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Byrd Blasts Bush's Aircraft Carrier Use
AP via NYTimes.com ^
| 05/06/2003
Posted on 05/06/2003 3:12:42 PM PDT by GeneD
Filed at 5:36 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Questioning the motives of a ``desk-bound president who assumes the garb of a warrior,'' Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd on Tuesday reproached President Bush for flying onto an aircraft carrier last week to declare an end of major fighting in Iraq.
``I am loath to think of an aircraft carrier being used as an advertising backdrop for a presidential political slogan, and yet that is what I saw,'' Byrd said on the Senate floor.
Byrd, 85, of West Virginia, is the Senate's most senior member and was one of the most outspoken critics of the Iraq war.
Dressed in a flight suit, Bush was flown onto the USS Abraham Lincoln on Thursday, his small S-3B Viking jet making a tailhook landing. The ship was near San Diego on its return from action in the Persian Gulf.
With the sea as his backdrop, Bush announced that the United States and its allies had prevailed against Saddam Hussein.
Byrd contrasted the speech with the ``simple dignity'' of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address during the Civil War.
``I do not begrudge his salute to America's warriors aboard the carrier Lincoln, for they have performed bravely, ... but I do question the motives of a desk-bound president who assumes the garb of a warrior for the purposes of a speech,'' he said.
He said American blood has been shed defending Bush's policies. ``This is not some made-for-TV backdrop for a campaign commercial,'' he said.
``To me, it is an affront to the Americans killed or injured in Iraq for the president to exploit the trappings of war for the momentary spectacle of a speech,'' he said.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer has rejected any suggestion that the landing was intended to provide campaign footage for Bush's re-election campaign.
On Tuesday, before Byrd's speech, Fleischer said Bush wanted ``to see an aircraft landing the same way that the pilots saw an aircraft landing. He wanted to see it as realistically as possible.''
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons; US: West Virginia
KEYWORDS: carrierbush; granddragonalert; ilovemydogbilly; navyone; prettyprettypretty; robertbyrd; sheets
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To: tentmaker
I know he visited the John F. Kennedy and Him and his staff stole the Bath Robes and ashtrays that had the Ships name printed on them. The man was a scumbag who had no respect for anything and that includes our men and women in uniform. AND THEY DIDN'T RESPECT HIM EITHER
61
posted on
05/06/2003 4:27:18 PM PDT
by
MJY1288
(Freedom is Ringing)
To: MJY1288
Don't forget he also took CRAIG LIVINGSTONE on that little trip to the carrier with him!
62
posted on
05/06/2003 4:28:32 PM PDT
by
kcvl
To: GeneD
Petah Jennings HIGHLIGHTED this story right towards the beginning of ABC World News Tonight. Anybody else catch that?
63
posted on
05/06/2003 4:29:22 PM PDT
by
PJ-Comix
(A Person With No Sense Of Humor Is Someone Who Confuses The Irreverent With The Irrelevant)
To: kcvl
Maybe Craig Livingstone used the opportunity to discard those Vince Foster Files ?
64
posted on
05/06/2003 4:31:56 PM PDT
by
MJY1288
(Freedom is Ringing)
To: GeneD
kkk byrd should to stick to attending kkk meetings.
He is not good enough to tie President Bush's shoes.
65
posted on
05/06/2003 4:34:29 PM PDT
by
sport
To: Kay Soze
What A Very Strange - Strange Byrd He Is !!Smash A Messerschmitt - Foil; A Saboteur !! Capt. Ben Dix !! Hell Bent For Leather !!
To: GeneD
Byrd contrasted the speech with the ``simple dignity'' of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address during the Civil War Big deal, Senator Byrd---so you remember Lincoln's speech. I'd be impressed if you still had the picture of you and Mr. Lincoln.
What I loved (most) about the President's landing on the carrier was the confidence he showed in the pilots and crew.
The dimms just don't get what leadership is all about.
To: Normal4me
Keep it up you Dumb'OlByrd. Each time you knock Bush, he gains 100,000 defectors from the "AmerricaIsWrong" Party.
To: M0sby
Amazing... I know that my own (eek) Democratic/ war opposing senator-in-tennis-shoes Murray arrived onboard the Lincoln today as it pulled into Everett. As did our Democratic Governor Locke (BTW, the same governor who gave the democratic rebuttle to the Pres. State of the Union Address) What kind of reception did they get? Was it comparable to W's?
