compassionate conservatism in action

[zimv20]

from the whitehouse's own transcript, here (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050126-3.html)

Q I seem to remember a time in Texas on another problem, taxes, where you tried to get out in front and tell people it's not a crisis now, it's going to be a crisis down the line -- you went down in flames on that one. Why --

THE PRESIDENT: Actually, I -- if I might. (Laughter.) I don't think a billion-dollar tax relief that permanently reduced property taxes on senior citizens was "flames," but since you weren't a senior citizen, perhaps that's your definition of "flames."

Q I never got my billion --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. Because you're not a senior citizen yet. Acting like one, however. Go ahead. (Laughter.)

Q What is there about government that makes it hard --

THE PRESIDENT: Faulty memory. (Laughter.)

bush making fun of senior's w/ alzheimer's. class all the way!

and just a few lines down, bush displays a bit of his own not-thered-ness:

THE PRESIDENT: Do we have a crisis in Texas now on school property taxes?

Q Yes, we do.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

Q Are you going to put forward your own plan on Social Security, or not?

Q Mr. President --

THE PRESIDENT: Let's get some order here, please.

Q Mr. President --

THE PRESIDENT: April. Abril.

Q Thank you, Mr. President. First of all, I have two questions, one on Iraq. You say about the troop withdrawal --

huh??

[Lyle]

bush making fun of senior's w/ alzheimer's. class all the way!Not nearly as classy as George Clooney's crack (http://www.celiberal.com/linkcache/0b/67.html) about Charlton Heston. Of course, to be fair, Clooney never claimed to be "compassionate" so I suppose it's witty and urbane when he makes fun of someone with Alzheimer's Disease.

and just a few lines down, bush displays a bit of his own not-thered-ness:What about this confuses you? I'm not familiar with the members of the Washington Press Corps, but it seems pretty clear he's calling on a new reporter named "April". For the previous set of questions he'd been talking to a reporter named "Ken".

[IJ Reilly]

George Clooney -- isn't he that actor guy? Am I supposed to care about what he says for any particular reason?

[blackfox]

Does anyone care that Bush didn't answer the question, or indeed even let it be properly asked?

That's the real issue to me, other than that, I am kinda impressed that Bush was able to joke around unscripted. I don't think the nature of his comments are anything to get worked up about, it's only humor. Still, I am concerned that it was employed as a means to get around answering serious questions.

[Thomas Veil]

A lot of that press conference sounds like typical Bush -- evasion and confusion. But the "senior" comment was majorly dumb. Open mouth, insert foot.

BTW, while I have to admit I found the Clooney remark funny, I agree that it was extremely inappropriate.

[zimv20]

I'm not familiar with the members of the Washington Press Corps, but it seems pretty clear he's calling on a new reporter named "April".
ohhhhhhhh.... i thought he was just uttering the name of a month. in two different languages. still, assuming the reporter is named april, isn't it a little odd he'd then say, "abril?"

"bovine."