The Most Inappropriate Bush War Smirk of 2007

Given 2008's inevitably ramped-up analysis of the Bush Legacy by the very serious traditional media, there's one aspect of the president which, staggeringly though not surprisingly, won't be covered. In fact, it's never been covered to my knowledge. The traditional media has never really challenged the president on his grotesquely inappropriate reactions to serious issues -- especially Iraq.

His uncomfortably ridiculous smirks and smiles illustrate his inadequacies as a leader: his fugacious attitude; his vacant stature; and, most strikingly, his apparent inability to grasp the reality of his decisions. It's all right there on the screen -- underlined by those tiny baby teeth.

So as a reminder to the traditional media, I'd like to present the Most Inappropriate Bush War Smirk of 2007. But first, some runners up.

The date: October 17, 2007
The place: The White House Press Briefing Room
The hilarious quote: "But this -- we got a leader in Iran who has announced that he wants to destroy Israel. So I've told people that if you're interested in avoiding [grinning] World War III [end grinning], it seems like you [begin giggling] ought to be interested in preventing them from have the knowledge [end giggling] necessary to make a nuclear weapon."

The date: April 3, 2007
The place: The White House Rose Garden
The hilarious quote: "That's precisely why I sent more troops into Baghdad."

The date: January 14, 2007
The place: 60 Minutes
The hilarious quote: "There's not enough troops on the ground right now to provide security for Iraq and that's why I made the decision I made."

And now, for the historical record, The Most Inappropriate Bush War Smirk of 2007:

The date: January 16, 2007
The place: PBS's NewsHour With Jim Lehrer
The hilarious quote: "If I didn't believe we could keep the egg from fully cracking, I wouldn't ask 21,000 kids -- additional kids to go into Iraq to reinforce those troops that are there."

Soon after this smirk, the president, as part of his euphemistically nicknamed New Way Forward, ordered an additional 21,000 soldiers into Iraq with the goal of providing military cover for a political solution to the civil war there.

During the intervening 11 months between the above smirk and today, 6,796 American soldiers were either killed or wounded under the president's hap-hap-happy command.

The political solution for which these soldiers gave their lives... never happened.

I don't know who he thinks he is or what he thinks he's grinning about, but for the Commander in Chief of the United States armed forces to smile and giggle while discussing warfare of any form or magnitude is an insult -- not just to the soldiers who followed his orders into battle, but also to basic decency and human morality. From his zany "those WMDs have to be around here somewhere" sketch to his shit-eating grin whilst comparing warfare to wacky-yet-delicious breakfast foods, this extends far beyond the necessary objective distance of a military leader and into the realms of madness.

This is the Bush Legacy, Traditional Media. Please consider this in the coming months. President Bush injected a psycho bomb into the Middle East without any real grasp of the consequences and, nearly five years into the conflict, is so affectless about these consequences as to smirk and laugh at it all.

Or maybe there's an hilarious joke in there somewhere and we're all just dumb about it.

--
Bob Cesca's Goddamn Awesome Blog! GO!

Comments

[LawrenceL]

In some cultures, "inappropriate" laughter or giggling really conveys embarrassment, awkwardness, or being at a loss for words.

Of course, in the President's case, none of that applies, and we are instead witnessing the collision of a man's obvious lies and shallowness with the interior of his skull.

*BUSH KNOWS* he is inadequate. Why do you think he is so uncomfortable in the job, when he isn't busy posturing...?

[Markik]

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
-Benjamin Franklin

[shep65]

How much more exposed can this man be? He has been proven to be a liar, war monger, and semi illiterate emporer with no clothes.
The really scary thing is that the Republican party is offering presidential candidates that are probably worse than he is.
This presidential election is probably the last opportunity to save the Republic short of revolution. Unfortunately many of the voters of this country do not seem to grasp the urgency of this situation. If the evangelical right is able to elect another facist president the great democratic expirement is dead.
God save the Republic.

[dahpunkster]

i think he's looks completely shitfaced
in that first picture
he probably is
i wouldnt put it past him

[rich5555]

Bush's smirk hides more than his incompetence. He is trying to make light his lies about his deliberate mistake in destroying Iraq and enslaving the nation with his phony war on terror in order to negate the Constitution and do as he pleases without any regard to the Law. Far as he is concerned, the President is above the Law. With claims that God is his buddy and it was God himself who told him to invade Iraq, who else can challenge his authority? Americans have wondered why they are so loathed and hated in the world. It is not their wealth or way of life that is the cause but look no further than the President, on whom the buck ends.

