Indeed, the article even speculates on how such a stunner slipped out, arguing that "the escalating crisis in the Middle East prompted him to use an expletive in a conversation with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. This is your press corps. The President has a potty mouth is a more pressing story than the President believe sufficient pressure on the sovereign nation of Syria could be the key to ending an intensely volatile war in the Middle East. What a proud day for my profession.
Don't get out the self-flagellating whip quite yet. Not when every top lefty blog is all a’twitter over the President's potty mouth. Saying “sh*t” out loud in a public place may have lost almost all of its shock value since the left has degraded language and meaning. But all of that is forgotten when Bush uses the term.
All of a sudden, the word is indicative of the President's (please choose only one) 1) incoherence, 2) simple mindedness, 3) confusion, 4) lack of vocabulary, or 5) stupidity. I suppose, when an intellectual like TBogg or Micheal Moore uses the word, it's fraught with subtext and meaning. But when our Texas President uses it, it just shows what a sh*tkicking cracker he truly is.
I am glad I am finished writing now. Reaching for that star was getting to be a pain in the ass. Almost as hard as typing the words "intelligent" and "liberal" when they're right next to each other. Thankfully, I've had no occasion that I can recall offhand where my fingers were called upon to make that kind of effort.
Article comments
1 - Deano
Frankly I rather enjoyed Bush throwing around expletives and the casual conversation. It lets you get a look at the real guy rather than the stiff manniquin he seems when making speeches or the fake "Oh-so-folksy" Texas home boy he puts on when he tries to be funny.
The fact that he was on topic and with a fairly sensible and relevant observation makes me think he might be learning somethng after all...
2 - Michael J. West
Jesus. I find it boring when they DON'T swear. I've got no problem with Bush saying "shit," I'd have no problem if he'd said "motherfucking balls" (in fact I'd probably think he had some motherfucking balls), and I don't care what kind of obscenities the other presidents use on their own time either.
Well, except Nixon, whose obscenities tended to be in the context of things like "those fucking Jews" and "we should burn down the goddamn Washington Post."
3 - Nancy
Actually, for once I approve entirely of what he said. Good for him. I like it better when he's at least being honest & himself & if that includes a little profanity from time to time (& I can't think of a better context than the one he was in to use the word 'shit' - it was entirely fitting) so be it. I can handle Bush saying "shit" far better than I can listen to him saying "noo-cyu-lar". No problem with brainless small talk, either; that's why it's called 'small talk'. You can't function on 100% all the time, unless you're Henry Kissinger, I suppose.
Holy moley - ! I actually said in print I approve of something Bush has done!
4 - Dave Nalle
I was actually more irritated by the Blair portions of the transcripts. Could anyone put more qualifying comments and unnecessary pauses into a sentence than he does? If I had to have a conversation with the man I think I'd start slapping him.
Dave
5 - Christopher Rose
Blair's been a liability for quite some time now; it's like there is a cult of personality around him or something. The problem is similar to that facing the USA, finding a credible replacement.
6 - RJ Elliott
The oddest thing about the Bush "curse word" audio - Just about everyone, right and left, is supportive of it, in context...maybe he should "accidentally" be more profane, more often!
7 - Mohjho
Well, just to be contrary, I might propose that the colorful language is unbefitting a statesman representing the largest economic interest in the world.
Maybe the said statesman has been viewed by other interests as less than competent in the area of say ..foreign policy at a time of foreign crises, and the colorful language only increases the unease and confidence of…say…the whole fucking world in his abilities to think and lead.
Just throwing out some ideas.
8 - JP
Did you get where he (Bush) made the brilliant observation about Russia being a big country and--get this--China being a big country too? That fits perfectly with his infantile analysis of the situation.
It didn't get press because he did NOT say "And China's a big fu**ing country too!" The press jumped on the story that would sell more newspapers. But the conclusion is the same--Bush is a moron.