President Bush on why he hasn't played golf since 2003:
He went on to say this about the timing of his decision:
He spoke about this moving golf sacrifice on Tuesday, and when I first heard his comments it literally made me sick to my stomach -- and among the many reasons I was grateful that Skunky didn't join the reserves to help get through his residency, I was especially thankful that he were not in Iraq right now when Bush made that comment because I know beyond all doubt that my head would have exploded.

Just the thought that giving up playing golf is in any way a fitting tribute to the sacrifice 1% of our population is bearing alone to wage this war proves just how completely lacking in the leadership qualities necessary to manage a Publix store this President is -- let alone be POTUS. It's always horrified me that when Americans wanted to do something, were ready to sacrifice, and needed a sense of purpose we were told to go shopping and take out ARMs. His response to Katrina left me irate -- and watching how differently the Chinese have handled their earthquake aftermath this week has made me realize our country is not what it should be, is not living up to its promise.

Invoking the name of Sergio de Mello was a nice touch, and did win a little admiration from me until I watched Keith Olberman's special comment last night and learned that (1) the President didn't give up golf in August 2003, when de Mello was killed, but October of that year; (2) the President quit playing golf after tearing his meniscus.

It is simply unfathomable how this man came to lead our country.

Keith Olberman had a very insightful commentary last night -- and while I concede that MSNBC is sometimes like Fox News for people on the left, this piece is outstanding and worth watching.

His entire special comment can be seen on these two videos, but if you just prefer the part specific to the golfing it's on the second link.

After watching that whole segment it seems that Keith O. does not like our President and is an angry, angry left winger who needs to get some fiber in his diet and take a potty break. Then again - "American is just downright mean" so I guess I should have expected it.

It always saddens me that soldiers die so that people like Keith O. can make statements like this. WMD's or not, people seem to forget the Murderous Reign of Saddam Hussein.


I personally think that Mr. Oberman should take his own advice and "shut the hell up"

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I love Keith Olbermann. I watched this last night and cheered at the end. I'm glad at least one member of the mainstream media is calling Bush out on his disgusting, disrespectful, idiotic comments. Golf, indeed.

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"Big night, Lemon? Let me guess, meatball sub, extra bread, bottle of NyQuil, Tivo Top Chef, a little Miss Bonnie Raitt, lights out. "
Jack Donaghy to Liz Lemon on 30 Rock

I am a huge Keith Olberman fan, and really feel he is one of the only voices of sanity out there regarding the behind the scenes shenanigans of the Bush Administration. He is a healthy voice or "bridge" until we get to the next President of the United States, because there are no checks and balances, or so it seems, concerning this current administration. They played the fear card with the American public and got more than they ever expected...

I could rant on Bush and Co. until the cows come home....but I find I cannot any longer. All I may do is wait unil we have the next Administration, whether it be John McCain, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, it will, in the words of Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of NYC, be nice to have an "adult" in the White House once again!

I saw the clip yesterday on CNN and about barfed.

Bush is such a tool- there is no other word to describe him anymore -maybe he should devote his spare time to thinking about all the harm he has brought to our country and soldiers. Thankfully he will be back on the links next spring and out of the White House. Has there ever been a President that so many people held in such contempt?

I hear your thoughts on Mr. Olberman's patriotism and digestive health, and invoking the MURDEROUS REIGN OF SADDAM HUSSEIN™ is a nice touch.

What I don't hear is what you think of Bush's comments on golf and sacrifice. Do you find his comments on defensible? Commendable? Does it compare to Mr. IBD's service in the gulf? Is it excusable to lie about what prompted the decision?

As for murderous reigns, what do you think we should do about the situation in Myanmar? Should our military step in to distribute aid there? What about the genocide going on in Ogaden, should we spend $4 trillion to depose Zenawi? If it was good and right to go after Saddam, how can we stand by and watch the food crisis in Haiti and do nothing?

John McCain admitted Iraq was about oil last week, so I think we can retire MURDEROUS REIGN OF SADDAM HUSSEIN™.

can't watch the video, but Bush is just an idiot who said what any President would do, and all Presidential advisers would tell their President. I must have missed the part about "sacrificing" golf to equate to a parent's loss. Maybe it is in the video.

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One less jerk on the golf course only equals one more jerk somewhere else.

I believe the other presidents would have done it from the beginning of the war plus our former presidents who served in the military also finished their active duty and reserve committments before they sent young men and women into combat. For some reason I don't believe W's reserve records were misplaced. Somebody in W's unit would have remembered him being at reserve duty until his committment was up. Period.

