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You are here: Home / Politics / Vicious Rhetoric

Vicious Rhetoric

by John Cole|  October 20, 20034:17 pm| 25 Comments

This post is in: Politics

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Watch all the Democrats in the blogosphere and elsewhere, the ones who thinks “Bushitler” is funny, or the ones calling Bush ‘A Miserable Failure,” all get their knickers in a twist over this:

Former first lady Barbara Bush and mother of President Bush described Democrats trying to unseat her son in the White House as a “sorry group” of politicians.

“So far, they are a pretty sorry group if you want to know my opinion,” said Mrs. Bush in an interview aired on Monday by NBC’s “Today” show, when asked about the Democratic line-up for the 2004 presidential election.

“This is the world according to Barbara Bush, not George, not George H.W., not anybody” she added.

Her husband also had some harsh words for the Democratic contenders whom he accused of using “vicious rhetoric.”

“The one who makes the most outrageous charges against the president gets his 20 seconds on the evening news. Hey I did not ride in here on a watermelon cart. I know how it works,” said the former president.

Post the links to the faux outrage in the comments section below.

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25Comments

  1. 1.

    Arash

    October 20, 2003 at 5:09 pm

    Sorry John! Bush Sr. is friends with the people in Riyadh so that disqualifies him. The scoop on Barabara? She’s friends with Princess Haifa.

  2. 2.

    John Cole

    October 20, 2003 at 5:38 pm

    Hunh?

  3. 3.

    Norbizness

    October 20, 2003 at 6:22 pm

    Well, of course she knows how it works. I assume she was on speaking terms with Lee Atwater.

    Does that qualify, or was it too nuanced?

  4. 4.

    John Cole

    October 20, 2003 at 6:35 pm

    It was actually kinda funny.

  5. 5.

    harry

    October 20, 2003 at 7:52 pm

    John, I’m no Bush fan, but I’m not going to care one toot what Barbara Bush says.

    Speaking of vicious rhetoric, I linked to you today on an example of what I think was some pretty vicious rhetoric on a site you link to on your blogroll. Or uh, did, before you’re unfortunate site problems. I’m curious to hear your reaction. http://www.slyfelinos.com/slyblog/archived/000296.html

  6. 6.

    John Cole

    October 20, 2003 at 8:25 pm

    Harry- I am not responsible for what everyone on my blogroll says, but yes, I think it is inappropriate to suggest carpet-bombing an entire population. However, and I think you already know this, but Misha is always using over-the-top rhetoric, and if you really think he is serious, you simply have not been reading him. HIs larger point, however, is one that I do understand- it is very difficult for me to look upon any population in which 75% of the respondents think that it is acceptable to strap explosives to your waist and blow up schoolgirls in a pizza parlor.

    So, no, I do not condone his statements- I think it would probably be best for you to lodge your complaints on his website, or do as you have, written your own piece. And, this is not me being some sort of wuss or failing to have the courage to condone his remarks. I am just tired of playing he gotcha game, and if you look at my blogroll (whenever it comes back), you will note that I still link Mac Diva, who has said more vile things about me than anyone than Misha has said about anyone. I am not sure what you are attempting to do other than to silence him, but I prefer to let people make their own decisions.

    So- you have two choices- stop reading him, or, keep reading him and condemning what you think is inappropriate. You make the call, but quit trying lame-ass guilt by association pieces.

  7. 7.

    harry

    October 20, 2003 at 8:36 pm

    John,

    A few days ago you said:

    My personal favorite is the man at the end of the vdieo screaming into a megaphone “Long Live the Intifada” to a boisterous crowd. For the record, this is the kind of ‘dissent’ that I think needs to be stifled.

    If this sort of thing needs to be stifled, why does Misha get the free pass?

  8. 8.

    John Cole

    October 20, 2003 at 8:49 pm

    Harry- Do you honestly think I would try to would in any way favor shutting down protestors right to say whatever they want?

    Clearly, I was joking, making a play on the ridiculous assertions the left has been throwing around regarding this administration ‘stifling dissent.’ IN fact, when I fix my damn site, you can try my search function to see how many times I have jokingly invoked the phrase ‘Stifling dissent.’

    At any rate, there is a noticeable difference between Misha and the protestor. The protestor was serious.

  9. 9.

    harry

    October 20, 2003 at 8:57 pm

    John,
    It the whole blogosphere being ironic and I just don’t know it?

    Come on. Would you let me get away with advocating the carpet bombing of Israel and called Israelis “stinking sand nits” and “subhuman” if I said later “Ha ha, just joking.” I sure as hell hope not.

    There’s no such thing as joking about genocide.

    (And yes, I think that goes for the leftist boob calling long live the intifada.)

  10. 10.

    John Cole

    October 20, 2003 at 9:06 pm

    I have said I don’t condone it, I clearly never employ rhetoric such as that to advance my points, and I did not link to it or approve of it. I have now stated that three times- what do you want me to do?

