Right Wing World: The Latest Faux Outrage is "Umbrella-gate"

At least with a trio of potential scandals, Right Wing World actually had something to squawk about last week. Sure, the big Benghazi memo turned out to be bogus. The IRS thing may end up causing the tea party more damage than if it were left alone. The AP thing. . .well, who knows. But a jump to a new scandal, one about a marine holding an umbrella for the President? Well, this one is just stupid, and smacks of racism.

Freeze frame from Washington Post video.

In fact, if one does a cursory Google image search, one will find several other images like this one. Images of past presidents--Republicans, notably--in nearly identical poses. Apparently, it is something of a traditional thing for the military to do for the president. The only difference I can see in this incident from those of George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan is. . .well. . .the color of the guy behind the podium. I know that alleging racism has become identical to racism in Right Wing World. But that is no more true than their commentary about this phony outrage. And this is not without precedent.

One that keeps coming around like a perennial flower is an image of President Barack Obama with his feet propped up on his desk. This was also a case where a simple image search would find examples of other presidents doing the same thing. But it doesn't matter. For some reason, it spreads like wildfire on the internet every few months, usually accompanied by right-wing commentary accusing the President of being arrogant, king-like, haughty, classless, anti-American, and everything right up to the line of "uppity." This is naked racism, nothing else.

And now for a blast from the past, the feet on the desk shots. . .

Barbara Bush Says No to Jeb in White House

Image from Talking Points Memo

As unbelievable as it might seem, Barbara Bush was First Lady of the United States beginning 24 years ago. At the time, there were some funny Saturday Night Live skits with Phil Hartman as Bar (a notable one with him trying to drag Jan Hooks' Nancy Reagan out of the place). But mostly, she seemed to be an affable, elder figure, if a little above it all. But I don't remember having even the slightest dislike for her.

That changed during the years following the George H.W. Bush presidency. In several different stories, she came off badly--aristocratic, cold, odd, uncaring--leaving a bad taste in my mouth. The fact that her son George still makes my skin crawl has also probably colored my view. It would be fair to say, my feelings toward Barbara Bush have dimmed considerably over the years. But now, I find myself in agreement with her, and I may have to reassess!

[Excerpt]

Barbara Bush Thinks There’ve Been Enough Bushes In The White House, No Room For Jeb

Amid the celebration surrounding the opening of son George W. Bush’s presidential library, former first lady Barbara Bush is brushing aside talk of a Jeb Bush run for the White House. . .

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

Photo of the Day: Bush League

I found this shot at the Drudge Report. I'm only posting it because former President George W. Bush looks kinda goofy. Similar pictures of President Obama engaged in the same activity have been a mainstay of conservative blogs. So, turnabout is fair play.

Washington Police Shooter Dead, Mike Huckabee Connection

Image from source, CNN

Back when George H. W. Bush was running for re-election against Michael Dukakis, a big stink was raised over Willie Horton. Horton had been released on a prison furlough program in Massachusetts, and had committed a crime while out. The Willie Horton ad was widely condemned for fear mongering and not-so-subtle racism. But it worked.

Now, for at least the second time, 2008 GOP candidate Mike Huckabee has been taken to task for essentially the same thing, releasing criminals who later reoffended. In the most recent case, particularly disastrously. I'm not inclined to come down on Huckabee like a ton of bricks on this, as he didn't have a crystal ball, and I don't know all of the details of the case. But I also can't say that this should be ignored. Is this a case of turn about is fair play, or could there be more to it than that? Time will tell.

[Excerpt]

Police: Suspect dead, had slain cop's gun

The suspect in Sunday's fatal shooting of four police officers was shot and killed early Tuesday by an officer after the suspect approached him and "reached into his waist area," authorities said in a statement. . .

Read more at: CNN

FOX "News" Store at George Bush Airport?

I have no idea how long this store has been open, what inspired it, what kind of person shops there, or who the hell thought this was a good idea. But if I had a belly full of expensive airport food, I sure wouldn't want to discover this store while walking to my gate. Talk about airsick!

Source: jasonepink

UPDATE: After looking around on the web a little, it turns out there are several of these. So it's not just a Texas or a George Bush thing. Those facts don't settle my stomach any. Rupert! Haven't you done enough damage? You've got three or four million gullible Americans getting their "news" from your so-slanted-it's-almost-upside-down channel. Do you have to infect them when they're on vacation too?

