Bush 41 shaves his head to support a 2-year-old with leukemia

[TexasTowelie]

George H.W. Bush shaved his head this week to show his support for the 2-year-old son of a security detail member who is being treated for leukemia. (Office of George Bush)


Bush poses with the members of his Secret Service detail. (Office of George Bush)

Former President George H.W. Bush shaved his head in solidarity with 2-year-old son of a member of his 20 person security detail.

The young boy, named Patrick, is undergoing treatment for leukemia and has lost his hair. He was diagnosed this spring.

The 89-year-old Bush donated money to the cause and even volunteered to shave his head, according to Bush spokesman Jim McGrath.

It was a member of Bush's security team that had the honor of shaving the former president's head.

More at http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Bush-41-shaves-his-head-to-support-a-2-year-old-4684576.php?cmpid=hpbn .

[Always Randy]

1. kudos to him

that little boy ---and the team of secret service guys are feeling good today

[putitinD]

2. 41 looks like uncle Fester with no hair

[Triana]

9. Yep. That's it!

Was trying to figure out who he reminded me of with the bald head - Uncle Fester!

[roamer65]

15. Quit insulting Uncle Fester.

Uncle Fester was a eccentric, but likable.

Bu$h 41 is not.

[arely staircase]

3. that was very sweet of him

I wish the child well.

[CatWoman]

4. that's very decent of him

[leveymg]

5. Poppy still has a 22-man SS security detail?

Guess he still thinks a lot of people still don't like him. Wonder why.

BTW: Betya, Jimmy Carter has a detail maybe 1/4 that size.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. Depends on where

I know Carter's detail was not precisely small when he was doing the Housing project in TJ.

And he also had an added Mexican security detail on top of his SS detail. I know... I found myself in a very uncomfortable place.

[former9thward]

45. You would lose that bet.

Carter came into a restaurant my sister manages in Coronado, CA and there were 8 agents just for that. Since agents don't work 24/7 the entire detail must be the size of Bush's

[Matariki]

86. I counted 26 and wondered the same thing

that seems kind of a lot.

[leftstreet]

6. How many 2yr olds in Iraq....nevermind

Best wishes for the little boy and his family, and may his treatment be successful

[roamer65]

7. I applaud their actions in support of the 2 year old boy.

Nasty disease and hope they get it into remission.

However, is that really the size of a Secret Service detail for an ex-president? Looks a bit excessive to me.

[lpbk2713]

8. Posing for a group photo like that kind of takes the "Secret" out of Secret Service.

My guess ... Poppy got infested with head lice or bed bugs.

[rhett o rick]

10. My best to the boy and his family. But cant give Bush any credit for trying to be good at the

end of his horrible life. He is just trying to make some points with his maker. Too late George. You are going to hell.

[demwing]

14. It's never too late

To set your life right.

Not that I believe Bush 41 has, I just don't believe its too late.

[rhett o rick]

20. I agree once you've confessed to your sins. And I am not speaking in a religious manner. nm

[Dreamer Tatum]

21. Then what do you mean by "sin"? nt

[rhett o rick]

28. Short for all the nasty things he has done in his life. nm

[demwing]

35. Agreed. You can't reform yourself

while you're pretending to be someone that doesn't require reform.

[Renew Deal]

44. In what non religious sense does one meet their maker?

[rhett o rick]

47. I am not religious but I am sure he is. In his mind he will someday "meet his maker"

and in his mind he will have to make amends.

[HiPointDem]

72. he's not trying to be good. i'm sure bush was always 'good' to his family, friends, staff. he

just was 'bad' to iraqis and other miscellaneous foreigners, as well as the 99% -- people he didn't know personally, people who couldn't impact his own life, people he could make money off of, etc.

[joeybee12]

11. All I'll say is....

I'm really pulling for that little boy to get through this and get better. Good vibes coming to him.

[RedCappedBandit]

12. Does Bush give a fuck about people suffering from such diseases without health insurance?

[Dreamer Tatum]

13. "look! There's a flower without shit on it!" nt

[leftstreet]

17. DUers shouldn't be forced to re-hab the Bush Royal Family

Fuck all of them

And using a sick kid to do it is beyond vile



The focus should be on the poor kid, not that POS Bush

[Dreamer Tatum]

19. That's certainly one way of looking at it

Have you considered another, namely, that it was just a kind gesture that he joined in on? And also that by shaving their heads, all of those people DID focus on the poor kid?

And, finally, that I will hazard a guess that no one in that pic gives a fine country fuck what any of us think, anyway?

