September 14th, 2001 = "the president's finest hour"

[Stephanie]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36848-2004Aug26.html


....the Bush campaign is eager to refresh Americans' memories of the president's finest hour: his actions after the terrorist attacks, when a divided country unified behind the president. To underscore that point, Bush is planning to visit a fire station during the convention, and Giuliani is to address the assembly in prime time.

[sandnsea]

1. One sentence in 4 years

That's not a "finest hour", that's a "finest second". I can't believe people are electing a President because he yelled, really mean and loud, at the terrorists. :crazy:

[4morewars]

2. 3 days AFTER the shit had hit the fan !!!

Didn't he run and hide for a few days ?

[progressivebydesign]

6. Hey... but he got down to Florida in record time after Charley!! n/t/

[Mad_Dem_X]

32. Yes, he did

He ran and hid like a scared child. Took him THREE DAYS to address the people of NYC. He's a f***ing disgrace.

[bobbieinok]

39. Clinton was abroad, yet he was in NYC before aWol

[Maple]

3. Given the situation at the time

the country would have united behind any president, any party.

Hell, most of the world did.

But that time is obviously long gone.

[sandnsea]

5. Not so sure

The only comfort I've ever gotten out of the selection is the fact that I honestly don't believe the Republicans would have united behind Al Gore. The hate and blame would have been a nightmare and I hate to even think of what might have happened. For sure we wouldn't have a hope for a Dem President for 20 years if 9/11 had happened under Gore.

[Stephanie]

7. give me a fucking break

please, if you have any explanation, do present it. that is the most disingenuous statement i have seen on DU for some time.

[sandnsea]

8. Excuse me?

Have no idea what you mean.

[Stephanie]

11. sorry - late night overreaction

I apologize.

But I really hate to see Democrats saying "good thing 9/11 didn't happen under Gore." That is a RW meme that makes no sense to me. A) Gore most likely would have prevented it; B) Gore would not have attacked Iraq in "response"; C) Gore would not have squandered the goodwill of the rest of the world towards the U.S. Some freepers would have blamed him, sure, but they would find something else to hate him for if it wasn't that.

[BeFree]

17. You are correct, Stephanie

Enough of this cowering in a corner worrying what the pukes might have done. We see what they are doing, they're destroying our country!

[Art_from_Ark]

20. And Gore certainly wouldn't have kept sitting on his ass

in a second grade classroom, nonchalantly reading a children's book, after being told "America is under attack"

[sandnsea]

23. You misunderstand

I say it for the complete opposite reason they say it. I say it, basically, BECAUSE that's their attitude. I don't think they would have rallied behind him the way we rallied behind Bush. And, at least in the months after 9/11, a united country was important. I think Gore would have handled everything much better than Bush, 100 times better. I'm not saying anything against Gore. I suppose in the long run it wouldn't have mattered either way, the country is at each others throats anyway. It just would have happened immediately if Gore were President. That's just they way the other side is. Everything is political.

[Stephanie]

24. I understand, but I don't agree

I think Gore would have been able to unite the country. There is a small percentage of rabid RW who would have gone nuts, but the majority of them are not so insane.

[sandnsea]

35. I disagree

I think Republicans are Republicans. No matter how much we say this year that we understand the Bushies are different, I really don't believe they are. Look at the Swift Boat thing, they're ALL on that bandwagon. They don't care about truth or honor, they care about whatever it is they think Republicanism represents and they'll go to any length to destroy anybody who disagrees. They would have done it to Gore after 9/11 just because they could. It would have been the perfect opportunity to destroy the Democrats once and for all and there's no way they would have let that pass. Look what they did to Clinton. No way they would have united behind Gore, their selfish politics and pride and ego just wouldn't have let them.

[Stephanie]

37. Okay, I might have to concede that point

Much as I wish it weren't true, you're probably right.

[Spoon]

9. I don't doubt that the Repubs would've lost their collective minds

had Gore been President on 9/11.

[dennis4868]

13. There is no doubt....

in my mind that if 911 happened during Gore's watch, Gore would be impeached for not defending this country and not taking the threats against the USA seriously enough....I AM 100% SURE ABOUT THAT. The media would be jumping on the impeachment bandwagon as well....that is for sure!

[H2O Man]

34. Okay, Stephanie, here's your "break"

even though you swore. The simple truth is that no one can say 9-11 would have happened if Gore were president. It had been planned for a long time. Likely, other plans were and have been made. However, there is ample reason to believe that the election of Cheney and his buddy George increased pressure to make the plan operational, rather than optional.

If it had been operational under Gore, I agree 100% with Stephanie that it would very likely have been prevented from occuring. The democrats really are that much better at national defense.

