Bush shows compassion

crawjo · May-15th-2004, 05:26 PM

Okay, gang. Scan through this photo gallery from George Bush's web site and tell me if you notice what nearly all of the photographs have in common. A friend pointed this out to me and I thought it was pretty funny.

moneyp · May-15th-2004, 05:32 PM

To misquote Chris's psychic, "I've never seen so many colored people!"

Doesn't that look like a crappy watch for a President to have?

May-15th-2004, 06:26 PM

Using black people as props is rather pathetic--reminds me of the "Midnight at the Apollo" night at the last Republican National Convention--these white people rounded up all the black performers they could find, and the cameras injected glimpses of their black delegates--I think I counted 4 or 5.

BTW, I thought I had posted this here a couple of days ago.

Dennis Gonzalez · May-15th-2004, 08:38 PM

On MLK's B'day, he was seen laying a wreath at the great orator's grave. The next day, not many people noticed, he was lobbying congressmen and women to do away with Affirmative Action...

moneyp · May-15th-2004, 08:57 PM

I recall during the opening ceremonies for the Atlanta Olympics, where they were showing some video montage (foggy memory recollects that Martin Luther King Jr. was in it, but I don't remember why). Anyway, every few minutes they would cut away to Bill Clinton who was alternatively smiling and applauding, looking solemn, and at one point, crying, depending on what was in the content of the video. That it was so deliberately choreographed was alternately hilarious and stomach churning.

Once you're elected, are you allowed to show real emotion? I mean, at least when George Bush the First ralphed on that Japanese guy, that was an unrehearsed and spontaneous event. That came from the heart. Well... stomach, but you know what I mean.

May-15th-2004, 09:11 PM

In Clinton's case, no such "choreography" was necessary. You may have read too much into it, Mone.

jesus marion joseph · May-15th-2004, 09:27 PM

Yes, he truly felt our pain.

Enforcer · May-15th-2004, 09:35 PM

Are any of you guys active in local politics? I don't mean stuff like voting for your state's governor. I'm talking about attending city or county council meetings, lobbying for changes in your community, etc. Just curious.

Inquisitive,
Larry

crawjo · May-15th-2004, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

Are any of you guys active in local politics? I don't mean stuff like voting for your state's governor. I'm talking about attending city or county council meetings, lobbying for changes in your community, etc. Just curious.

Inquisitive,
Larry

No.

moneyp · May-15th-2004, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris A

In Clinton's case, no such "choreography" was necessary. You may have read too much into it, Mone.

Oh, bullshit, Chris. It was as orchestrated as any of the pictures on Dubya's website, especially the manner in which he went from goofy grin to crocodile tears and back again. Try looking at things without the partisan blinders.

jeff54 · May-16th-2004, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

Are any of you guys active in local politics? I don't mean stuff like voting for your state's governor. I'm talking about attending city or county council meetings, lobbying for changes in your community, etc. Just curious.

Inquisitive,
Larry

About 15 years ago I was a district leader for the Democratic party in White Plains, N.Y. It was interesting and somewhat rewarding in that during the time I was involved the city council majority went from Republican to Democrate. However I also learned how full of shit most politicians are. Even on a local level they were for the most part primarily concerned just with being re-elected.

I gave the whole thing up when I moved to an area that is so overwhelmingly Republican that getting involved in party politics seemed somewhat futile.

I have occasionally been involved with the local non-partisan concerned citizens group but there our actions are pretty much restricted to montering what kind of land developement is going on and opposing pretty much all of it.

moneyp · May-16th-2004, 12:53 AM

And to answer Larry's question, nope. Never even thought about it. If I didn't like things where I lived, I moved. Having that option kinda dims the interest in community affairs.

Al in NYC · May-16th-2004, 04:01 AM

Well, as I think Larry knows, I worked in local government in Detroit for several years, and fought a number of (alas, mostly losing) fights against the administration then in power to preserve local businesses, housing, as well as historically important and interesting architecture. I was also involved in an effort to stop some outrageous, giveaway, sweetheart contracts that led to unsupervised and at times outright corrupt projects that benefitted a few favored individuals at great public expense.

After being laid-off from my government employment I was involved in a couple of "guerilla" art projects that sought to highlight and document the pernicious effects of governmental neglect on the city and its people.

