Bush appears to wipe hand after handshake with Haitian

Former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are in Haiti this week, in a joint visit reviewing the state of the country after their devastating January earthquake. In a video uploaded to YouTube, Bush is seen apparently wiping his hand after shaking the hand of a Haitian.

Other sites have asked the same question.

It could have been worse, we suppose. Bush could have wiped his hand after shaking hands with Clinton.

Watch the video:

Dana Perino Forgets 9/11 Occurred Under Bush

As you may recall, former White House press secretary Dana Perino has a poor memory when it comes to history. For example, she had no knowledge of what the Cuban Missile Crisis was. She also apparently forgot about 9/11, perhaps conveniently.

Discussing the Fort Hood massacre during an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity Tuesday night, the onetime Bush press secretary attacked the Obama administration for not labeling the recent killings at Fort Hood a terrorist attack. She also added,

"We did not have a terrorist attack on our country during president Bush's term. I hope they're not looking at this politically. I do think that we owe it to the American people to call it what it is."

There's those devastating attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon that Perino is conveniently forgetting. It's hard to imagine such a faux pas madee accidentally.

Additionally, a July 4th, 2002 attack on an Israeli airline ticket counter was labeled as fitting "the definition of terrorism" by the FBI.

Bush on Larry Craig: "What is Up With All These Republicans?"

The book isn't officially out yet, but some have managed to pick up copies of Matt Latimer's Speech-less: Tales of a White House Survivor already, and it's obvious it will be water cooler talk for some time. The book, a tell-all from a former Bush speechwriter, has quite a few tidbits thay may be unintentionally, or intentionally, humorous.

Example of the comments and events from the book include:

• Bush, when heard heard about Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) and his sex sting in a men's restroom, said "What is up with all these Republicans?"

• Latimer says that Laura Bush "was secretly a Democrat for all intents and purposes, though it really wasn't much of a secret."

• Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wanted to edit his own entry on Wikipedia, which he referred to as "Wika-wakka." He was talked out of it.

• Years after leaving his post as Secretary of State, Colin Powell was to appear with administration officials at an event, and asked if he could be referred to as "General" instead of "Secretary," in an attempt to distance himself from the White House, it would appear. "I'm happy to report that the president didn't accommodate him. 'Secretary Powell' stayed in," Latimer writes.

We already know from a prior leak that Bush commented that Sarah Palin was unqualified to be VP, and also asked if she was the "governor of Guam." I'll have to pick up this book as it looks like a laugh riot.

Bush on Palin: "What is She, the Governor of Guam?"

Matt Latimer's new book, Speech-less: Tales of a White House Survivor, is due out in a few days. Latimer is a former Bush speechwriter, and last month the Washington Post noted that some ex-Bush administration were growing nervous about the new tome.

The October of issue of GQ has excerpts from the book, and its clear the book will be an interesting read, and perhaps even an unintentional laugh-fest.

With regards to the selection of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running-mate, Bush actually had some insight, revealing that at least in terms of Palin, he was on the mark:

“I’m trying to remember if I’ve met her before. I’m sure I must have. What is she, the governor of Guam? [...]

“Look, I’m a team player, I’m on board. She’s interesting. You know, just wait a few days until the bloom is off the rose.

“This woman is being put into a position she is not even remotely prepared for. She hasn’t spent one day on the national level. Neither has her family. Let’s wait and see how she looks five days out.”

On realism about John McCain's chances:

“He can’t get 500 people to show up for an event in his hometown? He couldn’t get 500 people? I could get that many people to turn out in Crawford. This is a five-spiral crash, boys.”

Latimer also writes that Bush didn't seem to understand the proposal to handle the economic crisis; this should be required reading for anyone pointing at the Obama administration for anything to do with the initial bailout.

When it was explained to him that his concept of the bailout proposal wasn’t correct, the president was momentarily speechless. He threw up his hands in frustration.

“Why did I sign on to this proposal if I don’t understand what it does?” he asked.