Rachel Maddow on Obama's Speech: Schoolhouse Crock

No, it wasn't President Obama's speech that was a crock, only the ridiculous fear campaign spread by the right-wing. This clip from The Rachel Maddow Show doesn't just have a brilliant title, it's pretty entertaining as well. You might even learn something.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

All The Presidents Meet

This meeting between Barack Obama and all of the living ex-Presidents (yes, GWB fits in that category now, if only not technically) reminds me of the old Saturday Night Live Robert Smigel "X-Presidents" cartoons. Maybe he'll bring them back?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Poppy Bush Wants Another Bush Presidency

No, no, a thousand times no! Can you even imagine people thinking in 2012, 2016 or 2020, "Hey, what we really need to do is go back to the good old days of the early 2000s! We need another Bush!" Like a hole in the head. . .



Found at: AmericaBlog

Guilt by Association: What About the Bushes?

Just a quick post to point something out that has floated right over the heads of the John McCain-Sarah Palin campaign, and all of their followers. You guys are so anxious to point fingers at Barack Obama for his past associations. It doesn't matter how well he knows them, only that they are "figures in his past," and "say something about his character."

Mmm hmm. Forget that all politicians have probably been in a room or on a board with many people with unsavory pasts. It's the nature of politics, unfortunately, and I'm sure John McCain is not exempt from it (Keating Five, anybody?).

But if you really want to go for the gold in a "guilt by association" game, how about the Bush Family, and their long-standing relationship with the Bin Laden Family? I'm not saying that there's anything sinister there, but if you follow right-wing logic (and Jeebus help you if you do), what is the difference here?

[Excerpt]

War or Peace? The World After the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election

. . .In September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City were attacked by airplanes flying into them, followed that morning by an air attack on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

Terrorists from Al Qaeda, an organization of Islamic extremists associated with the Afghan mujaheddin, and a Saudi figure, Osama bin Laden, alleged to be their leader, were blamed. The wealthy bin Laden family had close ties to the U.S. and the Bush family. . .

Read more at: Global Research

One More Justification for Iraq War Shot Down

Photo from source, Raw Story

There have been quite a few reasons given for our invasion of Iraq, and the necessity of removing Saddam Hussein from power. One of those reasons--hopefully low on the list--was that Hussein tried to assassinate George H.W. Bush, and that the younger Bush was getting his revenge. Now even that reason seems to be suspect.

If any good comes of this, maybe it will be a profound skepticism next time a "Decider" tries to take us--no rush us--to war. Unfortunately, I'm not that optimistic.

[Excerpt]

Pentagon report finds no evidence of Saddam attempt to assassinate Bush

In President Bush's view, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was many things -- a developer of weapons of mass destruction, an ally of al Qaeda and "a guy that tried to kill my dad." [snip]

Now skepticism is newly enveloping allegations of an Iraqi plot to assassinate former President George H.W. Bush during a trip to Kuwait in 1993. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

More Bush Boys Waiting in the Wings

Now, I know I keep promising to knock off the frightening, Halloween-style posts, but here's a little more scary news for you. . .

The Bush family has more Bushes waiting in the wings to enter politics. EEEEEEEEEEEK!

[Excerpt]

Bush 41 Gets His News From Fox News; Warns More Bushes May Run For Public Office

In his interview this morning, the former president returned the praise, saying that when he watches TV news, he watches Fox News . . . [snip]

Bush also said that he would like to see another generation of Bushes in public office. “I’ve got a grandson that would make a wonderfully able public servant if he ran, George P.,” said Bush. “And Pierce, Neil’s son. They have an interest in politics.” Watch it:



Read the rest at: Think Progress

George H. W. Bush at the Kennedy Assassination?

Photo from source, TomFlocco.com

OK, time to fetch your tinfoil hat, and attach it firmly to your head, this one is wild. Could George H.W. Bush have had some involvement in the JFK assassination? The hell you say! Well, read on:

[Excerpt]

by Tom FloccoDallas—March 23, 2006—TomFlocco.com—A November 29, 1963 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit memo unearthed in 1977-78 proves that former President George H. W. Bush was a member of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the recipient of a full briefing on the day after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 when Bush was 39 years old, despite his protestations to the contrary.

Additional evidence linking Bush 41 directly to the scene of the crime is available and is circulating the internet over the past few days in the form of a U.S. intelligence-leaked photo taken just after the JFK assassination at the door of the Texas Book Depository in Dealey Plaza.The individual in the photo has the identical profile and hairline of a more youthful George H. W. Bush, standing to the left of the doorway of the building just after the assassination looking in the opposite direction of the authorities who were intent upon locating Lee Harvey Oswald.The image of the elder Bush at the Texas Book Depository is authentic and can be verified by the intelligence operatives who took the picture and would testify if subpoenaed, according to U.S. intelligence expert Thomas Heneghan, who provided TomFlocco.com with the photo which was leaked to several others. [Click here to view the photo with other similar and contemporaneous photos of George H. W. Bush.]

Read more at: TomFlocco.com