Meet The Press: Thompson on Osama Bin Laden = "More symbolism than anything else"
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Get this man some ginko supplements, he's clearly forgetting the talking points. Rather than trying to raise the bogeyman of Osama Bin Laden, presidential contender Fred Thompson dismissed him in an appearance in Iowa as "more symbolism than anything else."
Determined not to let Freddie ruin a perfectly good talking point from his buddies in Dick Cheney's office, Russert confronts him to remind him (note the very pointed look in his eyes) that it's not nice to say that about the man responsible for 3,000 American deaths (negating that Bush & Co. are now responsible for even more in Iraq under false pretenses). Especially since the White House needs to resurrect OBL when things are going bad, right Timmeh? Watch how Freddie of Hollywood tries to simultaneously toe the party line and stick with his original statement.
"Get this man some ginko supplements, he’s clearly forgetting the talking points".
LOL. Best line of the day.
Goldstein! It's Goldstein!
Geez, thats a bit unfair. Fred tells the truth and he is struck down?
Saying this isn't going to win Fred any Rethug friends. They've invested heavily in creating the perfect bogeyman out of Osama. They won't appreciate having their universal excuse for whatever it is today that rethugs want to inflict upon others cut down.
=my2c
BC
LMAO, Oh yea everyone knows this turd is tough on OBL, God I wish these SOB's would go away.
It's basically true, he is just a figure head and organiser getting or killing him will not remove the ideology behind him that he supports/believes etc.
Ole man Fred has been aging rather rapidly the last couple of months.
Fred Thompson = Pathetic
Tim Russert = Extremely Pathetic
Hey wtf, lay off thompson he is saying the same thing that george did when he said he wasn't all that concerned about Osama.
I call that unfair, the president said it so it must be so, and fred baby is just reafirming georges point.
More symbolism than anything else huh?....that's what they must of said about the PDB Aug 6th/01. And look how that played out.Right after 9/11 the country was completely united(99.5%)and as far as the general feeling about OBL...I believe the country is still @99.5%....when they say stupid crap like that,it can only push voters away from them.I can't see anyone actually believing that.and if they do feel like that then their phony to begin with.
Just so I'm sure I understand ... Russert is still a douchebag, right? He's still the one who only asks hard questions of the democrats? Maybe he just had a stroke this morning.
Why is it every time I watch him talk I expect him to yell, "LINE!". His director should just yell cut.
He is symbolism, that's why we cut and ran at Tora Bora, twice.
But he is wrong. It is all Muslims who have become the symbolic enemies in bin Laden's place.
Just as the Jew was the symbolic enemy for the Nazi thugs.
Symbolic enemies have a way of becoming uncounted corpses.
Of course bin Laden is irrelevant. We are talking about Bush's and now the Republican's majority shareholder.
Without Usama they ain't got shit.
PurplePatriot @ 9:
no purple patriot,you got it 100% correct.amazing isn't it?I'm waiting for the next repug Q and A...because I wouldn't call these a debate yet.Then we'll see for sure.I know what to expect.I just want to see if he's going to be blatant about it.Then I want someone to pin his ears back and let him have it.Just because he's on Press the Meet...he thinks he's untouchable.It's time to pull him back down to earth.
Kyle @ 11:
Exactly. Symbolism for us. If he's dead, the war profiteers lose a very valuable boogeyman. Just like abortion. The repubs don't really want Roe v Wade overturned. If that happens, they lose a bumper sticker.
You nailed it Kyle.
It's like someone is holding a gun to Fred Thompsen's head and saying run for President. I've never seen a less-inspired candidate.
Hey - what d'you know? The guy's good for something after all!
*
Neil @ 16:
Makes you wonder who the Cheney is behind the scenes that is positioning himself for the real seat of power.
i'm hitting the bong with my bro osama right now
Also, not to C&L: I'd much rather see what the Democrats are saying on TV these days.
mo_dems @ 19:
don't drink the water.....
mo_dems @ 20:
keep your friends close,and your enemies even closer.
mudshark @ 22:
Yeah, I'm actually okay with the asshats going out and making fools of themselves. At this point they're really only talking to that 25% of absolute morons. Everyone else has them figured out. The more they say stupid things, the more swing voters can focus on the fuckups of the past 8 years. That said, I don't know how anyone could possibly be a swing voter at this point.
mudshark @ 21:
You do realize that this now meets the criteria of two independent sources for Fox News, don't you?
They'll have a panel on tomorrow. Their bottom third will read: "Osama: Pot smoker?" Note the skillful use of the question mark. Then on with the discussion: "Some say Obama was smoking pot with a liberal blogger last night. Do you think that is true? Obama's camp cannot be reached for comment."
PurplePatriot @ 24:
Oh, holy crap. I should totally work for Fox News. I didn't realize I typed, "Osama" instead of "Obama" until I hit submit. But that is so exactly what they'd do.
PurplePatriot @ 9:
From his wife?
Sorry bad joke.
PurplePatriot @ 23:
I hear ya....but don't over estimate the other 26 %....after all stranger things have happened.
Thompson wouldn't say OBL was symbolism if a Democrat were president.
PurplePatriot @ 23:
mudshark @ 22:
mo_dems @ 20:
Check out Naomi Wolfs book: The End Of America, A Letter Of Warning To A Young Patriot
It is a very good explication of what is going on.
PurplePatriot @ 24:
this reminds me of the prank the kid from the DNC pulled....when he went over to Fred Thompsons headquarters with a life jacket.....I said nothing will come of it.And of course I was chastised for thinking that it was funny and saying nothing will come of it......nothing happened and nothing will come of this either...........time for me to go now....have a nice night.
