Byrd Rips Bush's Aircraft Carrier Use

I thought this deserved its own thread. Outrage is building over President Bush's speech on the aircraft carrier last week. Why?

1. This was, pure and simple, a multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded photo op, which the White House openly acknowledges will be used as a campaign ad.

2. The administration lied about the need for Bush to arrive in the jet, first saying the carrier was too far from shore for a helicopter. That was a blatant lie. They then changed their story several times before landing on their current line, which basically admits that the President simply wanted a joy ride.

3. The speech delayed the troops' homecoming by at least one day.

4. Bush is the first president in U.S. history to don the full military uniform while in office. Despite his title as "Commander in Chief", the President is a civilian, a distinction that was apparently lost on him. As Senator Robert Byrd said, "I question the motives of a desk-bound president who assumes the garb of a warrior for the purposes of a speech." Also, GW is NOT an "Air Force-trained" pilot, as some have been saying. He WAS in the Texas Air National Guard, but was AWOL pretty much longer than he was active. And today, he is not a certified pilot at all, which means he probably broke the law by taking over the controls.

All in all, it's clear this speech had nothing to do with the troops whatsoever. It was a cynical media ploy designed to portray Bush as a military hero, which is an insult to anyone who has ever served.

So far, the media is doing a decent job of bringing this to light. It was on the CBS Evening News last night and on the Today Show this morning.

is this the same KKK member? or a different dem who belongs to the KKK?

Byrd criticizing somebody for wasteful spending is like GW criticizing somebody for botched pronunciations and garbled sentences. (By the way, this is getting a lot of play in the media, which means people (most of whom are even paying attention to what's being said) are repeatedly seeing footage of Bush landing on the USS Lincoln, looking like a badass and being cheered by our troops. Keep this story going. Please.)

And then there is Robert C. Byrd, Democratic senator from West Virginia (and George Mitchell's predecessor as Senate Majority Leader). He voted against the nomination of new Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas on October 15th on grounds (among others) that Thomas had "mounted his own defense" during his nomination hearings "by charging that the [Senate Judiciary] committee proceedings were a high-tech lynching of uppity blacks." Byrd branded it "an attempt to fire the prejudices of race hatred."

Senator Byrd has first-hand knowledge of racism. When he was running for Congress in 1952, his campaign was nearly derailed when a tough primary opponent revealed that Byrd had once belonged to the Ku Klux Klan. During a subsequent radio broadcast, Byrd acknowledged that he had been a member of the Klan from "mid-1942 to early 1943" because he was young (24) and because it "offered excitement." But he claimed: "After about a year, I became disinterested, quit paying my dues, and dropped my membership in the organization. During the nine years that have followed, I have never been interested in the Klan."

Byrd, who was praised for his "candor" and "forthrightness" regarding the issue, won the primary handily to secure the Democratic nomination. But just prior to the final election, a letter surfaced (in Byrd's own handwriting) which confirmed that his association with the Klan had been far more cordial, for a far longer time, than he had claimed. Dated April 8, 1946 (three years after his alleged break with the Klan), the letter was addressed to Klan Imperial Wizard Samuel Green of Atlanta. It stated in part: "I am a former kleagle of the Ku Klux Klan in Raleigh County and the adjoining counties of the state .... The Klan is needed today as never before and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia .... It is necessary that the order be promoted immediately and in every state of the Union. Will you please inform me as to the possibilities of rebuilding the Klan in the Realm of W. Va .... I hope that you will find it convenient to answer my letter in regards to future possibilities."


There's a nice story, Sen Byrd is gonna teach bushie, the White Ni**** a lesson aint he?

As far as the delayed homecoming, this wasn't like the Delta Shuttle getting into DC Reagan National 10 minutes early from LaGuardia. The boat was running ahead of schedule. Families were planning huge welcome home celebrations. People were traveling to see their kids, friends, loved ones, whatever. And you wanted the military brass to say, "Oh, hey, nevermind, we're early. Sorry about that." Plus, the troops didn't look that upset. I bet if you asked most of them they would say it was pretty awesome to have the Commander-in-Chief stop by their air carrier for a visit and thank them for their hard work and sacrifice. But again, I urge the Dems to henpeck a wildly popular wartime President fresh off an outstanding military victory over a poignant speech to an air carrier full of cheering soldiers. Great strategy.