[zeemike]

40. That was my thought too.

But it will happen...and the next one will be W doing something that we must say something nice about.

[zonkers]

51. Now if he would have pulled victims from an overturned car...

[rhett o rick]

48. There may be a flower without shit on it, but Poppy Bush is covered. nm

[RedCappedBandit]

54. Well? Does he? nt

[adirondacker]

43. Those were my thoughts. How many kids and adults have died because of his ilk? nt

[Recursion]

87. Pretty sure the kid's care is a "Points of Light" case

So, yes.

[bigwillq]

16. Good luck to Patrick!

Nice gesture by Bush 41.

[DrDan]

18. that is a classy move - I applaud him!!!

[Zoeisright]

22. Then why did he cut funding for cancer research?

His fucking asshole spawn did too. As did Reagan.

Fuck all of them. This means nothing.

[laundry_queen]

36. Did he?

That's disgusting - especially considering his own daughter died of cancer.

[former9thward]

49. Where is your link to that?

The federal budget for cancer research has increased every year.

Over time, however, the funding base has broadened. Although NCI’s budget
has increased steadily over the years, to $2.9 billion for FY 1999, it is evident that other sources
of funding have expanded even more, especially over the past two decades.

http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Disease/NCPF/Fund.pdf

[surrealAmerican]

24. What a sweet gesture.

I'm no fan of 41, but that's just plain nice. Did these guys donate their hair, or did they not really have long enough hair to do that?

[Pretzel_Warrior]

25. It's weird, but almost seems as though Poppy Bush is trying to separate himself from DUBYA

and his deplorable legacy. Bush's malfeasance was done behind the scenes, so he's not too worried about the crap that didn't stick to him back then.

[Solly Mack]

26. 20 member SS detail? 20?

20?



Wish the child all the best.

[HolyMoley]

32. Probably because they don't work more than 7-8 hour shifts.

12 hours at most.

Either 2 shifts of 10 at 12 hours each, or 3 shifts of 7 at 8 hours each (yeah, the math is off a bit, but you get the idea).

[TexasTowelie]

41. Not unreasonable.

It takes 5-6 people to fill each full-time position (168 hours/week). Giving him an entourage of four SS agents would mean between 20-24 people.

[peace13]

42. It's incredible!

What a waste of money! On a happy note, it is cool that they shaved their heads!

[bigwillq]

53. Obama will likely have more

Since he is threatened so often. But he only gets SS for 10 years. He will then probably hire personal security.

[tammywammy]

55. That law was reversed, Obama and GWB will have lifetime Secret Service protection. n/t

[bigwillq]

57. Cool.

Thanks for the correction.

I am not doing a good job on fact checking today. BWAH!

[tammywammy]

60. ...

[Gidney N Cloyd]

27. Meanwhile Barbara is simply appealing to Claudius to make her a goddess.

[last1standing]

37. Damn! I wish I could rec this post!

n/t

[onethatcares]

29. I can't say

anything bad about him shaving his head in solidarity with the child.

I sincerely hope Patrick gets cured.

[sadbear]

30. Quite the sacrifice there, old man.

Too little too late. He could have done something substantive about health care in this country when he had the chance. But he didn't. So he shaved his head more than twenty years after he was president. So what?

[demwing]

38. "So what?" - Ask the little boy...

When my son had cancer, I shaved my head for him. He knew what "The President" was, if not whom the President was, and it would have meant a great deal to him to have that level of empathy directed toward him. The little boy doesn't consider the politics, he's just fighting for his life.

This thing #41 did helps that little boy's fight.

[sadbear]

62. Two years old.

Sure, I'll give him that he's showing solidarity or support or whatever, but a two year old doesn't have the cognitive ability to even understand what's happening to him. And he sure as hell doesn't understand why everyone else is bald, too.

Spare me.

[demwing]

75. I hope your partisanship brings you peace

And that you never have to experience the prospect of losing a child.

[sadbear]

79. I'd say the same thing if it were Clinton or Obama.

Again, spare me.

[demwing]

82. Who are you?

Why should anyone bother sparing you, when you can't bother sparing a little good will in a very positive thread?

Spare us your bitterness

[sadbear]

85. I'm someone who's done the same thing for a friend, but didn't expect any adoration or attention...

for it. It was actually the most I could do at the time. Bush could have done more.

So drop it.

[demwing]

88. Oh no, Sadbear is sad!

Brought up a contentious topic and now doesn't want to hear about it. That's rich.

I have a better idea than dropping the conversation...

[sadbear]

89. Go pat yourself on the back.

Along with a good for nothing former president who has good reason to fear death.

