Laura Bush just wished everyone "Happy Holidays" (twice) on live TV (CNN)

[CottonBear]

She was receiving the new White House Christmas Tree which arrived by horse-drawn carriage at a porte cochere at the White House. The 18' tall Fraser fir came from the Smokey Holler tree farm in NC. (It's a nice tree. Ironically, they showed video of it being cut down by Hispanic immigrant farm workers.)

I wonder how Faux News will spin this since they have a campaign against the phrase "Happy Holidays" (in favor of Merry Christmas) and they are convinced that the "Liberal Media" is trying to destroy Christmas. :eyes:

edit: Add an "L" to Laura. Oops! The draft horses were nice and they pulled a big green wagon with the tree in it. I like Christmas trees and the Fraser fir is my favorite. I wonder where Bu$h was hiding out?

[LisaLynne]

1. Uh oh -- the Fundies aren't going to like that!

What with all their ire over stores taking the "Christmas" out of "Christmas" or something with the "Happy Holidays" thing.

[liveoaktx]

41. VIDEO

Really-ARE those migrant workers?

[CottonBear]

44. I may have been mistaken but the video is unclear and does not show all

of the event. For instance, the part where Laura said "Our horses are not working as a team." I watched the event on live TV and I saw the workers much more clearly than on the video. I certainly meant nothing against the workers and in no way did I mention that anyone was illegal. I am a NC native and all of my family is from the mountains there. It was just a comment and I welcome any corrections. What do you think? I can not tell what your ideas are from the video which you (so kindly - thanks!) posted.

[Mugsy]

2. How will O'Reilly react?

I can't wait to hear what Bill O'Reilly has to say about it...

...though I betcha he never even brings it up.

[CottonBear]

5. I'll bet he never mentions it. Maybe we should e-mail Faux news and ask

them when they intend to publically castigate Mrs. Bush for her politically correct use of the phrase "Happy Holidays?"

[waiting for hope]

8. OhReally?

he's been flip flopping lately - who knows what will spew out of that garbage hole...

[pretzel4gore]

17. probably garbage!

and OhReally don't recycle (that's weak kneed hippie pinko etc)

[Pirate Smile]

3. The First Lady is part of the War on Christmas? Christmas under ATTACK??!

Oh, the horror!:wow:

[Bike Punk]

4. Sure it wasn't a BIRCH tree???

[TahitiNut]

20. Probably an Aspen.

:evilgrin:

[elehhhhna]

6. Buah at Ranch, Laura at WH? Hmmm. Wonder who'se keeping him warm.

[elehhhhna]

7. Buah at Ranch, Laura at WH? Hmmm. Wonder who'se keeping him warm.

[CottonBear]

12. That's odd. I didn't know Bu$h was still in Crawford.

Mrs. Bush had to return to participate in the decorating of the White House for Christmas, or should I say the Holiday Season? :shrug: I don't care which term is used. I love the tradition of the tree and its ancient, non-Christian beginnings in Europe. I'm sort of a modern day Celtic Pagan myself. (my background is Scots-Irish.) ;)

Bu$h is such a coward. He can't take the heat or be responsible for anything.

[tyedyeto]

23. Actually, he's in AZ today

See this thread in the AZ forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=139x3172

[elehhhhna]

43. so McCain's snuggling him tonight, then.

[BlueManDude]

9. soo tired of these secular humanists spoiling my christmas!!!

[FreedomAngel82]

24. Hear hear

Why oh why do they have to make everything so complicated and/or a "war"? Can't they just enjoy?!

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. Faux will offically declare Bush's goose cooked

and that he's a lame duck now. Senator Brownback will be on in 10 minutes spouting proof of a War on Christmas while managing to sidestep any direct attacks on the beloved First Lady. Then, Sean Hannity will provide commentary on the media's Liberal bias as evidenced by CNN's doctoring of the First Lady's Christmas Wish for America.

[SillyGoose]

11. Laura better call her lawyer! Falwell is going to sue people about

this stuff.

ORLANDO, Fla. (UPI) -- Conservative U.S. evangelist Jerry Falwell has announced he will sue any group that alters or forbids traditional Christmas events.

Falwell has linked his 24,000-strong congregation with the conservative, Florida-based conservative legal organization, Liberty Counsel in what he calls the "Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign," the Boston Herald reported.

