Quote of the day
posted at 9:31 pm on December 30, 2008 by Allahpundit
“The real change in the president, in my opinion, didn’t actually happen until that Friday, when he traveled to New York. The situation on Tuesday was so—you really didn’t have time to reflect. In New York, the range of emotions that he went through—standing on the rubble, the bullhorn moment, but just as important, when he sat there in that room in private and met with those people who were still trying to learn the whereabouts of their loved ones, and hugging them, and where he got the badge.
He always gets asked, Have you changed?, and he instinctively recoils at that kind of question. But when something like this happens on your watch, there’s no way it can’t change you. It can’t not change your worldview—and it obviously changed his in a way that has been controversial for a lot of people.”
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I agree with that, but I am packing, so should is reality.
Johan Klaus on December 31, 2008 at 1:53 AM
Not PC.
Johan Klaus on December 31, 2008 at 1:55 AM
Well, I too will be dragging my carcass to bed.
Good night to all and Happy New Year!
HornetSting on December 31, 2008 at 1:55 AM
What?
What if she is sleeping in her bed, or in a mall parking lot, or in her driveway, or walking on the street in broad daylight?
There are a lot of arm chair quarterbacks.
I have family in the intelligence service, and they are glad they served under Bush. Given what data was available, they would have made the same decision on Iraq and Afghanistan as Bush.
All of this talk is just that. We don’t know what we don’t know, so it’s easy to blame Bush for everything. I personally am sticking with the guy, even though he may have relied on some bad data or advice. These are tough times.
eaglesdontflock on December 31, 2008 at 1:55 AM
Excellent point and undoubtedly true, but it’s not the presidents job to place his political survival above the nations safety.
FloatingRock on December 31, 2008 at 1:56 AM
Gute Nacht.
Johan Klaus on December 31, 2008 at 1:56 AM
Hmmm… what was the question again?
FloatingRock on December 31, 2008 at 1:59 AM
Johan Klaus on December 31, 2008 at 2:00 AM
Probably not, I don’t know if he was concerned about Al Qaeda at all, frankly, (it never came up in any of the debates), but my comment was in the context of MB4′s.
FloatingRock on December 31, 2008 at 2:06 AM
Every attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and disaster. War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want.
- William Tecumseh Sherman
Nobody ever defended anything successfully, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
- George S. Patton
MB4 on December 31, 2008 at 2:10 AM
A uncovered female is an affront to all Muslims and is forbidden by Islamic law. It is a major act of disbelief and he who commits this transgression is considered a dissident of Islam, because it falls within the framework of supporting disbelievers over Muslims.
The great dream of Islam will come true. Muslims dream to see flags that read: “There is no god but Allah” fluttering in the wind over the White House and the Capital and to have all American women wearing Burkas.
Now just what street and what time did you plan on walking naked? I should probably be there to cover you up.Aleph on December 31, 2008 at 2:21 AM
We once had adults in the White House and Congress…………
……… now we have Mr. Obama, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi………………
…………….. oh, yeah, I forgot the MSM and the propaganda machine.
Happy New Year everyone…………. you have been bought and paid for………
……… if bending over and taking it in the rear end isn’t pleasing to you, then better yet next time, you pay attention to actually what is going on……….
to late now……..
GOD keep you and bless you President George W. Bush….. I never agreed with you 100%, and you left 7% short….., but what the hey…….. hang on tight, and enjoy the the ride.
Seven Percent Solution on December 31, 2008 at 2:24 AM
Another “God bless you GWB for leading us to socialism” thread. Barf
lodge on December 31, 2008 at 4:50 AM
Let the historians and pundits carp over what event changed who and what it all means. I know two things going forward: That I never want to see, hear from or read about GWB ever again and…
that I am genuinely frightened for my country with the big-eared freak parking his spotty a$$ in the oval office.
Does that mean I would put up with another four year of Bush, given the opportunity? I suppose so, but then again, I would support Monte Burns (or the cartoon character of your choice) over B-EF for president.
God help us all!
SKYFOX on December 31, 2008 at 5:53 AM
I sure hope this is a joke, honestly. I haven’t the time to peruse each page of comments right now to find out, let me just say, as a Christian, it is possible this might happen…
only after using the sword to kill dissent or using deceit to get there. Sounds like righteous living to me! Yet, once those flags fly and the entire world is engulfed, the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords will swallow you in fire and redeem the world from the scourge of false religion and sin. So, in essence, I am saying that Christianity is far superior to the Islamic cult of death and, although it might triumph in the short run, your dreams may still haunt you with images of the true Son of the live God…and his name isn’t Allah.
Another thing:
Islam’s naked ambition for world domination, kill teenagers after gang raping them in open spaces, strapping bombs to themselves and others, blowing up children, burning their wives and daughters for disrespect, and rioting over every perceived injustice is an AFFRONT TO ALL CIVILIZED PERSONS and is forbidden by normal, functioning human sensibilities. So, unless Islam splinters into a respectable group and ostracises and executes the unacceptable, the whole lot of them are complicit in these crimes against humanity in word or deed. It is a “great dream of mine” to see this false religion break apart, Muhammed to be known as the false prophet, pedophile, bigamist and con artist that he is, and the whole ideology to die a quick death for the sake of freedom loving people and the right to life, PC be damned.
