Bush Under Fire for Sovereignty Comments

[ruggerson]

http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=4881

Does anyone have a video clip of this? It's going to be aired tonight on McEnroe's show on CNBC. The video of this is incredible, it shows Bush stuttering and stammering and trying to come up with a definition of sovereignty and you can hear people in the audience laughing and starting to actually snicker.

This video needs to be mass emailed to get wide distribution.

Transcript below:


Bush was asked: ''Mr. President, most school kids learn about government from the context of city, county, state and federal, and of course tribal governments are not part of that at all. You have been a governor and a president, and you have the unique experience of looking at it from two directions. What do you think tribal sovereignty means in the 21st century, and how do we resolve conflicts between tribes and federal and state governments?''

Bush responded: “Tribal sovereignty means that. It's sovereign. You're a … you're a ... you've been given sovereignty and you're viewed as a sovereign entity.”

[Rose Siding]

1. There's an audio link here

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/8/8/231317/1752

[Kitsune]

6. Oh my god, I hadn't heard it until now...

Oh my god. Oh my GOD. That level of idiocy and ineptitude is truly epic.

[mike1963]

23. Holy shit, I just now heard it for the 1st time too. How utterly embar-

rassing. Jeezus, we HAVE to get this babbling moron out of the WH and back to the pig farm!
:grr:

[Southsideirish]

28. He shoulda been studyin' at Harvard 'steada throwin' spitballs

an spittin' tobaccee juice inna that cup.

[JoFerret]

64. Another along with Jesse Jackson

Couldn't get that one to work. Found this on Democracy Now along Jackson's well-received ridicule.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/08/10/149259

[bloom]

80. thanks for the link

I hadn't heard it, yet. I had only heard of it.

My nomination for the worst is still his comments (about torture,etc.) in June:

"That ought to comfort you. We're a nation of law. We adhere to laws. We have laws on the books. You might look at those laws, and that might provide comfort for you. And those were the instructions from me to the government."

[Bluebear]

2. CSPAN.com, "Bush comments to UNITY" has the clip nt

[Sparky McGruff]

48. Starts a bit after 32 minutes in

That part starts at about 32:50; just follows the "who wants to be the wartime president?" part.

video is here (real player)
rtsp://cspanrm.fplive.net/cspan/project/c04/c04080604_bush.rm?mode=compact (link made clickable via tinyurl.com)

[MaineDem]

3. THis was one of the most embarrassing things I've ever seen

The audience actually laughed at him!

He was way out of his comfort zone with this answer! What a sad excuse for a President!

[olddem43]

12. That whole speech and Q & A session was embarrassing.

I couldn't believe someone that dumb could be elected president.
Compared to him, Danny Quayle was a genius.

[hang a left]

4. He loaded that question just for the shrub.

No way the imbecile could have answered that question.

[4dsc]

5. It was all over Air America last week

and boy did the chimp sound like an idiot.. I have a good laugh every time I hear it..

[liveoaktx]

7. Video clip

Bush Sovereignty

[gonefishing]

14. Priceless!

[Guaranteed]

21. That should be a Kerry ad, right there.

Along with the caption, "Can't we do better than this?"

[madmax]

25. YES!! I agree... Bush in his own er, ah, stupidy!!!

Send this everywhere.

[rabbit2484]

44. I'm more amazed every day

Time for that moran to go home!

[nolabels]

57. Thus Sayeth The Lord God/Bush

"I trust God speaks through me.
Without that, I couldn’t do my job."
— G. W. Bush
(Source: Lancaster Online)

http://www.bushfordummies.com/

[Eurobabe]

59. omfg!! that is horrible, what a doofus!!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. I heard the audio

Didn't Bush just give all Native American tribes the status of nations?

[CreekDog]

56. Yes, we are supposed to have a gov't to gov't relationship with tribes...

He was accidentally right in his stumbling answer in that respect. Tribes have more sovereignty than states.

But the sad part of his answer was that it sounded a lot like the book report of a child who has not read the book and is fumbling for something to say, only knowing the title of the book.

"Ivanhoe is a story about a man and his tool"
--Bart Simpson

[Poiuyt]

9. I love the way they are laughing at him in the background

[Cronus Protagonist]

33. And they were all Bush supporters too

...even schweeter....


SHOVE IT! - Drop Bush Not Bombs! - Hero Kerry AWOL Bush
http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13

[Rose Siding]

53. They were minority media members

and they received Kerry warmly the day before. I don't know who schweeter is, but I don't believe this was a group of Bush supporters.