In his weekly e-mail to 500,000 people, Falwell called for resistance to such groups as the American Civil Liberties Union "and others who intimidate school and government officials by spreading misinformation about Christmas."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/?feed=TopNews&article=U...


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5452229&mesg_id=5452229

:crazy:

[Marr]

13. Falwell's gonna have to sue her now.

That was Falwell, wasn't it? The guy who promised to sue anyone not in religious fugue this December?

[mmonk]

14. She didn't get her talking points memo.

[flordehinojos]

15. in my heart i really believe that CHRISTMAS has no meaning for the BUSHES

other than to exploit it for their personal gain. They do not have the spirit of Christmas which is TRUTH and LIGHT. They have never exhibited the spirit of Christmas on a public level...and there is an aspect of Bush's great-grandfather(George Herber Walker) that is little talked about, and that is that he broke with his own parent's religion because he did not want to study for the priesthood (as his parents insisted that he do and had sent him to a novitiate in England from where he just walked away). He then married an Episcopalian, thus the Episcopalian tradition in the elder Bush's household...(but one from the heart?--ole George Herbert Walker didn't much believe in priests or .... (religion, perhaps?).

[Lex]

16. Why does Laura Bush hate the Baby Jesus so much?

:P

[Saphire]

18. well, that blows her chances of getting a job at Wally World.,

[Ian David]

19. They've done the same thing before

The Bush Family did the same thing during this 2003 interview with Larry King:



CNN LARRY KING LIVE
Interview With Laura Bush
Aired December 8, 2003 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

<snip>

KING: Is it hard for you in troubled times, following a war? Does that diminish this any?

BUSH: No, not really. I mean, it's really -- every holiday season is always slightly bittersweet for everyone because of people that aren't with them over the holidays. And certainly this holiday, when we have so many American military men and women deployed, it's a bittersweet holiday for the families who are here separated from their loved ones. But there is always something really joyous about the holiday season, and certainly having the opportunity to decorate this beautiful house is always fun.

It's fun to show it off, have friends come, all the tours that get to see it. You know, it's really a very happy time of year here.

<snip>

And look who I brought in to show you the gingerbread house.

G. W. BUSH: Happy holidays.

<snip>

KING: We're with the Bushes. It's Christmastime in Washington. Say good night.

L. BUSH: Happy Holidays.

G. W. BUSH: Good night.

KING: Bye.

More:
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0312/08/lkl.00.html



What's missing from the interview:

1) The phrase "Merry Christmas"
2) The words "Jesus" or "Christ" or "Savior" or "Birthday" or "Birth"

The Bush Family hates Christmas, and not even a war can make them sad when they have a beautiful home to decorate and show-off.

[CottonBear]

21. The sign on the wagon said "The White House Christams Tree"

but she didn't say the word Christmas. It jumped out at me that she didn't say it so I had to assume it was a planned non-reference.

[FreedomAngel82]

22. Oh no!

You mean Laura is apart of the liberal consperiacy to take away Christmas?! Oh no!!! How could this be?! :sarcasm:

[Loonman]

25. Classic

O'Lielly, Foulsmell and Hampster-boy Hannity will not be pleased.

[progressoid]

26. Clearly, she's an Athiest

;-)

[Nimrod2005]

28. lol...agreed!!!

[Nimrod2005]

27. Please foward to O'Leilley as ap.

[GrantDem]

29. I just seen it.

They played the video with no sound on "Studio B". It will be interesting to see how they spin this when confronted.

[CottonBear]

33. Hah! They HAD to run the video clip w/ no sound!

The wagon had a sign which said: "The White House Christmas Tree." So, they could show the video and appease the Faux Christian crowd but had put the kibosh on the sound! :rofl:
(Please note that I don't have a problem calling it a Christmas Tree.)

[Ilsa]

42. self-delete. (Mistaken source.)

[The Backlash Cometh]

30. INFIDEL!

[Shallah Kali]

31. Laura Bush also loves Harry Potter & had the movie shown at the WH

Remarks by Mrs. Bush at Harry Potter Screening
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/11/20011111-3.html

Interview of First Lady Laura Bush with CBS's Bill Plante on the Early Show
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031204-14.html

MRS. BUSH: Harry Potter, I love Harry Potter. I read all five Harry Potter books this summer and it was great summer reading. It was really wonderful to find five books -- to have a whole body of work. As soon as I finished one, I could start the other.

