At least on ABC's feel-good Extreme Home Makeover program they don't try to convince you that the luxurious house at the end of the show is the same run-down junker of a home that was there at the beginning of the show. They actually show you their crew tearing down the old one and putting up a new one. NPR's Extreme President Makeover is not so forthcoming. NPR struggles mightily to convince listeners that there is some grand, noble "legacy" that will exist when the Bush administration leaves the White House.Today was a shameless homage to George W. Bush as the "normal, regular guy." Yeah, Bush is such a likable guy! Linda Wertheimer's slavish send-up of Bush is notable for its lack of any serious, critical voices; instead Wertheimer turns to a friend of Bush, and administration insider, and a charmed reporter clucking about George:
- "Dan Bartlett works in Austin now, but he was a close White House aide for seven years."
- "Cox Newspapers' Ken Herman, who has covered Bush for years, says the president prefers a quiet life."
- "Don Evans, secretary of commerce in the president's first term and a friend of 40 years, says that act [quitting abusing alcohol] demonstrated the president's commitment to his family and to the Bush family's belief in public service." [trans. "public self-service"!]
"'Popular and a natural leader of men, but simple and practically illiterate; a man of the people... An imposing presence, 6'3" in height; once agood distance runnergood heavyweight boxer andmountain bikerrugby player. As Head of State, has shown an engaging lack of formality and a disregard for his personal safety. Benevolent but tough. Well-disposed to Britain perhaps to an extent damaging to him in the African context. Speaks passable English. God fearing and deeply religious....,' read the notes."
8 comments:
Felt like I was listening to a Ron Popiel commercial. "But wait, there's more!"
BTW, there's an interesting new book out regarding how the Bushies covertly transformed themselves into the darlings of the Religious Right.
These social and political changes have posed distinct challenges for pols seeking to navigate the changes in American religious life and the successes of a culture of religious pluralism. This was particularly so for the patrician Bush family, whose challenges in this arena are a familiar part of their political tale. In addition, however, there remain astounding hidden dimensions involving the skills of “spy craft” acquired in a lifetime of covert intelligence activities by George H.W. (“Poppy”) Bush and many of his closest associates.
Probably won't be hearing much about this on NPR, I'm guessing.
On the piece wertheimer even said that if bush were your neighbor, you would like him. Wrong, bitch. If he were my neighbor he'd be taking barney to crap in my yard, and if I complained about it he'd be making drunk hang-up calls in the middle of the night. He's a prick, through and through, just like his parents.
I struggled to discern meaning, but I don't know what's going on in that heading photo... and not sure that I even WANT to know...
It kills me to think that this war criminal and his satanic minions will get off scot-free thanks to the complete and utter failure of the media to report even a hint of the truth about their crimes.
Cox Newspapers' Ken Herman, who has covered Bush for years, says the president prefers a quiet life."
A jail cell at the Hague (for war crimes) is pretty quite, I hear.
Bush's legacy is what comes out of the asshole of an Iraqi buzzard.
Likability is an utterly worthless measure of a leader's behavior -EXACTLY. so with bush gone and obama around, let's see where the latter's likability would take him, and where his deeds good or bad would too
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