Becki
69
posted on
05/06/2003 4:47:03 PM PDT
by
Becki
(Pray continually for our leaders and our troops!)
To: Right_in_Virginia
HMMMM as opposed to a cic that was getting a blowjob under the desk while soliciting money to send troops to maybe get killed.
70
posted on
05/06/2003 4:47:14 PM PDT
by
cksharks
To: M0sby
Amazing... I know that my own (eek) Democratic/ war opposing senator-in-tennis-shoes Murray arrived onboard the Lincoln today as it pulled into Everett.Oh boy, now I feel sorry for those sailors. Imagine wanting to get off the ship and having to wait for Baghdad's Miss Tennis Shoes to get done prancing around.
71
posted on
05/06/2003 4:48:05 PM PDT
by
#3Fan
To: PeoplesRep_of_LA
How much longer is his current term? Hopefully it'll be his last!
72
posted on
05/06/2003 4:49:38 PM PDT
by
Alissa
To: FreedomCalls
The people you see shaking Clinton's hands are Stephanopolous and Carville in military jackets. That's why the camera is not showing their faces.
.
.
.
.
(Well, I wouldn't doubt it)
73
posted on
05/06/2003 4:55:01 PM PDT
by
#3Fan
To: Freeper
You forgot some of the private concerns like:Robert C. Byrd & Sons
White Sheet Clothiers
Rober C. Byrd Kerosene Company
"Crosses Burn Better With Byrd!"
....to name a couple
To: Alissa
I went to his official senate website and it says, and I quote, at the top;
"The Dean of the Congress -- The West Virginian of the 20th Century"I'm not making this up. No mention on when sheeple of WV have another crack at entering the 21st century.
75
posted on
05/06/2003 4:56:31 PM PDT
by
PeoplesRep_of_LA
(Press Secret; Of 2 million Shiite pilgrims, only 3000 chanted anti Americanisms--source-Islamonline!)
To: Wolfstar
The notion of those fantastic images of a dashing, ruggedly handsome, real-man President being used to slaughter Dems in the 2004 election. They defined Clinton's masculinity by how many females he could violate and how much he could get away with.
Now they see a real man, and have no idea how to deal with it.
What's even better, is the country is seeing a real man for a change. And the vast majority like it.
Becki
76
posted on
05/06/2003 4:57:53 PM PDT
by
Becki
(Pray continually for our leaders and our troops!)
To: M0sby
"
Amazing... I know that my own (eek) Democratic/ war opposing senator-in-tennis-shoes Murray arrived onboard the Lincoln today as it pulled into Everett. As did our Democratic Governor Locke"D*mn!! Say it ain't so! What a waste of good cheer that is.
Someone needs to tell ol' Kleagle that it's a military thing. He just wouldn't understand.
To: Right_in_Virginia
"The Dimms just don't get what Leadership is About!..."
The Problem is, they DO "Get It!"
"W" has TERRIFIED "The Dems;" They know FULL WELL that they are THOROUGHLY OUTCLASSED, & they are desperately "Thrashing About" to find ANY Republican Weakness to attack!
"W" represents an entirely NEW LEVEL of combat to the "Dem's"; They are Totally Flummoxed!!
The Dem's simply CANNOT FIND a "Weakness" in "W's" personality that they can exploit!
We are NOW WATCHING the "Dem's" reaching "Political Critical Mass," & Detonating in a pathetic orgy of "Self-Immolation!!"
ONE Honest & Sincere Man has precipitated the "Implosion" of an ENTIRE political Power Structure!!
WOW!!
To LIVE in Such Times!!
Doc
To: All
![](http://www.bsnn.net/images/Byrd.jpg)
And exactly how much military experience does this goober have???
Oh, what I really meant to say was "How much US military experience does this goober have." not "How much KKK military experience does this goober have."
79
posted on
05/06/2003 5:12:08 PM PDT
by
BFM
(Clinton IS a rapist)
To: GeneD
I am loath to think of so august a body as the United States Senate as the repository for a bitter, venal, hypocritical former {maybe} Klansman, but, alas, that is what I am seeing.
80
posted on
05/06/2003 5:12:50 PM PDT
by
Cedric
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