A portrait of Bush, a portrait of a worthless press corps
By David Neiwert Sunday Jan 04, 2009 4:00pm
Digby directs us to a perfectly dreadful portrait of George W. Bush by the AP's Ben Feller. As Digby sez, it actually mostly confirms some very basic suspicions about Bush -- namely, that he's an spoiled, authoritarian frat-boy jerk. And this was supposed to be a flattering piece.
But the piece actually tells us even more about our dysfunctional press corps. It's really a regurgitation of the basic theme of Bush coverage we got back in 2000: He's a swell fella you wouldn't mind having a beer with. A guy who will always "do the right thing" regardless of consequences.
Even if it means running the economy off a cliff, getting us into a costly and needless war on false pretenses, and tearing up the Geneva Conventions. Because, you know, "the right thing" is in the eye of the wealthy beholder.
Not that any of this is mentioned in Feller's piece. We do get told that Bush has deep emotional feelings for "the families that died" -- though his policy record shows little evidence of this. Indeed, what his record shows is a self-absorbed recklessness with those lives.
The entire portrait is pure fluff. We learn nothing of consequence about the man, nor do we get any insight into how his thoughtless policies have bounced back. In a man worthy of the presidency, his deeds and the countless lives lost under his carelessness would at some point provoke some deeper reflection; but we clearly need not concern ourselves that such thoughts will ever disturb George W. Bush's pretty little mind.
Nor do they ever seem to cross the reporter's mind. It's emblematic, really, of the obsequious coverage of the Bush presidency throughout from the White House press corps particularly and the Village generally -- obsessed with nonsequiturs and trivia, incapable of examining serious issues or dealing with the real-world effects of his policies.
I guess that's why we have a blogosphere.
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of the press corps.
That's an inside C&L joke.
And OBTW Bush is sociopath. He has been since day one.
We easily could know that from the story on his frat hazing days.
Had we read it in 1967.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N8_u1FLu30
It looks stupid and annoys the pig.
This post is the reason people like Scarborough attacks bloggers as Cheetos eaters. Your attacking the MSM with facts and truth. The people like Joe get paid from the millionaire owners of FOX, MSNBC and CNN etc...Who do you think they vote for? Leave the MSM alone and let them distort the facts for their tax breaks. Honestly people, it's class warfare and us lower to lower middle class (their is no middle class) should not have a voice!!!
Shit like this is exactly the reason that I completely cut myself off from the MSM. In what kind of messed up place does one have to live in order to think that that guy gives one second of thought to the families that sacrificed their loved ones for his fucking lies. I only hope that history will reflect the true nature of his disastrous presidency and not the fluff that is starting to come out now during his legacy campaign.
This guy must be a smart Feller or should that be a fart smeller?
No wonder these assholes think that they can (literally) get away with murder -- they can.
I don't believe anyone gets away with murder. Someday, somewhere Karma will catch up to these thugs and if they manage to escape human justice, for believers there will be eternal damnation for the Bush's of the world guaranteed.
A lawyer always tells his client not to speak to the Media. Dick Cheney is all over the place talking about the crimes Bush did and saying Lincoln did the same thing with nothing done. Now we know Speaker Pelosi got paid to keep the Impeachment of the Table. Even Dick admits Bush did commit an Impeachable Crime but he was never changed. Pelosi knew she had enough evidence to quickly find Bush guilty for Impeachment but took the bribe to stop it from happening. Now if she even thinks about it Cheney will let the American people know that Pelosi accepted a big contract for her husband in turn she wouldn't allow Bush to be Impeached. Now Harry Reid is also in a tuff stop as he also made back room deals with the White House for profit. Yes only the land deal come out as Reid got his profit but there is much more he's done over the pass 8 years. Now Diane Feinstein is keep a low profile now as she got her husband a big contract to pass the confirmation vote on the Attorney General, Chuck Shumer got his money too. We hear about Polticial people doing crimes and nothing being done well some Democrats were in bed with the GOP. If Jefferson tells his story more big names will get busted but knowing Karl Rove's plan Jefferson will have an accident like Mike Connell did. The Bush/Cheney Mafia don't play they kill.
maybe someone will do a stone carving of the heads of Kim Jong, Saddam, Bin Laden and Bush in a row.
The main difference between these despots is only one wrecked his own homeland.