[gonefishing]

10. They are certainly not laughing with him!

I heard the tape and they are laughing at him. However, the joke is on US.

[ruggerson]

11. This Could Be His "Dukakis In The Tank " Moment

Or his Gerald Ford "Poland is a Free Country" moment.

This has got to be put out to every media source. When people see this, it might just finish the job of destroying him. I'm glad Air America played around with it, but this needs to have Drudge-like exposure.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

13. Bush doesn't even know how to 'fake it'. Pitiful.

I know next-to-nothing about tribal sovereignty and I certainly could have faked an answer that didn't generate laughter.

[54anickel]

15. I was wondering if that would get legs while I watch the UNITY speech

on C-SPAN Friday night. Good to see it wasn't lost. The speech never made it to Shrub's web page of speeches. I e-mailed a request for it there. :evilgrin: Never got a response but someone did post the transcript for me here on DU. I'll get the thread link in a second here.....

on edit:

Whoops, didn't bookmark the thread, but I did the transcript. I watched and didn't hear the applause that they have noted in the transcript, but it could have been one of those mikes that cuts out the background noise. Doubt the applause could have been very loud since I couldn't hear it while watching - yet I could hear when that "disrupter" was hollering from the back of the room. B-)

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/08-06-2004/0002226945&EDATE=

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

16. Reinforces my contention that ANYONE who votes for him is a DUMBASS

After hearing that clip, with its rampant circular logic and perseverative use of the word sovereign, it's quite easy to make the argument that Bush suffers from some sort of frontal lobe brain damage (i.e., probably, alcohol-related).

JB

[Rufus T. Firefly]

68. He's gotten worse since the "pretzel" incident.

I think he actually had a minor stroke, and they're covering it up.

[plcdude]

73. yes I agree with you

I think that he has a very difficult time organizing thoughts and little vocabulary to communicate them.

[0007]

74. I think the critin has a stroke every week.

[TankLV]

81. I have a stroke every time I hear him speak.

sigh.

[ramapo]

17. He's such an idiot

ANY schoolkid knows that you don't use the word that you're trying to define in the definition.

I first heard the clip on AAR. I think they boosted the background laughing because it was much plainer than you hear on the CSpan clip.

[ramapo]

18. When is McEnroe on?

n/t

[calico1]

26. 10 p.m. EST-CNBC

[Judi Lynn]

19. No reason he keeps haunting grade school classrooms

He didn't get what he needed when he was there the first time. Either that, or children are easily influenced and are not experienced at spotting imbeciles yet.

[Beaverhausen]

20. Reminds me of Reagan trying to define "parity"

back in the 80s at some press conference.

oops...showing my age.

[NJmaverick]

22. PEOPLE SPREAD THE WORD!

This proof of lack of intelligence is too big! We must make sure as many people as possible hear his words!

[gatlingforme]

24. I can see why Bush was confused. Many of the words in the

question posed had more than two syllables

[Inland]

27. The correct and acceptable answer would have been "Who knows?..

Anyone who has spent five minutes trying to figure out what sovereignty means in the context of NA tribes knows that there is no easy answer. Fact is, all the parties involved are working on it. But I suspect Bush hasn't had that five minutes. So he stumbled.

[Alpharetta]

29. Exactly.

Arrogant, in a way. He refuses to admit what he does not know.

[Disturbed]

32. Arrogance and stupidity.

It was obvious that he didn't know what the question was about nor did he have a clue to an answer. Instead of saying that he wasn't informed on that topic and that he would find out about it he tried to bluff his way through making a fool of himself. Ignorance is not something we should be ashamed of because all of us are ignorant about something. We cannot know everything. This person is not fit to be the Pres. of the USA. I don't believe that he makes actual decisions. I believe that Cheney is the actual Pres.

[Inland]

43. A real man would have

admitted it was a thorny problem and say he looked forward to working with the NA on the issue in a manner that blah blah blah. But Bush, he is so stupid, he doesn't know what he should know vs. what he can't be expected to answer. So he bluffed, you are right.

[Career Prole]

30. I nominated this for a spot in the Top Ten Conservative Idiots

just this morning.
What's striking is with all the time he's had to "promote" what sovereignty is relative to Iraq he couldn't define it.
As many times as he used the word you'd figure he'd have looked it up by now. :D

[Tight_rope]

35. I second that nomination!

[pinniped]

31. Even saying it was a British coin would be a better answer.

It would've actually shown the jerk knew or was given the meaning of at least one definition of the word.

