October 22, 2004
BUBBLE BOY:
BUSH SR.'S JOKE FEST (DEBORAH ORIN, October 22, 2004, NY Post)
President Bush's dad had them rolling in the aisles last night at the Al Smith charity dinner, telling how his wife, Barbara, is ready to clobber John Kerry for all his attacks on their son."Barbara gets her hands on Senator Kerry, he's going to need another Purple Heart," former President George H.W. Bush told the crowd at the dinner, sponsored by the Catholic Archdiocese of New York at the Waldorf.
It remained unclear, he added, "who was going to blow first — Barbara or Mount St. Helens."
The elder Bush also seemed to nod at the dinner sponsors' anti-abortion stance, wryly telling of what it's like to visit San Francisco "in a presidential car as a Republican."
He said he was greeted by "the ugliest group of people I had ever seen," including one, a woman, who brandished a sign saying, "Stay out of my Womb."
The ex-president brought the house down by quipping, "No problem, lady."
No president was ever worse served by the attempt to appear presidential rather than act like himself. Posted by Orrin Judd at October 22, 2004 1:11 PM
Compare George H.W. Bush with that sanctimonious and arrogant Jimmy Carter.
Posted by: pchuck at October 22, 2004 1:45 PMI never knew that GHWB had that sense of humor. I know that his son does.
Posted by: John J. Coupal at October 22, 2004 2:38 PM41 always seemed too frightened (or distracted) to just be himself. One suspects that only losing the election in 1992 (which seemed like a relief to him and Barbara) set him free.
Posted by: jim hamlen at October 22, 2004 2:47 PM41 always seemed too frightened (or distracted) to just be himself. One suspects that only losing the election in 1992 (which seemed like a relief to him and Barbara) set him free.
Posted by: jim hamlen at October 22, 2004 2:48 PMOutside of that whole Read My Lips broken pledge, I always liked Aich Dubya. I wish I had been at that dinner.
Posted by: Steve Martinovich at October 22, 2004 3:37 PM>One suspects that only losing the election in
>1992 (which seemed like a relief to him and
>Barbara) set him free.
Well, a "What have I got to lose?" situation usually brings out something interesting. Now that Bush 41 is out and retired (these days ex-Presidents don't end up going for any other office), what's he got to lose?
I always liked 41. I got the sense he was an old time politician who played by the rules (i.e be courteous to your opponent) but then got blindsided by a pol playing by the new rules (Clinton). Perhaps not being president has set him free. I thought he was the best speaker at Reagan's funeral. And he looks great as an ex-president compared to Carter.
Posted by: AWW at October 22, 2004 10:32 PMAlso didn't like the taxes, but I've always thought he is among the most decent of men.
Posted by: jsmith at October 22, 2004 11:19 PM