Good Morning, all!
Mommypundit on December 31, 2008 at 5:54 AM
The source of the Quote of the Day, Vanity Fair, has had a case of BDS well before the 2000 election. Every event that followed, from Gore’s disputed challenge of the election results to the latest criticisms, was simply fodder for their biased copy between the pages and a means to increase their circulation.
VF is in the tank for Democrats, celebrating their shallowness and ignoring their blatant malfeasances. The magazine’s hostility to all things Republican is relentlessly palpable.
Fops and fools compose most of the magazine’s contents. one-third is devoted to bashing the Bush administration or the Republican du jour; one-third to celebrating Democrats, particularly the Kennedys and now Obama; and one-third to wallowing in the shallow amorality of celebrities’ lives or promoting PC talking points such as AGW. The insipid tone is set by its editor, Graydon Carter, the Fop/Fool-in-Chief.
onlineanalyst on December 31, 2008 at 6:40 AM
Bush has been an historic disaster on this country which will not take decades to recover from. The Republican Party probably never will! I’m a conservative!
sabbott on December 31, 2008 at 6:48 AM
fogw on December 30, 2008 at 10:26 PM
You are SOOOO right!!! When I read that lead-in I thought the same – and when I got to “Global Warming” – I KNEW they have their heads up their @sses. Yeah. Bush’s fault. It’s not even real and they blame it on him.
tru2tx on December 31, 2008 at 7:07 AM
George W Bush had the balls to do what others wouldn’t, he fought for what was right and stood up and took action, action which he stayed with even in the face of political suicide and continued harassment from his detractors. To criticize him for having done so only reveals the pathetic weak nature of ones own fabric.
Viper1 on December 31, 2008 at 7:56 AM
For his entire second term, Bush has been a failure.
And now, we true Americans have to deal with four years of a regime which doesn’t even believe in this nation.
madmonkphotog on December 31, 2008 at 8:22 AM
Well said, my friend. President Bush had the courage and fortitude to lead us in one of the darkest hours this Nation has ever known. Everyone, regardless of political stripes, should be grateful for his service.
OneVision on December 31, 2008 at 8:23 AM
Oh please. GWB is the worst President in history. He has socialized the American economy.
lodge on December 31, 2008 at 8:23 AM
Edit: worst since FDR
lodge on December 31, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Folks around here seem to equate any opposition to George Bush to the left. That is foolish. The right has far more of a beef with him.
Expanding the Dept. of Education with No Child Left Behind, expanding Medicare with the prescription drug benefit, not firing the entire executive staff of the CIA, calling Islam the religion of peace, hanging with terrorists while smoke rose from WTC…don’t believe me then check this.
Being unable to find some justification for freedom guiding our economic behavior…for the dimwitted Bush never ONCE saw a problem he didn’t think Government could fix.
Using the worst reasons for going to war with Iraq to appease the United Nations. As if anyone would have stopped us had he gone directly into Iraq.
Bush never increased Defense Spending as a % of GNP. He never increased the total size of the Armed Forces while he at the same time vastly increased other arms of the useless US Government.
Gave Tenet a medal when the schmuck should have at least been fired.
In the last 6 months he has completely outdone himself in incompetence by sinking our freedoms under the weight of a vastly increased “Incompetent” government.
Yea THANK YOU GEORGE BUSH…you schmuck.
PierreLegrand on December 31, 2008 at 8:39 AM
I know some moderate muslims that are Albanian. And as nice as some of them are to me, they have no loyality to this country. They have said “God will protect OBL” and they critized American troops because their religious leaders tell them how bad our troops are. This puts them in a very poor light in my eyes. Lost all respect for them.
I personally have no use for the islamic faith…long before 9/11. How could any woman?
Also, in my city a recent murder was committed to an 85 year old woman…she was “gutted” and robbed. Right now they are focusing on a some young Albanian males. These same males happen to go into a bar that my nephews own a few weeks back. They were making lots of trouble. So my husband and his friends bodily threw them out on the street. They yelled and threaten but finally picked themselves off the street and left. I posted this same story on another website and was told I was hateful for diliking islam. So be it.
mag5435 on December 31, 2008 at 8:41 AM
Not a big Bush fan…but,
A brief study of the American Presidency will reveal many candidates for this title of “worst”. Their worthiness should factor in the context of the times to put them under somewhat of an equal lens for examination.
You want to place the blame for all this socialist engineering squarely on Bush’s shoulders?
Let’s take a cross section on a profile of Congress. That sick body is the embodiment of the expectations of the American people. This slow and steady march toward centralized collectivism has been going on for quite a long time. Socialism entered American thinking at the cerebral cortex, and through a steady dose of hypnotism, is now deeply embedded into the cerebellum.
That’s not Bush’s fault.
Saltysam on December 31, 2008 at 9:12 AM
here’s Bush signing the historic No Bank Left Behind Bill
when history looks back on this, it will be seen as the trigger for the destruction of the American economy
lodge on December 31, 2008 at 9:16 AM
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to be dismissive of your point.