The moran's response is as lame as he.

"Saying * is an idiot is just that, idiot!"

[Art_from_Ark]

58. Ah, yes, the famous British "sovereignty" coin

showing St. George slaying the terra-ist dragon!

[Tight_rope]

34. Oh lawd...the "C" student strikes again...What as "ASS"!

[Tight_rope]

36. I thought it was bad when I read it on Saturday..now hearing it and seeing

brought me to tears. At first it was tears of laughter, but then a minutes later, it turned to tears of dispear. I pray that God saves us from Bush and his group of crooks.

[madaboutharry]

37. Let us just face the facts:

He had no f***ing clue what the man was talking about. George Bush is an ignoramus who most likely has never given a thought in his life to the relationship of tribal governments with those of the state or federal government. He would most likely be shocked to know that tribal law is often in conflict with the laws of the state or federal government. He would probably be shocked to find out that there are laws that are enforced by tribal governments exclusively on Indian land. Most Americans probably don't know this, but he is not most Americans. He is the President of the United States. He is a lazy little man who has no interest in anything that does not concern himself or his class.

"Have I told you lately how much I hate these people?" - Mike Malloy.

[bluestateguy]

38. Reminds me of this

When large numbers of men are unable to find work, unemployment results.

Calvin Coolidge

[SoCalDem]

39. and this from Reuters..hysterical caption

U.S. President George W. Bush has told a roomful of top Pentagon brass his administration would never stop looking for ways to harm the United States. Bush is pictured in a July 31 file photo. REUTERS/Mannie Garcia

[VoteDemocratic2004]

40. He don't know what the hell he is talking about

I can't wait until after we are free from his dictatorship.

[ilovenicepeople]

41. During Chimpys speech at UNITY

I heard him say "people are considered innocent until judged guilty."

[Dhalgren]

46. You know,

in his twisted, addled little brain (and in his class and religio-dictatorial background) that statement, to him, is true. The underclass will be judged guilty by their betters - it's that simple.

[callous taoboy]

42. Oh that is one stupid, stupid man...

Cocaine...runnin' all 'round my brain...

[Bullshot]

45. Bush is just like Limbaugh, Hannity, et al.

Get them out of their controlled environments and they're a bunch of stuttering idiots.

I'm wondering about the guy who asked the question. Did he get flogged or banned out of the country by the Bush campaign?

[nolabels]

47. Just because he doesn't know what the word means...................

is not an indication that he cannot declare Iraq one. Whores for rich people all think alike. In thier minds they think that 'everything will be mine eventualy so there is no need to be engrossed in the details'

A LAYMAN'S GUIDE TO THE SUPREME COURT DECISION IN BUSH V. GORE
by Mark H. Levine, Attorney at Law.


Q: I'm not a lawyer and I don't understand the recent Supreme Court decision in Bush v. Gore. Can you explain it to me?
A: Sure. I'm a lawyer. I read it. It says Bush wins, even if Gore got the most votes.

Q: So Bush wins because hand-counts are illegal?
A: Oh no. Six of the justices (two-thirds majority) believed the hand-counts were legal and should be done.

Q: Oh. So the justices did not believe that the hand-counts would find any legal ballots?
A. Nope. The five conservative justices clearly held (and all nine justices agreed) "that punch card balloting machines can produce an unfortunate number of ballots which are not punched in a clean, complete way by the voter." So there are legal votes that should be counted but can't be.

Q: Oh. Does this have something to do with states' rights? Don't conservatives love that?
A: Generally yes. These five justices, in the past few years, have held that the federal government has no business telling a sovereign state university it can't steal trade secrets just because such stealing is prohibited by law. Nor does the federal government have any business telling a state that it should bar guns in schools. Nor can the federal government use the equal protection clause to force states to take measures to stop violence against women.
(snip)
http://www.iknowwhatyoudidlastelection.com/bush-supreme-court.htm

[symbolman]

49. Anyone know

where I can get an .avi version of this?

I wanna have a little fun with it :)

thanks in advance!

PM me if you need to..

[Rex]

50. OMG

That's our Bush!

EDIT - I listened to it again and I believe the First Doofus is actually trying to answer WHAT sovereignty means (IOW he didn't even understand the question). Wow. Now that really is a "Special K" moment, even for Never-Elected!