    I am sorry he wrote the post- you want me to take him off my blogroll? Do I need to write a formal post condemning him? How is this somehow my responsibility? I searched your site- I didn’t find any outrage when Ted kennedy stated that this war was hatched in Midland, Texas. I found no defense of the entire Republican party when Dave Niewert and Atrios labeled us all racist because of Trent Lott (even though I attacked Lott from the beginning for his idiotic remarks).

    IN other words- I don’t approve of what he said- what do you want me to do about it?

  11. 11.

    Moe Lane

    October 20, 2003 at 10:38 pm

    You’re pretty much doing it now, John. :)

  12. 12.

    Emperor Misha I

    October 21, 2003 at 12:06 am

    Thanks, John.

    You know, I might take this one-man intifada of Harry the wienerdoggie’s somewhat seriously if he’d ever had the courage to drop in and comment on the post.

    But ooooh no, his “best” shot is to run around the blogosphere, demanding that people delink me.

    Fucking pansy-assed little girly-man.

    But good luck with the intifada, Harriet, I much doubt that it would hurt me much and I KNOW that it wouldn’t change my posting habits even if you WERE successful in your sad little “crusade”, trying to get other people to do your bidding.

    Ever heard of the abbreviation DYOFDW, Harriet?

    Do Your Own Fucking Dirty Work.

  13. 13.

    Kimmitt

    October 21, 2003 at 3:32 am

    Behold how the alpha male seeks to defend his dominance through chest-beating and the display of incisors.

  14. 14.

    Norbizness

    October 21, 2003 at 7:51 am

    Has anyone ever dared that guy to type a conventional sentence or not refer to himself as “Emperor”? What were the results?

  15. 15.

    David Perron

    October 21, 2003 at 8:03 am

    Actually, Kimmitt, Misha is invoking a little notion known as honor. When you’re dragging someone’s name in the dirt, the honorable thing is to first do it to their face. The cowardly thing to do is to gossip about what a big bad person he is to everyone who will listen. As far as logical argument goes, this is also known as Poisoning the Well.

  16. 16.

    Hipocrite

    October 21, 2003 at 8:10 am

    Quoting Barbra Bush without mention of how she doesn’t care about American soldiers is repulsive. Here’s Babs-

    “Why should we hear about body bags and deaths and how many, what day it’s going to happen, and how many this or what do you suppose? Oh, I mean, it’s, not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?”

    If she calles me sorry, I take it as a compliment. She is a repulsive, senile fool.

  17. 17.

    David Perron

    October 21, 2003 at 11:01 am

    Quotes are made for quotations, Hipocrite.

  18. 18.

    Moe Lane

    October 21, 2003 at 11:48 am

    David, if he did, then we might actually track down the Jimmy Breslin article – which is on Newsday, but not immediately available: luckily, here’s a site that supposedly gives the entire paragraph:

    “He sits and listens and I read books because I know perfectly well that – don’t take offense – that 90 percent of what I hear on television is supposition, when we’re talking about the news. And he’s not, not as understanding of my pettiness about that. But why should we hear about body bags and deaths and how many, what day it’s going to happen, and how many this or what do you suppose? Oh, I mean, it’s, not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that? And watch him suffer.”

    God, I love selective cut and pasting, especially when it… well, let thorswitch say it:

    “Reading the full quote, it seem apparent to me that she’s not saying that body bags and deaths are irrelevent, but rather than TV news that’s irrelevant because the vast majority of it these days is supposition instead of fact.”

    IOW: always verify quotes, bucko.

    (Hat tip: Different strings – who, might I add, isn’t a Righty.)

    Moe

  19. 19.

    Moe Lane

    October 21, 2003 at 11:49 am

    Previewing helps, too: here’s the cite.

  20. 20.

    Dean

    October 21, 2003 at 12:22 pm

    I don’t understand why they fired Jayson Blair, especially after he came clean.

    I mean, between Mo Dowd’s ellipses and Breslin’s selective pulls, shoot, at least when folks make it up outta whole cloth (and you know it), you don’t ascribe to it any accuracy at all.

  21. 21.

    David Perron

    October 21, 2003 at 12:26 pm

    Gotcha. Thanks for that, Moe. That last bit was odd, but I imagine I’d say an odd thing or two when I hit 78 years of age, too.

  22. 22.

    Empress Misha

    October 21, 2003 at 2:31 pm

    Babs was only joking. All in good fun, you limp-dicked subhumans!

  23. 23.

    Terry

    October 21, 2003 at 2:38 pm

    I thought for a minute as I scrolled through many of these comments that I surely must be on the Hesiod or atrios blog. How did so many knuckle-draggers wind up here?

  24. 24.

    David Perron

    October 21, 2003 at 2:55 pm

    I take exception to that. My knuckles hardly reach past my knees.

  25. 25.

    Moe Lane

    October 21, 2003 at 2:57 pm

    Ook eek.

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