From the March 6 Washington Post:

• Here's a vignette we're dying to see on the ABC broadcast of Sunday's Ford's Theatre Presidential Gala: When Stevie Wonder sat down at the keyboard center stage, President Bush in the front row got very excited. He smiled and started waving at Wonder, who understandably did not respond. After a moment Bush realized his mistake and slowly dropped the errant hand back to his lap. "I know I shouldn't have," a witness told us yesterday, "but I started laughing."

Link to full column - go to the end

OK - "Lots of us "- I don't know about you BUT I have done LOTS of dumb things in my life.- Just no reporter follows you or me around to catch it.

Oh, now there's a comforting thought about the leader of the most powerful nation in the history of the world - "He does as many dumb things as most people." What happened to the idea of choosing from the best and the brightest to lead our country? I can't think of any prior president who would be so stupid as to wave at Stevie Wonder.

Reagan or Bush's father might've; neither was a rocket scientist.

I wish people would obsess over the accelerating erosion of our civil liberties and the willy-nilly expansion of the Alleged War on Terrorism instead of these gossip-friendly faux pas, but since it's cool to be rude to Dubya again (UK Observer), I won't fight it...

[quote]Originally posted by Lots-of-us:
I can't think of any prior president who would be so stupid as to wave at Stevie Wonder.

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Yeah, waving to Stevie Wonder really is reprehensible, isn't it? God forbid anyone should be so rude, especially when the "victim" is unaware of any alleged slight. Ranks right up there with Jimmy Carter kissing the Queen Mum on the lips and Clinton's totally classless grandstanding on the steps of the National Cathedral after the service for the victims of 9-11.

Speaking of that, Bill W, I haven't seen ANY civil liberties of US citizens being lessened, and I am an active and willing participant in the war on terrorism, wherever it's found. Maybe if we'd had a similar war against Hitler, we could've avoided the bigger one that came later, as well as all the terrible deaths that came with it. Half-measures don't do anyone any good; let's take it home to Baghdad, baby!

And speaking of half-measures, the article you linked us to from the Sunday Observer tells only half the story about Alexandra Pelosi's documentary mocking the President. What it doesn't tell us is that Ms. Pelosi is the daughter of machine Democrat Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, my opponent in the November election. How now, Brits; bare ye no bias?

[ March 12, 2002: Message edited by: gmginsfo ]

Nobody said it was rude to wave at Stevie Wonder - just stupid. And no, I can't picture either George the First or Ronnie being that stupid. George the First could be inept about some things and Ronnie easily got confused, but the current inhabitant of the White House is a pea-brain frat boy.

[ March 12, 2002: Message edited by: Lots-of-us ]

[quote]Originally posted by gmginsfo:

I haven't seen ANY civil liberties of US citizens being lessened...Half-measures don't do anyone any good; let's take it home to Baghdad, baby!

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I've already posted links to Nat Hentoff columns in the past, but I'm sure they don't carry any weight with you ... a "machine Republican," I'm sure. I'm sure you're good at your job, gmginsfo, I hope you keep it come November.

As long we're staying away from half-measures, how 'bout nuking N Korea and Iraq pre-emptively? Maybe Iran and Syria too, and other nations that we liked when they were run by friendly murderers...

To keep a population in line, wage perpetual war against a vague enemy (Karel Van Wolferen)

[quote]Originally posted by Lots-of-us:
the current inhabitant of the White House is a pea-brain frat boy.]

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Its been said before but I'll say it again - we had to put up with Clinton for 8 yrs - now you have to put up with a president you don't like . Its DEMOCRACY and I'll fight to the death your right to air your sour grapes view.

Ahem... I meant keep your *current* job, Mr Candidate. After Russ Feingold, Jesse Jackson Jr and Wellstone, Pelosi is probably one of the few Democrats I could pull the presidential lever for in 2004!