Congratulations. Maybe some 1%er will shave his head for you one day, huh?

[BeyondGeography]

31. Lovely, really

Get well, little guy.

[YarnAddict]

33. Good for him. n/t

[Crabby Appleton]

34. Good on him nt

[last1standing]

39. Cool move regardless of party.

n/t

[Renew Deal]

46. Some of the responses to this thread will look cruel

To the parents of the kid.

[Link Speed]

50. I had no idea he was such a sensitive, caring fellow.

Maybe the Family isn't just a bunch of sociopathic blue-blood assholes who never earned a dime on their own after all.

I kind of hope Jebbie runs.

[Bonx]

80. "Bush and his wife... lost their second child, Robin, to leukemia 59 years ago when she was four"

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/25/george-hw-bush-shaves-head-in-support-of-child-with-cancer/

[Godhumor]

52. Good for him. Wish the best for the kid and his family

No politics in this insurance, for me. I think it is a nice gesture by the former president (and the whole security detail that also shaved their heads).

[Niceguy1]

56. kudos

N/t

[PennsylvaniaMatt]

58. This has NOTHING to do with politics.....

This was a nice gesture by Bush, and I wish him, Patrick, and Patrick's family happiness and good health.

[The Straight Story]

59. Looks like he is getting ready to eat him in that first pic

om nom nom

[putitinD]

61. the Bush's don't have compassion for other people, I think this is an effort to clean-up the Bush

brand for Jeb's 2016 run.

[intheflow]

63. I thought I'd be dead long before I saw a BFEE Love Post on DU.

I don't give a shit about this publicity stunt. Even if he did it thinking he was doing it for the most altruistic purposes, it

a) reeks of noblesse oblige,

and

b) doesn't come close to redeeming him for all the evil shit he's done over his lifetime.

Seriously: WTF is the point of this post? To prove a billionaire cares about his servant's kids? How freakin' big of him.

[TexasTowelie]

71. Actually, I posted this picture for the purposes of documentation.

Even while his son was governor of Texas, I was aware of how the younger Bush used photo-ops to promote himself. In this latest example, the photo illustrates that the lesson of using photo-ops can transcend generations. The elder Bush was not as effective during his service as a bureaucrat or president as his son in projecting himself as a compassionate person; therefore, he does have to engage in publicity stunts such as the one today to bolster his image and improve his legacy.

Please also note that I have not expressed any admiration for Bush 41 in this thread so don't accuse me of starting a lovefest. I was merely reporting the publicity stunt in GD--the same publicity stunt also hit LBN at the exact same minute. Whether GHWB receives some type of absolution from this gesture is between him and the God that he claims to believe in.

Yes, it is a publicity stunt and I agree with your comments about what is also conveyed in the photo.

[intheflow]

74. You didn't offer any personal narrative in your OP.

By only quoting the article and including their visual propaganda, while not providing any contrasting opinion to the corporate media narrative, the post implied approval. If your personal feelings were revulsion to this story, as was mine, it could have been made clear in the OP. But I accept your explanation for being the reboot that it is.

[Douglas Carpenter]

64. politics aside it was a kindly thing to do

[KentuckyWoman]

65. The head shave is nice. Doesn't change the fact he's an evil person.

That man and his evil family have caused more harm and death around the world .... likely more than any of us realizes.

It's nice he threw some coins at the kid and shaved his head in solidarity.

[neild262196]

66. I have no love for any of the Bushes

But HW did a really charitable act here.

[uppityperson]

68. It is an odd hobby. eom

[JI7]

69. good for him

[Warren DeMontague]

70. Good for Poppy.

[Alamuti Lotus]

73. Nice photo-op for a good cause; unfortunately he's still a mass-murdering, duplicitious monster *nt

[geckosfeet]

76. Poor kid looks like he is thinking "WFT, get me out of this creeps lap".

[Ian David]

77. Why hasn't Joe Klein from Newsweek shaved his head?? n/t

[devils chaplain]

78. Macro v. Micro compassion...

One of the quirks of human psychology is that one can be an extremely kind and even generous person in everyday encounters, yet also ruthlessly cold and detached in decisions involving the fate of thousands or millions. The historical examples are legion.

[DeschutesRiver]

81. Does his secret service detail not have health insurance and has to use fund raisers instead? nt

[Xyzse]

83. Good for him.

I almost posted this too since I didn't see this earlier.

I don't have to like him much, but it is good of him to do this. Actions like this from any one I can respect, despite their track record.

[Berlum]

84. Poppy (R) doing the Skull & Boner thang

As usual...Republicans & their occultism...sheesh