White House axes Laura Bush interview after heated Irish TV talk with George W

AFB via Yahoo! News ^ | Sat, Jun 26, 2004

[Kaslin]

ENNIS, Ireland - The US administration confirmed it had axed an interview that US First Lady Laura Bush had been due to grant to Irish public television RTE, only two days after the broadcaster's exclusive interview with the US president himself.

No explanation was given for the schedule change, but journalists travelling with the Bush entourage in Europe noted that the cancellation had come a day after George W. Bush's less-than-sunny showing in his RTE exclusive.

During that interview, given on Thursday in Washington, Bush displayed annoyance and at one point lost his temper when he was contradicted by Irish journalist Carole Coleman.

"Let me finish please. Let me answer your question and then you'll follow up," a visibly annoyed Bush told her.

During that interview, given on same day that a wave of coordinated attacks across Iraq (news - web sites) cost at least 90 lives, Bush insisted his actions were improving the state of the world.

"I do believe the world is a safer place and becoming a safer place," he told RTE.

Asked about the mounting death toll in Iraq, Bush commented: "Nobody cares more about the deaths than I do".

After a summit with European Union (news - web sites) leaders in Ireland on Saturday, Bush flew to Turkey, where he will attend a NATO (news - web sites) summit in Istanbul.

[lainde]

Thank goodness he's done with Ireland. Now if he can get out of Turkey without any mishaps. I hold my breath when he's traveling!

[MeekOneGOP]

Thank you for your comments on #54-55.

I think the pretend niceness in the Senate needs to go away. I prefer the days when they clubbed each other down. Those old farts would go away if it wasn't such a good old boys club. Fight for what you believe in or get out.

hehe! Yep.

From that same article linking to FreeRepublic.com:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In 1856 a House member from South Carolina took his cane to an abolitionist senator from Massachusetts, bloodying the Senate floor and leaving the man near death. Capitol attacks these days are not as dramatic, but lawmakers from both parties lament what has become another low point in political civility.

A couple of rounds between Cheney and fat teddy and maybe "The Swimmer" would tone down his BS Class Warfare ad hominem attacks and rhetoric !

In fact, I wish Kennedy would resign. I sent him a number of emails to his Senate email address the last few months because of his over the top comments/outbursts and Bush-bashing lies. Each of my emails was calm and logical and factual, UNLIKE his outbursts. The last 1-2 emails I sent him bounced back to me. He either blocked me out or they shut down his Senate email address.

Memo to fat teddy: If you can't take the heat, STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN ! Resign immediately !!

---

"George W. Bush’s Vietnam" ... quagmire ... "Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management, U.S. management" ... Bush bad ... Democrats good ... blah, blah, blah ! ....

/soapbox :^)

[petitfour]

Yup, that works for me. "Go Leahy!" Or "GL!" for short

lol

[Bernard]

So Dick Cheney would have a more appropriate response to the reporter?

[Incorrigible]

Cillmantain!

Welcome to FreeRepublic.com. 

I presume you found this thread via a search engine and thus may not be familiar with FreeRepublic.com.  Don't mind some of the denizens of this site, we're all a little prone to overstatement here but in general, you will find no better news and analysis site on the internet.

Keep in mind that much of the news that comes out of Europe and Ireland these days is anti-American.  As someone who knows plenty of Irish in Ireland, I know that much of the populace is not in agreement with much of the journalism.  The same can certainly be said for the American press and Americans.

Two of your fellow countrymen frequent the site and I have "Bumped" (put their names in the To list) them to this thread.

Look around and enjoy.  Again, you'll find no better craic on the Internet!

[familyop]

"Interesting - and of course, unbiased? We have approx 4 million citizens in the Republic and approx 1.5 million in the North of Ireland. If you can state categorically that most of them (and I refer you to the dictionary definition of 'most'), you must know very many people personally. I also note that you seem to speak for 'other Europeans' also. How many of the varied European countries are you referring to? And do you know 'most'of them too? As an Irishman living in Ireland - and enjoying every moment of it - I am just curious... I wonder if I am one of the 'most'?"

