Bush brings down the house at Gridiron Club [first and final performance of Bush and the Busharoos]

The Political ^

[Sub-Driver]

Bush brings down the house at Gridiron Club By: Andrew Glass March 9, 2008 01:45 PM EST

President Bush brought the 123rd annual spring dinner of the Gridiron Club to a rousing close Saturday by donning a tan cowboy hat above his white-tie and tails singing, onstage, a self-parody of a Texas-flavored country-and-western song.

“You have just witnessed the first and final performance of Bush and the Busharoos,” the president said, after rendering a final encore of the “Brown, Brown Grass of Home,” the venerable waltz tune, in a voice that did minimal musical justice to Tom Jones’ popular version.

Earlier in the week, Bush had rehearsed secretly at the White House with Col. Michael Coburn, the club’s music director and head of the U.S. Marine Corps Band, and two backup singers, Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Bennear and Staff Sgt. Sara Dell’Omo. Both had multiple starring roles as “ringers” in earlier Democratic and Republican skits.

Bush’s surprising appearance on the Gridiron stage at the Renaissance Washington hotel before a fancy-dress audience of some 600 guests marked the first such performance since Bill Clinton played the saxophone in 1993. In 1982, Nancy Reagan won over an audience skeptical of her expensive tastes as first lady with her parody of “Second Hand Rose.”

Bush has attended six of the eight Gridiron dinners since assuming the presidency in 2001. He used his final appearance to allude to his permanent return to his Crawford, Texas, ranch, along with his dog, come this time next year.

“Little Crawford looked the same, as I stepped down from that plane,” Bush warbled. “And here came Barney, breath sweet as honey. ..."

[Sub-Driver]

snicker.......

[JennysCool]

I hope this makes You Tube — quickly!

[moonpie57]

I wonder when the video will hit You Tube...I would love to see it.

[moonpie57]

I wonder when the video will hit You Tube...I would love to see it.

[STARWISE]

He sings ~~~~ PING!

http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/search?p=gridiron+club&c=

[snugs]

No recordings or photos are allowed at the Gridiron Club event.

[Kaslin]

Before leaving the stage, Bush joined hands with Helen Thomas, 87, a Hearst News papers columnist and one of his sharpest critics, for the traditional group singing of "Auld Lang Syne." Then he planted a kiss on her cheek.

I can imagine he had a sheepish grin on his face when he did that.

[STARWISE]

Too priceless ~~ hope there’s
a secret video somewhere, someday.

[snugs]

Surely in this day and age with modern tiny video cams and most mobile phones with recording ability someone must have a record of at least one of the events.

Maybe it is one of these things that they know the first time one is ever released it will signal the end of this event.

[STARWISE]

Wahoo!

Bush kisses Helen Thomas; world doesn't end

Bush's Texan farewell: Brown, brown grass of home *snip*

Out walked the president wearing a cowboy hat and singing on stage in an off-tune rendition of the "Brown, Brown Grass of Home."

"Little Crawford looked the same, as I stepped down from that plane," the president sang. "And here came Barney, breath sweet as honey....

"I spend my days clearing brush. I clear my head of all the fuss you made of Harriet and Brownie."

Forget the monologues, this was Bush in white tie and tan cowboy hat singing, "Soon I'll touch the brown, brown grass of home.

"Yes, you're all going to miss me, the way you used to quiz me," Bush sang, "but soon I'll touch the brown, brown grass of home."

"You have just witnessed the final performance of Bush and the Busharoos," he said, introducing the military ringers who had backed him up.

"Let me give you a simple truth that I believe wholeheartedly - you can't have a true democracy without a free press," he said, ending on a serious note while admitting: "Sometimes you get on my nerves...

"Let me thank you for the work you do, and God bless."

In the club's traditional closing, with the singing of Auld Lang Syne by performers and audience alike, Bush grabbed hands and rocked with one of his harshest critics in the press, the veteran wire service reporter and columnist Helen Thomas -- and he gave her a kiss.

[Kaslin]

I hope so too

[Psycho_Bunny]

Glad he’s having fun while his party falls apart.

[Kaslin]

How come, what is the reason for it?

[pillut48]

Hopefully there was a secret service agent close by with some strong decontamination antiseptic for the President after this!!! Ewwwww!! :-p

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

Need the video. Glad to see our President doing well despite the years of intense hatred and vileness thrown his way.

