posted on February 22, 2001 12:28:39 PM
That's a good question, James. Basically about his budget/tax cut I suppose, though nothing was clear at all, except his attempt to dodge questions. Especially loved Helen Thomas' nailing him on the church/state separation question.
posted on February 22, 2001 12:30:17 PM
So it was one of those vague things where everyone gets an entirely different ridiculous impression of Bush out of it?
spelling.
[ edited by jamesoblivion on Feb 22, 2001 12:30 PM ]
posted on February 22, 2001 12:35:42 PM
LOL, exactly. Deer in the headlights expression with a sick grin.
He did admit that in order for his tax cut to work, the economy will have to grow quite a bit beyond the present estimates. It's all a matter of faith, except in the economy at the present which is of course drastic. Incredible double-speak.
posted on February 22, 2001 12:43:11 PM
LOL, femme.
The choice of timing was certainly calculated to avoid as large an audience as possible. Probably also not to disturb his rather early bedtime routine.
posted on February 22, 2001 12:58:09 PM
I think that another bushism will be added to
the list...about "normal people." Did anybody
get that statement correctly.
I don't have it word for word but he referred
to people outside the white house as "normal
people."
posted on February 22, 2001 01:35:44 PM
As usual a number of statements made little sense. I suspect Crawford, Texas, had something or other to do with the normal choice however. Wish I had the transcript.
I wasn't thinking of his naptime so much as the sacrifice it would require for him to stay awake for a prime time audience. I haven't read any reports of his naptime schedule but I'm sure the Washington press corps felt that they had been handed milk, cookies, and a blanket.
freudian spelling correction
[ edited by Antiquary on Feb 22, 2001 01:54 PM ]
posted on February 22, 2001 01:53:38 PM
Well, I dozed off in the recliner as soon as he started talking. Guess he is good for something. I have trouble sleeping most of the time, and I never take naps.
posted on February 22, 2001 06:12:20 PM
....and what in the dickens was the "don't want it to have the Xmas tree effect..." (is that to replace the DOMINO effect...?)about? Something about his decisions being hung up like ornaments on a Xmas Tree??????say WHO???????
He had great difficulty getting the word A-P-P-R-O-P-R-I-A-T-E out...Took 3 trials and STILL screwed it up.... I enjoyed the recap tremendously....
******** Gosh Shosh!
posted on February 22, 2001 07:46:58 PM
Bush, Schmush...
I want to hear about Antiquary's
freudian spelling correction
----
NBC's evening news said it was a hastily called press conference (surprise, surprise). I had a feeling that by the time it got to the evening news, it would be sanitized. However, they had just a few second snippet of it.
Of course, there is the possibility that that is all they were left with after sanitization.
posted on February 22, 2001 07:56:56 PM
femme I'm with you I want to hear about Antiquary's spelling correction. Far more interesting than Bush.
Actually I saw the whole thing on MSNBC live. He seemed to be making an effort not to grin so he could have a serious demeanor.
I have a little theory about the timing. I am getting quite old, and get my times confused, so bear with me here ... but I think it came on just after Sen. Hilary Rodham Clinton's live TV press conference about the pardons and the huge fee her brother had to return.
My theory is that Bush is jealous of the all the attention that the Clintons still get and feels their games are upstaging his efforts during the first 30 days in office. So he was trying to compete with the Clinton's in the same time slot, it was like, "Hey look at me, I'm over here, look at me, not them! See what I can do, I can ride my bike with no hands mom!"
posted on February 22, 2001 08:51:18 PM
for krs - A lady who has a husband that works EMS related he had an older lady who bumped her head pretty good in an auto accident - she seemed a little shook and he asked her what year it was and a couple other questions, then said "Mam who is President of the United States?"
She said "God help us, don't get me started on that."
"Yup she's OK" he said.
[ edited by gravid on Feb 22, 2001 08:56 PM ]
posted on February 22, 2001 09:24:10 PM
femme, I'll never tell.
enchanted, that theory makes sense and there had to be some reason for it.
Not much reporting on it, but not really much to report, straight news anyway. Funny though. I would love to see him have to go 30 minutes, one-on-one, with Helen Thomas.
those damned split infinitives
[ edited by Antiquary on Feb 22, 2001 09:25 PM ]
posted on February 23, 2001 08:02:06 AM"I am, of course, disturbed about the spy, the espionage, the alleged espionage that took place. I'm mindful that there are people who don't particularly care what America stands for. And people are interested in our secrets."
I guess I can just cut and paste anything he says.
posted on February 23, 2001 08:05:02 AM
Wow! Read this exchange:
Q: "Mr. President, why do you refuse to respect the wall between the church and state? And you know that the mixing of religion and government, for centuries, has led to slaughter. The very fact that our country has stood in good stead by having this separation — why do you break it down?"
A: I strongly respect the separation of church and state
Q. Well, you wouldn't have a religious office in the White House if you did.
posted on February 23, 2001 08:41:05 AM
Q. Mr. President, on that same subject, your tax and budget package, how can you be sure that as you put it there'll be money left over? All it would take would be a less than one percentage point drop in productivity for that out-year surplus to dwindle or maybe even vanish. And also nobody, including Alan Greenspan, thinks that it would provide much of a current stimulus.
MR. BUSH. First of all, I think given the choice between increasing the baselines of the budget, the extent to which it had been increased in the past, and passing money back to the people, I think Mr. Greenspan — not to put words in his mouth — but it seems like — why don't I just put some words in his mouth — it seems like what he said in his testimony is he'd rather see tax relief rather than increasing the size of the budgets beyond the needs of the country.
Now secondly, I believe we can do a heck of a lot better in growing our economy than the basic assumptions in the 10-year plan. I believe that good monetary policy, good fiscal policy, good regulatory policy, good trade policy will enable our economy to grow beyond the scope that is envisioned in the current budget projections.
posted on February 23, 2001 10:32:21 AMAmendment I of US Constitution
"Congress SHALL MAKE NO LAW...respecting an establishment of religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
Would someone care to (try) and interpret the specific or broad intent of "Amendment 1" to mean:
- There shall be an absolute and total "separation of church and state."
- Church shall stay out of government and government shall stay out church.
- That it is constitutionally prohibited to provide assistance of any kind to any religious or religious oriented establishment, or for any church or religious establishment to provide assistance to the government.
Numerous documents make it clear that the intent of the founding fathers did intend to establish law that prohibited any government from establishing a national religion such as existed in England with the Church of England.
Law is law (as written) regardless of personal opinion. Until a law is changed, it stands as is.
If we governed or enforced laws only in accordance with personal opinion, especially with some (personal opinion) I have witnessed on AW, anarchy would be the rule.
I'm with you I want to hear about Antiquary's spelling correction. Far more interesting than Bush.