Posted on 01/22/2004 10:51:06 AM PST by fight_truth_decay
Bush: "Scary," Ted Kennedy worthy of Mount Rushmore. Reviewing President Bush's State of the Union address, nationally syndicated Washington Post television reviewer Tom Shales complained that "Bush had too many moments of cockiness" and fretted about how "the fact that Bush appeared to be so happy, so elated, so giddily primed for another political slugfest was a little bit disheartening, and even a little bit scary." But citing Senator Ted Kennedy's head-shaking, eye-rolling dismissive reactions to Bush, Shales gushed: "Kennedy looked great, like he was ready to take his place next to Jefferson on Mount Rushmore."
An excerpt from "State of the Union: Long on Long, Short on Lofty," the review by Tom Shales in the January 21 Washington Post:
We like a confident president, but we don't like a cocky president, and George W. Bush had too many moments of cockiness last night as he delivered his third State of the Union address to both houses of Congress and the viewing nation. Often the words of the speech were written to sound lofty, but Bush had such a big Christmas-morning grin on his face that they came out sounding like taunts -- taunts to the rest of the world or taunts to Democrats in the hall....
The speech was pretty much so-so, and Bush's gung-ho delivery -- something approaching the forced jollity of a game show host -- lacked dignity and certainly lacked graciousness. Bush has never been big on those things anyway.
Dan Rather of CBS News, who sometimes goes out of his way not to upset the Bush people -- since they are all ready to pounce on him for what they perceive (or claim to perceive) as a bias against their exalted glorious potentate -- said afterward that Bush's was "a strong speech, strongly delivered." It was one of the few times Rather sounded less than astute.
Over on the Fox News Channel, Fred Barnes, sounding as if he had walking pneumonia, allowed as how he'd heard George W. Bush deliver many an important and eloquent speech over the years, "and this was not one of them." It takes courage to say something like that on the Fox News Channel, normally a Bush cheering section. Someone noted that Bush is considered a master of the half-hour speech and State of the Union 2004 had dragged on for twice that length....
The best reaction shots were those of Ted Kennedy, whose stature seems to grow right along with his nose year after year after year. Kennedy has now reached a grand moment in the life of a senator; he looks like Hollywood itself cast him in the role. Seriously. With that waving mane of bright white hair, he evokes memories of Claude Rains looking distinguished as all get-out in Frank Capra's once- controversial, now-classic movie "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." Never mind that the senator played by Rains had some shady dealings in his repertoire.
Kennedy looked great, like he was ready to take his place next to Jefferson on Mount Rushmore. He gives off the kind of venerable vibes that some of us got from an Everett Dirksen way back when, or a Charles Laughton -- oh wait, Laughton was a make-believe senator, too (in "Advise and Consent")....
One of the bigger surprises of the night was instantly evident, even as Bush made his tedious way down an aisle before delivering the speech. Though he's favored blue ties (sometimes baby blue) throughout his presidency, Bush wore a red necktie last night. Could this signify a change in terrorism alert status? Or maybe just the fact that Bush is now in full ramming mode, not merely a president but a politician again, up to his collar in the rigors of an election year?
It was obviously the latter, and the fact that Bush appeared to be so happy, so elated, so giddily primed for another political slugfest was a little bit disheartening, and even a little bit scary.
END of Excerpt
For the Shales review in full: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33872-2004Jan21.html
Excellent description of our President, Teddy!
If this little twit bothered to be honest in his reportage, he would have mentioned that Mr. Barnes went on to say that this SOTU was delivered in a different time than the post-9/11 delivery to Congress, or the 2002 SOTU. He mentioned how the times makes the speech, and since the president wasn't addressing a nation just attacked by terrorists, or making a case for war in Iraq, and also the economy is doing better, these are not the times that make for a historical speech.
Wouldn't the collective weight of the carving cause the entirety of Mt. Rushmore to come crashing down?
No? Sure? Have you seen his face lately? It looks like an overblow basketball.
This is not unreasonable...He's not saying that a likeness of Kennedy should be carved next to Jefferson on Mt. Rushmore. He said Kennedy should take HIS place on the mountain. Have you seen the size of Kennedy's head. It would be about the right size!
I guess Shales writes his diatribes before listening to the president, because he is definitely not describing any of the speeches I've seen the president deliver. Lefties are terrified of confident males, especially those who are grounded in belief, so this is the beginning of the little panty-waist's problem with President Bush.
Nothing. Read the second paragraph again...
An excerpt from "State of the Union: Long on Long, Short on Lofty," the review by Tom Shales in the January 21 Washington Post:Everything after the second paragraph is Tom "I Hate President Bush more than I hate myself (which is a lot)" Shales' writing.
They much prefer lip biting, teary eyed liars who engage in affairs with young girls, betray their marriage vows, rape, fondle, and of course, mutilate the dignity of the office of the Presidency.
Hell, more like at the bottom of Lake Rushmore.
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