President Bush led the Marine Band in The Stars and Stripes Forever.
by Mark Silva
"Please excuse me if I'm a little sleepy,'' President Bush said last night. "It's that 3 a.m. phone.... It's a damn weighty thing.''
And so began the president's nostalgic swan song at the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents Association -- Listen to Stars and Stripes.ram for the appropriate musical accompaniment to this posting -- a black tie soiree attended by the likes of Martha Stewart, Perez Hilton, Pamela Anderson and Mitt Romney. Anderson and Romney in the same room, Bush noted: "Isn't that the definition of the Apocalypse?''
Maybe not the Apocalypse, but certainly the end of an eight-year run for a comedian-in-chief who always has approached these dinners with a certain careless abandon. At the rostrum for his act of the evening, the retiring president noted that neither of the Democratic candidates for president had joined the star-studded crowd.
"Sen. Clinton couldn't get in the building because of sniper fire,'' Bush said, "and Sen. Obama is in church.''
The president who arrived here with his own contested election noted that his opponent had won the Nobel Prize. What'll Bush get? The Publisher's Clearinghouse.
Yet, "surprisingly,'' he said, he had enjoyed all of these dinners, so he had chosen to reminisce on this Saturday evening, showing off a series of videos of some of his best performances - including the one of his wife, Laura, who had stood up one evening and taken over the show with her acknowledgement that she is "a desperate housewife.''
"Some people have asked me if the vote recount left any hard feelings between my brother Jeb and I,'' said Bush, displaying an embarrassing slide photo of young Jeb.
He also showed a series of photographs of people peering through a peephole in the door to the Oval Office to see what the president was up to in here - including the vice president, his body pressed up against the door as he looked into the room. "This is the vice president of the United States looking through a peep hole,'' Bush said, "and Dick, I hope you're not doing what it looks like you're doing.''
Actually, Bush said, with Cheney seated to his side, the vice president has been a great "straight man.'' And the president led the audience through a series of scenes of Washington with a Cheney mannequin passing through - like one of those Travelocity gnomes - and of Cheney motoring through town like a tourist on a Segue.
He showed a clip of his most recent appearance at the dinner of the Gridiron Club, wearing a Stetson and singing a country anthem: "Well you're all gonna miss me...''
"We've had a lot of fun,'' Bush said. "You remember the year I mentioned Ozzie Osborne and he stood up on the chair and blew me a kiss? How many leaders get that experience?''
But it was Bush who appeared to be having the most fun of the evening when, at the close of his appearance, the curtain rose to reveal the U.S. Marine Band - "the president's own'' -- seated behind him, and Bush picked up a baton.
The president led the band through its best John Philip Sousa with an exaggerated flourish of his conducting hand and the maestro's eyebrows for a stirring rendition of "The Stars and Stripes Forever.''
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Comments
How the news media can tolerate letting this war criminal, this LIAR prance and perform at this event is beyond me.
He lied about weapons of mass destruction.
We lost how many kids? How many suicides? How many civilians?
And then he joked about it.
And 'journalists' LAUGHED about this?
Posted by: History Won't be Kind | April 27, 2008 10:16 AM
Well the laughter has long faded from the American public. He's still laughing though. Fool.
Posted by: M. Johnston | April 27, 2008 10:33 AM
This has been an example of the Bush administration... Comedy at the expense of America. Well I don't think we find it amusing when children go without and the poorer citizens paying for things Bush did for his father...
This has been the most shameful time in American history... Let us see how amused George Bush is when the American people and other countries charge him with War Crimes!
It would be nice to see our comander and cheif homeless or better yet behind bars just like his comedy, I think, we won't find it funny though for putting this country into a second Depression.
His Christian Justice or an Eye for an eye for his fathers mistakes make him a really pathetic man...
I wonder if America can sue him for the damages?
If it woere me I would be very ashamed! Of course nobody would vote me president even though no a days with presidential voting firsts, I doubt they would vote a Gay man in a relationship of a HIV - and Person with AIDS and Hepatitis C, seems further from the American peoples minds.
It will be novel to see how America fares with the future. I have hope though. We need the most experience available and if I had money it might be betted upon Hillary Clinton.
I am very pleased to know there is a viable Democrat aafter Hillaries 8 years for Obama. I hope that Hillary hasn't burned bridges left for the future Democrats. It should be a learning thing for those whom loose to take it in stride so that the torch can be passed to the next Democrat.
