Bush: I Gave Up Golf For The Troops

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As violence in Iraq continues -- clashes today left 11 dead and 19 injured -- President Bush has for the first time revealed the great sacrifice he's made for the sake of our soldiers: he's given up golf.

From an interview with Politico and Yahoo News:

"I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf," he said. "I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."

Bush said he made that decision after the August 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, which killed Sergio Vieira de Mello, the top U.N. official in Iraq and the organization's high commissioner for human rights.

"I remember when de Mello, who was at the U.N., got killed in Baghdad as a result of these murderers taking this good man's life," he said. "I was playing golf -- I think I was in central Texas -- and they pulled me off the golf course and I said, 'It's just not worth it anymore to do.'"

Now watch this drive...

UPDATE: Brandon Friedman at VetVoice pokes some holes in Bush's story, highlighting a piece from Warren Street at Blue Girl, Red State:

Actually, it is far more likely that Bush quit playing golf because he was suffering from knee problems throughout the latter half of 2003.

Street then links to a CBS News article published in December 2003:

Bush, 57, will have an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) test on Thursday, Dec. 18. The body-scanning device enables doctors to see internal organs in 3D.

The MRI is being performed on the advice of the President's regular White House physician. Last summer, Bush suffered a minor muscle tear in his right calf and that injury, along with aching knees, forced him to abandon his running routine. The calf strain healed by August when he had his annual physical, but the president said in September that he suspected he had a meniscus tear.

... Bush actually played his last round of golf on October 13, 2003. This means that the reason he gave for quitting after the August 2003 U.N. bombing is dubious at best...

Comments

[klosskid]

Bush lied? Really? This was unexpected? This is news?

[Vespasian]

And I thought he had pretty much exhausted all the ways he could embarrass America. Go figure!

[Jackpatzer]

Even though he couldn't give up his vacation time or horsing around in photo ops with country stars when New Orleans was under water, and he couldn't give up doing idiotic jigs at press conferences or making jokes about not being able to find weapons of mass destruction, and he had no choice but to spend more time on vacation than any President in U.S. history, I'm glad that President Bush gave up golf. It sends a good message and makes me feel a lot better about our decision to invade Iraq.

[gevan]

I gave up golf until a black woman is elected President of the United States. So?

[JeanPaulSatire]

I read the headline and thought it said "Bush: I Gave Up TRUTH For The Troops." Even though the headline doesn't say that, it turns out my first reading of it was right.

Truth isn't just the first casualty of war, it is a continuing one.

[sirgorpster]

Does McCain golf? Looking soon for a commitment from John on playing golf for the next 100 hundreds years.

[meneghin]

Following his very inspiring example I am seriously considering giving up my crossword puzzles, sudokus and tic-tac-tos and, oh boy, it's really working, I never felt so patriotic!

[2lib4oh]

The real reason Bush gave up golf probably has more to do with Michael Moore's film that showed him and his dad riding around in a gold cart and having a great time.
Remember when he said,"Now watch this shot", with that smug look on his face?

[booksnmore4you]

This president is totally beyond belief. He continues to show the intellectual depth of an immature high schooler.

[Liberoservative]

We're sorry but this video is no longer available..
WTF?? Why isn't it available....

[JTyroler]

That has been fairly common during the Bush Administration - things disappearing from government web sites. Bush also quit playing solitaire after it was discovered that he wasn't playing with a full deck.

[booksnmore4you]

Here was sure he had won lots of hands, though!

