Slog
News & ArtsFriday, January 16, 2009
Politics Stewart on Bush's Exit
Posted by Anthony Hecht on Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 9:45 PM
This may have been posted already*, but even if it has, it's worth posting again.
Jon Stewart spends eight minutes on Bush's final week media blitz in the video below. As someone who can't generally bear to watch Bush for eight seconds these days, I sure appreciate Stewart digesting it all for me.
It's truly terrifying to watch Bush begin to really speak his mind. I do hope he continues, he's bound to accidentally admit to some felonies on tape.
* Yes, I could easily find out. No, I didn't do that.
2
Via The Daily Show is the only way I've been able to take this sort of footage in. It's just too cringe-inducing for me to witness straight up.
I've been sort of amazed, yet at the same time not so terribly surprised, at how much Bush has been teetering right along the edge of total candidness lately.
His slip-ups/near-confessions are reminiscent of hundreds of moments on CourtTV crime shows where a perpetrator or witness of some dire crime is obviously just dying to level with the police and spill their guts.
Jesus, just give David Frost an hour or two alone with Bush.
I've been sort of amazed, yet at the same time not so terribly surprised, at how much Bush has been teetering right along the edge of total candidness lately.
His slip-ups/near-confessions are reminiscent of hundreds of moments on CourtTV crime shows where a perpetrator or witness of some dire crime is obviously just dying to level with the police and spill their guts.
Jesus, just give David Frost an hour or two alone with Bush.
3
It seemed a little strained to try funning at Bush because he doesn't care what we think of him. Why would he care? Our actions over the last eight years convinced him he never had a thing to fear from us. Doubt he's the only politician who noticed that.
4
As we address these challenges - and others we cannot foresee tonight - America must maintain our moral clarity. I have often spoken to you about good and evil. This has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right. This Nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense and to advance the cause of peace.
President Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." As I leave the house he occupied two centuries ago, I share that optimism. America is a young country, full of vitality, constantly growing and renewing itself. And even in the toughest times, we lift our eyes to the broad horizon ahead.
I have confidence in the promise of America because I know the character of our people. This is a Nation that inspires immigrants to risk everything for the dream of freedom. This is a Nation where citizens show calm in times of danger and compassion in the face of suffering. We see examples of America's character all around us. And Laura and I have invited some of them to join us in the White House this evening.
President Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." As I leave the house he occupied two centuries ago, I share that optimism. America is a young country, full of vitality, constantly growing and renewing itself. And even in the toughest times, we lift our eyes to the broad horizon ahead.
I have confidence in the promise of America because I know the character of our people. This is a Nation that inspires immigrants to risk everything for the dream of freedom. This is a Nation where citizens show calm in times of danger and compassion in the face of suffering. We see examples of America's character all around us. And Laura and I have invited some of them to join us in the White House this evening.
5
My prediction for 2009? That within 6-12 months of his stepping down, Bush will be involved in an "alcohol-related" incident. And he'll be grinning like a chimp in the mugshot.
8
It seemed a little strained to try funning at Bush because he doesn't care what we think of him.
Same goes for his administration. The jokes really on Stewart and the audience. I can't bear to watch Daily Show any more, sorry.
Same goes for his administration. The jokes really on Stewart and the audience. I can't bear to watch Daily Show any more, sorry.
9
@3 and @8: The point is not what Bush thinks of us. The point is what we think of Bush. History's judgment of Bush begins in approximately 72 hours and it will not be kind to him. And things will not improve for him as the years go by. Eventually he will make Warren G Harding look like Abe Lincoln in comparison.
Hopefully Bush's legacy will be that future presidents avoid repeating the "disappointments" of the last eight years and that the American people will no longer vote for any politician who even slightly resembles the Idiot-in-Chief who spent eight years running this country into the ground. Obama won by a landslide because the majority of people have learned that lesson. Let's hope it continues beyond the next eight years.
Hopefully Bush's legacy will be that future presidents avoid repeating the "disappointments" of the last eight years and that the American people will no longer vote for any politician who even slightly resembles the Idiot-in-Chief who spent eight years running this country into the ground. Obama won by a landslide because the majority of people have learned that lesson. Let's hope it continues beyond the next eight years.
10
"All you wanted was a pat on the back and a few accomplishments of your own to hang your hat on, but instead you're about to spend the rest of eternity pondering your now-official legacy as the worst and most pig-headed leader in the history of western democracy, a man who almost single-handedly sank the mightiest nation on Earth by turning the presidency into a 50 trillion dollar therapy session that ended in two disastrous wars, a financial crisis that threatens the entire system of international capitalism, and a legacy of corruption on scale not seen since the Borgias or maybe Nero."
-- Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone
-- Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone
11
Good morning! This thread must die.
Legacy schmegacy. We let him do whatever he liked for eight years and we know it. Once term limits have taken him out of power, only then we intend to give him such a frowning-at he'll hang his head in shame? Self-deluded ineffectual antidemocratic horseshit.
Legacy schmegacy. We let him do whatever he liked for eight years and we know it. Once term limits have taken him out of power, only then we intend to give him such a frowning-at he'll hang his head in shame? Self-deluded ineffectual antidemocratic horseshit.
13
The fact that this psychological case study of low intelligence, less curiousity, and murderous self-delusion was allowed to be president of the USA should be an embarassing lesson to every moronic, underenlightened right-winger that elected him. Maybe the yokel country dumbsh*ts now will understand that they aren't smart enough to govern a great naiton and they should stay home with their cheez-whiz and monster truck rallies, and get the hell out of the way of progress.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
Hating People Doesn't Make Them Thinner by Jen Graves
-
Los Angeles Gay Bar Bans Bachelorette Parties Until Marriage Equality Is Attained by David Schmader
-
Fill in the Blank by Grant Brissey
-
This Reminds Me of the Great Calculator Scare of the Late '70s/Early '80s by David Schmader
-
Idiot Tries to Defend Bigoted Anti-Gay-Marriage Preacher on Anderson Cooper by Paul Constant
-
SL Letter of the Day: Putting It In by Dan Savage
-
Six Moms with Too Much Time on Their Hands and a Shitty Website Decide to Fight Gay Superheroes by Paul Constant
-
Why Mayor McGinn's Wife Canceled Her Family's Seattle Times Subscription by Eli Sanders
-
What the Hell Is Wrong With Seattle's Pride Parade? by Dominic Holden
-
Meet the UW "Swagga Suit" by David Schmader
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (14) RSS