I don't know about needing fiber or a potty break. But yes, Oberman is angry at our president and doesn't like him. Dare I say this is true of many, if not most, Americans- myself included. Have you seen Bush's approval rating? Have you seen the polls on what people think about Iraq?

You said you are sad that soldiers die so that people can make statements like this. Are you kidding? That's not why they die. They die, at least in this case, for reasons and causes that turned out to be UNTRUE because the Bush Administration was incompetent (and/or lied). Bush is responsible for killing more people than Saddam could have ever aspired to. And there are many more leaders in power in the world today who have had more murderous reigns than Saddam. What do you think- should we attack those countries?

Have you forgotten who put Saddam in power? Have you forgotten who armed him? The good old USA...

Oberman has the truth on his side. Bush does not. Why would you want him to shut up?

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Come on! Olbermann is to the left wing as Hannity and Rush are to the right wing. They are knee jerk supporters of one side or another (okay, if you are a left winger, you think Olbermann has passion and Rush and Hannity are knee-jerk, and vice versa if you're on the other side). All have the absolute right to do what they do. I watch and listen to all of them from time to time, not necessarily because I agree with them or are looking for affirmation of my own opinions, but because it expands my horizons. They all have their place in a free society, and thank God for that.

That said, I tend to agree with Olbermann a lot of the time, but not always, so I consider him to be somewhat of a guilty pleasure. He is very, very intelligent, very well read, and a lyrical, elegant writer. When he is on a roll it is a thing of beauty to watch. I have watched his career very closely and am happy that he he has found a role that suits him so well. (I don't think his producers are happy about the ratings tho. )

I do, in general, agree with his rants about Bush. They may be extreme and divisive, and very harsh, but they are based in truth. I happen to believe -- unless something changes drastically -- that history will judge this Bush as harshly as Olbermann is judging him now. We shall see.

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Proud to practice indoctrination
at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

I particularly enjoy his Special Comments. They are always insightful, and generally about something outrageous that the rest of the media is ignoring. He's great, but must be balanced with some NPR, News Hour, or CNN.

The funny thing is that watching Olbermann and MSNBC exclusively gave me insight into how some staunch conservative Fox News devotees must feel.

After Texas/Ohio, when everyone knew that Obama had won the Texas two-step and therefore the nomination barring a catastrophic event of Lewinsky proportions, I literally could not watch CNN. I would get so mad and argue back at Wolf Blitzer in a way I generally reserve for Rush Limbaugh. I even used the phrase "Clinton News Network"! I switched over to MSNBC and began to feel better, as they were reporting the truth. They weren't talking about a Hillary resurgence, or playing the Wright soundbites on a loop. They reported that other news organizations were reporting on Wright, and then showed the clips in context of the longer sermons. They showed that NAFTA-gate was a fake story pushed by the Clinton camp. They showed Clinton's pandering lie about Bosnia. Oh, it was so nice to not have to hear things I didn't agree with, to have my point of view reinforced. MSNBC was my blankie in those dark days.

Unfortunately, when I logged on to SoWal, I was shocked that people thought anything of the Rev. Wright brouhaha. In fact, I think I called someone 'simple' for falling for it. I wondered why everyone else was suddenly borderline retarded.

Spending all your time in an echo chamber will totally mess with your perspective.

Sometimes I wonder if you are "trolling."

Then many on this board must be doing the same.

I'm just acknowledging that when I only get news from a source with a single, similar point of view, I get frustrated that everyone doesn't see the world the way I do and thing something must be wrong with them.

I bet you can relate to that feeling.

Here is a friendly hanging curveball for all you lefties:

What is Bush's handicap?

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His brain?

..Too easy!


.

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"Peace .... starts with the person who attempts to diffuse the tension and backs away from the inflammatory rhetoric."

Touche Jdarg!!!

I haven't played golf for months and months, so I am quite happy to hear that my "sacrifice" is considered by the Commander in Chief to be on par with enduring a long separation from, constantly worrying about, and possibly losing a loved one!

..I think I'm reading a 71 in Poli Sci,; 71,76 in History; 71 in Economics .......

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"Peace .... starts with the person who attempts to diffuse the tension and backs away from the inflammatory rhetoric."

I understood. I just don't believe you can balance Keith Olbermann with the sources you listed.

And no, I can't relate to that feeling.

