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Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Letter of the Day

posted by on August 28 at 10:05 AM

(Though It Arrived Yesterday)

Leaving the Bellevue Library shortly after 5pm today NE 10th St was blocked off for the Presidents departing motorcade. As is likely in any busy downtown area there were a number of pedestrians lining up on both sides of 10th waiting to cross, which the police would not allow until after the motorcade had passed.

I had no serious problem with this; I understand that certain procedures must be followed to ensure the safety of the President. What upset me was that the driver of the last van in the motorcade was flipping off those he passed.

To be as accurate as possible, he was holding his left arm up in the driver’s side window and giving the “bird” to any and all gathered along the side of the road (the vehicle had a great deal of what I am assuming was communications equipment on top of it). These were not the protesters directly outside the event the president was here for, rather these were children and parents, an elderly woman with her son, and many others coming out of a public library being treated very poorly by the presidents staff. Even if there had been protesters yelling and jeering the President and his staff that type of display should not be tolerated from anyone on the Presidents staff.

I’m not seeking an apology for me, but I do think that the residents of Washington deserve better from our elected president and his staff. Then again expecting much at all from this administration other than disappointment seems rather pointless.

A concerned citizen

RSS icon Comments

1

Actually, it seems oddly fitting.

Posted by flamingbanjo | August 28, 2007 10:09 AM
2

Yeah, it was an a**hole thing to do. But honestly, why worry about that when the real problem was the guy in the limo.

Seriously, some sh*t you have to let roll off you back. Deal with the REAL problem and that is Bush and Cheney. Focus on the ball!!!

Posted by Just Me | August 28, 2007 10:21 AM
3

Ah, such class and grace they show. Then again, that's probably the most honesty anyone affiliated with this cabal has ever displayed. "Fuck you, America, all of you!"

Posted by Geni | August 28, 2007 10:21 AM
4

It's gotta be tough working for the most hated man in the world, and I'd say "giving the 'bird' to any and all" is a perfect metaphor for the last seven years.

Posted by Original Andrew | August 28, 2007 10:22 AM
5

Anyone with a videocam out there? I sense
an Youtube hit in the making.

Posted by butterw | August 28, 2007 10:25 AM
6

At least we know how the administration feels about readers. Put down that book and go watch more Fox News!

Posted by Jessica | August 28, 2007 10:33 AM
7

Wait, I thought if you flipped people off when the president was around Dave Reichert would get you fired? Or at least wait until you were fired and then try to take credit.

Posted by exelizabeth | August 28, 2007 10:33 AM
8

Reminds me of this reported incident from 2001:

http://www.georgewalkerbush.net/whocareswhatyouthink.htm

Posted by Explorer | August 28, 2007 10:37 AM
9

Results 1 - 10 of about 682,000 for gwb middle finger. (0.22 seconds)

Posted by matthew fisher wilder | August 28, 2007 10:49 AM
10

Must have been on one of the blank pages here: http://www.aclu.org/pdfs/freespeech/presidential_advance_manual.pdf

Posted by beebees | August 28, 2007 11:07 AM
11

The "mothers and children, elderly" etc should consider themselves lucky the only thing they got was the finger. They could have wound up with tire tracks running over em'.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/27/national/main3210100.shtml

I't's bushie's way to squash the little people who dare get in His Highnesses way.

Posted by yucca flower | August 28, 2007 11:33 AM
12

Republicants are ALL about giving America the bird. That, plus lying and stealing, are what they're about.

Posted by Will in Seattle | August 28, 2007 12:05 PM
13

You know, the "us against them" attitude was something I harbored for many years until I grew up and made friends who weren't all working class folk.

I outgrew the notion that all wealthy people are fucked.

Now, I feel compelled recalibrate, seeing as to how the "them against us" thing is picking up so much momentum that the President's motorcade can be found flipping the bird to the mothers and children of Washington on a GOP fundraising visit.

If there wasn't this hatred of the common citizen in the past they at least made an effort to conceal it.

Tell us how you really feel assholes. Sheesh

Posted by Bushtastic | August 28, 2007 2:16 PM
14

aw, c'mon ya pansies. what kinda world is it where someone can't flip a bird without people going up in arms?

Posted by nucaligula | August 28, 2007 3:23 PM
15

If the aforementioned bird flipper was wearing a suit, then it is a reasonable and mature form of protest.

Posted by Medina | August 28, 2007 3:34 PM
16

Does the writer feel special or something? W's been giving the finger to the entire fucking country for six years now.

Posted by Gitai | August 28, 2007 3:36 PM
17

@7: I get it! Totally awesome, considering the first one was a bus driver ... and this one was a limo driver ... yeah .... ellipsis again ...

Posted by frederick r | August 28, 2007 3:43 PM
18

"bringing integrity back to the White House"

What happened to decorum?

At least we can thank Bush for stripping away the veneer from everything. Yes it is us against them, they've made it very clear.

Posted by K X One | August 28, 2007 4:29 PM

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