My complaints are about western Europe. And if Ireland is really a Republic, separate from the UK government, why doesn't Ireland build nuclear weapons? It would give the English a taste of how the Jews feel.

I'm as biased against Europe as Europe is biased against President Bush. I also read the European media to keep track of how much Europe hates us (by the frequency of European conspiracy stories about the US government). Anyone who wants Kerry to be our next president must want the USA to be destroyed.

...overstatement? Yes, but I'm weary of hashing conspiracy canards with Europeans about how the Jews have taken over America, the poor Palestinians, etc.

I was once polite and open to hearing the arguments against the USA and against the existence of Israel from so-called "conservative" Britons, French, Germans and all, but after so many nasty, untrue accusations from them over the past decade, it became wearisome.

If Europe is so enamoured of the likes of Yassir Arafat, maybe someone like him would make a great Fuhrer or Ayatollah for Europe.

And if the majority of Europeans (as we have seen the polls) can complain about us, I will complain about Europe.

[Happygal]

Thanks for the ping Incorrigible.

Hey, Cillmaintain - how's Wicklow treatin' ye?
Always good to have a few more native Irish Freepers on board. :-)

[familyop]

Cillmantain, here's a more polite response, just for you.

I've seen nearly nothing but contempt tossed across the Atlantic and circulated in western Europe about the USA for a long time. Too many political people in the UK (England, as the English tend to speak more than others) have denied historical facts and even denied dictionary definitions in their debate opportunities to bash us. I know quite a few. Their accusations are senseless. Why can't they admit their failure in the British Mandate period, etc., and get on with more honest and beneficial foreign relations with us?

There is one man that I know of in journalism in England (which appears to speak for all in the "UK") who is honest. That was Conrad Black (recent owner of the Telegraph).

And the Germans, the Spaniards and the French...! ...can no longer tolerate thinking about them, much.

So it is my opinion that we in the US won't see any positive change without tossing generalized trash (unreasoned insults) back at western Europe until Europeans (or at least a noticable majority) again discover who their real friends can be.

And BTW, I hold the US supporters of John Kerry (including all of our pro-fascist media who work for him) in as much disfavor (as they are Europeans in their black hearts) and hope that we may exile them all to countries more suitable for them.

Have a look around the Free Republic site to learn about the thoughts of half of our population in the USA. ...and apologies if you are conservative and don't hate our country enough to want our next president to be a family breaking, homo-activist communist who would see his own country destroyed by its enemies (Kerry).

[B Knotts]

Welcome to Free Republic. Don't mind the generalities; we all get 'em from time to time around here (Catholics are often on the receiving end, as well as Oregonians, so I can especially sympathize with you).

May your stay here be long and pleasant!

[B Knotts]

Incidentally, regarding elections...the USA was set up a bit like the EU has been created. Well, without the Belgian bureaucrats. :-)

But, seriously, our states were intended to be just that: sovereign states, in a fairly informal association that became the federal government. That's why we have an electoral college, instead of a national direct, popular vote. It's actually quite a good system, that protects citizens in the less populated states.

Our federal government became much more powerful, and much larger than was ever intended, but we still use this method of election, and I think it's a good system.

The EU uses somewhat different methods, but it also uses certain "undemocratic" measures to make sure that all decisions cannot simply be made by France and Germany.

So, likewise, here, we ensure some measure of distribution of power by allowing the states, not the people directly, to elect our president.

[B Knotts]

Well, like I said, I think our system does just that, by protecting the rights and interests of people throughout the country, instead of merely appealing to the most votes in the urban centers.

If we had a straight national popular vote, candidates would never consider the views of rural Americans, and would only spend time campaigning in New York, Chicago, L.A., and a couple other cities.

[Dustbunny]

I am glad it was axed!

[B Knotts]

Well, I disagree. But I am not a democrat. I do not agree with the popular belief (which is overwhelming in this country, as well) that democracy is the pinnacle of human governance.

Democracy is a means to an end; the true ends being justice and liberty.

Anyhow, we can't agree on this, I suppose, but I wish you well, just the same. I think I'll go downstairs and have a homebrew. Cheers!