Numerous Rewards Await Bush Shoe Thrower

Muntadar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw both of his shoes at then U.S. President George W. Bush during a press conference in Iraq in December of 2008 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday. He was sentenced to one year, six months for each shoe, but he is being released early.

While huring his shoes at Bush, Al-Zaidi shouted "This is your farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq." The hilarious video is below.

No one has offered the "72 virgins" you might recall, but according to reports, Al-Zaidi has been offered a number of rewards for his "crime."

• The Emir of Qatar has pledged a golden statue of a horse

• An organisation headed by the daughter of Col Gaddafi of Libya awarded him a medal

• An Iraqi living in Morocco has offered the hand of his daughter and women from across the Arab world rang his newspaper asking to marry him

• His company has bought him a new house

• Businessmen have offered to club together to buy him a sports car

• He has been offered jobs by several Arab television networks

• A Saudi businessman offered to buy one of the shoes for $10 million, but they were instead tested for explosives by the US military and then burned

Is that enough reward for time in prison? You'd have to ask Al-Zaidi.

Watch the video:

After Not Showing Obama Speech, TX School District to Bus Students to Bush Speech

A Texas school district which refused to air President Barack Obama's live classroom address is planning to bus students to see a president, just not the president. The Arlington Independent School District is bussing some students to hear a message from former President George W. Bush on Sept. 21.

Dwight McKissic Sr., the senior pastor of Arlington's Cornerstone Baptist Church, called the move duplicitous and expressed concern about the district's decision on one hand to not broadcast Obama's message, which was pretty much just "study hard," while transporting students to hear a message from Bush.

"I do not understand the duplicity in this situation. I believe the students and the public deserve and need to have these differences explained."

District officials said it's part of a Cowboys Stadium field trip that was planned months ago; the North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee invited 28 fifth-grade classes to attend the event.

In addition to hearing from George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush, the students will hear from "legendary" Dallas Cowboys players as well as North Texas business and community leaders. One has to wonder if the only difference between the two presidents is the obvious one, Texas being a "red" state.

Dick Cheney in 2012? It Could Be

Former VP Dick Cheney expressed no interest in running for the Presidency in 2008, and speculation was that a great deal of it was because of his past health issues. He has a long history of cardiovascular disease. In 2012, he would be 70.

Despite this, on Monday, WSJ columnist James Taranto wrote an op-ed that if the 2012 election were to focus on national security, "it's hard to think of a better candidate--assuming, of course, that he could be persuaded to run--than Richard B. Cheney."

It's clear that the Bush Administration did some things that would be called inhumane, and against the Geneva Conventions, including torture. It's also relatively clear that Dick Cheney had a bigger part in that than one would have expected, as he turned the post of VP into something with some punch.

Some have called him "Darth Vader," in fact.

HuffPo did some polling of pundits, and conservatives aren't against it.

John McLaughlin said he sees an opening for a Cheney candidacy if there's a national security error from the Obama administration. Great, the GOP hoping for a terror attack. As I've said before, there's no way to absolutely prevent an attack in the future. It just can't be done; the country is too big and the borders too wide.

"Although right now a lot of people are focused on the economy, if there ever was some sort of foreign policy crisis people will look to Dick Cheney and say he had it right."

Craig Shirley, a longtime Republican strategist said:

"In 2009, there are few absurdities left in American politics. Anything is possible and the mere fact that Cheney's name is being floated accomplishes several things including striking fear in the heart of President Obama, especially in light of the crumbing American position in Afghanistan, which could become Obama's Vietnam.

"It also gives aid and comfort to a still battered Republican Party as he is the only GOP leader besides [Newt] Gingrich uncowed by the dominate liberal elites manning the batteries in the nation's capital. They are about the only two politicians on the right who are willing to make a fight of it."

Stephen Wayne, a political science professor at Georgetown University had a more pointed view of the issue:

"The Republican Party today consists of people who are conservative, religious, white and predominantly male. And, you know, if those are the only people who participate and you don't have a lot of other very conservative candidates it is conceivable Cheney could win the Republican nomination. But I don't think it is likely."