When I came to NYC many years ago I worked for a state assemblyman as a tenant's advocate, and also worked on labor and wage/hour issues. During my time as a graduate student I was involved in the beginnings of the movement to unionize teaching assistants -- a movement that is only now coming to fruition.

In recent years I have been much less active in my political involvement. I've mostly been kept very busy running my business, and with my personal family life. However, I am in regular contact with both my city councilperson and my state assemblyperson about local issues. And I remain very active, as I always have been, in the ACLU.

May-16th-2004, 10:58 AM

My current activity is relatively limited, but it was not so when I ran a New York radio station during the eventful Sixties and the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam War were in full gear. It was a non-commercial station owned by the Pacifica Foundation, and it provided an alternative to mainstream broadcast regimen. While I always held my own political views, it was my tenure at WBAI that really woke me up to what was happening around me, and--not liking what I saw--made me politically active. I was in direct contact with some of the most influential minds of the day, so I have had a splendid view behind the headlines. I will always appreciate that and see it as ample compensation for the stress I underwent trying each week to meet payroll and calm ideologically-sparked tempers.

Captain Hate · May-16th-2004, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris A

calm ideologically-sparked tempers.

This was a few career-changes ago, right? You aren't exactly the Red Adair of the ideological oil fields.

May-16th-2004, 11:17 AM

One

frank m · May-16th-2004, 12:36 PM

Months ago I saw W talking to a woman who had just lost her house in some natural catastrophe----all on TV. Suddenly someone elses TV camera lights went on. Quick as a wink Bush swung around,put his arm around the woman and bent down and looked meaningly into her eyes. What a phony!

GoodSpeak · May-16th-2004, 09:02 PM

More of Dubya's "compassion" must extend to the shameless pandering of Hispanics in this country via the military.

General Ricardo Sanchez is now the leader of the coalition forces [surprise!]and Rumsfeld makes it a photo op on his visit.

U.S.Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, left, talks to Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, Commander of the coalition forces in Iraq, during his flight on a C-130 plane from Kuwait City to Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, May 13, 2004. Rumsfeld's trip is designed to reassure U.S. troops that the prisoner abuse scandal has not weakened public support for their mission and to get firsthand reports from the most senior commanders. (AP Photo/David Hume Kennerly, Pool)

My God.

Source: AP News www.ap.org

crawjo · May-16th-2004, 10:57 PM

What the hell are you implying, Goodspeak? That the commander of coalition forces in Iraq only reached that position because he's Hispanic?

clinthopson · May-17th-2004, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

Are any of you guys active in local politics? I don't mean stuff like voting for your state's governor. I'm talking about attending city or county council meetings, lobbying for changes in your community, etc. Just curious.

Inquisitive,
Larry

I plead guilty. I also have served on various local committees, which is pretty unusual for a wild eyed liberal in Orange County.

I was active in getting B-1 Bob Dornan defeated which is the high point of my political career.

Some guy (maybe Tip O'Neill) once said "All politics are local" which is absolutely right.

Brian Olewnick · May-17th-2004, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris A

In Clinton's case, no such "choreography" was necessary. You may have read too much into it, Mone.

Chris, I hope you haven't forgotten Clinton's pathetic performance at Ron Brown's funeral, leaving the event laughing, spotting a camera and immediately going into sob mode.

May-17th-2004, 12:45 PM

Guess that one escaped me, Brian.

Reminds me of the late Clara Ward. I ran into her shortly after her return to New York from attending Mahalia's funeral in Chicago. When I told her that I had seen her at the funeral, on TV, she smiled and said, "Didn't I give 'em some tears?"

Clay Fink · May-17th-2004, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crawjo

Okay, gang. Scan through this photo gallery from George Bush's web site and tell me if you notice what nearly all of the photographs have in common. A friend pointed this out to me and I thought it was pretty funny.

Next thing you know he'll be inviting the little boys over to spend the night at Nevemind.

Clay Fink · May-17th-2004, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Nagel

Are any of you guys active in local politics? I don't mean stuff like voting for your state's governor. I'm talking about attending city or county council meetings, lobbying for changes in your community, etc. Just curious.

Inquisitive,
Larry

I ran for dog catcher, but I lost.