Ben Cohen

Ben Cohen

Posted: July 10, 2008 02:34 PM

Bush's Banned Interview: An Insight Into Insanity

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While surfing the net on 'Stumble', I came across an interview with President Bush on Irish television that caused a bit of a storm in 2004. The interview conducted by the tenacious Carol Coleman of Radio Television Ireland was not aired on American television, and Bush's press officers apparently complained vociferously about the rigorous questioning.

The video shows Bush at the absolute peak of his arrogance -- convinced of his own rhetoric about Iraq, flooded with confidence from international subservience to American power, and high off a crushing military victory that reinforced his childish fantasies of American power and preeminence.

The problem was, Coleman was having none of it, and what transpired was a unique insight into the warped brain of the least respected and most hated president in the history of the United States.

"Mr. President," asked the stone faced Coleman. "You're going to arrive in Ireland in about 24 hours' time, and no doubt you will be welcomed by our political leaders. Unfortunately, the majority of our public do not welcome your visit because they're angry over Iraq, they're angry over Abu Ghraib. Are you bothered by what Irish people think?"

Other than stutter, the president managed only to answer in vacant homilies about 'the great values of our country.'

"We are a compassionate country," he asserted. "We're a strong country, and we'll defend ourselves -- but we help people."

And that was about the depth of his explanation for the invasion of Iraq. Supremely satisfied with his own answers, Bush expected Coleman to be bowled over with his 'good ol' plain speakin' English', but Coleman, not infected with the American media's insatiable appetite to service power, had other ideas.

She continued to grill Bush about the rising violence in Iraq, increased world wide threat of terrorism, and failure to find the weapons of mass destruction. Flustered and unaccustomed to serious challenges to his power, Bush displayed flashes of anger, and an increased reliance on catch phrases to argue the unarguable.

"These people are willing to kill innocent people," he answered testily in response to questioning about the Iraqi death toll. "They're willing to slaughter innocent people to stop the advance of freedom. And so the free world has to make a choice: Do we cower in the face of terror, or do we lead in the face of terror?"

Coleman cut through the simplistic slogans about evil doers and freedom loving Americans and continued to ask Bush serious questions about the illegal war he had just launched. It fast became evident that this was a man who really had no idea what he was doing -- someone so removed from reality that he failed to even understand what he was being asked.

The world in Bush's mind exists of good and evil, right and wrong, and America and everyone else. He could not fathom anyone disagreeing with his nobility, and simply refused to acknowledge that a different account of reality existed.

The interview took place almost four years ago, but is the perfect illustration of a man elected purely on name recognition, dirty money, and no discernible talent. Four years ago, there were still enough Americans who believed Bush's infantile bluster was charming and direct. Now, even Republicans do not waste their time with him, quietly wishing he would disappear and stop embarrassing their party.

The interview with Coleman should go down on record as definitive proof of Bush's utter incompetence, a priceless picture of a madman who had no business occupying the highest office of the land.

Watch below:

Ben Cohen is the editor of www.thedailybanter.com and a contributing writer to www.espn.com and Boxing Monthly Magazine. He can be reached at thedailybanter@gmail.com

Follow Ben Cohen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thedailybanter

While surfing the net on 'Stumble', I came across an interview with President Bush on Irish television that caused a bit of a storm in 2004. The interview conducted by the tenacious Carol Coleman of R...
While surfing the net on 'Stumble', I came across an interview with President Bush on Irish television that caused a bit of a storm in 2004. The interview conducted by the tenacious Carol Coleman of R...
 
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- Erdgeist I'm a Fan of Erdgeist 78 fans permalink
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A new Pogo Possum might say, "We have met the evil empire and they are us."

