Bush's joke about WMD draws criticism

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush's humorous references to the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq have drawn criticism from Democrats as inappropriate for wartime. The White House and Republicans contend the president was just poking fun at himself.

"This is a very serious issue," Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe said Friday on Good Morning America on ABC. "We've lost hundreds of troops, as you know, over there. Let's not be laughing about not being able to find weapons of mass destruction."

Democratic candidate John Kerry's campaign said in a statement Thursday, ''If George Bush thinks his deceptive rationale for going to war is a laughing matter, then he's even more out of touch than we thought.''

Bush provided amusing descriptions of photographs Wednesday night during the annual dinner of the Radio and Television News Correspondents Association. Some showed the president in awkward poses as he looked behind furniture in the Oval Office. For those photos, Bush told the audience, "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere ... nope, no weapons over there ... maybe under here?" (Related video: Bush gets humorous)

Laughter erupted from the crowd of journalists, politicians and their guests then and at other times during Bush's remarks. For years the dinner has featured political and topical humor, most of it playful if barbed at times.

"The Democrats will go after anything," Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie told ABC. "The fact is that this is the custom in these things. Presidents have made jokes about very serious matters at these dinners.You can hear the laughter, the people in the room obviously saw the humor in it at that moment, and to play it back now in a different context is unfair."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters Thursday she has treated the subject with respect and doesn't find it funny.

"I had thought that that was a little casual about a serious subject, but now the president has made it open season," said Pelosi, who attended the dinner.

White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said Thursday the president's comments were meant to be light.

"It's traditional at events like this dinner for the president to poke fun at himself," Buchan said.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was asked Thursday about the appropriateness of Bush's comments and the audience's reaction. He said he was "not in a position to be judgmental about that" because he had not been present at the event.

Democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton called the joke "one of the most despicable acts of a sitting president" when he spoke Thursday night during a Democratic National Committee reception.

"Well, that's not a joke to us, Mr. Bush. Five hundred soldiers lost their lives, looking for weapons that weren't there. Billions of taxpayer dollars were spent looking for weapons that weren't there," Sharpton said. "But guess what? You gonna look out that window in January and see a moving van to send you back to Texas."

McAuliffe said legitimate questions have been raised about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, a principal reason for going to war there. Nearly 600 U.S. soldiers have died since the war began in March 2003.

"They're not there. That is the issue. We should not take it to a new step to make fun of the situation," McAuliffe said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-03-26-bush-joke_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA

Anyone who would joke about ours soldiers lives, and the civilians of Iraq, and laughing that there are no WMD's to justify why we went to war, or THE REASON he gave us, does NOT deserve the presidency.

"Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere ... nope, no weapons over there ... maybe under here?"-BUSH

That is horrible, and to say he is making a joke is just trying to justify a horrible mistake he made.

Bush is just making Americans hate him even more...

ya, democrats have never acted inapproriatly during wartime :rolleyes: anytime that sleazy slimebag macaullife speaks, get ready to lose your lunch

and for someone who laughs at the mising WMD, the 9-11 attacks and the war you ahve a lot of room to talk overdose

“and for someone who laughs at the mising WMD, the 9-11 attacks and the war you ahve a lot of room to talk overdose”

Well Trav, I never have laughed at the 9/11 attacks, for you haven’t found a quote for me …for I don’t recall saying it.

Now, even if I did (which I didn’t for you have no proof), I’m not the President of the United States, and if anyone should watch their tongue when it comes to world events, and human death it should be the President.

Oh, and I do recall you saying my life was, “worthless”, so you and Bush really do think alike.

Trav, PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH

:rolleyes:, hypocrisy and denial make a bad combination for you little man

Hypocrisy= Trav

Say I need to respect human life…
Then calls my life worthless

Says I “laugh” at September 11th, (when he does not have proof)….
But then say’s it’s fine for Bush to laugh at finding no WMD’s, while our soldiers, and civilians die, as we are in Iraq…trying to find WMD’s, and they have none.

oh enough with the dramatics. you know damn well you were blasted by a few members on this board for laughing about 9-11, dont lie.

“oh enough with the dramatics. you know damn well you were blasted by a few members on this board for laughing about 9-11, dont lie.”

LOL! Quote please…Quote…Quote…Quote…Quote….


