What Kind Of Guy Exposes His Wife To This Much Danger?

[Mark E. Smith]

The right wing blog flogs are all a-flame today over the reception Laura Bush received as she walked the streets of Jerusalem on her way to the Temple Mount. Here's an example:

Muslims Welcome First Lady at Temple Mount
http://www.pardonmyenglish.com/archives/2005/05/muslims_welcome.html

Laughable, of course. But here is something I can't quite get my head around: There can't be a single serious security analyst in the Bush administration that didn't know Lady Bush would not be received very well should it be decided that she needs to take a media op sojourn through the cobbled streets of Jerusalem. This is one of the most religiously charged cities on the planet today, the site of numerous terrorist attacks, suicide bombings, and various other forms of general mayhem, a flashpoint for violence if ever there was one. Can you think of a single worse place to send the mother of your children?

So why did Bush allow Laura to be exposed to this kind of danger? What was the point? The gain of a couple of points in his poll numbers? It would be seen as a step towards setting the women of Muslim countries free? Anything?

I don't get it. What possible gain could be realized from this reckless act?

[Vickers]

I seriously think he intentionally sent her in to harm's way

I think she is cutting in to his *ahem* extracurricular activities.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Personally, I don't think he cares that much about Laura...

I never see much love lost between the two of them.

[KittyWampus]

8. Didn't He Call Her His "Lump In Bed"?

[Shoeempress]

2. Oh like he's not trying to get rid of pickles so he get with

Wife II, Condi.

[amazona]

3. are you serious?

I would not hesitate to visit Jerusalem myself if and when I can get the $$$ together, and I've had plenty of friends visit there. None of them had a fraction of the security that Laura Bush would enjoy. People pilgrimage to Jerusalem all the time. They don't lose all that many tourists, come on. It's probably safer than walking down the wrong street in New Orleans -- I hope I can say that I since live here!

Get on the Chimperor for real stuff, not fluff. Grandmothers in their 80s visit Jerusalem, and most people know some who have, so making it out to be this death-defying journey is slightly on the ridiculous side to many people.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[BrklynLiberal]

11. But you are not married to the man who has caused the violence and

hatred that this woman's husband has. She would be in much more danger than any other woman would be.

[Benbow]

15. Let's take a reality check

"Grandmothers in their 80s visit Jerusalem"

In huge tourist parties, conveyed around in coaches, I believe. Ditto pilgrims from whatever country. If you go in an organised group, then the organisers take care of the security (as far as they can).

I have made this "death-defying journey" to Jerusalem - in March 1996, travelling alone - and you definitely have to be a bit smart about where it is safe or not safe to go.

For instance, I am a European Christian, so on the advice of the British Consulate I avoided walking through the streets where orthodox Jews live (so as not to get stoned for having my head uncovered). I was staying in a Palestinian area, where I felt safest, and I hated having to travel through the non-Palestinian bits of the city because of the risk of bombs. Oh, and you don't make eye-contact with the Israeli soldiers slouching about in the gates of the old City, not if you are sensible.

Also, it is worth mentioning that, if you are not American or Israeli, when the time comes to leave Israel the Customs officers make things extremely unpleasant. At the airport, on the journey home, the long long queue of travellers worked its way towards the benches where the Customs officers were standing. Israeli citizens were waved through. When I got to the front of the queue, an unsmiling harpy asked me what I had been doing and to open my rucksack. At that point, I produced a letter from the British Government (don't ask), and this had a magical effect on the harpy: she went away and came back with another officer, and it was all smiles and hoping that I had enjoyed my stay. If I had not had that letter, and if they had found the Palestinian pottery souvenirs in my luggage, I know that I would probably have missed my plane.

[FloridaPat]

16. I've been there. Yes it was safe. But then I am not the one whose

husband has murdered several hundred thousand Iraqis. I am not at war with the Muslims. I haven't jail thousands with no charges. I'm not the one torturing them to death. This is an insult to Muslims everywhere.

[candy]

4. How could he "allow" her to go? Maybe she wanted to go.

Most wives don't wait until their husbands "allow" them to do something.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. I do not think that "allow" in this case meant permission as much as

it meant putting her in a situation where her safety might be endangered.
The implication is that she was sent because W was afraid to face the inevitable protests and the Bush people figured Pickles would not get any protestors.

[Name removed]

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[Mark E. Smith]

12. While I Agree With Your Statement ...

.. I don't think it quite applies to the Bushes. No move can possibly be made by either of them without vast security considerations being taken into account.

And look, maybe it was Laura's call. Maybe a lot of things that happen in the Bush World are Laura's Call. I don't know that.

But this waltz through Jerusalem today was a risk. Maybe a calculated one, but a risk nonetheless. One that should have been called into question by somebody.

What bothers me is I can't figure out why it was done.

[Contrary1]

5. Did you see this comment?

"One thing has been made abundantly clear by the public appearances of George and Laura Bush this weekend: They're international heckle-bait.

I suspect it will be a long time before we'll see Rove exposing them again to the disrespect of the disgruntled public. From now on it's GOP-only circus tents for these 2 knuckleheads!"

"International heckle-bait"...I love it! :rofl:

[BrklynLiberal]

6. He has had no qualms doing this to her in the past. He sends her to places

he is afraid to go.
It is not that Jerusalem itself is such a dangerous place to visit for the average tourist, it is how dangerous it is for an American policy maker or his representative.
I have no doubts that W would sacrifice Pickles for gains in his political career without blinking an eye. In fact, it would be a great sympathy getter. He might even do it willingly.
Their marriage seems to have been one of convenience, not passion. No one else would have either one of them, so they ended up together. The fact that she is First Lady is probably the biggest shock of her life.

[Spinzonner]

9. He probably expected 'by invitation only' crowds everywhere

[Booster]

13. Correct. Remember when he sent Laura AND Jenna to the very

building that supposedly was targeted for their little photo-op. Everything this bunch does is one lie after another. I bet when Laura gets home, Bush suddenly appears with another little "scrape" on his face, or a knot the size of a golf ball.

[BrklynLiberal]

17. Right. I knew there was another specific instance. Could not remember

exactly what it was.

[silverlib]

7. Choices

I really don't think that this couple has any control over their lives. They are puppets and, when the strings are pulled, they perform, however poorly. I think they are highly medicated/addicted humans without any control over their own lives. I do think they get paid well for their services and that they are willing puppets.

[no_hypocrisy]

14. Hell, he doesn't even know she's gone yet . . .

[ToeBot]

18. Fishing for a casus belli? n/t

[dsc]

19. Lyndon Johnson sent Lady Bird to the South in the immediate

aftermath of the Civil Rights Bill. A story was done on this trip for George magazine. Elenor Roosevelt took a 10000 plus mile trip to Asian war zones during WW2. First Ladies have often done this sort of thing.

[Chomskyite]

22. Knowing what I do about Eleanor and FDR

. . . he probably had little choice in the matter of whether she would be going or not! Just how many troops would surround her and which very very closely-inspected plane she'd be flying in.

[reality based]

21. Sending his wife into the third most sacred muslim religious site

was indicative of the supreme arrogance and ignorance of the little emperor and his crew.

[mtnsnake]

23. The chimp needed someone to go, but was too afraid to go himself

So he sent a dummy.

[Name removed]

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