Jenna Bush Joins The Today Show

Jenna Bush, or rather, Jenna Bush Hager, is now a member of the Today Show. The daughter of former president George W. Bush, her twin sister is Barbara Pierce Bush. Both are 27.

It's an interesting hire. The only thing I can recall about Jenna Bush Hager and her twin is stories about them partying early on in Bush's first term.

Jenna Bush Hager has moved on to an actual career, however, and she's now a teacher in Baltimore. She will contribute stories to the Today Show once a month on issues like education. No politics, though.

Jim Bell, the Today Show's executive producer said he got the idea after seeing Jenna Bush Hager in two appearances on the show. She was on the program two years ago to promote her book "Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope," about an HIV-infected single mother. She and her mother, Laura Bush, also co-hosted an hour of the show around the time their picture book, "Read All About It," with Denise Brunkus, came out.

While Bell felt Jenna Bush Hager was a natural, it's easy to get these sorts of jobs when your father was the president. It's not as though there aren't other teachers out there with better credentials than Hager. It just goes to show how much power, or former power, as well as connections, helps.

Her first story for the show is expected sometime next month.

Bush Was "Sent by God" - Right-Wing Blogger

Can we please, please stop the insanity? Can you imagine what other countries think when they read this type of nutzism?

It's not bad enough that this right-wing blogger, Kristen Atkinson first stated that Obama's mother-in-law practiced Santeria, after Wonkette tore her to shreds, she sent them this insane email (emphasis mine, with a few in-line comments):

Dear Wonkette editors,

I posted a very serious article recently in Townhall.com about witchcraft in the White House, and later realized that your website had made a farce out of it. I saw that your staff and readers made a lot of extremely cruel comments about me and my story. Why are you people so rude? Does anybody take anything seriously anymore?

Do you really, truly, seriously think it is OK for a president to use a forged birth certificate? Do you actually believe it is appropriate for a man who was raised a Muslim to pretend he is a Christian (Kristen, you pretend to have a brain ...) and go to a church for 20 years with an anti-American preacher? Do you really want a president who was brainwashed by communists (he's a communist Muslim. Total oxymoron. Communism is an atheist socio-political philosophy. Marx said "religion is the opium of the people," remember?) since he was a child, up through university, to hate America (yes, I know. Trying to help people with universal health care shows his hatred. Oh, and you right-wingers: you are against reform because??? Do unto others, guys) to be our president? Do you think that it is fine if a family member of the president defiles the White House with voodoo? Don’t you know what fate could befall our nation as a result of allowing Satanic forces to gather over the White House?

After 8 years of a president sent by God to lead the American people and rescue us from the horrors of 911 and Islamo-fascists, it now boils down to this? How incredibly tragic. You folks don’t really seem to understand the extreme peril that our nation confronts. Stop making fun of me. (sorry, that's part of Wonkette's "thing") Take off your blinders! Wake up!

Respectfully, Kristen

BTW, why is it no one seems to understand that Islam and Fascism are mutually exclusive? There is no such thing as an Islamo-Fascist. As one commenter said at Wonkette: Thorazine, Kristen, Thorazine.

DHS Pressured to Raise Terror Alert Level to Help Bush in Re-Election

While probably no politician is free from misstatements (i.e., lies), it's been seen of late that the GOP appears to be willing to lie about anything, including nonsensical "death panels," and Stephen Hawking's lack of survivability if he "suffered" the U.K.'s universal health care, if they get their way. That said, it's not new. Take a look at this report.

Tom Ridge's book, The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege...And How We Can Be Safe Again, is coming out on September 1st, and in it, among other things, the book details the following (from the publisher's notes):

How Ridge effectively thwarted a plan to raise the national security alert just before the 2004 Election

That didn't have an effect on the result, as Bush won, but it's clear that then and since, it's always been "scare tactics" that the GOP uses best. That includes death panels, and things about safety within our borders.

Realistically, however, if we can't even prevent a nut case from going into a fitness club and killing 3 women, how do you expect to protect the country against terrorism? It's not a matter or which political party is in charge; common sense says it's impossible no matter what we do.