Bush Gives Up Golf To Honor The Troops
You can’t make this stuff up. It sounds like satire. President Bush told Mike Allen of Politico that he has a very personal way to honor the sacrifice made by soldiers and their families.
“I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf,” he said. “I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.”
Bush made this very personal, very tough, very sacrificial decision in August 2003 after a bomb that hit the UN headquarters in Baghdad killed Sergio Vieira de Mello, the top UN official in Iraq.
“I remember when de Mello, who was at the U.N., got killed in Baghdad as a result of these murderers taking this good man’s life,” he said. “I was playing golf – I think I was in central Texas – and they pulled me off the golf course and I said, ‘It’s just not worth it anymore to do.’”
What a great man! What empathy for our fallen soldiers and destroyed families! No golf. How does he do it? What’s he going to give up next, weekends at the ranch?
If I paid attention to him, perhaps I could appreciate his “noble” sacrifice more. To be fair, he probably thinks he’s showing solidarity, and he likely would have been assailed for playing, compared to Nero. He should have just said he prays a lot.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Actually… I think that if golf was a very important part of his routine, and if it is a true personal sacrifice, then it is kind of meaningful. Meaningful TO HIM, not to us.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Did he really? Brings a tear to my eye.
I think he should also give up dessert. No sweets. When’s the last time a soldier had a slice of chocolate mousse cake?
I also think he is way too comfortable at that Whitehouse. The troops aren’t too comfortable right now.
I think he should move into the “backyard” and live in a teepee.
And cook his own meals. And take sponge baths.
I’ll tell you what. If Bush promises to bring most of the troops home by the time he leaves office I will personally treat him to a new golf cart. It’s on me.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Well… that’s a good point, too E. I guess there are other sacrifices he could have made that would be much more meaningful to the public.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Sacrifice?
This is only proof that “golf” plays much too large a role in some people’s lives. Or, it’s shades of “let them eat cake”.
From Mr. Bush’s role in Fahrenheit 911 as he talks to the press on the golf course before he tees off, “I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers – thank you – now watch this drive.”
May 14th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I can’t think of anything to say about our Presidents noble jester (get it?).
May 14th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
The commander-in-chief is not allowed to relax? Golf during war is not allowed? There are a lot of doctors who probably play golf while their patients are in the hospital suffering…does that make them evil? Did FDR do anything relaxing during WWII? When you have suffering family members, are you allowed to laugh? Give me a break.
To him he believes it’s a sacrifice…but I don’t think it matters. War casualties (whether the war is justified or not) cannot be repaid. He’s making a symbolic gesture. Either way, this is a non-issue about whether or not he plays frickin’ golf.
May 14th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
He gave up his golf game to honor the sacrifices of our soldiers! Let no man say this president has no heart! It’s brains he’s lacking.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Flap:
I will make this very easy for you to understand…
Over 4076 Americans and countless Iraqi citizens have lost their lives because George Bush decided to attack a sovreign nation he didn’t like. He shows his gratitude by refraining from playing golf for one day.
Since he’s responsible for all these deaths, I think that refraining from golf for one day is too little too late.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Well, if during this age of war I’m being called upon by my President to go out shopping, then the least the man could do is quit playing golf.
May 14th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Flap~ The only reason it’s an issue is b/c reporter Mike Allen asked him about it. Alan made a good point last when he asked “how would he even know to ask him about it?”. He said it sounded like a staged question. On the other hand, he could have noticed on his own that Bush wasn’t out golfing as much as he used to. You can use the link below to see how important golfing is to the Bushies.
http://www.beauproductions.com/golfswingsws/georgewbush/main.htm
I think that in his mind, this really is a ’sacrifice’. Just like going to war in Iraq was the ‘right’ thing to do. If you google ‘bush playing golf’ and look at the images, you’ll get some entertaining hits that picture him looking just like the jester Budda jokes about.
‘Mouse~ awesome quote! I’d forgotten about that from the movie. I always like to get both sides of the story, and was quite interested to see the movie FARENHYPE 911. I definitely recommend it. The more we know about the other side, the better we’re able to refine our facts and stand by our opinions.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
You guys should also check out what the conservative cites are saying about this. You’d think that Bush has sacrificed one of his children.
May 14th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00345/ED_IMAGESNN30023GG_345497a.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article250699.ece&h=352&w=540&sz=49&hl=en&start=79&sig2=rJUkMC61hSbRNuD22vjQvA&um=1&tbnid=_chGW_V43L6TVM:&tbnh=86&tbnw=132&ei=5U8rSN7SCIioecfFvZoF&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbush%2Bplaying%2Bgolf%26start%3D60%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGGL,GGGL:2006-42,GGGL:en%26sa%3DN
The above is a pic of him driving a golf cart at Camp David in 2007… I guess he was just driving the cart and no golf balls?
May 14th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
He is also the man that said “Life’s not fair” to tornado victims before a making a promise to rebuild. It isn’t easy to see an insensitive man try to be sensitive and fail at it.
May 14th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Nice how you are tracking the IP addresses of all who post here with a snowflake or some sort of pattern. You are pathetic.
Do me a favor and hold all the whisteblowing about others until you perfect yourself. Thanks.
Signed,
Nmss
May 14th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Awww poor little baby Bush had to sacrifice one of his toys..
Time to grow up, Bushey.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Anonymous, Alan has nothing to do with the identicons accept for allowing which designs appear.
If you have a wordpress account, you would know this, or be able find out about it. In fact, you don’t even need an account: http://wordpress.com/blog/2008/05/04/default-avatars/
May 16th, 2008 at 9:31 am