Bush's Banned Interview: An Insight Into Insanity
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
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"Video no longer available." Nice job, Big Brother!
It was wonderful that Air America played this interview over and over when this happened, but too many of the morons in this country would rather listen to a buffon like Limbaugh or Hannity and think it is entertainment. I really think that Air America's chance to have an impact in this country ended the night that Kerry lost. If you listened to their coverage that night, you could almost hear it in their voices and within the next year the network was on its downward spiral.
Sadly, most of those people listening to Limbaugh or Hannity, don't realize it IS only entertainment. They accept it as real news as if it were gospel. They have not really grasped the concept of "info-tainment".
You know, there are alot of people on the progressive side (on talk radio, and talk shows), that try to stay politically correct, so as not to offend by implying that those people are,...stupid. Well, I say BULL SHIT, call it for what it is. There really are alot of STUPID FRIGGIN' PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY! AND YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID!
I just didn't realize how many, until they announced BAFOON, I mean BUSH as president for his second term.
Sadly, most of those people listening to Limbaugh or Hannity, don't realize that it is only entertainment. They think they are actually listening to factual news. They accept it as gospel.
There are many on the progressive side in news, talk, media, afraid of offending anyone by implying that people are stupid for voting Bush into a second term. I say BULL SHIYTE, call it for what it is. There are alot of FRIGGIN' STUPID PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY! AND YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID.
I just didn't realize how many there were, until they announced BAFOON, I mean Bush as president for a second term.
No psychological profile required to be President, but veterans, who have been sent to FIVE tours of combat when their contract states TWO yhears orf recall as a reserve, are forever forvifdden to own firearms if they are diagnosed with PTSD.
That's not right, and tyranny will not win. It is our Constitution, and we will defend it against all enemies, foreign and domestic, traitors, torturers and treasonists.
Apparently there are only NINE Senatord out of the entire Congress, Executive Branch and Supreme court who took their oath of office seriously. Those who did not won't be replaced until the American public decides to go to Washington en-masse and take the government back. It will probably a few years, but it must inevitably happen. Starving people haveno patience with millionaires who call them 'whiners'.
Before the Bush gestapo comes to get me, they should understand that I am not advocating anything. I am merely repeating the lessons of history. But, if you must, come ahead. You have already heard the old saw about my cold, dead fingers.
Maybe he just figured if he looked into her eyes, she would see the "greatness of himself". And if you could read the blogs where I live - in Illinois no less, you can see people STILL believe the sputum the White House delivers. The MSM should be held with as much contempt as the Amerikkans who voted for the Crusading Idiot King. If mainstream America would stop watching ALL MSM - they would have to start doing what the rest of the free world press does - report the TRUTH - regardless who becomes POTUS.
Just shoot me. YIKES!!!
No, he didn't get flustered any more than he always does. It does however package all of his responses conveniently.
"There's no chance to raise their families in a peaceful world where there is no freedom." He was so bad at using his in-ear prompter...
I betcha if the rightwing wingnuts saw this they'd still love it...even in hindsight. He was at his high of 60% favorable ratings then, and while I was not ever on the favorable ratings side, some of you out there must have been. I believe the thing to do is boycott or get petitions going to fire these dunderheaded pundits and so-called journalists who can't even ask an intelligent question, or more importantly, a follow-up question to some canned answer. It's the media, Stupid.
Well, just don't see it. As a confirmed Obamaniac, this is one of the few interviews with Bush where he actually seems reasonable. Determined, but reasonable. We know now that his policy had little to do with WMD and everything to do with a "crusade" to bring democracy to the Arabs as a foil to terrorism. Agree or not, this isn't a bad advocacy of that position.
Nice try, troll. His "reasonableness" doesn't exist, and everything else is buried beneath his arrogance. He was petulant, pedantic, repeated cliched, hackneyed propaganda phrases and generally showed an obnoxious attitude toward his interviewer. His repeated "Will you let me finish, and then you can ask a follow-up" was the height of condescension and arrogance. The man is an incompetent loser and always has been. the sooner he is gone, the sooner we can start to put our country and its reputation back together.
I hope this f*ck burns in hell for all eternity.
On the contrary. He was the consumate politician. Did not allow a conversation to take place. Aggressively stopped the questioning by not allowing follow up questions (ala Condi during the 9/11 hearings). Used up his time by regurgitating "policy" points.
I predict that 10 years from now he will still be unable to carry a conversation. Will only be able to quote talking points. Will still be an asshole.
Not trolling, truly. I completely agree, he's repeating cliches of his own making, but that's what every politician does, stay "on message" and repeat the stump speech. I am not at all offended by his "let me finish" episodes - he's the President of the freaking United States, and if he wants to control the interview that's his choice, not hers. The fourth estate does not trump the Executive.
I completely agree that Bush is an incompetent loser. But this is not a great interview. She allows Bush to change the topic to "bringing freedom to the Iraqis" and "deposing the evil dictator." What she needed to do was remind him that this was not the war aim, and was not in the U.N. resolution, and challenge him why, if his goal was to transform Iraqi politics did he make the case for destroying WMD.
There are hundreds of examples of Bush being an idiot. This just isn't a good example of it.