The democrat process needs a lot to be desired being a Florida citizen. Florida needs more to be desired than Michigan. The lawless abandon of Republicans whom take it for granted the people are fools.
No side should have a free ride. They should see it as their last mistake and move to get better at this. It is a dangerous thing to allow one to take anything for granted when it comes to the rights of citizens taken over by those that vacation here
Posted by: Robert A Brown Jr | April 27, 2008 10:35 AM
This whack job we have for a president has said God told him to be president and God told him to invade Iraq.
A lot of people have died because this nitwit thinks he has a direct connection to the almighty.
Here's some divine intervention I'd like to see: Please, can 12:00 p.m., January 2009 get here sooner?
Posted by: Doug "Hussein" Zook | April 27, 2008 11:40 AM
Putting all the whining aside, that barb at Clinton about not being able to attend due to sniper fire is CLASSIC!!!!!
Posted by: cirpos | April 27, 2008 11:54 AM
Well, this annoying and bombastic tune, about as musically interesting as junk that accompanys a merry-go-round, is the perfect swan song for Bush.
Posted by: John Chuckman, Toronto, Canada | April 27, 2008 12:00 PM
Is this the part where he starts restoring dignity to the White House?
What an embarrassment.
Posted by: Bubba | April 27, 2008 12:01 PM
This news media that embraced the genocidal war criminals has given Barry Soleto a free ride on so many issues:
1. BARACK SCREWS UP
2. THE MEDIA COVERS IT
3. HILLARY, ASKED TO COMMENT, EITHER DEFERS OR IS VERY MODERATE IN HER COMMENTS.
4. BARACK ATTACKS HER.
When Hillary does something the media can pounce on, the pattern is:
1. BARACK'S SURROGATES GO FOR HER JUGULAR.
2. HILLARY THEN DEFENDS HERSELF AGAINST THE OBAMA ATTACK/MEDIA SUPPORT MACHINE
3. OBAMA HIMSELF ACCUSES HER OF ATTACKING HIM.
Posted by: Chairman Mao=Obama HQ? | April 27, 2008 12:20 PM
Just think, America, in a few months we will be saying, " Adios " to this President and his Vice-President. I, for one, will be pleased to see them go. Their terms were a disaster by any reasonable person's standards. I hope that the next administration will dedicate itself to rectifying the disastrous policies of the Bush/Cheney regime. In my humble opinion, that administration will be best served if Senator Obama is the President. He can bring in the new and caste out the old, tired, elitist Republican policies.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | April 27, 2008 12:37 PM
Isn't it nice that they can yuck it up together and pat each other on the back? No wonder none of them have ever asked the hard questions. They're all in it together for a buck and a good time. Meanwhile, the people of America have to decide between getting to work or eating while these guys have a lavish party. Probably paid for by you and I.
Posted by: lochnessmonster | April 27, 2008 12:47 PM
The sooner this obvious sociopath of a human is removed from this job, the better.
If this little performance doesn't prove that he's a selfish son of an obvious selfish son of a ......-nothing will.
All future elected officials should be required by law to submit to a basic mental health evaluation.
He has killed people for his ideological 'need'.
That is just pure evil.
Evil is Live spelled backwards.
Posted by: mommadona | April 27, 2008 1:36 PM
Probably paid for by you and I.
Posted by: lochnessmonster | April 27, 2008 12:47 PM
it IS paid for by you and I.
Posted by: jack hussein | April 27, 2008 1:37 PM
Why would you even give coverage to Bush The Traitor, who cares more about his Vanity War in Iraq than he does about the people of the United States?
Posted by: Ron S. | April 27, 2008 3:36 PM
His presidency is almost over and the only thing scarier to me after these eight years is how close we came to having Hillary follow him.
Thanks goodness we will finally get out of this coma of Bush-Clinton obsession and move forward.
Posted by: Liz | April 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Bush would be a great guy to make a toast at a wedding or lead a comedy roast, but he's been a complete disaster as a president. I cannot wait to move on, in whichever direction is chosen in November, and put this guy in the rear-view mirror.
Posted by: Greg | April 27, 2008 5:55 PM
It's time for Obama to fold his tent and quit being a distraction to the task ahead.
Read it. Weep about it.
And get going to beat the repugs.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/rezko/2008/04/aiham_alsammarae_and_tony_rezk.html
Posted by: HRC is the answer | April 27, 2008 6:24 PM
Do you think an ex prez qualifies for the witness protection plan?