[STARWISE]

Tradition .. they can sling
arrows, and it’s a press
organization. You know how
they are .. ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gridiron_Club

“The dinner, at which Gridiron members roast our highest officials in elaborate theatrical skits, is supposed to be off the record...”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/13/AR2006031301486.html

[Safetgiver]

n 1982, Nancy Reagan won over an audience skeptical of her expensive tastes ... Did Nancy steal all that was not tied down?

[STARWISE]

No matter WHAT he does, he’s damned by
someone.

Regarless of what the vicious mudslingers on
this thread and many others spew, he, like
ALL of us, is a flawed human being.

But he’s been thankfully blessed with faith,
fortitude, a wonderful and supportive family,
and the courage of his convictions amidst horrendous
global terrorism and a despicable spate of
domestic partisan venom and Bush hating pubbies,
all of which would’ve crippled a man of lesser
integrity and internal strength.

God bless and protect him always. Honest
historians will tell the tale, and it won’t
be one of perfection, but then that’s simply
not achievable by any mortal.

He was the right man for this time in history,
and I’m grateful.

[Kaslin]

There is a video if you click on the first link in STARWISE’s post #10. You just have to scroll down

[STARWISE]

Oh, another one.
Pathetic.

[fish hawk]

Did Helen turn into something or did she just continue being a toad?

[moonpie57]

A comment from the Swamp Link you posted:

‘The race today features a senator from New York who was born in Illinois,” said newswoman Judy Woodruff, introducing the star guests filling a ballroom of Washington’s Renaissance Hotel, “and a senator from Illinois who was born in a manger.’

LOL

[STARWISE]

Super! Thanks .. wish it
showed his performance
singing.

[pillut48]

“Off the record”—ain’t no such animal any more! Just ask that
Power woman who called Hillary ‘a monster’, LOL.

[STARWISE]

That is hysterical!

[Safetgiver]

So. You believe Nancy took took furniture, china, etc. from the White House and paid thought to “ I was sure it was ours.”? Do you believe the Reagans felt it was correct to defile the People’s House? You, sir, are a cad and despicable. I doubt you know the meaning of either cad or despicable.

[STARWISE]

ROFL!!! Time for your meds?

[STARWISE]

That’s the truth!

[txflake]

Here ya go /s /s /s you forgot yours

I have some spares

[what's up]

I am sure going to miss George W. being in the White House.

[Kaslin]

Your post makes absolutely so sense whatsoever

[mupcat]

He was the right man for this time in history, and I’m grateful.

AMEN!---- and thank you for the rest of your beautifully written comment! I have a feeling when he leaves office many of these who spew their hatred will long for the day when he was in office. I for one am already missing him terribly.

[Judith Anne]

Great post. Thanks.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Bush joined hands with Helen Thomas, 87, a Hearst News papers columnist and one of his sharpest critics, for the traditional group singing of "Auld Lang Syne." Then he planted a kiss on her cheek.

Did he turn to stone?

[STARWISE]

Thank you ... and me, too.
Can’t imagine him gone.

[STARWISE]

My pleasure .. ;)

[karnage]

Boo-hoo-hoo.

[karnage]

He’s a class act.

[AlternateEgo]

“Glad to see our President doing well despite the years of intense hatred and vileness thrown his way.”
__________________________________________________________

Agreed. He gets little credit for the great job he’s done.

[Allegra]

Do you believe the Reagans felt it was correct to defile the People’s House? You, sir, are a cad and despicable. I doubt you know the meaning of either cad or despicable.

STARWISE think that of the Reagans????

Where are you getting that?

[cornbreadmuffin]

you have to kiss a few frogs before..............

[Psycho_Bunny]

I don’t even know what that means.

[silent_jonny]

STARWISE think that of the Reagans????

And she's a "sir"!?

I'm so disillusioned :)

[DrDeb]

THANK YOU for the ping and the videoclip — AWESOME!

[We MUST find a clip of the ‘song’ . . . Our president never ceases to amaze me!]

[DrDeb]

“I don’t even know what that means.”
-

. . . than you’re even more clueless than your initial post would indicate.

[mupcat]

I wonder if he’d mind our doing a monthly “Dose” from Crawford! I mean it’s not good to quit cold turkey, and heck I’ll even volunteer to take the pictures if it’s in the winter months.

[DrDeb]

I like the way you think!

[Psycho_Bunny]

"Clueless" implies that I don't have an informed opinion...and your support of that other retard implies that I'm not entitled to have it.

Neither of which is the case. Eat it, Bunky.

[acad1228]

you say “a cad” like it’s a bad thing.

[STARWISE]

ROFL!

I guess that makes me a cadette