Interview of First Lady Laura Bush with NBC's Norah O'Donnell on the Today Show
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031204-13.html

MRS. BUSH: That's right, as an old librarian and longtime -- life long reader. It's been really fun. I picked books that I particularly loved, Nancy Drew and my newest favorite, Harry Potter, who's back here over my shoulder.

Q Oh, cool.

MRS. BUSH: I read all the Harry Potter books, all five of them, this summer and it was like finding a great mystery writer and having that whole body of work to read at once. I really loved them.

[Ian David]

34. Well, isn't THAT special. Could it be maybe...

Satan!?

[Shallah Kali]

32. Press Release quoting Laura saying "Happy Holidays" twice

Remarks by First Lady Laura Bush Upon Receiving the White House Christmas Tree
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051128/dcm039.html?.v=26

MRS. BUSH: Well, all things bright and beautiful is the theme this year. I think it will be really bright and beautiful with this fabulous tree. But thank you all very much. Happy holidays. I know this is the real start of the season, the Monday after Thanksgiving, and so I want to wish everybody happy holidays. And we'll see you later this week with the White House decorations.

[RobertSeattle]

36. White Hosue Version (Same)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051128-1.html

MRS. BUSH: Well, all things bright and beautiful is the theme this year. I think it will be really bright and beautiful with this fabulous tree. But thank you all very much. Happy holidays. I know this is the real start of the season, the Monday after Thanksgiving, and so I want to wish everybody happy holidays. And we'll see you later this week with the White House decorations.

[CottonBear]

37. I suppose the remarks were scripted by Mrs. Bush's' press secretary.

She does mention "our (meaning the Bush family's) Christmas bu she never says Merry Christmas. And you know what? She's right! It's not freaking Christmas yet. It is, however, the holiday season. 'Seasons Greetings' and 'Happy Holidays' are very appropriate remarks when one considers that it's not even December yet.

Geez, when will Faux News stop it with the "liberal media is destroying Christmas" crap already. :( I'd say that rampant, predatory capitalism has destroyed Christmas and much of our economy as well. :grr:

<snip>
MRS. BUSH: This is a very fun tradition, the delivery of the Christmas tree to the White House. This is the 40th year the National Christmas Tree Growers Association has given the White House the magnificent tree -- the biggest tree there.

It started in 1966, President Johnson accepted the first tree from the National Christmas Tree Growers. And today we're accepting from the Deal Family from Laurel Springs, North Carolina, Smokey Holler Tree Farm. And I want to thank them very, very much for being a part of our Christmas this year at the White House.

We're getting ready to -- the decorators are in there right now; Santa's elves are in, decorating the White House. And all of you will get to see it in -- a day after tomorrow, I think. And so I welcome your questions then, so you can come, look at the -- look at all the decorations.
more...
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/051128/dcm039.html?.v=26

[DemGirl7]

35. She better stop saying "Happy Holidays"

Doesn't she know that Falwell, O'Reilly, Gibson, Robertson, and the rest of those idiots are going to label her a Enemy of Christmas?

[CottonBear]

38. Will Pat Robertson issue a Patwah against Mrs. Bush?

:shrug:

I thought that she was well-spoken and seemed to be enjoying herself. At one point, the horses would not move forward together and she commented that "our horses are not working as a team." The couple who donated the tree seemed pleasant enough. They were invited inside the White House after the photo-op.

I suppose that Mrs. Bush was happy to be rid of her idiot husband, at least for a few days. Notice that no one protested her photo op and remarks. No one yelled at her and heckled her. Thahas got to get old fast. I bet she's counting the days until they leave the White House.

[CottonBear]

40. Boortz was promoting a Lowes boycott because of the "Holiday Trees" sign

that was advertising the tree display at a Lowes store (I didn't catch the location of the store.) An outraged white, male (I think) caller called the show and reported the sign to Boortz who proceeded to bloviate about how Lowes is destroying Christmas. (This call was on this morning's Neal Boortz show.)

To top things off, the caller said that in addition to the English language text the sign said "Christmas Trees" in Spanish. Boy did that make the caller mad. :eyes:

So, in one call, Boortz got both the Fundies and the anti-immigrant crowds riled up. :(

[Neil Lisst]

39. Laura Bush ran Christmas down in her car.

for seeing another girl