Yeah, I understand this isn't the best way to attack the President, and I agree that the Democrats going after him for this is politics, pure and simple. (And yes, I do know that Byrd was in the KKK decades ago. I also know he has completely repudiated any affiliation with them, and is very racially progressive.)

I am pretty outraged by this whole thing. Anyone who could watch that speech and take it seriously is a fool (or maybe just not as cynical as me!). And I guess my 4th point is the one that I feel most strongly about. The President, simply, should not wear a military uniform. Even presidents that actually did serve in the military, some who were war heroes, never did such a thing. I don't know, the whole thing just leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,86263,00.html

Or maybe their just white ni****s, as Byrd put it just a couple of years or so ago on, as I recall, national television. Very racially progressive.

Byrd doesnt have any problems with what he calls N's... white, or black ones. As his KKK beliefs state, you just gotta keep um inline.

It's ok to be a racist, as long as you're a democrat.

Was he wearing his white robe and headgear when was talking about the aircraft carrier speech? Or is that only saved for the cross burnings? I think we all know which side of the isle he was on when that case went to the supreme court.

Not to nitpick, but the military personnel in the branch of the armed forces known as "the Navy" are referred to as "sailors."

I find it rather telling that someone who works or lives on Capitol Hill has no idea what the right word is for those men and women.

--->Edited from my original wording to observe that they weren't playing a game, so I shouldn't treat it as one either. Still, only one member of the House or Senate had a son or daughter who is an enlisted member of the armed forces in Iraq.

[ May 08, 2003, 02:10 PM: Message edited by: twin58 ]

It was simply a situation that Shrub took advantage of, pure and simple. One gigantic photo op. Since Shrub donned military garb to show his support and understanding of the military he should now don some restaurant clothing or perhaps a bellmans outfit something the average American worker would wear, to show he understands the problems, sympathizes, and has a grasp of the economy out here in the hinterlands, where millions of Americans are hurting.

I thought about that after I "posted" it but was too "lazy" to change it. Thank you for not "nitpicking".

here is what you little complainers forget about... You can put W anywhere.. but he's gotta pull it off.

Clinton walking on the beach in Normandy for the photo op. He was called on it, and lost that one.

You libs like it or not, bushie went there... and people see him as genuine. His appreciation for the military is genuine. You cant spin that becuase it came across no other way. What you can do is fear how much MORE POPULAR he will be because of it.

Now, the lesson of the day is to never quote KKK Byrd and not expect it to be laughed at.

For Conor:

RE:4. Bush is the first president in U.S. history to don the full military uniform while in office.

I could be wrong, but I believe President Johnson was in military uniform when he visited Vietnam. And yes, the President is 'civilian', but also is Commander-in-Chief, which is military, so I think he is both. Not defending the carrier 'circus', just hoping to attach facts.

Google will return a bazillion hits, but it came up with a link to the LBJ Library. Another gigantic resource is
http://members.aol.com/veterans/warlib6v.htm

This might take a while. Googling for "presidential visit to vietnam" shows Nixon was there in July 1969. LBJ's second and final visit was on December 23, 1967. link

[ May 08, 2003, 02:49 PM: Message edited by: twin58 ]

Arent ya'all fishing and complaining about nothing? A flight suit is now full military gear? It's not like he was up there in some dress uniform. Handing himself metals. Was he supposed to wear a full suit while flying in a plane? Did he not address the nation in a suit?

Sheesh. Not only do you guys not know the difference between sailors and soldiers, you don't even know what a uniform is. No wonder.

is byrd just mad that he wore the jump suit and not a white robe?

I dunno, maybe his fellow KKKers can help...

Dems grasping at straws now....

