George H. W. Bush

[Shorty]

The oil barron war monger is gone. Voodoo economics...thousand points of light...invading Iraq would be a mistake. Need to catch Manuel Noriega.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/01/george- ... tions.html

Read my lips, no new taxes.

“I will never apologize for the United States — I don’t care what the facts are. ... I’m not an apologize-for-America kind of guy.” — Comments during an Aug. 2, 1988, campaign stop about the USS Vincennes’ mistakenly downing a commercial Iran Air flight, killing 290 civilians.

I do not like broccoli.

“My dog Millie knows more about foreign affairs than these two bozos.” — During his unsuccessful 1992 re-election campaign against Bill Clinton and Al Gore.

“Still hard to believe I had the honor to serve as President.” — Tweet on Jan. 20, 2014, the 25th anniversary of his inauguration.

https://quotes.thefamouspeople.com/geor ... h-4282.php

It's a very good question, very direct, and I'm not going to answer it.

The day will come - and it is not far off - when the legacy of Lincoln will finally be fulfilled at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, when a black man or woman will sit in the Oval Office. When that day comes, the most remarkable thing about it will be how naturally it occurs.

[Cadfael]

Here are all the women who have accused George H. W. Bush of sexual harassment

After actress Heather Lind accused former President George H. W. Bush of sexual harassment, five other women have since come forward with their own experiences with Bush, all of which involving him groping their buttocks during photo shoots.

[Shorty]

Cindy Sheehan tribute:

"Dear Soapbox Friends/Supporters

Just the other day, we were told the news that the nonagenarian, George H.W. Bush died peacefully in bed after living a long and prosperous life outside of thick, dand prison walls. After war criminals (most recently John McCain) die here in the US, we are supposed to buy into the idea that they were "heroes" and/or "august public servants," when in reality, 100% of the time, they are base thugs with a body count of which any common serial killer would be envious.

I am often chastised when I don't present the required Imperial level of "respect" and "honor" for the inglorious dead. The only thing I am ever sad about is that all of them get to die naturally, mostly after long lives (will Kissinger finally be next?) and do not die rotting in Guantanamo or Ft. Leavenworth after being convicted of crimes against humanity. The people I honor are the millions of victims of these thugs.

In 2009, I interviewed Russell Baker about his book: Family of Secrets where we learn some scandalous tidbits and downright crimes of that "august public servant" George HW Bush---one thing we learn is that George HW was most probably in Dallas the day JFK was assassinated, but when asked his whereabouts that day, he would say, "I don't remember." Sure, I was six and I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news: by the jungle gym at afternoon recess. "

[IU2Bmanoletters]

Agreed, when it comes to the true character of the man, which was actually so notably lacking in compassion. A kinder gentler nation indeed! So while MSNBC, CNN AND FOX are busy today delivering their respective hagiographies extolling the supposed virtues of George Herbert Walker Bush, I am busy recalling the 43 days of non-stop saturation bombing of Baghdad and other Iraqi cities, courtesy of Pres. Bush and his NATO "allies." Nobody even knows just how many Iraqi civilians were slaughtered in that "Blood-for-Oil," undeclared, unconstitutional war of US aggression. Just as the best estimate of the death toll from Bush's 1989 invasion of Panama is at least 3000 dead Panamanians, mostly civilians.

It's true the very patrician G.H.W. Bush - that Skull & Bones alumnus of Andover and Yale and faithful servant of the Republican National Committee and the CIA - was a lot better than either "W" or Donald Trump when it came to articulating himself using multi syllable words. But let's not forget the high price in human life and property senselessly destroyed by wars that had no justification. So don't cry for Bush, America!
"Bush-41’s October Surprise Denials:"
https://consortiumnews.com/2018/12/03/b ... denials-2/
"The Bush Cocaine Chronicles: Complicity and Cover-up:"
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-see ... 37786.html

[jonnygothispen]

Chapter 28 of the Iran/Contra report... 89 points of blight.

https://fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/chap_28.htm

[Henry Vilas]

Pardoned
Caspar W. Weinberger (1988 Several counts of perjury, See Iran-Contra Affair)
Elliott Abrams (1988 Two counts of unlawfully withholding information. See Iran-Contra Affair)
Duane R. Clarridge (1991 Seven counts of perjury and false statements, See Iran-Contra Affair)
Alan D. Fiers (1991 Two misdemeanor counts of withholding information from the Congress, See Iran-Contra Affair)
Clair George (1991 Ten counts of perjury, false statements and obstruction)
(1992 two felony charges of false statements and perjury before Congress — see Iran-Contra Affair)
Robert C. McFarlane (1988 See Iran-Contra Affair)

[jonnygothispen]

Not to mention that GHWB ran the Iran/Contra operation out of his office, and kept a diary on the Iran/Contra meetings that prosecutor Walsh was unable to access due to 2 Reagan appointees on a 3 judge panel ruling it irrelevant to the investigation. Or the October surprise, or that GHWB's ambassador to Iraq (April Glaspie) gave Saddam the go ahead to invade Kuwait the week before the went in.

[pjbogart]

I think some people are understandably irked by the short-term white-washing of HW's legacy, but it's a cultural norm that will have very little lasting effect on his reputation as President. HW hasn't spent his retirement years basking in his successful Presidency and he won't be remembered as a model President in years to come. The kind words are fleeting, a temporary praise we afford the recently deceased. The "Peter Rabbit" effect: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

History won't be kind to the Bush Family. It hasn't been kind to them over the past 30 years, and it won't be kind to them in the 30 years to come.

[gargantua]

I also think that a lot of the current nostalgia stems from the stark contrast between Bush 41 and the current occupant of the Oval Office.

[jman111]

You're not alone.

...the warm remembrances of Bush also display a distinct trend: evaluating the forty-first president specifically as a foil who highlights the perceived failings of the current commander in chief.

Bush unquestionably had his merits, but setting him up as an anti-Trump requires selective vision. It is true that there’s much about Bush that sets him apart from the current president, notably a commitment to democratic norms and international institutions and alliances. But there are many other ways in which Bush was a forerunner to Trump, conjuring up the forces of atavistic bigotry to win elections, only to die when those forces had taken complete hold of his party.

The Whitewashing of George H. W. Bush

[jonnygothispen]

"Mr. Kotter! Mr. Kotter!"

https://benbosophy.blogspot.com/2018/12 ... f.html?m=1

Saturday, December 15, 2018
Death of a President in the United States of Amnesia

[Paleo2]

"Mr. Kotter! Mr. Kotter!"

https://benbosophy.blogspot.com/2018/12 ... f.html?m=1

Saturday, December 15, 2018
Death of a President in the United States of Amnesia

Pretty good article; overly harsh in a few spots.
For example, comparing Dan Quayle with Sarah Palin is grossly unfair to Quayle. Quayle was in over his head, but by all accounts he was very bright. He wasn’t good in front of cameras, though, and made some truly awful slips. Not presidential timber, but far brighter than his media reputation.

It goes to show how the media will often rather unfairly influence campaigns based on whom they like or dislike. A strong case can be made that the media swooning over JFK while disliking Nixon threw the election to Kennedy. Similarly, Bush II was quite charming with the press — he gave them nicknames!!! Whereas the media found Gore to be boring and annoying. So our endless wars and unimaginable federal debt can be, to a large extent, traced to reporters enjoying hanging out with W.