I’m just venting that it’s easy to blame the president, and he deserves a LOT of blame.
It’s just that…based on this last election, I would say that, apparently, Bush wasn’t socialist enough.
Saltysam on December 31, 2008 at 9:22 AM
You’r just full of hyperbole.
terryannonline on December 31, 2008 at 10:06 AM
LBJ, Jimmy Carter.
Johan Klaus on December 31, 2008 at 10:38 AM
It entered American thinking through public education, the entertainment industry and the news media.
Johan Klaus on December 31, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Ummm…kay. Carter, Johnson, Harding, Wilson, Buchanan, Grant…try a little history next time.
MadisonConservative on December 31, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Bush really wasn’t in a position to attack AQ/Taliban right after the election – Pakistan and the former Soviet Republics would not have played along absent a really obvious cause.
The central problem is that we had abandoned our allies in Afghanistan in the 90s and the Clinton administration had no interest in doing anything about AQ. Had we taken Osama any of the times he was offered to us or even just significantly escalated after any of the attacks on us in the 90s we would have been in a much better position to do something about AQ.
In fairness, Bush could have tried to push through some of the anti-terror measures he did after 9/11 before, but we need to recall the Democrats obstructed his transition into office in general and forming his national security team in specific while the Clinton hold overs he had were busy fretting about cyberterror and “rightwing militias”.
Realistically, our absolute intelligence and policy failures in the 90s all but guaranteed 9/11.
18-1 on December 31, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Everything that has been good in the Bush Presidency, is captured in that front page photo. An arm around the shoulder, and the strength that came with it. It stuns me that people can so quickly forget what those days felt like. What he did was is what we needed, and he continued with that as his primary focus. Even though egregious mistakes were made, they were in the spirit of keeping us safe, and taking the battle to the enemy. That’s why I voted for him the second time (errr, well I wouldn’t have voted for Kerry EVER, but you take my point).
That photo and what he said to those brave folks in New York with that bull horn, and really the rest of us in the country who were grieving, will be what I remember about W.
juanito on December 31, 2008 at 11:24 AM
President Bush wasn’t perfect–but he was strong on defending the country and on lower taxes. His second term actions on overspending are the worst parts of his 8 year term.
***
I fault him for not using the “bully pulpit” and taking on the Left Wing Media (not MSM) and the Anti-American Leftists every time they lied about him and our country.
***
I also fault him for not aggressively prosecuting all national security leakers. The Obama Times (NYT), various State Department traitors, etc. should have gotten some jail time over disclosing classified information. Letting them get away with these crimes was stupid.
***
If you think the last 8 years were bad–wait until the end of the first Obama term and check things out again. The Messiah will make Jimmy Carter look like Ronald Reagan by comparison.
***
John Bibb
rocketman on December 31, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Yes. It did…in contemporary times.
There are other historical foundations for it too, though, such as the creation of the Fed, and the 16th amendment,and the New Deal, for instance.
Saltysam on December 31, 2008 at 8:49 PM
To say nothing of Clinton, who ignored Al Quaeda even while calling it his “top priority,” and foolishly put the FBI in charge of defending against terrorism. If you wondered why terrorism was treated as a law enforcement issue before 9/11, that should answer the question.
We were in a horribly weak position to deal with Al Quaeda, and that goes directly to the neglect of the Clinton administration. Incidentally, we were in a weak position to deal with North Korea because the Clinton administration winked at any attempt to keep them away from nuclear bombs. And our weakness in dealing with Iran was due to the Clinton administration ignoring terrorism issues while Iran supported Hezbollah and Hamas.
Clinton also made regime change in Iraq the policy of the U.S government, then did … nothing.
So in any real historical perspective, Bush was the worst American president since … Clinton.
I can appreciate complaints about Bush, but I have no patience for the “worst president evah!” silliness.
ThereGoesTheNeighborhood on January 1, 2009 at 12:50 AM
BTW, how pompous is Vanity Fair pretending their smear of an article rises to the level of oral history.
ThereGoesTheNeighborhood on January 1, 2009 at 12:51 AM
I’m trying to understand how Bush is that much better than Jimmy Carter? True we don’t have 20% interest rates but we do have a fiscal melt down which seems worse. Bush was in charge! We have been at war for 6 years. Bush was in charge! Spending in out of control, Bush was in charge and Republicans got slaughtered in the election and Bush was in charge. Explain how he was better than Carter? I know he’s your guy…I voted for him twice too but I don’t get this comparison?
sabbott on January 1, 2009 at 5:24 AM
CC: J. Carter, Wm. J. Clinton
drunyan8315 on January 1, 2009 at 2:23 PM
When that incident happened they wanted answers and paypack to the attackers. People forget where we were after 8 years of Clinton and to have to start from zero pretty much to get on track and do something about it. We lost a lot of our freedom on 9/11 just in what it takes to make sure it won’t happen again. So if you feel less free, thank a terrorist.
johnnyU on January 1, 2009 at 3:49 PM
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