May Day proved it: Bush's America is the new USSR (Matt Taibbi, NY Press)

Frankly, I don't think Bush should be allowed to live in the White House if he's running for reelection, because if the taxpayers give him a place to live it just makes it easier for him to campaign. Its like a taxpayer-funded campaign contribution. That's not fair.

And about that house - do you know what's in it? A kitchen. Do you know why? Because people cook meals for the President. At taxpayer expense! And what do these meals do? Give him energy to go out and ... campaign. I mean, really. Any food served to George W. Bush is just a taxpayer-funded campaign contribution. He should not be allowed to eat as long as he is running for reelection.

And as far as clothing: Wearing the flight suit is just the beginning. Did you guys know he wears business suits - with matching ties, no less - out in public in a brazen scheme to make himself look put together, poised and presidential, and thus reelectable. These people are just ruthless! I think for the remainder of his term Bush should be required to wear school-uniform-style khakis and a white pullover. Something completely bland.

And, I mean, come on. Why should he be allowed to go out in public at all? It costs taxpayers money for the President to go out in public for any reason - secret service, transportation, etc. And what if some voter sees him at some taxpayer-funded public appearance and says, "Hey, you know, I like that guy. I think I'll vote for him." Every time GW Bush goes out in public there's a possibility it could turn into a taxpayer-funded campaign photo-op. I don't think Bush should be allowed out in public if he's running for reelection. I mean, really.

[ May 08, 2003, 03:30 PM: Message edited by: William1865 ]

Any publication who writes an article with the title "knows every hooker in ny"... well you have to take that seriously.

The comparison to Stalinism is too polemical to be discussed rationally, but then, so are most of the posts (from left or right) on the P&R boards.

Interesting analogies nonetheless:

Perhaps more relevant to the current climate:
No gulags yet (Guantanamo doesn't count), but I'm sure Ashcrack is working on that.

I think the part where he went to the porn shop and spent all that money brought home his comments the best.

At least he didnt offend any jews in the article.

Just when you thought it was safe in the P&R forum ....

They don't care, so long as it's stagecraft and aestheticized politics. Walter Benjamin wrote about this same sort of thing during the Weimer Republic, when another notorious manipulator and liar was wending his way towards...

At any rate, sailors, soldiers, whatever looks good on the campaign posters!

Wow, you read me like a book, fantomas. Just the other night I was having a few reebs with some friends of mine the other night, just shooting the breeze, and I said to them, I said, "You know, guys," I said, "the thing I think is most important is aestheticized politics." And one of my buddies said to me, he said, "Well, sure, that and stagecraft." "But what's really great," I pointed out to my friends, I said, "is aestheticized stagecraft." "Even better," a friend reminded me, "is the aestheticization of politicized stagecraftery." Mmmmm, reebs.

wow william, i couldnt even follow that one...

HEY, Since Sen Birdie is speaking out... he should tell us which N's he hates more... the white ones or the black ones? HMMMMMMMM, are their hispanic N's?

After all of the KKK years, has he moved up to wearing a blue or red sheet.. rather than just the white one? I would think he got at least one promotion... he's from WV... that might not be the case...

I understand Trent Lott's robe was at the cleaners otherwise he could have loaned out that one.

“Fascism is the aestheticization of politics.” (Walter Benjamin, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction")

"'Fiat ars - pereat mundus,' says Fascism, and, as Marinetti admits, expects war to supply the artistic gratification of a sense perception that has been changed by technology. This is evidently the consummation of 'l'art pour l'art.' Mankind, which in Homer's time was an object of contemplation for the Olympian gods, now is one for itself. Its self-alienation has reached such a degree that it can experience its own destruction as an aesthetic pleasure of the first order. This is the situation of politics which Fascism is rendering aesthetic. Communism responds by politicizing art."
(Walter Benjamin, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," Epilogue)

