Sean Penn calls Bush a 'Beezlebub--and a dumb one'...

Editor and Publisher ^ | 09/12/06

[MikeA]

NEW YORK Sparks usually fly, from one quarter or another, when actor Sean Penn meets the press, and it happened again this week at a news conference for the Toronto International Film Festival. Chances were greater there as he was touting a long-expected political drama screened there, the re-make of "All the King's Men."

Among the highlights on Sunday, Penn asked photographers to stop snapping so he could hear questions, and he called President Bush "a Beelzebub -- and a dumb one."

Penn stars in the new movie as a Huey Long-type populist politician in Louisiana, with Jude Law playing a crucial role as his friend, an alcoholic reporter.

"One could make the argument that George Bush is a good politician," Penn said at one point, seemingly offering praise. Then he added: "I think the issue is how you define politician. Once upon a time, politics was the organization of things to benefit the people."

An early review this week by E&P's VNU sibling, The Hollywood Reporter, hailed Penn's "charismatic" performance, but added that the movie "doesn't seem to know how to contain it. Writer-director Steven Zaillian's questionable solution is to fit this rambunctious portrait of unruly Southern politics in a monumental frame where Southern Gothic meets Leni Riefenstahl." Variety panned it as "overstuffed."

At the press conference, a reporter returned to the notion of Bush as a good politician, and Penn said the definition has changed -- much as it has for "good actor" which now means, he said, "contest winner" (he is an Academy Award winner himself).

"So that's the level of politician I think he's good at," Penn said. "Out of context, he's Beelzebub -- and a dumb one."

Another query: Could he name a good politician? Penn said he wasn't about to "rattle off the cliches....It should be obvious, those people who sacrificed of their talents and their commitment to their country or their people . . . we know who they are and they're not currently in the White House."

Penn has written several freelance articles for the San Francisco Chronicle in recent years.

[MikeA]

Funny how the godless always invoke religious imagery, like the idea of their being a devil which secular types deny the existence of, when it suits their ugly political rhetoric. But it takes real wit, intelligence and originality to call Bush the devil (echoing Al Qaeda's rhetoric by the way and probably not accidentally) and "dumb." That just shows Sean Penn's intelligence that he has nothing beyond 3rd grade name calling to oppose Bush with, and nothing of substance.

By the way Sean, was Saddam a "Beezelbub" too or was he just the poor, charming, misunderstood rogue you liberals claim?

Let's have you and Bush compare resumes and educational attainment there, shall we Sean? You're a washed up actor. He's president. Bush wins.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

[what's up]

Once upon a time, politics was the organization of things to benefit the people

LOL...when was that?

Sean, who's the dumb one?

[dfwgator]

He should have spent more time with Mr Hand.

[roses of sharon]

Obviously another court jester who was raised by Oprah.

[N. Theknow]

Sean Penn calls Bush a 'Beezlebub--and a dumb one'...

Exactly who was it that married Madonna?

[stm]

Sporkweasle - n. see Sean Penn

[SeanOGuano]

George W. Bush has more brains in his little finger than Sean Penn has in his entire family.

[Thombo2]

Sean is a classic example of a usefull idiot.Why can't these hollyweird types stick to making movies?

[tiredoflaundry]

Who's dumb Sean?

[dighton]

Aye aye, Admiral Spicoli.

[IMissPresidentReagan]

Trust Sean Penn ... he knows politics; after all he plays a politician in a movie.

[RockinRight]

Sean Penn, you will forever be known as this brilliant individual:

[dfwgator]

Why can't these hollyweird types stick to making movies?

It's because everyday they wake up and think to themselves, "I make my living by saying other people's words, I want to say something for myself."

[Waryone]

". . . we know who they are and they're not currently in the White House."

We know who "they" are too -- Beelzebubba, also known as X42, is one of them, and praise God he/it isn't currently in the White House.

[stm]

Actors spend most of their lives living in a fantasy world, it's the nature of the profession. When they try to step into reality, however, that's when they are out of touch.

[auboy]

Yeah Sean. Just shut up and bail. :-)

[isthisnickcool]

I'm a jeanyus!

[Hegemony Cricket]

Well, that settles it. If Sean Penn said, then it must really be true. Whoa is me - the entire foundation of my life just crumbled out from underneath me...