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Maybe he can disappear next January after filing an deposition against all his appointees and VP Goering ??
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Wouldn't it be great if he just vaporized and we never heard or saw him again?
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Perhaps a service sector job at WalMart or Home Desperate, in disguise of course, may be just the ticket.
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Nah; He needs to be H2o'd.
Posted by: C.Morris | April 27, 2008 6:29 PM
How fitting. The last sucker, the man who would be king. Dick Cheney and company sure found the ultimate chump to carry out their nefarious agenda. George Bush. THE LAST SUCKER!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to2hIhXrRTk&feature=related
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | April 27, 2008 6:51 PM
I think it would have been more appropriate to give him a fiddle....he yucks it up while America is burning.
Posted by: DD | April 27, 2008 7:32 PM
Perhaps the greatest President of our lifetime: He's won two Wars, beatan the Islamo-Fascist Terrorists, kept a strong economy for 7 years plus, and returned our honor worldwide.
I am a libertarian Republican and am unlikely to support McCain. He's great on foreign affairs, but far too liberal on domestic matters.
Time to start the movement for a third Bush term.
Posted by: Eric Dondero | April 28, 2008 6:24 AM
this stupid man is such a looser!
Posted by: mimi | April 28, 2008 7:54 AM
This man thinks he has the dignity to spare that he can act like a happy-go-lucky president of a frat house. I don't think he has what he needs to act like this. He is president and the country is getting into deeper international, economic, political, and societal trouble. He need more dignity, not less and he does not even know this.
Posted by: Lou | April 28, 2008 10:26 AM
I watched his speech and found it to be very amusing. He wasn't laughing at the war or casualties and his 'peephole' gag was very cute. Cheney was a good sport. I haven't read such venom in a long time. Geez, people, these were scanned for personal attacks and were found not to be over the top? I don't agree with everything our President has done but how many of you poison-spitters voted for him? Quite a few, I'd bet. And, oh yeah, do you all think he really wrote all that stuff? Grow up, and while you're doing that, learn to spell.
Posted by: Cher | April 28, 2008 10:26 AM
It should be CORRECTLY written as "The President's Own" which is a proper title. The Band was created by an act of Congress in 1798.
No wonder journalists are being let go. They don't research, and they can't write very well.
Posted by: Bill | April 28, 2008 11:21 AM
Bush as comedian. Yes he can be funny. We paid for his writers for nearly 8 years. George Bush's performance is nearly over though. Soon we can get on with the next actor to fill the role of our leader. Hopefully the next President will take the role in a new direction. I long for my beloved country to be a leader to the world by our positive spirit and performance.
Posted by: Kirk | April 28, 2008 11:25 AM
Perhaps the greatest President of our lifetime: He's won two Wars, beatan the Islamo-Fascist Terrorists, kept a strong economy for 7 years plus, and returned our honor worldwide.
I am a libertarian Republican and am unlikely to support McCain. He's great on foreign affairs, but far too liberal on domestic matters.
Time to start the movement for a third Bush term.
Posted by: Eric Dondero | April 28, 2008 6:24 AM
Eric, you have to let us know where you got your rose-colored glasses. Or is it something you bought in a little bag on the street? Glad you're feeling happy, but the third term idea should stay in your blissful imagination.
Posted by: DD | April 28, 2008 11:54 AM
To all those saying Mr Bush is the Worst President Ever: History will remember Mr Bush approximately the same way it remembers Mr Truman.
The Cold War started in Mr Truman's administration, but did not finish, and his opponents (Senator Taft, e.g.) said that the Soviets were only antagonistic to us because we provoked them. And then Mr Truman got us into the Korean War and it dragged on longer than people wanted, and Mr Truman's opponents said it was a sideshow he had gotten us into that had nothing to do with our national interests, and in fact made us weaker.
And when Mr Truman left office he was the most unpopular President in history.
And now Mr Truman is remembered as a straight-shooter who made unpopular but necessary decisions that paid of in the end, decades later. Which is how Mr Bush will be remembered, but not right away.
Posted by: D T Nelson | April 28, 2008 2:11 PM
Shame, shame, shame! Are these journalist, or suckups to power? You flatter those who condone torture, who subvert the principles of this country. Honoring the president, who displays his contempt for the press the other 364 days of the year.
Posted by: I.F. Stone | April 29, 2008 4:00 AM