Oh, Bill, Bitter Bill! And shame on you, too, L-O-U! Every time you knock fraternity men like me, I wonder just what it is people like you dislike about educated, good natured, well-rounded people. Sure smells like sour grapes to me! But when I read whom you guys read and rely upon for your negative worldview, I discovered the source of the odo[u]r.

As far as my being a "machine GOPer," check out my political site and take a look at one of the gay rights case I prosecuted AGAINST the GOP. Here's the cite, so you can even look it up if you're so inclined: Johnson v. Knowles, 113 F3d 1114 (9th Cir. 1997). If I'm in the right-wing machine, it's only as a wrench.

And please don't ratchet up support for President Bush into some mad desire to "nuke" other nations. That's a desperate debate tactic and will never score any points in the logic department.

[ March 12, 2002: Message edited by: gmginsfo ]

[ March 12, 2002: Message edited by: gmginsfo ]

Ah, the embittered, reactionary left once again spilling its useless venom as it confronts its impotence and irrelevance in America today.

The left tried tarring Bush with Enron. The country saw through the hypocrisy and yawned. So they try and use Stevie Wonder. If that's the only thing they can pin on W, I'd say the RNC is in good shape for the next election.

Even on a gay sports board, the divisive civil war that continues to plague American politics incites such petty arguments. And while I don't think anyone considers the President brilliant,
waving at Stevie Wonder is remarkably... unfortunate.

United we stand, divided we fall...Will this country ever fully realize this again?

I vote third party.

Me too. Third party for prez in the 4 elections, and I voted for Grandpa Munster for governor.

[quote]Originally posted by Bryan:
United we stand, divided we fall...Will this country ever fully realize this again?

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Unfortunately, some folks think that means unanimity of opinion is a must. Including allowing the "president" (who was a former oil partner of the bin Laden family) to run the permanent war without Congress, which happens to be unconstitutional.

"Reactionary left": up is down, war is peace, and war without end = 1984.

I fully agree with you - Bush and his cabinet are operating as if congress is irrelevent - i believe they're taking full political advantage of this terrorist war...the right wing is the fanatical part of America...I get the sense they'd like to go to war to anyone who disagrees with them..about anything.

But I fully support the military actions against the terrorist networks..it's just incredibly disheartening to see the country being so shamefully manipulated by this administration, just as they did during the Lewinsky witchhunt...Our internal war isn't making us stronger...all the energy put towards persecuting Clinton and Monica is partially to blame for our intelligence lapses...our priorities are murky, we'd rather fight with one another than truly strengthen ourselves from within....starting with easing our dependence on foreign oil...

I agree with you. We have the technology to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, but then current administration is too closely tied to the energy industry and lobby to push in that direction.

I understand why we launched the war in Afghanistan (though I would like someone to show us bin Laden's scalp), but I do not understand the terms by which "terrorism" is being defined. Are the Albanians legitimately fighting for representation in Macedonia terrorists? Are the democratic opposition and its protesters in Zimbabwe terrorists? Would Nelson Mandela's ANC, which fought against one of the most oppressive, racist systems of all times terrorists? Are we going to help Spain defeat the ETA, which has bombed democratically elected politicians and innocent civilians? Are we going to stamp out the IRA? I just haven't heard any clear discussion of this by the Administration, and I think it's important, because while we have to make sure that cells of terrorists like the 19 hijackers are NOT attacking our people either here or overseas, where do our interests end? I DO NOT think we should be assisting the Colombian government in its war against the FARC until Pastrana disbands the right-wing death squads. Let the legitimate government troops in Colombia fight the rebels without our intervention if that will bring stability to that society; but what's happening right now is murky and very troubling. And I'm not blaming it on Bush alone--Clinton got us into that particular mess, for reasons that again remain unclear.

All that said, Bush is pretty daffy, however you feel about him otherwise. Passing out on pretzels, mangling words, waving at Stevie Wonder, "axis of Evil"....