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Will the MSM report what I think of Shawn Pen? Why him of POTUS?

[andyssister]

Didn't he say he has an Ann Coulter doll that he burns with cigarettes?? What a useless ahole.

[Red Badger]

"Once upon a time, politics was the organization of things to benefit the people."

Politics has NEVER been for the people. Just ask Julius Caesar......

[sandra_789]

This is what EIDTOR and PUBLISHER amounts to:

A pr man for Sean Penn.

[Sister_T]

This coming from a guy who went to NOLA after Hurricane Katrina with a leaky boat to rescue people!

[stm]

Waaaa, then we're going to fly off to Australia and jam with the Stooooones!!

[mikeus_maximus]

People on Ludes should not opine...

[LongsforReagan]

I still laugh at that lifevest thing he is wearing. What the heck?!?!

[Blue Jays]

Hi All-

It is too bad he is such a nitwit because he is good at pretending he is other people as an actor. As a rule, I never go to see his movies in the theater and prefer if someone else gets them on Netflix for viewing. My other multiplex trick is to pay for a different movie and then enter the film I wish to watch so outspoken actors like Sean Penn don't receive credit.

~ Blue Jays ~

[jla]

Penn asked photographers to stop snapping so he could hear questions, and he called President Bush "a Beelzebub -- and a dumb one."

One can only pat the little liberals on their heads and shoo them away.

[reagan_fanatic]

Could he name a good politician? Penn said he wasn't about to "rattle off the cliches....It should be obvious, those people who sacrificed of their talents and their commitment to their country or their people . . . we know who they are and they're not currently in the White House."

-You're right Sean - I sure miss the era of bj's in the Oval Office, the gutting of the military, giving Osama a free pass and the wholesale transfer of military secrets to the Chinese.

Yea, those were the days alright.

[RedMonqey]

Speaking of family, Penn's a "red diaper baby". His father was a commie and was "blacklisted " during the so called "Red Scare".


If the son is any indictation of the father, then he had it coming too. He's just a pissed off Daddy was shown for what he is.

Too bad HUAC isn't in business anymore.

PS. His dad did have REAL courage, He was a bombardier over Europe during WW2

[maggief]

Bright bulb ... dim bulb



Sean Penn poses for photos in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2006. Penn is attending the Toronto Film Festival and the screening of his film 'All The King's Men.' (AP Photo/Chitose Suzuki)

[xxyyxx]

Bush is stupid? I wonder what Ivy league school Mr. Penn graduate from? Harvard, Brown, Yale?

[avacado]

Sean Penn couldn't even graduate from Santa Monica Junior College Auto Mechanics School!

[toddlintown]

"EIDTOR"

Looks like you could use an editor.

[Fawn]

LOL...that's the picture I like to see.

[killjoy]

People on Ludes should not opine...

You owe me a new keyboard...

[Obie Wan]

What's funniest of all is this guy's actually convinced people care about what he's got to say about anything !!!

[RedMonqey]

I still laugh at that lifevest thing he is wearing. What the heck?!?!

I thought it was a buller proof vest. Can't be too careful with "those" kind of people running around NO.

[jch10]

Sean Penn has enough intelligence to make disparaging remarks about the president? Heavens no!! Who cares what he says anyway?

[sandra_789]

What a movie actor says at a Toronto film festival

has NOTHING to with the supposed purpose of EDITOR and PUBLISHER.

Yet they eagerly publicize it,

despite that fact that it has NOTHING to do with editing or publishing

showing for all to see that they are just a another media rag promoting the left wing agenda.

[Fawn]

What the hell is that? A bagel?

[Fawn]

He's so smart....even MADONNA DUMPED HIM.

[RedMonqey]

I see Sean is contemplating the complexities of changing a light bulb....

[Condor 63]

What a useless ahole.

That just about covers it.

[sandbar]

huhhuhhuhuh Narrrley- he's like huhuhhuh dumb and all

[DoctorMichael]

Sean Penn plays a politician in a movie and feels qualified to pass judgement on a man wrestling with momentous decisions affecting the safety of America, its people, and Western Civilization.

Psychotic?

[sandra_789]

Good. I'll hire you for 5 cents an hour. Show up tomorrow morning at nine am, bright boy.