Bush sets record-longest vacation in recent history

[lyeag]

Umm.. this is one degree from Clinton so that makes you (ding ding ding) the winner.

Hey! It wasn't one of us!!!!!

 

[bsnyder]

The point is that if it's such a noble and worthy cause, why haven't any of the Bush's bothered volunteering?

Or for that matter any of the keyboard jockies and water cooler warriors?

But that wasn't the question. The question was "when are you going to send your daughters over there and let somebody else's son come home."

 

[JennaTX]

lyeag,

I have no problem with the President honoring these people in the State of the Union addresses, I just don't understand why he won't let the other side be heard. No I am sure that meeting with this mother might not be civil, but that is her right. From reading your posts on this thread, I think that we both feel the same way about her situation, we both feel sorry for her and her loss.

I just do not like this administration's "policy" which seems to be only talk about the good. They do not want to acknowledge the war protesters and they will not allow the flag draped coffins of our men/women to be photographed. I think that in war especially you need to see the good and the bad.

And by the way, when I married my husband he was in the Navy we wed right before the first Gulf War, my DBIL, just returned from over a year in Iraq, and my Dnephew is about to join the military, so I have great respect for our military and what the families go through and sacrifice!

 

[lyeag]

lyeag,

I have no problem with the President honoring these people in the State of the Union addresses, I just don't understand why he won't let the other side be heard. No I am sure that meeting with this mother might not be civil, but that is her right. From reading your posts on this thread, I think that we both feel the same way about her situation, we both feel sorry for her and her loss.

I just do not like this administration's "policy" which seems to be only talk about the good. They do not want to acknowledge the war protesters and they will not allow the flag draped coffins of our men/women to be photographed. I think that in war especially you need to see the good and the bad.

And by the way, when I married my husband he was in the Navy we wed right before the first Gulf War, my DBIL, just returned from over a year in Iraq, and my Dnephew is about to join the military, so I have great respect for our military and what the families go through and sacrifice!

But that is just it, they are being heard. She believes with all her heart already her son died for no reason. Nothing Bush says will change her mind. War is ugly. Dh has already been to Iraq and returned home. We see the bad in all sorts of news outlets. The Army times shows the names and pictures of casualties every week. Memorial Day it shows them all. I don't think it is being hidden. The news seem to be full of the bad.


To me, if my dh came home in a coffin, I would not want his picture used to "prove" things are bad in Iraq. I would not want that picture taken. His sacrifice would not be honored by a picture of a box.

 

[Teejay32]

Honestly, I don't understand how the righties can get their panties in a wad over this story. The woman has a right to protest. She's on public land. She has a right to express her opinion and her opinion is Bush killed her son. So........and the problem is? It might make Bush look bad. Again, tough.

I've ignored it thus far....she has a right to do it and others have the right to disagree with every third word she says while she's there. I don't question her grief or pain or her commitment to what she believes in, but her writings are disgustingly slanted and combative and I do wonder why she needs the administration's personal attention and national audience for this. And how much of it really represents her son, himself.

 

[BuckNaked]

I've ignored it thus far....she has a right to do it and others have the right to disagree with every third word she says while she's there. I don't question her grief or pain or her commitment to what she believes in, but her writings are disgustingly slanted and combative and I do wonder why she needs the administration's personal attention and national audience for this. And how much of it really represents her son, himself.

ITA. I mean the approach of "Why did you kill my son??" doesn't indicate any kind of open mindedness that would a make a meeting worth the effort. No matter what the President might say, she's made up her mind that the President killed her son, so why waste time talking to her? She doesn't want answers to questions, she wants to ***** out the President for the war. Fine, she can do that from her perch in Crawford.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Some of the conservatives posters have been or have pretended to be offended when asked why they have not volunteer for active service given their professed support of Bush's war in Iraq. Some liberal posters have been so nice as to post the link to the armed forces enlistment forms to facilitate any conservatives posters who want to volunteer.

Well, the conservative posters have company. Cindy Sheehan intends to ask a very basic question of Bush. Bereaved mother camps outside Bush ranch This is a good question and Bush should answer it.

John, the trip was fine. I made it to the hot seat at WWTBAM-PI for my 13th trip but blew it at the 32,000 point level.

Hmm, last time I checked, the armed forces was volunteer now, so if the Bush daughters wanted to join they could. It's not a matter of any parent "sending" their children away to serve... it's a choice each person makes on their own. There are millions of eligible young people who choose not to volunteer. Are you going to denigrate their parents for not "sending" them?

 

[auntpolly]

I've ignored it thus far....she has a right to do it and others have the right to disagree with every third word she says while she's there. I don't question her grief or pain or her commitment to what she believes in, but her writings are disgustingly slanted and combative and I do wonder why she needs the administration's personal attention and national audience for this. And how much of it really represents her son, himself.

You don't understand someone trying to make something positive out of a personal tragedy? To use a great sorrow and loss to affect change - so that others might not suffer as she has. It's exactly what I'd do, and what you'd do too -- if it were a cause you believed in.

 

[BuckNaked]

You don't understand someone trying to make something positive out of a personal tragedy? To use a great sorrow and loss to affect change - so that others might not suffer as she has. It's exactly what I'd do, and what you'd do too -- if it were a cause you believed in.

I'm not of the opinion that she is trying to make something positive - I believe she just wants a personal ***** session with the President of the United States.

And no, no matter how strongly I felt about a cause, I wouldn't believe that I have the right to plop down face to face with the President and ***** about how he's doing his job.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

ITA. I mean the approach of "Why did you kill my son??" doesn't indicate any kind of open mindedness that would a make a meeting worth the effort. No matter what the President might say, she's made up her mind that the President killed her son, so why waste time talking to her? She doesn't want answers to questions, she wants to ***** out the President for the war. Fine, she can do that from her perch in Crawford.