Batocchio @ 28:
absolutely......I can just see the repugs in Congress getting pryapism for a week if that was the case...
Retired Covert Agent Robert Bauer has a book out that tells how the Saudis have always funded Al Qaeda and the set up to bomb the Towers. Now Bush/Cheney is protecting Bin Laden more then Americans. Now Thompson is clue less and makes people go to sleep when he talks. He doesn't know what's going on and has been on Law and Order with a script to long to think for himself. He has the same criminal friends as Bush/Cheney and some people don't even know he's running for President. Tim Russert did the best he could for his GOP bosses to make Fred look like he had some since. I can't wait for Chris Matthews to say he's the great thing since apple pie, Chris needs the money. O"Reilly is fixated on Dumbledore and his sex issues. Rush doesn't know what he will do when the new Administration takes over and he can't use drugs and molest kids anymore.
Maddy @ 29:
I agree. I recommend this book to everyone I know.
Thompson almost makes Shrub look good. I said almost!
PurplePatriot @ 9:
He was an incredible douchebag last week with Chris Dodd!
"...ultimately the source of the funding for the 9/11 hijackers is of little practical importance." -- 9/11 Commission Report
Huh?
...
That was a weird interview throughout, actually.
Fred seemed more reasonable than Timmeh.
PurplePatriot @ 18:
Who says it isn't the dark lords Dick and KKKarl themselves? To borrow a line from Don Henley, they have their dirty little fingers in everybody's pie. Fred Thompson would be the perfect heir to Saint King Dumbfuck.
"you see, alzawcawlree, and global conflict is the central fight against terrorism...in Iraq. the symbolism is, no doubt, but then I've never been accused of being soft on evil. What I'm sayin' here, is that I'm a better actor than writer, so pardon me while I wax stupid."
I have to agree with Thompson on this. If Bin Laden is captured or killed someone will take his place. Just like if Bush goes away, Cheney will take his place, and if Cheney goes away Guiliani could take his place, and if Guiliani goes away there will be another lawless, criminal, warmongering, ruthless GOP thug to take his place. Al-Queda and the GOP are like killer hydras - If it looses one head it just sprouts another.
mudshark @ 14:
Exactly . Someday when there's a movie made about this whole long sorry decade, the casting call will go out to fill the cameo of Tim Russert and his role as the soulless boot-licking servant of the corporate media. And the only applicant will be long out-of-work former pundit Tim Russert.
mo_dems @ 20:
They're grabbing their ankles and agreeing with George.
"Osama = symbolism more than anything else"
Sometimes these guys let the truth slip out.
this is the "security party" to Chris Matthews
I couldn't really listen to what he was saying... that.. Fred Charisma was just too much for me! Oh deary, honey.. I DO DECLARE... I believe I may have the vapors! Old Spice, cigars... lordee lordee how can a woman (or chris matthews) resist the manly, aromas?????????????????????
this election is even more of a joke then the last one. I'm really beginning to hate the public. It's not our government it's our dumbasses fault for not giving a shit
And just imagine how Fred's gonna be from now on, with the Hollywood writers on strike!
He'll be speechless!
Which will be a hell of an improvement, those hacks he's had working for him must write with crayons.
This is one pathetic candidate on one pathetic show!
I respect neither.
this guy is a joke. the fact that he's considered a "front runner" just shows how pathetic the Republican Party is.
Throughout this interview Thompson was a babbling, incoherent mess.
He makes Bush look smart.
I am no fan of thompson, he is a empty suit, but on this I have to agree with him.
Bin Laden is dead....... so, that makes Freddie right.
Not a fan either, but he has moments of lucidity to which none of his rivals can lay claim...
Yeah, this guy is going to win what again? A Depends commercial cameo?
correction for Fred - he has now been accused of being soft on Osama Bin Laden
also, since when do Republicans not understand retribution, revenge and satisfying the primal urge to do what was done - OBL killed us and we should kill him; it is a red herring to say that "Americans believe that if we kill OBL all our problems will be solved." Nobody believes that, not even Republicans like Rudy. Killing OBL solves the problem of our outlying urge for retribution. It solves a "symbolism" problem. It solves a perceived weakness problem - we name him but we can't get him. Killing OBL is a main reason we went to war. Now it is out that Special Forces had him in their sites at Tora Bora and could not get the shoot to kill order. All of this background noise, and Fred, and Rudy all seem to be of the mind, that we need a boggy man. Well, I say we do not need to invent one, once we kill this one, others will appear as they always do.
So.. he's important to get, but let's not focus on him......... the hell..?
Ugh. With so many mediocre personalities to choose from, what does Thompson bring to the Republican race? He's a dimwit.
This guy is painful to watch.
Ruthless People @ 40:
That's true but not the point. Everytime it's going badly for BushCo they trot out the OSB card. Then later, when enough time has passed and when confronted as to WHY OSB hasn't been caught GWB says he doesn't think about OSB much anymore and that he's not revelant. Then another crisis and more OSB scary talk. It's a fine line to walk and Fred appears to be confused as to which it is this week, OSB dangerous or OSB not revelant.
Yeah, Fred, OBL is big on 'Symbolism'.
9/11 was a 'Dephallicization' of New York.
Of course, you're big on it, too.
Every time you appear, you represent the stereotypical witless, mentally-challenged 'C' actor. What was your big hit, 'Bedtime with Fredo', 'The story of the self-love and self-abuse of the small screen's most forgettable player'.
Another startling part of this interview is that Thompson at one point says he knew Iraq had weapons of mass destruction before the invasion and another point said he didnt think they had weapons.
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