What would the republicans have said? We can only speculate. But I really would not care if the choice were between having thousands of people alive who are now dead, having the actual terrorists dealt with severely, and listening to some dick-dripping like Sean Hannity rant on Fox.

[Stephanie]

38. Gore had prepared the report on airline safety

The Hart Rudman report would have been sent to President Gore. And the neo-cons could not be assured that they would get the results they wanted from their new Pearl Harbor under a Gore administration, so why bother?

Had an attack happened anyway - well then yes, I concede that the right would have gone nuts. But I think Gore could have defused it. But I can't say I'm sure.

[H2O Man]

40. Oh, I'm agreeing with you.

I agree with what you're saying frequently. Just surprised to see the curse word uttered from your key board. Alas, I used that same word earlier today, in response to a person who felt Kerry was losing the election.

There is an interesting thread started by seemslikeadream regarding the muslim Brotherhood; I'm curious what you think of it.

[Stephanie]

41. Well, that's what happens when I post at two in the morning

Must learn to GO TO BED before I say stupid stuff.

I had a similar, briefer response to that person. :)

[Toots]

18. I think I have to agree with you except I am convinced in my mind

that 9-11 would not have happened under Gore. The Clinton Gore administration took Terrorism very seriously. Hell Gore even chaired a commission on the subject and issued a report along with the Hart/Rudman report which was immediately "tabled" by the Bush* Administration. Hell Cheney was put in charge of Terrorism and did not hold a single meeting on the subject until after 9-11. That is off your point about the hatred of the Republicans though. I truly believe there is so much hatred from their side that there is no way in hell the Republicans would back a Democratic President under any circumstance. They are spoon fed hatred on a daily basis by the likes of Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, Boortz, Liddy, Coulter, etc. etc. They need a divided country we don't.

[milkyway]

29. I agree. President Gore would have been swinging from a tree a few days

after 9/11 if he did not resign immediately. The wingnuts would have seen 9/11 as the culmination of the Clinton presidency, the end result of all of his policies. The loudmouths would not be able to control themselves for even one day. They would be beside themselves with rage. O'Reilly's head would have exploded on national television.

All of this is moot, however, because there is zero chance that 9/11 would have been allowed to happen under President Gore. Even if 9/11 was only massive incompetence on the part of the government rather than complicity, Gore would have been highly proactive in preventing an attack, as was Clinton.

[leesa]

30. But 9-11 wouldn't have happened. It was a PNAC deal coordinated

through the Bush Crime Family and their cohort of international thugs and criminals.

[fearnobush]

4. This Mother Fucking Murderer caused 911!!

How fucking Dare he. Everyone Go to NY and tell hIm that to his fucking chimp as face. DO IT.

[Jane Austin]

10. You know, from the very day he did it,

I've thought it was just so inappropriate for Bush to stand at that site of tragedy, loss and heartbreak and act like a freakin' hight school cheerleader.

It was shameful then and it's shameful now.

[wishlist]

12. As pic shows he was in full smirk mode then, reveling in his 'glory'

Shameful is right. He seemed very pleased to be in that position exploiting the tragedy. I saw a recent speech he gave to first responders in Cincinatti I believe, where he similarly smiled inappropriately and looked very pleased all the time he was talking about deadly serious and tragic terrorism issues. He has trouble hiding his glee over events and issues that improve his political position.

[The Icon Painter]

14. Inappropriate Glee

It's not just events that improve his political fortunes, the man(?) can't hide his delighted smirk whenever he talks about any deadly or horrible happening. He's laughed at putting people to death and the only time he can form a coherent sentence is when he is discussing murder, mayhem and war. There is no excuse or explanation for his overt enjoyment of violence except that he is almost certainly a sociopath to some degree.

[Stephanie]

19. Absolutely. Tortured animals as a child.

Now he enjoys torturing people. There's a thread in GD2004 about prison torture that occurred in TX while he was governor.

Sociopath. Sadist. Revels in death.

[Neecy]

27. yep

You're so right about his inappropriate facial expressions when speaking of tragedy.

Case in point: his ridiculous and nonsensical 9-11 ad (it's on CONSTANTLY in Missouri). When he says he can't imagine the 'agony' of parents on 9-11, his face lights up and the fucker SMILES when he says the word agony. How sick is that? This is someone who utterly revels in death and suffering. I'm just horrified everytime it airs - I know I'm about to be subjected to a real psychopath.

[Catfight]

15. I thought it was his finest 27 minutes sitting reading The Pet Goat?

That's all the Kerry campaign has to send out, a commercial that says, "Mr. Bush choose to sit AFTER the SECOND plane hit the tower, after he was informed America was under attack, he CHOOSE once again to take pictures for a photo op. Is this what you want in a leader? A reactive instead of pro-active leader? America, you decide if it's missing in action you want, or someone who'll show up for to lead."