[Dem2theMax]

51. I've got the entire speech and Q & A on video.

Thanks to the heads up I got here at DU. :)

It's already been promised to a friend who didn't get to see it.
And I know she's going to use it as ammo for some of her misguided republican friends.
Wish I could watch them watching *. LOL.

[symbolman]

52. I want to make a flash out of this

I can get it everywhere, please pass it along..

[Francine Frensky]

66. symbolman, do you have an email?

I wanted to share a short video I did with Kerry's acceptance speech highlights, but don't know how. Would you have the ability to get it "everywhere" if you think it's any good? Can I email it to you?

[symbolman]

71. send me a link to it

and I'll have a look at it, [e-mail] should work if it's not full, been travelling and get in and out of web axcess..

Go KERRY!

thanks!

[Pluvious]

54. The most telling part of that clip...

... was the little shrug he gives, as if saying his reply is the obvious explanation , and the question is pointless.

Viewing that, I winced, then felt a bit ill, with shame, that we let him take office.

This is embarrassing.

[Bucky]

55. You think you're embarrassed? Imagine how Yale & Harvard feel.

Yale gave this assclown Cs. Harvard Business School gave him As and Bs. I'd give him an F, but then Cheney would give it right back.

[Kadie]

60. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[leesa]

61. And this fool is in charge of giving Iraq some of dat dere

sovernty. No wonder they have received the same stellar treatment native Americans have.

[Triana]

62. heard this on air america

... couple days ago.

pathetic...

[canuckybee]

63. I heard the speech last Friday

and sat there with my mouth agape unable to believe how stupid he sounded. Have to say I am surprised this is getting any press at all. I thought it would be yet another of those moments that is shuffled off into oblivion.

[ItsThePeopleStupid]

65. I watched Kerry first at Unity

then *. I wish every undecided voter could be given these two appearances on a DVD in the mail. Kerry would jump 10 points in the polls.

[DFWJock]

67. This guy

went to Harvard, right?

[Shallah Kali]

69. What about Bush's "intern camps" comment from that speech?

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040806/dcf018_1.html

Quote
I wanted to ask you about protecting all Americans, as well. There are many Arab Americans and Muslims in this country who find themselves unfairly scrutinized by law enforcement and by society at large. Just yesterday we had arrests in Albany, New York. Immediately afterwards, some neighbors in the community said they feared that the law would come for them unfairly next. We have a new book out today that suggests perhaps we should reconsider internment camps. How do we balance the need to pursue and detain some individuals from not well-known communities, while at the same time keeping innocent people from being painted by the broad brush of suspicion?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I appreciate that. First, we don't need intern camps. I mean, forget it. (Applause.) Right after 9/11, I knew this was going to be an issue in our country, that there would be people that say, there goes a Muslim-looking person, therefore that person might be viewed as a terrorist. I knew that was going to be a problem. That's why I went to a mosque, to send the signal, right after the attacks, that said, let's uphold our values. People are innocent until judged guilty. Religious people, people that go to mosques, you know, need to be -- Americans need to be viewed as equally American as their neighbor, be tolerant; let law enforcement, to the best of their ability, determine guilt or innocence, but our fellow citizens need to treat people with respect.

[peekaloo]

70. LOL....this one time at intern camp..............

:P

I also enjoyed the "everybody vote count". Amy Goodman has had two of the questioners on her show this week and both were deferential in their treatment of his idiotic responses.


p.s. that's why we have all those "guilty" terra-ists in Gitmo.

[liveoaktx]

77. Here's a short video clip-look at the audience after that

Bush intern camps

What's hilarious is the lady laughing it up on the front row and the guy on the right looking around like "WTF??????" LOL!

[IA_Seth]

78. Jackass - Learn the Process

What a jackass!

"let law enforcement, to the best of their ability, determine guilt or innocence, "

Law Enforcement is not the judicial branch, last time I checked cops aren't the ones who decided guilt.

How embarassing.

[RebelOne]

72. This one is also priceless.

"So everybody who paid taxes got relief. We paid special attention to parents with children. " Parents with children?

[TankLV]

82. As opposed to childless parents.

OK, see - it's like this -

Owwwwww!

My brain hurts!

[KansDem]

75. And, yet, Bush has been compared with the likes of...

George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt by the Media Whores...!!!

[Strawman]

76. Did you hear what the kid said back?

http://www.lianza.org/sounds/movie_everyoneisnowdumber.wav

[Kurovski]

79. My friend, a teacher, says:

I can't tell you how many times I've seen this in my classroom. If he were my student I'd call his parents to let them know he didn't do his homework! Shame, shame!