To Ron Reagan's hearty affirmation, MSNBC's Chris Matthews asked if the hug during the State of the Union, between an Iraqi woman who voted on Sunday and the mother of a Marine who was killed in Iraq, was engineered by President Bush in order "to push his numbers on Social Security reform, just to get his general appeal up a bit, a couple of points?" Matthews proceeded to suggest that Bush's "PR guys around the White House did this to promote the President's agenda" Reagan enthusiastically agreed:
"Well, of course they did. Oh, sure they did."
Joe Scarborough soon dismissed that theory as "just the height of cynicism." Even after NBC's Norah O'Donnell called the hug "very spontaneous," Matthews wouldn't let go: "The only question is whether that Iraqi woman was prompted to go up and hug" the Marine's mother "by some staffer." Newsweek Managing Editor, Jon Meacham, rejected the notion: "I think the idea that that moment was about Social Security poll numbers is absurd."
Before the State of the Union, CNN's Paula Zahn Now pointed it out repeatedly and, after the address, NBC focused on it. Zahn asked a guest: "This President comes into the State of the Union address with a 50 percent approval rating. What challenge does that present?" She soon pointed out how "the President is under a lot of pressure tonight to deliver this speech at a time when his approval rating rests at 50 percent" and CNN's John King echoed that "this is a President at a historic low in terms of delivering a State of the Union, a 50 percent approval rating."
ABC's Terry Moran saw it as "the kind of moment that can crystallize for a President what he's trying to do on the world stage." Cokie Roberts, also on ABC, described the "spontaneous hug" as "something that leaves you with goose bumps. And I think will have more resonance than any words he [Bush] said."
CBS's Dan Rather wrapped up his prime time coverage by suggesting nothing "said more about America in this 229th year of our freedom than this picture" of the two woman hugging.
"In the most poignant moment of any State of the Union night we can remember," Rather related, "a grateful Iraqi said, 'we thank you.'"
When posted will be readable at: http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2005/cyb20050203.asp
yeah, right.
president bush is lying about social security.
harry reid would have us believe that the stock market is risky and he wants to protect social security for us.
how many times did the democrat-controlled congress spend social security monies?
My only complaint is that if they were waving their fingers at the Democrats then they dipped the wrong one.
What on earth is this woman so very angry about?
Good Lord, relax and have a cup of tea.
Chris Matthews asked if the hug during the State of the Union, between an Iraqi woman who voted on Sunday and the mother of a Marine who was killed in Iraq, was engineered by President Bush in order "to push his numbers on Social Security reform, just to get his general appeal up a bit, a couple of points?" Matthews proceeded to suggest that Bush's "PR guys around the White House did this to promote the President's agenda"
I hope all the far-left libs keep it up.
They are doing a great, great job of increasing the ranks of Republican voters.
At this rate, 2006 could be another blowout.
Poor Jeanene, her movie career dries up and now she's debating Ron Reagan on Mess-NBC..
We know YOU didn't have anything to do with it.
Shalom.
Sooooo.....Garafalo has done WHAT to actually help Iraqis or Afghanis? Or anybody, for that matter...?
Because it seems to me that some in Congress, the president, and all of the armed services have done a whole helluva lot.
What's with her anyway? Perpetual PMS? Get her some chocolate and stfu.
There are few rules that have no exceptions, but one is: anything that disgusts Garafalo is good for America.
Didn't the Nazis raise the Jewish flag and fly it above their own?( such as the Iraqi flag is flown above the US flag at ceremonies in Iraq)
Why do these leftists not understand what Hitler and Nazi's were all about? What part of their brain is missing?
Oh I see we are Nazis because we want the good folks of the world to be free- so they will have pride in their own country, spend time building up their own communities and stop trying to destroy ours.
Well that is so close to what the Nazis were doing. ( what a bunch of spoiled and pampered children we have on the left)
Inked fingers stands for freedom and democracy.
Liberals are disgusted by freedom and democracy.
Thusly, liberals are disgusted by inked fingers.
Janeane's foreign policy brilliance
has just won one of our most esteemed
Jacko/Pee-Wee series Twilight Zone awards.
Their favorite mantra now is "Lowest approval rating, only 50%" and I don't believe it anyway. It's probably considerably higher.
Top-notch quote there. Sad thing is, she probably believes it.
Okay, everybody, ignore the Garofalo and it will go away.CNN's John King echoed that "this is a President at a historic low in terms of delivering a State of the Union, a 50 percent approval rating."
They're on good drugs over at CNN.
Self-absorbed Democrats and MSM will eventually self-destruct. They don't get it yet. Maybe they never will.
Respect for the Office of the Presidency by members of Congress is a given in our society. Those who show disrespect do so at their peril. Republicans who run against Democrats in the 2006 elections can use this incident for their benefit.
Anyone have any statistics on times the opposing "Party" booed during a State of the Union Address?
I suspect that the show of democracy was disguting to all socialists the world over.
TOUGH!