[pinkerman2]

Evertime I think that bush can't sink lower; Surprise!!!! He does. At least he is consistent. Consistently stupid, dishonest, perverted. The same chronic liar and all-around no good bum
who went into the Whitehouse in 2000 and has brought our country almost to it's knees.
To all the people who voted for the killer TWICE what were you THINKING!!!!!!!!! I'm angered when PBS runs the names, pictures and other information about our troops killed I want the faces shown because we need to see what bush has caused but I cry for the Families of our fellow Americans and honor the dead and wounded .Maybe if they started running pictures of Iraqis killed, esp. children, it might move even the war-mongering money- grabbing enablers to say 'No, 2013 isn't soon enough to stop this horrible mis-carriage of justice'. Nah, even that wouldn't make them stop. Sen Obama will make this stop sooner than Sen's Clinton and McCain. If you are mad about gas prices, oil is deliberately being kept under-ground to force prices up. Cheney;s idea? bush isn't smart enough to think of that ploy. I read this in a book by Greg Palast If you want to learn the truth try Greg.

[Hare]

If Huckabee and friends have their way, Obama won't make it to the WH. They are enticing the AA haters to lose their minds, sink to lower depths and commit a despicable act. If he makes it I hope you are right and he puts a stop to the foolishness "ruining" the country

[SubparDude]

:

When a leader lies for the purpose of Feigning Sincere Sacrifice,

and is able to direct it at "some Mom" of a Dead Son, as Artifice,

I can think of no more Despicable a Coward.

Forgive us all, Please.

:

[ellawensmom]

"I don't want some mom..."

Is it just me, or does any other mother find this statement offensive?
I can think of a million ways to say this better, but to refer to women as "some mom"
You know, we lost a long-time family friend in April of '03, and knowing what his mother has suffered through since his death, this statement just repulses the hell out of me...
Once again, it shows how little we all mean to him and his good ol boy cronies who are getting richer and richer off this illegal war.

[massive]

As usual, Bush got it all wrong. We need him to give up the presidency and take up golf. That would be a real way of honoring the people he's killed.

[Vinca]

Whenever I hear the word IMEACH and the name GW BUSH doesn't follow that, I get upset, on GW Bush stop playing golf, he said thay once they pulled him off the course,so it wasn't worth it

[mari2JJ]

Actually impeach is not even an option. The House could bring the impeachment charge but we did NOT send enough Democratic Senators to Congress last election to make certain they could convict on the bill of Impeachment. That, frankly is the voter's problem. If we want enough to do it after 2008, let us make certain there are enough Democratic Senators to get the job done. Vote Democratic like I am even though I am a life long Republican. But wait, wait, I NEVER voted for Bush. NO WAY.

[Wanjiru]

..and yet, this man, along with all of his cronies, are going to walk out of the white house, as completely FREE MEN!...

...who should be responsible for this?...

.

[Playinjured]

US!

[MenopausalMick]

HuffPost's Pick

Advice to Bush from Keith Olbermann¦"shut the HELL up!":

The commentary is already on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcNAt6mfRFA

Thank you, Keith.

The Bush wedding in Crawford was probably a joyful occasion. I"m happy for ya, GW. Here, in San Antonio, my only child is being sent to Iraq.

I"m real sorry you had to give up your golf game for the grieving families. Me, I"m close to giving up my sanity at the thought that my son, who has already done two tours in the Middle East, will now do a tour in Baghdad. He won"t be playing golf, either.

I have typed and retyped this post many times because my anger takes charge of the composition. Tears of frustration and pain cloud my vision on all levels.

4000 Americans dead and you want my son, too. Thousands of grieving mothers rage at your lies and heartless corruption and you want my voice, too.

Well, sir¦you have my voice and my pain and my anger.

You GAVE UP GOLF??!? Are you totally INSANELY INABLE to recognize what you have wrought in our democracy, in our country, in our world, in our hearts??!?

SHUT THE HELL UP

Menopausal Mick

[kimbari]

Thank your son for me, too.

And thank you for posting Keith's commentary.

[Playinjured]

We should all give thanks to your son for his sacrifice by remembering how we got here. We are at risk of further damage this upcoming election. We need this Dem nominee to win this time. LET'S NOT SCREW THIS VOTE UP TOO LIKE WE DID WITH BUSH! REMEMBER! 4000+!