Oh no quote….damn…I’m not lying, because I’ll admit to doing it, only if you find a quote….

But again, my life is “worthless”!! hahaha and you don’t care that Bush uses 9/11 images in his Ads, for his own political gain, giving them no respect?

Or that he laughs at finding no WMD’s in Iraq, WHILE CIVILIANS AND OUR TROOPS DIE.

You’re the bloody hypocrite.

The fact that President Bush pokes fun that our soldiers are dying to find these WMD's, that he said they had, means Bush is just a horrible, and disrespectful president.

PERIOD

Im just glad that Bush is admitting that he screwed up bad. The democrats really didn't criticize in the right way though. Let him make fun of himself, it's letting the public know that he made a huge mistake and he just laughs at it.

Bush is actually clowning people like you when he uses his smart ass self depreciating humor, but it seems some are just too dumb to see it.

Hint: Some know what sarcasm means.

the democrats will now slip into their serious, very offended by the slightest off color remark mode. its so obvioulsy just a mode they switch on and off, who do they think they are fooling with that crap?

Originally posted by Travh20
the democrats will now slip into their serious, very offended by the slightest off color remark mode. its so obvioulsy just a mode they switch on and off, who do they think they are fooling with that crap?

I'm a democrat and I wasn't offended...no seriously... I wasn't.

This is an election year...both sides are going to use every opportunity to attack the other no matter how inane the attack may be.

As an example

In a highly unusual move, key Republicans in Congress are seeking to declassify testimony that former White House terrorism adviser Richard Clarke gave in 2002 about the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Friday.

The GOP wants to determine if Clarke lied under oath, either in 2002 or recently when he gave testimony before the 9-11 Commission.

Now if the testimony was classified we have to assume there was good reason to classify it, and it would be wrong to de-classify it so that the GOP can use it for political purposes.

If Clarke has lied he shouldn't be able to hide behind the classified material.

Clarke has added nothing new to the equation. He's said the same thing dems have been saying for two years.

He has made contadictory statements but that's all about creating controversey. Helps sell his book.

so I guess anyone can make up anything as long as what they are talking aobut is classified I guess.

Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. So Bush sends out thousands of young men and women to their deaths to fight a war no one wanted, and then he LAUGHS? It's sick. I feel the utmost sympathy for those who have lost a husband, a brother, a wife, a son, a daughter... all for nothing. And now even the President who sent them on this barbaric act of terror is making jokes of their corpses. It was all for nothing, and no one of any intelligence can think otherwise. It's sick, I wish that Bush would lose someone he loved and have it be laughed it, joked about, so that he can see what it feels like. Sick bastard.

oh get over yourself. we all cant be eternally concerned like tom daschle and the rest of the weeping willow democrats.

Any conservative who does not fight and die for his country is a worthless hypocrite. You support the war but you are too much of a coward to fight in it yourself. Instead you throw petty words smearing the good name of the soldiers who paid the ultimate price for the foolishness of a corrupt administration.

shut your mouth you scum. you dont know what the hell you are talking about.

Any conservative who does not fight and die for his country is a worthless hypocrite. You support the war but you are too much of a coward to fight in it yourself.


shut your mouth you scum. you dont know what the hell you are talking about.

wow, what intelligent statements...
:rolleyes:

Send off the young men and woman to die while you sit at home posting idiotic pointless messages on this forum. Go make something of yourself. At least I have the guts to stand up for what I believe in by attending protests, starting petition drives, writing to politicians, organizing a political club at my school and staying true to the meaning of liberalism.

Originally posted by mevam
Send off the young men and woman to die while you sit at home posting idiotic pointless messages on this forum. Go make something of yourself. At least I have the guts to stand up for what I believe in by attending protests, starting petition drives, writing to politicians, organizing a political club at my school and staying true to the meaning of liberalism.

ya whatever. your a real hero. :rolleyes: you hold a sign and get other liberals to listen to your ideas. big deal. the young men volunteered for what they are doing. no one should join the army thinking they will never have to do anything. maybe when you learn a little about the military you can come talk to me about it, unil then, go paint some new signs or fill out some petitions :hitout:

Originally posted by mevam
Send off the young men and woman to die while you sit at home posting idiotic pointless messages on this forum. Go make something of yourself. At least I have the guts to stand up for what I believe in by attending protests, starting petition drives, writing to politicians, organizing a political club at my school and staying true to the meaning of liberalism.

