A day in the life of President Bush (12/17/05): photos & transcript of today's address

White House & Yahoo News Photos ^ | 12/17/05

[Wolfstar]

DUMB MEDIA QUESTION OF THE YEAR: This exchange is from yesterday's press briefing by Scott McClellan. There was no indication of who the report is in the exchange, but he or she really is too dumb to be let out in public without a minder:

Q: Let me follow with one other question. Is it your position that the congressional authorization for war against al Qaeda in 2001 allows the President to take some steps to collect intelligence?

MR. McCLELLAN: I just told you why I'm not going to get into discussing ongoing intelligence activities.

Q: You mean you cannot say whether it's lawful to spy on Americans or not?

MR. McCLELLAN: We have a Constitution and we have laws.

Q: We're not asking for any details. We're asking you --

MR. McCLELLAN: That's why I'm making a broad statement to let you know that we --

Q: It is broad. Is it legal to spy on Americans?

MR. McCLELLAN: We have a Constitution and we have laws in place, and we follow those --

Q: You say you are abiding by the law?

MR. McCLELLAN: Absolutely. And there's congressional oversight of intelligence activities, there's other oversight of intelligence activities.

Q: Why do you have to have secret orders then?

"Why do you have to have secret orders then?" A perfect example of -- ahem -- reportorial "intellect." Remember this the next time the media gets all huffy-puffy and expects us to take them seriously.

Also from the same briefing, there was this little revelation of reportorial jealousy. It seems the President and First Lady invited a number of talk radio personalities to the annual White House correspondents reception, including Neal Boortz of Atlanta, Blanquita Cullum and Laura Ingraham of Washington, Scott Hennen of Fargo, North Dakota, and others. So some doltish reporter whose first name is Les asked, "You've been attending these parties for five years, and I have since 1974. Have you ever seen so much of talk radio invited before?" With all that's going on in the world, Les is worried about this!

[Wolfstar]

Pinging you to the Saturday Dose. I hope we all join the President in fury at the NYslimes, whoever leaked national security information to them, and the United States Senate for its cowardice.

[Wolfstar]

PHOTO OF THE DAY: An angry and determined President Bush delivers his live radio address in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2005.

[STARWISE]

oh my ;)

[Wolfstar]

The President of the United States speaking from the Roosevelt Room this morning. I am reminded of the profoundly touching scene in "To Kill a Mockingbird," when Scout is sitting in the balcony with the black folks, and Atticus stands to leave the courtroom. All of the black people stand out of respect for him, but Atticus' own daughter, Scout, remains sitting. The older black man next to her says almost reverently, "Stand, child, your father's passing."

We are, of course, reading these words in the virtual world of the internet, so we can't literally stand as the President passes. All Americans should, however, have the same reverential respect for this great, visionary man. Is he human? Yes. Does he make mistakes? Yes. Are there things he might have done better or differently? Yes. But none of that diminishes what George W. Bush is at his core, an enormously honorable, courageous man who is trying to drain the swamp of Islamic radicalism at its source. The fact that there are Americans -- including elected leaders -- who do not wish him well in this endeavor in a post-9/11 world is mind-boggling.

[Wolfstar]

[Wolfstar]

Yahoo decided to repost this file photo to use as a hook for another one of it's scurrilous captions. We'll happily use the photo on the Dose while figuratively giving Yahoo the finger. President Bush speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House, February 28, 2005.

[squarebarb]

Top ten?

[Wolfstar]

Vice President Dick Cheney, right, leaves a briefing in the U.S. Capitol along with White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card Friday, Dec. 16. 2005 after talking with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee leadership. (Another briefing. Maybe the problem with the senate is that they all are suffering from dementia. They sure do seem to forget the many briefings they receive.)

The Vice President will go to Afghanistan next week for the first session of its new parliament, and also make stops in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Oman. (I'll bet this is the first most of us have heard that Afghanistan has elected a new parliament. While it rushes to give away national security secrets, our media can't be bothered telling us some really significant good news.)

The Vice President and his wife, Lynne, sit down to a town meeting with U.S. troops. They are flanked by 42nd Division's Maj. Gen. Joseph J. Taluto, left, and Lt. Col. James Lettko, right, after a rally for the 10th Mountain Division and the 42nd Infantry at Fort Drum, N.Y., Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005.

[Wolfstar]

Sen. John McCain (R-Loony Bin) looks startled as PRESIDENT Bush pats him on the arm while bursting the senator's self-delusion: Thanks for dropping by, John. By the way, you do realize the Republican rank-and-file will never give you the nomination, now don't you. There, there, now. Don't take it so hard, John.

Rocked by the news, McCain stares fixedly into space while the PRESIDENT talks with Sen. John Warner (R-VA).

[Wolfstar]

Former first lady Barbara Bush receives an honorary doctorate in letters from Texas A&M during afternoon commencement ceremonies at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas, Friday, Dec. 16, 2005. She looks great, doesn't she.

[Wolfstar]

Iraqis celebrate their elections. Our media (and the Left everywhere) cries and changes the subject.

[Wolfstar]

From lucianne.com...an early arrival in Iraq trying to blend in.

[Wolfstar]

What's a Dose without Barney's happy mug? A scientific study was released this month which proved that dogs DO laugh. In fact, the study says that the laughter of one dog will calm other dogs. Of course, Barney's laughter only enrages Schumer, Kennedy, Pelosi and other Leftists on Capitol Hill. That's because Barney has laughed uproariously every time he's nipped their heels.

[Wolfstar]

Hi STARWISE. The transcript is for those people who won't have a chance to see or hear the speech in its entirety.

[Wolfstar]

Top 2. My posts don't count. :-)

[McGavin999]

As one of our own Freepers said on another thread:

How many victems of a terrorist attack will have as their last thought "well, at least I know that the government wasn't listening in on my phone conversations or reading my e-mails"

How many people have to die before this country finally wakes up? How many senators are taking bribes from Al Qaeda to get them to aid the terrorists?

[Wolfstar]

STARWISE, in some ways the Photo of the Day is one of the very best photos of our Dubya ever.

[tiredoflaundry]

Thanks for the ping!

[Wolfstar]

How many victms of a terrorist attack will have as their last thought "well, at least I know that the government wasn't listening in on my phone conversations or reading my e-mails."

Indeed. Very well said.