I thought you all would enjoy that.
Olberman is lame, by the way.

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So are you.

Guess who else I love? Joe Biden! Comments regarding the President equating Barack Obama and Democrats with Nazis...
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http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecry..._bull****.html

I don't know much about K.O., but I do know that I voted for Bush twice. I know now that my choice was WRONG. I, like Maeby Funke, would personally apologize to Al Gore if I met him.

I'm not sure what's worse:
-Bush thinking that giving up golfing is a sacrifice even remotely on par with that of our armed forces
OR
-Bush not meaning what he said but not being smart enough to know it's better just to keep your mouth shut sometimes.

I'm not saying that I'm smart enough to be president by any stretch, but I know and admit that freely!

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"He's the Wiz and nobody beats him!"

I am in the middle of packing and just heard this song. It made me think of this thread.....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOHZVibwdmQ

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IBD - I doubt you (or this song) could convince me that 9/11 was the real reason we went to war.

I think that became a very convenient tragedy to use as a reason along with WMDs when imo Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, and others who had not been able to get Bush senior to go into Iraq for "nation building".

These guys worked hard to get GW elected because they'd have a better chance of influencing him. And it worked! It was largely about oil - not 9/11. Iraq didn't have enough to do with the terrorist attacks that warranted us waging war.

Why is it Bush is saying now that we went to war? It continues to change.......


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"Peace .... starts with the person who attempts to diffuse the tension and backs away from the inflammatory rhetoric."

This post made me vomit, literally. And then it made me cry.

The initial visceral reaction was to the implication that somehow, in someway, I was wrong to point out that giving up golf was in no way a fair trade for sending Americans off to war for fictitious reasons, for sending 4000+ men and women to their deaths, for a war that should never have been waged. It was the first war America started. The very idea of a pre-emptive war is anathema to every American ideal. This President and his administration told the American people and the world that they had proof af weapons of mass destruction. They told us that they had proof that Saddam Hussein's regime had tried to buy nuclear materials in Africa. The President implied Saddam Hussein would have a nuclear weapon to like a sword over our heads. None of this was true. None of it.

We did not invade Iraq for reasons that had anything to do with September 11, 2001. No one tried to link the two until it became clear that there were no weapons of mass destruction. Anyone who pays any attention to current events at all realizes this.

What a low blow, to imply that I don't remember what that morning felt like. I'd just started a new job the day before and was 300 miles from home for training. My brother was in New York on business. I was watching the Today show, an the phone with my mother trying to find out where my brother was staying when the second plane hit and I realized what was happening. I rememer criving to the office and trying to sit through a meeting in a conference room with windows overlooking Lake Pontchartrain. I remember watching the planes line up in a landing pattern to land, and every plane in New Orleans air space, and all those coming in from South and Central America looking like they were headed straight for our building. I remember the gasps from the break room next door when the towers fell, and the terror of not knowing why people were gasping. I remember the president of United Healthcare telling everyone to go be with their families, and I went and sat in a hotel room in a hotel filled with people stuck away from their families. We all congregated in the lobby and watched the news in silence. No one wanted to sit in their room alone. I remember that week passing in a fog. I remember Thursday night, the television station in New Orleans (I lived in Shreveport then) set up giving stations around the city, and I went to give money because I needed to do something. There was a little girl and her tired looking grandmother in front of me. THe girl had on a new school uniform and shoes so old and tight they had holes and looked ready to burst. I'd intended to give the $50 cash I had, but seeing this little girl give $10 made me so sad and so proud of her that instead I wrote a check for a good bit more. I remember leaving there and crying so hard, I drove out to the West End, and parked to look at the water and listened to NPR's stories of people talking about their missing husbands and sisters and fiances that they were trying to find.

And yes I was angry, and yes I was sad, and yes I felt patriotic and I wanted to do something for my country. And it makes me mad as hell that someone would recognize that feeling -- a feeling all of us shared -- and use it as a political tool.

I find this video dishonest. We went to war in Afghanistan -- a war completely support and hope the next President refocuses on -- because of 9/11. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Trying to correlate the two is a political tool used by people that assume the American people are too busy or too stupid to pay attention to what their government has done in their name. This kind of emotional manipulation and fearmongering is completely at odds with freedom, justice, truth, strength, and everything else for which this country stands.

I find this post disgusting, IBD.

thank you so much for knowing when to come into a thread and put things into proper perspective. you said it all so well...

manners please.

the trolling comment. not sure what you meant, but it doesn't matter. its insulting.

