Bush makes fun of the disabled!

[zakur]

Not really, of course. He just tries to be "folksy" and funny, but ends up sticking his foot in his mouth.

Bush apologizes for sunglasses jest to sight-impaired reporter

When he called on Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times, he commented on his sunglasses. "Are you going to ask that question with shades on?" the president asked, adding, when Wallsten offered to take them off, "I'm interested in the shade look, seriously" and that "there's no sun."

Wallsten said later when called by a reporter that he suffers from macular degeneration, has lost most of his central vision and needs the glasses for protection from glare.

Wallsten later heard from the president. "He called and apologized," Wallsten said. "He said he was sorry, he didn't know, he felt bad about it. ... I told him he didn't need to apologize, I wasn't offended."

And from a photo op last month:

Bush visited with some waiting in a courtyard where Frank Sinatra's "Young At Heart" played on the loudspeakers, then he went indoors where people were looking over the laptops. He walked around giving handshakes and hugs to those who rose for his entrance, and greeted a man who remained sitting in a wheelchair with, "You look mighty comfortable."

 

[Upchurch]

Not really, of course. He just tries to be "folksy" and funny, but ends up sticking his foot in his mouth.

I got this far and stoped reading. I knew that anything that came after could not possibly be true.

 

[Zep]

Hmmm... Heard the exchange on radio. He wasn't being "folksy" or "funny" with the guy, just pushy. However I appreciate that Bush had the decency to apologise later.

 

[a_unique_person]

"Mayo, pass the Mayo". I think the writers for "That's my Bush" were much funnier.

[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans serif] I want to thank the President and the CEO of Constellation Energy, Mayo Shattuck. That's a pretty cool first name, isn't it, Mayo. (Laughter.) Pass the Mayo. (Laughter and applause.) His wife, Molly, appreciated that. (Laughter.) I want to thank Mike Wallace, Skip Bowman. Thank you all. Thanks for letting me come by.

[/FONT]

 

[Regnad Kcin]

Thomas Jefferson he ain't. Heck, George Jefferson he ain't.

 

[President Bush]

Thomas Jefferson he ain't. Heck, George Jefferson he ain't.

Your toilet paper has page numbers on it.

 

[Dr Adequate]

Wallsten said later when called by a reporter that he suffers from macular degeneration, has lost most of his central vision and needs the glasses for protection from glare.

Wallsten later heard from the president. "He called and apologized," Wallsten said. "He said he was sorry, he didn't know, he felt bad about it. ... I told him he didn't need to apologize, I wasn't offended."

I actually managed to type the phrase "nothing to see here" before I realised that that could be taken the wrong way.



I think this reinforces my point.

 

[Brown]

I don't see what the big deal is. Little Bush made a remark that any one of us might have made, if we'd try to be "good ole boy" friendly. He later offered an apology, and the person who had cause for offense said there was none.

So how has Bush done wrong? This business with the sunglasses is not a very good "Bushism" and not really all that funny.

That said, it would have been nice if the President would behave with a little more dignity and formality, and with less "good ole boy" attitude.

And it would have been really peachy if Bush would have answered Wallsten's question. According to CNN, Wallsten's principal complaint was that Bush didn't answer the question posed to him.