This post in particular is a gem.
In a moment of crisis, this is how Bush responds:
And he then details the infamous ‘seven minutes’ in which Bush was supposed to leap out of his seat, jump into a jet plane, and stop the terrorists from hitting the WTC. Whoops- they had already hit the WTC. WTF is the big deal about the seven minutes again?
Kos then states:
In a moment of crisis, this is how Kerry responds:
He then points to Kerry administering the Heimlich to a choking Senate.
Clearly, both events are exactly the same, and a clear indication why Kerry should be President. Truth be told, I guess that qualifies me for the Presidency, because I administered the Heimlich to a choking patron in a Greek diner in Poughkeepsie, NY in 1988 or 1989 (I can;t remember which year).
At any rate, the comparisn is absurd, and Kos closes with:
Had Kerry waited just 30 seconds more, Hecht would’ve been brain dead. Good thing he didn’t wait seven minutes.
Which makes me wonder who waited seven minutes to give Kos the Heimlich when he was choking.
RW
You mean he didn’t use the famous “hamster recussitation” scenario?
John Hudock
I have irrefutible proof that you were no where near Poughkeepsie in 1988 or 1989, but rather were over 50 miles away in Pawling, NY at the time. How do you respond?
jeff
Isn’t saying “greek diner” redundant anymore?
shark
And if Kos had seen the man choking? He’s have just said “screw ’em”
shark
So how many people choked to death on 9/11 that Bush could’ve administered the Heimlich to?
The Bobs
Maybe he was supposed to get up, find out WTF was going on and make the decision to give the Air Force the order to shoot down the other three planes that were still in the air?
He could have at least tried to do something.
Sharp as a Marble
Which three Bob? Just a random choice of the several dozen airplanes in the air or do you go by departure time?
If Bush had hopped up, tore off his jacket to reveal his superman costume, taken off and flew around the earth backwards so fast he reversed time and stopped all the planes without a single life lost, the moonbats would be up in arms about messing with the space time continuum.
Oregonian
“At any rate, the comparisn (sic) is absurd”
Explain that to us, juicy-boy. How is it absurd to examine how a leader responds to a crisis?
One presidential candidate responded to a crisis by taking immediate action. Another presidential candidate responded to a crisis by sitting on his duff for seven minutes waiting for his advisors to tell him what to do.
I’d say the contrast gives us a damn good window into each man’s leadership and character.
John Cole
BEcause the assumption, foolio, is that Bush would have sat there and let the man choked.
This is apples and oranges stuff, really. Not surprised you dfon’t recognize the difference though. Back to the DU with you.
dorkafork
You would think if you were going to do a comparison between reactions, you would choose reactions to the same event.
Josh Martin
Just to complete the record, Bush was killing time reading the kids while the Secret Service planned his removal to a safe location. Inasmuch as no one knew the scope and extent of the attacks at that point, prudence was not just necessary, but required. He was the commander-in-chief, and needed to remain safe and alive. Give that, I could care less if it was seven or 77 minutes.
Oregonian
Who has more trouble with the English language – John Cole or George Bush?
John Cole
Clearly I must, because you haven’t understood a damned thing I have said.
Al Maviva
Hey, Oregano. Here’s why it’s an absurd comparison – because Kerry told Larry King what his reaction was on 9/11. According to Kerry, he went into Sen. Harry Reid’s office right after the second plane hit the WTC (9:07) and sat their unable to think, until the blast of the plane hitting the pentagon roused them (around 9:50). Kos knows this.
The comparison, therefore, is ridiculous. You might as well compare Bush’s reaction on 9/11 to Kerry’s snap judgment in hitting the brakes on his wife’s Escalade a couple weeks ago to avoid a squirrel in the road. Sure, it shows quick judgment, but the comparison means little to begin with since the underlying subject matter (9/11 attacks vs. using the brakes) is so different; and the comparison is rendered absurd since Kerry’s reaction on 9/11 is known to have been roughly 35 minutes slower than Dubya’s.
giladani
Maybe he was supposed to get up, find out WTF was going on and make the decision to give the Air Force the order to shoot down the other three planes that were still in the air?
He could have at least tried to do something.
—
That’s right. Because they instantaneously knew that there were 3 more aircraft in the air, even though two had not yet been hijacked at that point.