[consumer]

I was so infuriated by this revelation Bush made yesterday, and I have been following the backlash on various websites. Your post is poignant and illustrates the utter absurdity of what Bush considers to be a sacrifice. Even though I have no children for the war to take, I empathize and my heart goes out to you. I hope your son returns to you safely. I hope the karma that this pathetic excuse for a president has generated comes back to him a thousand fold.

[madmaggie57]

My heart goes out to you, menopausalmick. And to all families who have & are still dealing with the results of this illegal occupation. I know from personal experience what it's like to spend an entire life dealing with the effects of war. But, what's new? This is the same man who continued reading a childrens book for seven minutes after he was informed that a second plane crashed into the Twin Towers. Does this man actually believe that he is the center of the universe & everything revolves around him? He is a product of his own Ego and the rest of the right-winged fanatics that continue to back him are sheep. God Bless America & thank your son for me...

[zbearlady]

And now...Bushwipe's most recent blunder: the breaking news report out of Jerusalem right now -where W gives a speech bashing Obama by not so subtly connecting him to terrorists -stating he might as well be negotiating with Hitler!

Yep...keep being yourself, you warmonger...and hopefully the American people will see even more clearly how corrupt the GOP is...and the real truth about their parties' perfect little Bush-clone -Mr. Mcflip-flopMcCain!

It's time for the American people to get their voices back. And there's only one person I can trust to do that:

Barack Obama!

[Playinjured]

HERE! HERE!

[Fightnmad]

My 86 yr old mother left a message about Keith Olbermann's Special comment. She said, "Try to tape it! It's so good! Keith's last words are, 'Mr. President. Shut. The. Hell. Up!'"

So, for Mom and all who did not yet listen to this amazing speech:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24635229#24635229

Enjoy!

[ibsteve2u]

"... Bush actually played his last round of golf on October 13, 2003. This means that the reason he gave for quitting after the August 2003 U.N. bombing is dubious at best..."

Good word, "dubious"....just as history reminds us that Eisenhower as known as "Ike", Nixon was known as "Tricky Dick", Clinton was known as "Slick Willie", I suspect that George W. Bush will be known forever by something along the lines of "Dubious Dubya"...

[yodaveg]

In keeping with our president's sacrifice, here is a list of bold sacrifices you can make in solidarity with our brave troops:

Reuse twist-ties

Sleep on one pillow instead of two, unless it's really uncomfortable.

Have pepperoni or sausage on your pizza, but not both.

Save the red m&m's for last.

Let your son win a game of go fish.

Make a victory chain of beer can tabs.

I welcome suggestions from other patriotic Americans.

[WIpatriot]

Excellent suggestions, dave. I was also considering giving up golf, but I think I'm going to try it just once more on Tuesday or Wednesday and see if I really want to do that.

[VivaZapata]

he's running out of feet to put in his mouth, yet somehow he always finds room for one more.

[HalfEvil333]

I am disappointed to see that our fearsome commander-in-chief has admitted defeat to the forces of Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is attacking America for its freedom, democracy, and golf.

[Rog49Thomas]

There is a sharp Toles cartoon on this topic in today's WaPo.

[girard1991]

I should have read a littler further down. People are looking at Keith. He is a beast tonight.

[pinkerman2]

Hey Girard1991, Keith is a beast?????????????????? you are either joking or dillusional. We have had the BEAST running this country into the ground for 8 years. So you're kidding, right?

[girard1991]

Not sure if anyone posted this bit of information, but Keith Olbermann did one of his excellent Special Comment shows tonight (Wednesday, May 14, 2008) . He ripped the POTUS a new one regarding this statement and others during the interview with the Politico. He also showed archived photos (Getty Images) that put the POTUS on a golf course in October 2003. More than 3 weeks after the POTUS states that he gave up golf for the troops. This is a must see Keith Olbermann. Finally, Olbermann asked the POTUS to quote, "shut the h*ll up." end quote.

[girard1991]

Maybe I should have read a littler further down the page. LOL!

[pinkerman2]

Apologies girard1991. I should have read farther down.