Digby finds the "root" of Michelle Malkin's "self-inflicted wounds" lie

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Since grasswire pointed to Digby's site this morning I've been finding a LOT of details. Wonder where Michelle Malkin came up with the "self-inflicted wounds" crap on Hardball? Digby might have stumbled upon the answer.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2004_08_15_digbysblog_archive.html#109305446449877913

Here is the "Ask The White House" exchange he refers to. On August 13th, an unidentified questioner...an unidentified Vietnam vet, at that...asks a question that really isn't a question at all. A Karl Rove plant, a shill, or what?

Similar to Bush's response in the new Kerry ad when McCain says that his actions hurt ("yeah"), Bush responds to this White House-sanctioned swipe at Kerry with "Well, I appreciate that. Thank you"...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040813-7.html

Q On behalf of Vietnam veterans -- and I served six tours over there -- we do support the President. I only have one concern, and that's on the Purple Heart, and that is, is that there are over 200,000 Vietnam vets that died from Agent Orange and were never -- no Purple Heart has ever been awarded to a Vietnam veteran because of Agent Orange because it's never been changed in the regulations. Yet, we've got a candidate for President out here with two self-inflicted scratches, and I take that as an insult. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you for your service. Six tours? Whew. That's a lot of tours.



...kind of set the stage for the Swift Boat Vet ads, wouldn't you say?

[bluestateguy]

1. perhaps we need to bring back the independent counsel law

And I want the independent counsel investigating this Administration to be the most Left-Wing Democrat imaginable. A liberal lawyer with close ties to the ACLU, the AFL-CIO; someone who has litigated on behalf of feminist and gay rights organizations; someone who has made tens of thousands of dollars in contributions to Democratic candidates.

[Democat]

2. Bush admitting that he "appreciates" unfounded attacks on U.S. veterans

At least he didn't deny it like he does now.

[buycitgo]

3. I SAW that on one of the network news shows!

they played

"....we've got a candidate for President out here with two self-inflicted scratches, and I take that as an insult. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I appreciate that. Thank you. Thank you for your service."

wish I'd taped that, but I remember it, cause it was so insulting, and the guy was a FAT PIG. I posted a response to this very incident

amazing

compare this to snip from the usually uberhoorish Maureen Dowd:

"The New Yorker editor David Remnick, writing in Esquire in 1986, limned the 1980 Congressional race in South Carolina's Second District "between Atwater's man, Republican Floyd Spence, and a Faulknerian figure named Tom Turnipseed At one press briefing, Atwater planted a reporter who rose and said, 'We understand Turnipseed has had psychotic treatment.' Atwater played it cool and refused to comment, but later told the reporters off the record, 'In college I understand he got hooked up to jumper cables.' "
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/22/opinion/22dowd.html?hp

[LoZoccolo]

4. A British general's take on the look Bush* has in that picture.

The message is clear. Here is no Roosevelt, Churchill or Thatcher, but a deeply inadequate man whose mind is frozen with indecision and fear. It is a look I know well - if he had been a subordinate commander in battle I would have immediately relieved him of his command.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mikeinthenews/index.php?id=47