[msabbynormal]

In an attempt to put a positive spin on why the mainstream media has so glaringly ignored the painfully obvious, is it possible that they have feared acknowledging the ineptitude and blatant "FU, Amurrica" we've been receiving because it will give the perception that a nation as huge and as vast as ours does not stand behind its leader? They are playing to a worldwide audience, after all.
To me, one of the most telling instances of the "FU, Amurrica" occurred early on, when Pres and VPs' mikes were inadvertently "hot" during an appearance...while their smiling / waving selves postured for the throng, they were unaware that the mikes were on and the audio told a much different story than the one one we could visually perceive, one of the contempt they had for us all.
Maybe the mainstream media fears that calling a spade a spade will actually make them (and, by ostensibly logical extension, all of the rest of U.S.) look petty. After all, you don't take advantage of someone with a handicap, do you?
The conundrum here, dear friends, is that North America has a history of propagating a proud and noble image of itself.
Aw, heck -- positive spin be danged! I say, WTF?!?

[janvoght]

we know we errored in electing this brand of government, we errored again in not impeaching cheney, and we have a war train going on here...when we are able to take back the reins, we would do well to listen to the wisdom of ron paul. the middle east does not appreciate having their country meddled with. even 911 was in response to the arrogant u.s. interfereing with a civilization that, many may argue is a crude one, is an existing government. if we do not need their resources, there is no need for war. too much $$ has been wasted on the destruction of lives, and none spent on alternatives to oil dependence from the middle east. they are nuclear capable and should be treated as such. their manner of international collaboration is void of good intentions. let them have their resources, and show the world how a free innovative nation such as ours, finds solutions to problems of this magnitude, and saves lives at the same time. aren't we over involving ourselves in unnecessary wars?

[[e-mail]]

What? No trolls? None of the dumb Republicans who frequent this website is willing to step in and defend Bush's smirks? To tell us that that's his way of showing that he really cares about the young men and women he's sent to war FOR NO REASON AT ALL? That everything is going just well in Iraq, Bush is compassionate, Brownie did a heck of a job, and Santa does exist (and he's a Republican too)? Come one, people...

[Pennsylvanianne]

Thank you, Bob Cesca, for covering at last what should have been covered all through this man's presidency. We were subjected to media scrutiny of Al Gore's supposedly awful sighs during the 2000 debates. I wonder how the reporters who were so critical then can look at themselves in the mirror, thinking of all the Americans and Iraqis killed in this man's war, based on a lie.
History will someday provide the scrutiny of George W. Bush that was so sorely lacking these past eight years and indict not only him and Cheney but the American media and public for not calling him to task on his inappropriate, unConstitutional and possibly sociopathic behavior.

[rockchick]

Brilliant. I can't even LOOK at the unelected president Bush II: between the inane and psychotic smirk and the vacant eyes you could park a 747 behind, he gives me the yipping creeps.

Evil in a grinning face.

[[e-mail]]

Thanks for your posting. Bush is a pathetic joke. It would be funny watching his incompetence and stupidity -- if it weren't so tragic.

[singermuse]

It's called "duper's delight".
That evil smile that comes when a person KNOWS they are lying and getting away with it. They can't quite maintain their "poker face". Bad for card games and the well being of millions of people.

[nuffera]

I remember when his handlers were trying to keep him from using that smirk. I go apeshit when I seen his face or hear that voice! I also notice that those who voted for him, except the real idiots, no longer tote his bumper sticker! Got what you wished for didn't you??? Remember that when you are standing in the bread lines, lose your house and your job.
Tough tooties babies!!!

[deminmo]

What do you think President Bush would do, if he
were facing a Cold War type nuclear stand-off?
Better yet, a terrorist has just gotten one of
Pakistan's allegedly well guarded nukes. The
President does not know where it is, but he
knows he has to do something to stop it being
used. What do you think he would do? How long
do you think we have until this is a real
situation, given the current mele' in Pakistan?

[anne1]

He always is grave and serious when he's asked about taxes on the rich. To him, rich people paying ANY taxes is a tragedy.

His grammar/pr­onunciatio­n issues usually occur when he has to pretend to care about poor or middle class people(school children, disaster victims). His diction is always clear when he talks about taking away or cutting entitlemen­ts(Medicar­e, Social Security, or veterans' benefits).