Or something like that.

[heidiho]

16. Finest hour, my ass!!! The coward finally emerges!

ANYBODY and I mean anybody can go to the site of a tragedy three days after, pick up a fricking bullhorn, and talk jibberish to some firefighters.

He is a coward!!! Cowards cannot lead!!!

[Stephanie]

22. The Coward from Crawford

The Cowardly Cowboy

The Texas Wimp

President Pussy

[Stephanie]

21. Lest we forget, Bush was AWOL on 9/11

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9:03 a.m.: A second hijacked airliner, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes. Both buildings are burning.

+++

9:30 a.m.: President Bush, speaking in Sarasota, Florida, says the country has suffered an "apparent terrorist attack."

+++

9:43 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately.

+++

9:57 a.m.: Bush departs from Florida.

+++

http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/09/11/chronology.attack /

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At 12:39 word is that Bush has landed at a base near Shreveport, La. Incredibly, at 12:51, there is footage of a Taliban news conference by one Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel. It is difficult to absorb that Arafat and the Taliban have weighed in before Bush. Five minutes later ABC reports that in Shreveport "the president looked grim. His eyes were somewhat red." The only hard information is that there are no national security people traveling with the president. ABC's Peter Jennings, breaking protocol for news anchors, says forcefully that the country needs words from its president in Washington.

+++

1:08: More than three hours after the second tower collapsed. A taped message from President Bush. But the sound isn't transmitting, and the image is jerky. Then the image goes backwards. Then it goes off.

+++


2:35: Guiliani live again: "The number of casualties will be more than anyone can bear."

+++

3:30: Confirmation that Bush has landed at the Strategic Air Defense Command base near Omaha, Neb. ABC's Ann Compton, traveling with the president, is on the phone to Peter Jennings, whose inflection says it all: "Annie, can you hear me? What are you doing in Nebraska?"

When he asks where Bush is, she replies, "He disappeared down the rabbit hole, Peter."

+++

3:48: For the first time an administration official, White House counsel Karen Hughes, gives a live statement: "The president, vice-president, and speaker of the House are all safe." It is astonishing that this late in the day the White House has nothing more to say.

+++

At 6:41, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld gives a live press conference -- nearly nine hours after the towers collapsed, a cabinet-level official finally speaks.

+++

8:31: Nearly 12 hours after the attack began, 10 and a half after the towers collapsed, President George W. Bush reads a speech live from the Oval Office.

+++

http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2001-10-05/cols_ventura.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[skygazer]

25. It was NOT his finest hour

It may have been a bittersweet sort of "finest hour" for Americans who came together, not because of anything he did but because we felt an enormous national solidarity. We came together because of the selfless bravery we saw in our firefighters and police officers and the hundreds of everyday people who gave of their time and their resources to help their fellow man. We would have come together like that had he kept on going on that plane and ran off to an underground bunker somewhere. It was not Bush who united us - it was we ourselves. It was ordinary people who spearheaded the relief efforts.

God, he makes me sick taking so much credit upon himself for so little!

[Neecy]

26. finest hour?

I was appalled that Bush*, after days of cowardly hiding, stood on a pile of smoking human remains and acted like an asshole with that bullhorn. I saw absolutely nothing 'inspirational' about it. It was crude, ill-conceived, and disrespectful. Nothing to pay tribute to the dead, just fake macho strutting. I thought at the time it was his worst hour (little did I know then how much worse he'd get).

[KelleyKramer]

28. That 'hour' came three days late!!

What was the Vacation President doing during all those 'hours' on Sept 11, Sept 12, and Sept 13???

[Mad_Dem_X]

33. EXACTLY!

:grr:

[young_at_heart]

31. Democrats should keep showing "My Pet Goat" over and over

That picture is certainly not his finest hour and the stupid look on his face says a thousand words. Don't let them get away with this "finest hour" hogwash!

[KurtNYC]

36. He was heckled

Finest hour?!

They were screaming at him, "we can't hear you" etc. And he says, "Well I can hear YOU and the people who knocked those buildings down are going to hear from us soon."

And by "soon" he means right after we finish with Iraq, Iran and Syria apparently. Notice also that he doesn't say that people were killed only that buildings were knocked down.

[Disturbed]

42. Think.

What has this dumbass coward actually done? He and his Neo Fascist opposed Homeland Security. They oppossed the 911 Commission from forming and attempted to block it in every way they could even after it was formed. The put out this useless color alerts. They have not protected the chemical and nuclear facilities or ports as they could and should. Border patrol is a freakin' farce. They have burned off money into Iraq instead of protecting the USA. These Neo Fascists are not making Amerika safer or stronger, on the contrary.

If al Q. had wanted to attack in the US in the past three years does anyone really believe that they could not have done so?