Good Lord. I just watched this and thouht that it should be required watching for all American's to prove how truly ill this man is. To read about it is one thing, to watch him repeat this over and over is terrifying as this is how he deludes himself into things such as this. He is not well. He suffers Henry the 8th syndrome. He can do no wrong and he justifies whatever he does as God's Will. What did happen to his great friend Allawi that he praises in this? No this is not proof of him being reasonable this is repeated robot like preaching of why there had to be another crusade. Terrifying. I fear that Mc Cain would set there squinting saying the same thing. I was a confirmed Obamaniac as well. I am a bit shaken right now to be honest. I will vote for him but I cannot say he will not get as insane as this man has after some time. Seems to go with the office. Look at what happened to Bill Clinton after you just learn your lines and repeat them over and over and over again.
Sure, and my personal favorite was when he expounded on ways to stop terrorists from terrorizing; which list made note of the fact that people who are happy and fulfilled don't go blow themselves up to kill others. Funny how making people happy and fulfilled never entered his mind, in regard to Iraq or Afganistan...
After 9/11, we had a window in which the world's sympathy would have allowed us to do nearly anything. We could have set up a Middle-East Marshall plan, improving the state of common peoples' lives to the point where they had more to live for than martyring themselves for Allah. The idea was available; I thought of it myself at the time.
It would have been cheap too, compared to this war, and it would have been showing some real results by now, if roads and sanitation and schools for all were becoming available across the Mid-East. A "peace-corp" on steroids is what's needed, and after 9/11, we had the lattitude to get away with doing it.
Instead, we start a new crusade to bring "peace" by force of arms. Pratting on the whole while, that it's really in their own interests, that we blew up their bridges and disbanded their commercial infrastructure because it wasn't capitalistic enough for our taste.
Bush's kind of inside-out "thinking" is really justification for a faith-based position, not any exercise of logic.
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Kill your tv. Shoot it dead.
You have to be kidding about the U.S. sponsoring a "Marshall Plan" for the Middle East. These people make hundreds of billions of dollars A DAY on the sale of their oil. Where would we get the money - borrow it from China and Japan?
And what makes you think the Middle Eastern potentates would welcome our "help" - or our citizens playing Peace Corps in their sandboxl? They wouldn't.
Do you ever wonder why so many people are supporting Barack Hussein Obama?
Could it be that this nation is becoming colorblind and does not care if a good person is black, white, red or tan?
Could it be that the American people don’t care if a person worships as a Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, or Jew?
Could it be that people remember the scandals of the Clinton And Bush years?
Could it be that the American people know that if it was not for the Clinton’s filth and scandals that Al Gore would be completing his second term in office.
Could it be that the American people remember Bush and McCain looking into our eyes and saying, believe me there are weapons of mass destruction?
Could it be that the American people are shell shocked that over 4,000 precious lives have been lost fighting the wrong war in the wrong country against the wrong enemy?
Could it be that the American people realize that Carl Rove politics brought our nation to where it is today?
Worst.
President.
Ever.
Though McCain might try to steal that title in the unlikely event he wins the general election.
He certainly takes the prize of worst candidate in memory.
Just goes to show how corrupt the traveling NEWS Reporter's are....For them to have kept this Video from the American public is a disgrace....I assumed this interview was done after GWB won his 2nd term, so why were they afraid to release the video????
I am beginning to wonder what other secret video are hidden from the American People!!!
The MSN in this country should learn from Carol Coleman how to conduct an interview, and ask pertinent questions and not be afraid....
We need alot more reporters like her. Maybe if we had some then Bush wouldn't have gotten a second term. Remember, we have idiots voting too, my brothers and sisters-in-law and a few southern relatives that listen to FOX noise and vote accordingly. What we need is a better education system but that's not likely to happen as long as a Bush is recommending school books for students, at least, in Texas.
Its not the reporters who kept this video from the American People. Its the corporations that own the media that kept it from the American people. Remember at this time these corporations were so shit scared of being labeled "unpatriotic" they wouldn't allow any criticism of Bush. One of the few people who did stand up on his hind legs and questioned what was going on (Phil Donnohugh (sp?) got canceled.
I saw this video back then, not the whole thing, but part where Coleman is asking him why he can't see that the world is less safe since the Iraq invasion. It was clear both that he was unused to real questions, and that he was completely unable to take in this idea that so differed from his own. I'm trying to remember where I saw it, but cannot. So somebody showed enough of the interview to get the point across.
I wish that American journalists had this much tenacity.
There are American jmournalists with this much courage and tenacity. Trouble is, bush and his string-pullers would never, ever let any of them into the same room with him, much less allow them to interview him and record it.
Over 50 million Americans voted to re-elect Bush in 2004. Watching this interview should speak volumes about this country. Obama-bots should take heed when you dismiss any voter who dares criticize Obama and tell them to go vote for McCain.
I can assure you the majority of the 50 million who voted to re-elect JB, did so because, their Pastor's, Priest, Rabbi, and Rush told them to... Now they are ALL having Voter's remorse.
I have a feeling you were one of 50 millions who voted for JB..........Obama has never taken any vote for granted, so if you are one of the bitter voter's who is still upset because your candidate
did not win get over it.......Life is too short to carry a grudge because you may die tomorrow...
No Obama supporter has ever told a poster to vote for McCain, it is ALWAYS the poster who is threatening to vote for McCain and we tell them to go right ahead....
Thanks for bringing this video to our attention.
This man's cognitive development is adolescent-like.
But hey, there's a flagpin on his lapel! What a wonderful patriot, right? Our poor, misused flag.
The flagpin does not mean a thing, it is the person wearing the flagpin....Putting a flagpin on a dog does not make it a patriot.....
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