the back.

But lets talk about that sweating. It's hilarious how they tried to pin John Kerry as a "sweater" considering how much sweat pours off this stumbling monkey.

[dancingme]

3. it wasn't really a spank

but it was not "presidential" at all. Imagine if Obama did that? The GOP would throw him in Gitmo!

[Brewman_Jax]

6. Absolutely no concept of being a responsible adult

much less a responsible adult holding high political office. Looks like he'll be a spoiled rich frat brat, forever. :eyes:

[Anexio]

7. Bikini girl?

Thats not a "bikini girl", (whatever that is), thats Misty May-Treanor one of the members of the the American women's beach volleyball team.

Why do you have to reduce a gifted athlete with a degrading reference?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misty_May-Treanor

[electropop]

9. To Bush, that's all she is.

He totally degraded the point of the competition.

[Anexio]

14. No he didnt

I'm no fan of Bush but he did not degrade the woman. You did with your reference of calling her a bikini girl.

She's a gifted athlete that has worked very hard for many years to get to where she is. In addition to that, she and her husband, Matt Treanor, are very involved in community service both in their native California and here in Florida.

I appreciate your need to vilify the President but your aim is way off.

[tammywammy]

8. "bikini girl"?

:eyes:

[electropop]

10. Sorry - shameless headline-ography.

I am not a sports fan, but I do appreciate the lifetime of hard work these women invested in their careers. All to be trashed by our Dear Leader when they finally stand on the international stage. Yuck.

[SteelPenguin]

11. Oh Please

Why do you force some of us to defend that idiot.

They're not bikini girls, they're gifted athletes representing their country. He didn't spank her, he brushed her back with the back of his hand, at her request, because that's what they do at the end of a good play in the game. In the video it was kinda funny, but not anything to hurl about.

You want to hurl about something? How bout something Chimpy is actually responsible for?

[YOY]

12. Neither a "spank" not a "bikini girl" Plenty of reasons to dislike the chimp

This is just lame.

[madamesilverspurs]

13. The guy in the stands in the background,

is he taking a picture or holding his face in an "oh no!" pose?

[electropop]

15. He's yelling "WHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Go George!"

Bush is the kind of guy I'd like to have a beer with. Actually, he'd have the beer - in his lap.

[Marr]

18. Haha- that actually made me "l-o-l".

In the distance we see Bush media handler Brad Billingsworth, watching the disaster unfold, but helpless to stop it. "Oh noooooo!", said Billingsworth.

[TexasObserver]

17. I would like to have seen the spanking The Joker gave him when she got his drunk ass home.

[GoesTo11]

19. Wasn't there another near ass-grab photo?

I know I saw one. Can't find it. If someone can find it, it would be good in this thread.

[bamacrat]

20. Well Im suprised he didnt smack her on the ass.

Nice ass too. But I mean what should he have done? And I agree why would she want him to touch her. Maybe shes a power chaser.

[tammywammy]

22. Or maybe she doesn't "hate" him at all

Maybe she's proud to be representing the United States in the Olympics. And maybe, just maybe, she was glad to see her President there to support her.

I know there are plenty of people, especially on DU, that are repulsed at the site of him, but the fact is that most people aren't.

:shrug:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

21. There's not enough wrong with Bush, so now we have to make stuff up?

She asked him to pat her butt. He demurred, and instead brushed her back with the back of his hand.

This kind of thing is like people obsessing about Hitler having only one testicle... out of everything negative one can say about Hitler that's an odd thing to single out.