She could do that from her perch anywhere. The reality is the media wouldn't give her more than a passing glance if she were to pull this stunt anywhere else. It works only because the President is in Crawford and the media is camped out there. Can we say pandering?

 

[auntpolly]

Hmm, last time I checked, the armed forces was volunteer now, so if the Bush daughters wanted to join they could. It's not a matter of any parent "sending" their children away to serve... it's a choice each person makes on their own. There are millions of eligible young people who choose not to volunteer. Are you going to denigrate their parents for not "sending" them?

Yes, volunteer. But those brave women and men that protect us so selflessly rely on our government to have good reason to put them in harm's way. Thank God we have people who are willing to give their lives for us -- the abuse of their sacrifice has to stop.

 

[auntpolly]

I'm not of the opinion that she is trying to make something positive - I believe she just wants a personal ***** session with the President of the United States.

And no, no matter how strongly I felt about a cause, I wouldn't believe that I have the right to plop down face to face with the President and ***** about how he's doing his job.

That's how people protest effectively-- you just don't like this one.

 

[BuckNaked]

That's how people protest effectively-- you just don't like this one.

No, demanding a personal audience with the President is not how the vast majority of people protest effectively in this country.

And actually, I don't care one way or the other how this woman protests. I think she's making an *** of herself, but hey, it's the right of everyone in this country to do so. More power to her.

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Yes, volunteer. But those brave women and men that protect us so selflessly rely on our government to have good reason to put them in harm's way. Thank God we have people who are willing to give their lives for us -- the abuse of their sacrifice has to stop.

I guess we will have to disagree. I don't believe that fighting for liberty/freedom is ever an abuse of their sacrifice, whether it is for us or for someone else.

 

[auntpolly]

No, demanding a personal audience with the President is not how the vast majority of people protest effectively in this country.

And actually, I don't care one way or the other how this woman protests. I think she's making an *** of herself, but hey, it's the right of everyone in this country to do so. More power to her.

If we could get this president's attention any other way, I think you might not see these extremes. Student protests in the 60s seem very extreme - you sound just like my parents' generation tisk tisking the protesters -- but thank god they made you know whats of themselves or the Vietnam fiasco would have been worse than it even was.

More power to anyone who puts a damper on this president's vacations. You know when my DH's company has problems, and none involve people dying, he and the management team do not take vacations.

 

[auntpolly]

I guess we will have to disagree. I don't believe that fighting for liberty/freedom is ever an abuse of their sacrifice, whether it is for us or for someone else.

yes, we'll agree to disagree. If it were as simple as you've put it, we'd be agreeing, but it is not.

 

[BuckNaked]

If we could get this president's attention any other way, I think you might not see these extremes. Student protests in the 60s seem very extreme - you sound just like my parents' generation tisk tisking the protesters -- but thank god they made you know whats of themselves or the Vietnam fiasco would have been worse than it even was.

I don't find protests in general to be extreme. I find plunking down and demanding to meet with the President personally to not be so much extreme as ridiculous.

More power to anyone who puts a damper on this president's vacations. You know when my DH's company has problems, and none involve people dying, he and the management team do not take vacations.

I would venture to say that when your DH takes vaction, he doesn't take his office and staff with him, nor does he continue to work while he's gone. Presidents have always taken vacations, war time or not, and it isn't going to stop just because you don't like this particular President. Franklin Roosevelt died while he was on vacation, and that was in the midst of WWII. Should he have locked himself in the White House for the duration of that war as well?

 

[Tigger_Magic]

If we could get this president's attention any other way, I think you might not see these extremes. Student protests in the 60s seem very extreme - you sound just like my parents' generation tisk tisking the protesters -- but thank god they made you know whats of themselves or the Vietnam fiasco would have been worse than it even was.

More power to anyone who puts a damper on this president's vacations. You know when my DH's company has problems, and none involve people dying, he and the management team do not take vacations.

It's interesting how history gets revised and the Vietnam War protesters are now given credit for helping end the war. Sort of makes me wonder why it took them so many years -- how come they weren't more effective? Maybe if they had worked harder a few less thousand names would be on the Vietnam War Memorial.

I seriously doubt that the President is spending time looking out the windows of his ranch house wondering what to do about this crazy woman who's parked herself near his fence. Career politicians are savvy enough to know that protests like this are a part of life, part of free speech, part of America. They usually have about as much impact as my attempting to empty the Atlantic Ocean with a teaspoon.

Not all companies are the same. I worked for a company that was sliding fast and furious into bankruptcy, but 3 months prior to declaring they threw a 3-day all-expense paid weekend bash for 1,000 employees in Las Vegas. I remember our motto: Work hard, play hard. And yeah, there were protesters in that company, too. Lot of good they did. We all ended up unemployed anyway. At least some of us had a nice party on the way out the door.

 

[auntpolly]

I don't find protests in general to be extreme. I find plunking down and demanding to meet with the President personally to not be so much extreme as ridiculous.




I would venture to say that when your DH takes vaction, he doesn't take his office and staff with him, nor does he continue to work while he's gone. Presidents have always taken vacations, war time or not, and it isn't going to stop just because you don't like this particular President. Franklin Roosevelt died while he was on vacation, and that was in the midst of WWII. Should he have locked himself in the White House for the duration of that war as well?

First remember, we're talking about the King of Vacations here -- so don't be comparing Bush to Roosevelt!!!!!!!!!

Next, you are obviously too young to remember a proper war protest.

 

[ThAnswr]

Umm.. this is one degree of separation from Clinton so that makes you (ding ding ding) the winner.

I'm so happy..........