I apologize to Rapunzel. I did not realize I was actually accusing her of being a troll.

My intent was to state that some of her comments make me want to reply in opposition to her stated views. I try to resist these urges.

Again, I apologize for the implication.

thanks JAL.

the troll word is reserved for real buttheads.

okay, my advice to you is to respond to rapunel's comments with what you really think or feel on the position or issue.

I may lack social grace, but even I know better than that!

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"It was far easier for you as civilized men to behave like barbarians than it was for them as barbarians to behave like civilized men." - Spock (Star Trek)

What, you think she isn't a butthead?

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Add me to that group. And I have to say that (Nobel Prize winner) Al Gore handled his stolen presidency with more class and character than we've seen in any other politician.

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If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow.-Rachel Carson

Actually, I enjoy debate. Seriously. Unfortunately, people rarely debate -- they just call names or attack.

One of my favorite people on this site is my ideological opposite. He's also capable of discussing the issues, refuting my points, and reading up on issues and learning about different points of view. That interests me, and makes me think.

It's possible to challenge people without attacking them or resorting to propaganda. Heck, I rec out for it!

You remind me of Barbra Streisand's character in The Way We Were. So much fiery passion for what you believe to be right! Thank heavens, though, that Skunky's no Robert Redford.

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"Much goes on behind the scenes which renders your comments unhelpful and simply wrong." ~Kurt

the main problem with his special comments are they are on a network that neo-conservatives don't watch and even if they did, most wouldn't understand him(GW included), he's WAY too smart & his vocabulary too advanced for someone with such a low I.Q.

Does this image remind you of any particular movement from the past?

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Cold hard fact of the day:more people log on to SOWAL.com than tune in poor Keith on any given day. Where is he tonight anyway, looking for some, ahem, little blue pills?

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Rapunzel,
Well stated and refuted - AND I will add that it is also insulting and demeaning to the thousands of Iraqis that have also died because of this needless, senseless war to only talk of Americans who have also needlessly paid the highest sacrifice for this administration.

If I were responsible for the mess we are in, I don't think I'd be able to function at all much less play golf. That's how I perceive Bush right now.

Let's compare MSNBC to Faux News. Faux gets a lot of crossover viewership. A lot of MSNBC enthusiasts are willing to tune in to Faux News to get their daily absurdity fix. Diehard Faux News viewers possess no similar craving for logic, reason, rationality, science, humor, you name it. Is there anything more entertaining than listening to that Doofus Ollie North take on lightweight Alan Colmes while Hannitty rudely spits out barbs and chuckles from the peanut gallery? OK so maybe Faux News does have humor.

two words: Anderson Cooper!

excellent points there luc!

I actually endured (and I do mean endured) Olberman's show the last two nights. There is no need to tune in to Faux as a substantial portion of both nights consisted of the airing of Bill O'Reilly tape for character assasination purposes. I guess it is ratings envy

I had to laugh last night at the gal who was sitting in for Keith while he was otherwise occupied (I guess not playing golf) as his ratings languish in the tank. They aired a segment from a Chris Matthews Hardball episode done the night before where Chris nailed a talk radio loudmouth who was parroting a talking point about 'appeasement'. Matthews asked him to explain what Neville Chamberlain did that constituted appeasement. The radio guy clearly had no clue what Chamberlain did or did not do and he was really roasted. So of course, this dope was held up as the model of Republicans who don't really know anything but just spout off talking points. Ha, Ha. Then Olberman's substitute read some diatribe about a President being held accountable for his outrageous actions and being impeached, and just when you thought she was going to apply this to Bush, she revealed it was in regard to Andrew Jackson. My skunkape senses tingled at that as I knew Old Hickory was not impeached, but no matter, I thought I must have heard incorrectly. But lo and behold, they returned from a break (several segments later) and apologized for saying 'Jackson' when they meant 'Johnson' So much for MSNBC's ownership of historical understanding

Here is the Chris Matthews trainwreck:

Funny, I can't find the flub anywhere on MSNBC.com. But I will keep looking

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After all that, a lot of Fox viewers are going to side with the dope's views even though Matthews owned him. Also, you mention the character assasination of O'reilly. What is left of his character to assassinate? I don't see how it is possible for anyone's opinion of the man to change at this point. That clip is purely for entertainment purposes.

Gem of the day.

If it is truly bankrupt Olbermann just lost about 30% of his new daily content.

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