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:46 PM on 07/13/2008
- nellie I'm a Fan of nellie 492 fans permalink
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Bush is our president primarily because of our corrupt media and our corrupt supreme court. History will not be kind.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:00 PM on 07/13/2008
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I tried to watch the video but it said that it was no longer available. No need to really watch it though...w­e here in America have been watching it for 7 and a half LONG years. In my mind, I can hear the interview and I'll bet the real thing sounds exactly like it. I rarely hear it mentioned, but among the MANY MANY MANY MANY awful, annoying and just plain embarrassing things about this individual we somehow got stuck with - have you noticed how whenever he is responding to a question he sounds like he is WHINING like a little kid. Every answer he gives sounds so defensive and whiny. It just sounds so awful. No matter how bad the next President is, at least I hope he or she doesn't FRIKKIN WHINE SO MUCH!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:04 PM on 07/13/2008
- RobBob I'm a Fan of RobBob 7 fans permalink
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Yeah, Bush fatigue has definitely settled in. We can't even get riled up anymore. "Still-President" Bush opens the OCS to drilling? Yeah, expected as much. Bush asked the Germans to nix Obama's speech and the Brandenburg Gate? Typical.

It goes on and on. All we're doing now is counting the days 'till Jan 20 (190 as of the 14th!).

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:53 AM on 07/14/2008
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we have become Russia and China - where librarians and anyone whose views are in contrast to K ing Dub ya or Mc Same - is pummeled and silenced.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:46 PM on 07/13/2008
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What's most embarrassing of all is that the dumb schlemiel thinks he's TOTALLY nailing it.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:06 PM on 07/13/2008
- BushBites I'm a Fan of BushBites 31 fans permalink

He reminds me of Dennis Miller.

Spouting these lame wingnut platitudes and thinking he's clever.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:13 AM on 07/14/2008
- Monrocsol I'm a Fan of Monrocsol 5 fans permalink

As usual Huff Puff's headline is worse than the story.

Bush is insane, but I think he was more coherent here than in other interviews.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:56 PM on 07/13/2008

I agree. Seems like a tough but fair interview.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:58 PM on 07/13/2008

Coherently Insane....­Bush has surpassed his father in the ability to detour, misspeak and come up with paltry jingoist sayings. We're a compassionate country...­yeah so compassionate we've become occupiers and won't acknowledge a fledgeling government's request that we leave asap!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:31 AM on 07/14/2008
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Maybe we can get her to come here and cover this political campaign. I would love to see her "interview" McCain and ask him some hard questions, since the MSM seem incapable of doing so themselves.

I remember this interview, I was so happy back then to see someone, ANYONE, actually ask the bumbling fool some hard questions. Back here the MSM would falling all over themselves to worship at his altar.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:52 PM on 07/13/2008
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This is what you get, America, when you vote on the basis of bravado and the ability to chuck bull with the best of them. Count the platitudes, folks. Bush regurgitated a list of talking points and thought she would just gobble up his barf like the dimwitted American public. Not a chance. See, this is how REAL journalists talk and act. Our journalists should take notes. Better yet, can we swap journalists with Ireland?

SOT

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:35 PM on 07/13/2008
- GunOfSod I'm a Fan of GunOfSod 2 fans permalink

The problem is that the MSM in America is beholden to corporate money. The healhiest thing America could do for it's Democracy is to have a constitutionally protected, publically funded,neutral media outlet similar to the BBC. Someone needs to keep your politicians honest, your current media are not doing they're job.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:38 AM on 07/14/2008
- nixau I'm a Fan of nixau 2 fans permalink

I don't know what you are talking about. This is a typical interview where Bush posits a litany of false claims and the reporter lets each one just sit there stinking and unchallenged. She says 100 Iraqis had died today and he answers "that just shows you how evil the enemy we are fighting is." But she doesn't challenge him on that. The enemy exists because we took the lid off tribal hatred that existed for centuries, took the ruling class out of power and let them fade into the population with no job but the job of fighting the invaders. She says there are more bombings since the war and he says the Madrid bombing wasn't because of the our invasion. That's a steaming pile she just leaves sitting there in its inanity. "People join terrorist organizations because there's no hope for their families." So the people we imprison indefinitely in Guantanamo were just trying to provide for their families? America spends money on AIDS? Then why did we eliminate condoms as an AIDS prevention tool in Africa? She is obviously just as shallow as American reporters and Bush himself. When will reporters LISTEN to the people they are interviewing?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:14 PM on 07/13/2008
- NickNas I'm a Fan of NickNas 6 fans permalink

Carol Coleman has more BALLS than ANY of these poor excuses for the people we have here who call themselves Journalists. If more people exposed this little man for what he was he would have NEVER been elected.