"This paragraph has haunted me for twenty-odd years. I have been reading the Artwork essay in a period when politics as spectacle (including the aestheticized spectacle of war) has become a commonplace in our televisual world. Benjamin is saying that sensory alienation lies at the source of the aestheticization of politics, which fascism does not create but merely 'manages' (betreibt). We are to assume that both alienation and aestheticized politics as the sensual conditions of modernity outlive fascism - and thus so does the enjoyment in viewing our own destruction."
(Susan Buck-Morss, 'Aesthetics and Anaesthetics: Walter Benjamin's Artwork Essay Reconsidered')

Everywhere the fabricated, the inauthentic and the theatrical have gradually driven out the natural, the genuine and the spontaneous until there is no distinction between real life and stagecraft. In fact, one could argue that the theatricalization of American life is the major cultural transformation of this century.
(Neal Gabler)

From The Simpsons 1996 Halloween special, "Citizen Kang":

Marge and the kids watch a portable TV in the kitchen.

Kent: Kent Brockman here, with Campaign '96: America Flips A Coin. At an appearance this morning, Bill Clinton made some rather cryptic
remarks, which aides attributed to an overly tight necktie.

Kodos: I am Clin-Ton. As overlord, all will kneel trembling before me and obey my brutal commands. [crosses arms] End communication.

Marge: Hmm, that's Slick Willie for you, always with the smooth talk.


My fellow Americans. As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball, but tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward, upward not forward,
and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom.
-- Kodos gives a speech, "Treehouse of Horror VII"

Kang: The politics of failure have failed. We need to make them work again. [applause]

Kodos: I am looking forward to an orderly election tomorrow, which will eliminate the need for a violent blood bath. [applause]

More
Lincoln Logjam

This isnt a winning issue for the Democrats. I give President Rove credit, he pulled off the mother of all photo ops. I personally think that Chimp looked like an idiot, even more so that usual, but this issue is going nowhere.

New on MSNBC: "RazorbackTX Is Making Sense!"

But will it turn up on FAUX news??!!!

The Razorback Factor? Hannity and Razorback? Keep dreaming, Raze. Keep dreaming.

[ May 09, 2003, 07:59 AM: Message edited by: William1865 ]

This taxpayer financed photo op cost over a million bucks? (I can't wait to see the fine print at the bottom of the political ads...Campaign ad paid for by the US Gov't.)

And we heard the constant droning about the "renting out of the Lincoln bedroom" ad nauseum for years. Wow, those croissants, coffee and linen service must have cost us BILLIONS to have caused such a rancor!

Byrd being a member of the KKK decades ago is highly relevant to this topic.

Libs are just scared of how good that all came out! like clinton didnt do the same damn thing, get over it.

We've got dignity and integrity back in the WH....what's to get over?

since we are talking about aircraft carriers....

Parcells is getting that big...

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/5819024.htm

Andy has the rookies bring him cheeseburgers... lots of um...

uno mas.

PhillyFan = Queen Off Topic

stay on topic tuna.

Sen. Byrd is just furious that the U.S.S. Lincoln was not docked off Parkersburg, West Virginia, floating in the Ohio. He's have peed his Depends with total joy, whooping and hollering if the aircraft carrier had brought any federal pork dollars to his state.

Byrd really likes the white uniforms the navy wears, his only question would be... why you guys showing your faces.....

Maybe Trent or Strom could explain it to him.

They merely comment.... Bryd is an official KKK Kard Karrier.... Gotta keep those... white, black, hispanic, asian, N's inline ya know....

It's not only that. Think about the a allegedly "liberal" media's
complicity in it.

Back in the 1980s, both the media and the Reprobate-ublicans made
fun of Michael Dukakis photo-op of riding around in a tank. Ducky
served in the US military (not in any wars, but that's not his
fault) and got an honorable discharge. He was fair game, but
Shrub isn't? Not one member of the media is willing to point out
that Shrub has as much military experience as Tom Cruise?


Bob Dog

I doubt Strom could explain anything to anybody at this point.

Grand Dragon AKA Byrdie, he wont have to talk... he'll just show um how they hang folks in WV. No one is too old for a lynchin.... yeeeeeeeee hawwwwwwwww