Exactly what would a powerful individual like Baby Bush have to do for the MSM to actually speak ill of them? I bet that if Chimpy McFlightsuit dropped-kicked a baby or sucker-punched a senior citizen, he would still get glowing reviews. The sad thing is that most people eat this shit up and never complain about the taste.
Read Frank Rich's column this week.
It was excellent. As usual Rich was spot on with Chimp.
Can you provide a link to his column?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/opinion/04r...
.. download and view: GW Bush Legacy Booklet (pdf)
I've read in a looong time!
Deserves its own thread, IMHO.
In true Orwellian fashion the one man who has perhaps done more damage to America than any single person in US history is wearing his American flag lapel pin.
If that's not flag desecration I don't know what is.
WOW, George is cool...
By that I mean Ol' Stone Face.
A little black mustache and it would be spot on.
Charlie Chaplin?
"That swine stole my mustache!!!"
Well, he is a clown on top of everything else so I guess that makes sense too.
"Not that any of this is mentioned in Feller's piece. We do get told that Bush has deep emotional feelings for "the families that died" -- though his policy record shows little evidence of this. Indeed, what his record shows is a self-absorbed recklessness with those lives."
Wait that's not fair. Remember he gave up golf that one time out of respect for the troops he's killed. The poor man was clearly crushed to have made such a personal sacrifice as that.
He did not actually give up the golf from sympathy!!
Any discussion of the Caligutard that omits describing him as a psychopathic war criminal and progeny of Hitler's banker misses the point. He must shriek his last sieg heils from the gallows like his predecessors.
My seventh-grade lit teacher would've flunked me if I turned in some dreck like that as a report or analysis.
Next.
Here’s a link to Ben feller’s favorite movie:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fluffer
How can I get a hold of Ben Feller? I would like him to do a picture of me next to Albert Einstein and John Holmes.
I read this piece of tripe apologia this morning in the paper. Without the blogs to counter the Corporate Media rubbish, we'd be looking at for more years of the same with McCain.
I guess that's why we have a blogosphere.
You know it!!!
And could people PLEASE stop calling our press the MSM! I think it's exceedingly obvious that they are the MSP - Main Stream Propaganda.
The librul MSP.
"M$M" conveys the right idea as well. . .
That's a major pet peeve of mine too, there's nothing mainstream about our media system. It's the mouthpiece of corporations and elite Washington consensus. I hate Daily Kos' and Huffington Post's label even more: "Traditional Media," wtf does that even mean anyway? It describes nothing and tells you nothing about why the media behaves the way it does.
Who are these morons?? may their computers catch a virus by clicking on the little green thumb.
With Bush gone who will be the new Goldstein?
kissing presidential ass must pay very well.
Portrait of An
ArtistAsshole As A YoungManMurderer.With apologies to Joyce...
And your next President will be Jeb Bush, brought to you by the CORPORATE CONTROLED MEDIA, and that MEANS the TV, Print and Radio. Just Rember CANDY Croley stroling along HAND AND HAND with W. BUSHon the White House Grounds. The CCM put W.Bush in the White House For Eight Years(8). Just look at how they tore UP Gore and KERRY. And then rember Candy Croley and W. Bush stroling Hand And Hand. Well you GET my DRIFT. She works for CNN, she coverd Bush and in both of his ELECTIONS.
If the media had died. What it has done is follow orders.
The very over paid "news" readers have beed told what they are supposed to say.
They make the big bucks by doing the bidding of their corporate masters.
As long as the news is owned by people that profit from the manipulation of the news we will get what we have right now. Wars built on lies, a government that mishandles the taxpayer money intentionally! and an economy that cannot supply the needs of the people.
The greed that has taken over in America will be the downfall of the country. It has been going on for over 50 years now and it is a surprise that they have been able to cover up the damage for almost eight years.
It would not be like this if they had not gained control of the media!
George W. Bush = EPIC FAIL.
"He can sniff it out a mile away if you don't have the goods," said White House communications director Kevin Sullivan.
So, basically, you've answered our question: He's not stupid; he's evil?
Nevermind
I could not get past the second paragraph, where Bush's hideous groping of the German Chancellor is described as possibly unwanted!
Psycho Killer, Qu'est-ce que c'est?
When, if ever, has George W. Bush had to prepare material and present it at a meeting? Has this man gone his entire professional life not having to collect information, organize it, write it up and present it for group consumption and critique?
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