Given the level of unreality in these comments I’d have to say Bill Pullman would make a better president than either of them, he flew an F/A 18 against the alien mothership.
russ
One has to wonder what planet the Oregonian is from: “One presidential candidate responded to a crisis by taking immediate action. Another presidential candidate responded to a crisis by sitting on his duff for seven minutes waiting for his advisors to tell him what to do”
Kerry sits on his ass for forty minutes freaking out…
Bush so has to not scare the children reads for a few more minutes then makes a graceful departure and some how that’s a problem?!?!
scott
Anyone wonder why Kos doesn’t use what sKerry did in those moments after the first plane hit the WTC to compare to how he responds to a crisis? Check Kerry’s own words. He and Daschle and company sat around a table for 40 minutes thinking about how no one could think until the third plane hit the Pentagon.
Nancy Reyes
Had Kerry waited just 30 seconds more, Hecht would’ve been brain dead. Good thing he didn’t wait seven minutes.”
Umm, hate to tell this to you guys, but it takes eight minutes of hypoxia to cause brain damage…so if indeed the victim only had thirty seconds to go before brain death, it means Kerry waited 7 minutes…
Steverino
Explain that to us, juicy-boy. How is it absurd to examine how a leader responds to a crisis?
One presidential candidate responded to a crisis by taking immediate action. Another presidential candidate responded to a crisis by sitting on his duff for seven minutes waiting for his advisors to tell him what to do.
It’s a matter of available informaton, Oregonian. Surely, even you can see that distinction.
On 9/11, Bush did not have all the necessary information to act, and the Secret Service was plotting where the President should go. The Secret Service trumps all other organizations when it comes to the safety of the President. Even so, there wasn’t enough information about the attacks (other than a plane flew into the WTC) for the President to act.
When Kerry saw a man choking, he already had all the information anyone would need in order to act.
You’re so good at Monday-morning quarterbacking, tell us exactly what you would have done in those seven minutes.
HH
I wonder if Al “O’Reilly didn’t live in Levittown!” Franken is responding to the Cambodia issue.
Meanwhile Bevan nails Drum.
Orion
Well, we know how Kerry reacted when a mine severely damaged one of the 5 Swift Boats in Viet Nam – while the other boats went to the stricken boat’s aid, Kerry firewalled the throttles on his boat (knocking Rasmussen into the water – but he went back and saved him later – as another boat was about to) and ran like a bunny.
*singing* Bravely ran away away! Brave, Brave, Sir Johnny!
Orion
Justin Ogren
This is the one thing a President should have backed up in his wallet with a plan, in any case of emergency, any case of attack against the United States, The Preside of the United States should act quickly and sharply. HAHA 20 minute photo op after the reading ofthe book. Then we can take care of the attack on the United States.
Bloggerhead
Guys, it’s not that Bush didn’t do anything in those seven minutes; it’s the fucking look on his face! He looks like he’d just shit his pants and was afraid to stand up lest the tikes’d start laughing at him.
The film speaks for itself, and many of you only look foolish trying to sublimate it. Not that that’s stopped you before, of course.
Jim DUrbin
Why is it left partisans like to focus on small windows of time and pretend you can read everything you need to know aboutthe character of a man from them.
I’d prefer to focus on what Bush has done in the 525,000 minutes after the seven minutes on tape, or Kerry’s 43 minutes unable to think.
Just as I’d like to focus on what Kerry has done in the 408 months since his early withdrawal from Vietnam instead of the 4 months he spent filming his exploits as an infantryman.
What? He was a Navy guy in a swiftboat? Then why the film footage of him as a grunt? You mean films don’t always tell the full story?
Alert the media!
Dean
Justin:
What was President Clinton’s quick and sharp response in the wake of:
-WTC ’93?
-Khobar Towers?
-Tanzanian and Kenyan embassies?
-USS Cole?
What was Jimmeh Cottuh’s quick and sharp response after the Iranians took over our embassy?
Most of all, exactly what should that response have consisted of?
Think about this for one second, though: The head of a nuclear power is whisked aboard his chopper and told that there are apparent missiles heading over the North Pole, and he has only a few minutes to decide what to do. By your lights, he should have a quick and sharp response, ready-to-go. Fortunately, Boris Yeltsin didn’t have your insight and masterful advice to blow us off the map, when their radars picked up a Norwegian sounding rocket.