Bush Offers 'Blind' Quote -- But Reporter Says He's Not Offended

editorandpublisher ^ | June 14 06 | Editor and Publisher

[EDINVA]

My father had an eye disease so that he always wore shades outdoors, so I am familiar with that, but it wasn't something he did sometimes and not others.

My question would be ... President Bush obviously has seen him many times over, and only today noted and commented on his wearing the shades. If the reporter has had this disease for a long time, why would today be the first that Bush noticed and/or commented? Was it the first presser out in the Rose Garden? Or does the reporter just choose to wear the shades from time to time?

[ohioWfan]

There never is, Gretchen.

They just make things up to attack him mindlessly.

I saw the whole exchange, and he was teasing the guy, just like he always does in pressers.

[johnny7]

"What is he - retarded?"

I had a friend use that on his son in a crowded restaurant. The kid was really in need of a whack... not a lame, repugnant comment for the world to hear.

[PsyOp]

Did he have a cane with him? Was he assisted to his seat at the press conference? If not, he's full of excrement.

[Labyrinthos]

I once had a guy behind a counter ask me, "What are you, deaf or something?" I got to turn and show him the hearing aids in both ears. Boy, did he feel stupid.

Happens to me all the time. I generally smile and say something like "I'm glad you brought that up," as I turn side to side to show my plugs.

[GretchenM]

That is the worst case of foot-in-mouth I've ever heard. LOL

[ohioWfan]

Incidentally..............where did the title come from?

What was the 'blind quote?' All the President did was tease about the 'shades.'

[Williams]

The bottom line is the reporter has light sensitive eyes, so he wears the sunglasses, at least outside. Considering they were outside, and apparently wearing the sunglasses was a change because Bush usually sees this guy indoors, I don't think Bush's mild teasing is any big deal. The reporter obviously is not a "blind" man as in a blind person who happened by with a cane and dark sunglasses. He's sighted well enough to follow the president of the United States around in a press pool w/o anyone noticing he was "legally blind" before. No harm no foul.

[Williams]

In reading the article, it's not completely clear the guy even had the shades on when Bush teased him. It says he wore them outside. This is a non-story. The guy wears sunglasses only outside, where it is normal for anyone to wear sunglasses and the president teased him about it.

[Darkwolf377]

Yeah, I agree. Oddly enough, I think this would be a bigger story if not for the events of the last few days--Zarqawi, Iraq's government, Rove, etc. When there's actual news, the petty stuff seems to slide away.

But I'll bet you ten bucks it appears prominently on "Countup"with Keith Olberpriss.

[Not A Snowbird]

This will be twisted around that Bush is insensitive to the handicapped community. Wait and see.

Already has. DailyKos was having a field day earlier.

[babaloo]

My brother is adopted but we look alot alike. One time we were in an elevator together and someone said "You can sure tell you are brother and sister--you look so much alike". We started laughing and the person looked really startled and when we told him that Steve was adopted you should have seen the look on his face. He apologized over and over and we told him not to worry about it. Steve and I laugh about that incident to this day. Things like that happen.

On another occasion(about 15 years ago)my husband and I were at a football game and met some new people. In the distance I saw a Snap-On tool truck and I went off on a tirade about how I was sure they just parked those trucks at service stations and the guy was in the back in a recliner watching TV and drinking beer--and worse. Of course you know that one of the new people was a Snap-On guy and there was dead silence--and then uproarious laughter. He became a good friend and we still laugh about it.

[toddlintown]

He's not blind and editor & publisher is a pinko rag.

Next question.

[ErnBatavia]

I wear Transitions ("dark-em, light-em" automatically depending on whether I'm inside or out)...I'd have no choice but to appear as if I were wearing sunglasses, unless I brought my old backup pair.

[Owl558]

"Happens to me all the time. I generally smile and say something like "I'm glad you brought that up," as I turn side to side to show my plugs."

I like the part where you smile. It took me a while, but I finally figured out that victimhood is 90% something you convince yourself of - at least for me. There just isn't time to feel sorry for yourself - too much to do.

[doesnt suffer fools gladly]

This will be twisted around that Bush is insensitive to the handicapped community. Wait and see.

Already has. DailyKos was having a field day earlier.

The DUmmies are all over it too.

[rusty millet]

I once tried to strike up a conversation with a woman cashier at a department store. "So, when is the baby due?"

She could have spit a snake when she told me "He was born 3 years ago".

[Rakkasan1]

One fine day in the middle of the night,

Two dead boys got up to fight,

Back to back they faced each other,

Drew their swords and shot each other,


One was blind and the other couldn't, see

So they chose a dummy for a referee.

A blind man went to see fair play,

A dumb man went to shout "hooray!"


A paralysed donkey passing by,

Kicked the blind man in the eye,

Knocked him through a nine inch wall,

Into a dry ditch and drowned them all,


A deaf policeman heard the noise,

And came to arrest the two dead boys,

If you don't believe this story’s true,

Ask the blind man he saw it too!

[EDINVA]

the 'story' such as it is, is that it was not sunny this morning in DC, in fact, it was very overcast, and no one else there was wearing shades, and somehow it's considered impolite to wear shades while addressing POTUS.

[philman_36]

Oh wait, that was black people. /sarc
No, no, you're right. The black people angle was used up during Katrina. It's time to "move on" to something new and exciting...