Bush is RUDE little man It is clear here he cannot even take a question without falling apart. His people got MAD about these questions?? LOL It just shows how weak he is and how he thinks he is so far above the rest of us the simple people.

He Disgusts me and always will.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:58 PM on 07/13/2008
- flatus I'm a Fan of flatus 36 fans permalink
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You guys are acting like you expect a puppet to have brains.

It is again our true protector, the Media, that failed to show how much of an empty suit this guy is. A mission that should have been accomplished well before the 2004 election.

Thanks American Media.

Luv ya!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:03 PM on 07/13/2008
- sanang I'm a Fan of sanang 5 fans permalink

Yep, that is what Ive always said...the media really let the American down, only the people who did a lot of research re Bush before the elections really knew what a empty suit this guy was.

Notice how Bush connected 911 with Iraq?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:29 PM on 07/13/2008
- Vinca I'm a Fan of Vinca 6 fans permalink

I just want to say , I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THEREAL TRUTH ABOUT 9/11, I've seen some video's , but yhey don't answer all the questions, GW Bush supposedly saw the first plane hit on a tv, but there's wasn't any tv on

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:07 PM on 07/13/2008
- Meggie I'm a Fan of Meggie 86 fans permalink
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Thank you Ms. Coleman. It's refreshing to see real journalism in the US. We sure don't have much access with our MSM coverage and interviews!
It was interesting to see the depth of his denial - Iraq had nothing to do with the "terrorists" who flew planes into the WTC on 9/11. He really doesn't seem to understand that in this interview. I thought it was propaganda, but he really does seem delusional.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:50 PM on 07/13/2008
- Woodn88s I'm a Fan of Woodn88s 7 fans permalink
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Is anybody else sick of his pompous texas bully swagger?..­..(Wasn't he a cheerleader?) Sorry to cast a dim light on the cheerleaders of the world but I don't know 1 man on earth the doesn't secretly think a male cheerleader is just a p*ssy with a big mouth!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!! Accurate description of W I would say.......­....and Rove......­...and che*ney...­........an­d Rummy.....­....and and and ..........­....

I realize the entire population of Texas can't be this arrogant just like the entire population of New York City is not rude......­..........­..........­but aren't the good people of Texas sick and tired of the picture W has painted in the minds of the world about the people of Texas?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:35 PM on 07/13/2008

i would like to remind you that the bush family are carpetbaggers from connecticut. these fools are an embarassment to the state. i can also assure you that the democratic party in texas is very much alive and well here.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:26 PM on 07/13/2008

One of the biggest questions about the Bush "Presidency" has been whether this fiasco is fueled by utter stupidity and incompetence, or by pure evil and corruption ? I believe the answer is that it is both.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:23 PM on 07/13/2008
- Vurt I'm a Fan of Vurt permalink

bush got what he wanted, chaos is good for business. While my soldiers are shot at and bombed on the streets of bagdad, the oil is being syphoned for greedy multi-national corporations.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:36 PM on 07/13/2008
- markie1111 I'm a Fan of markie1111 2 fans permalink

bush has never given rat's ass about the common good. he may talk the talk but the walk has been to line his and his croonies pockets with the treasury.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:55 PM on 07/13/2008

He sounds very typical average American who has never been out of the country and believes everything the media markets to their viewers. That is probably why he won the second term, when Americans clearly had the choice to cut their losses. Perhaps Kerry knew that as well and for the same reason this clip was not used in 2004 Election aginst him. Not too many people would dig it after all!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:11 PM on 07/13/2008

Better known as Goober Nation.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:41 PM on 07/13/2008

In what enlightened country are you from, Earth?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:41 PM on 07/13/2008
- triplbee I'm a Fan of triplbee 25 fans permalink

I am always amused by self-righteous Europeans, who seem to forget their long, proud history of pissing on defenseless people. Even Bush----absolutely the worst president in the history of the United States---cannot hold a candle to the all-star cast of twisted monarchs and politicians who have shaped the course of European history.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:52 AM on 07/14/2008
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