Congratulations...it doesn't change the fact that this statement is absurd:
Any conservative who does not fight and die for his country is a worthless hypocrite.

If you think these messages are idiotic and pointless, what does that say about you for reading them?

Originally posted by Vilepagan
wow, what intelligent statements...
:rolleyes:

LOL, that was pretty funny pagan

How do you think the civil rights movement and suffrage movement started? By coloured men and women twiddling their thumbs at home, praising the conservative politics that made them lesser persons? It was through action, through protests, through nationwide campaigns that these people had their rights finally recognized under law. I am proud to be a liberal, to be someone vying for change that will better my country, change that will make an individual more precious than a corporation.

:comphit:

Originally posted by mevam
How do you think the civil rights movement and suffrage movement started? By coloured men and women twiddling their thumbs at home, praising the conservative politics that made them lesser persons? It was through action, through protests, through nationwide campaigns that these people had their rights finally recognized under law. I am proud to be a liberal, to be someone vying for change that will better my country, change that will make an individual more precious than a corporation.

You should be proud that you are acting on your beliefs, but insulting people is nothing to be proud of. Do you really think that conservatives are hypocrites if they don't go die in some war?

Yes that was an overreaction. However, you must have misunderstood my message, directed to the foul mouthed conservatives who laugh with the president when he befouls the names of the soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for the country, for a cause the president himself admits is a joke. It is disgusting to ignore these abuses by the commander in chief of the US army, and to commend them would be hypocritical unless such a conservative has fought and died in the war themselves.

so do you actually have to die or is fighting good enough? it would pretty ahrd to criticize anyone if you were dead.

Exactly my point. No one should EVER joke at the expense of the young men and women who DIED for the causes that person believes in. You believe in an unjust war that killed millions of innocent lies to satisfy the warmongerer Bush, yet you won't give your soldiers the respect they died for. How pathetic.

President Bush is laughing that there are no WMD’s in Iraq…

The reason’s why it’s horrible
1. He sent us in Iraq, for the thought of Saddam possessing WMD’s…now laughs that he cannot find any? Even though he sent us in Iraq, in the first place for WMD’s?

2. He is basically just laughing that our troops were sent over into Iraq, to find no WMD’s that he promised us; and then laughs that he either lied, or had an intelligence failure. Which just furthers his disrespect.

3. He is laughing that the civilians in Iraq are dying.
a. We attack Iraq to get WMD’s, and kill civilians (while we do it)…and then Bush laughs that we cannot find any WMD’s, and then just doesn’t even care that all of these children are dead, for this major flaw.

Overall- That just shows you how low President Bush can go, and to make fun of anything in a “war time” situation is just ignorant and arrogant.

what the hell are u talking about? millions killed? you need to get a grip on reality. there has not been anywhere near a million killed in this war. and dont talk to me about respecting soldiers, dead or alive. I have the utmost respect for my brothers in arms, living and dead. dont try your guilt trip BS with me. every time you try to out compassion someone it makes you look like an oppurtunist. it fasionalble to have the utmost respect for the troops all of a sudden to cash in on a stupid thing said by bush. before this we were lucky to hear such compassion from the likes of you, without some political mmotive to drive it along.

Trav 10,000 were killed, and that’s too high for me, even though whoever said “a million” is exaggerating a hell of a lot. 10,000 is enough to have utter disgust.

You have no respect of Kerry, and he was a solider.

3 Purple Hearts
2 Metals

Then you post a conservative site on bashing his military record? What the hell?

Overall- That just shows you how low President Bush can go, and to make fun of anything in a “war time” situation is just ignorant and arrogant.

Well put. Bush IS more evil than I thought. Trav, get a grip, read a newspaper, and learn something beyond what your gradeschool teacher taught you about Republicans. Bush is a moron, and even more moronic are those who believe his lies.

Here's a start:
Bush's jokes about WMD draws Criticism:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2027&ncid=2027&e=6&u=/chitribts/20040326/ts_chicagotrib/bushcriticizedforgagsaboutweaponssearch

You have no respect of Kerry, and he was a solider.
Well obviously Trav really respects Bush and his record of NOT showing up for his duties, of bailing out when his country needed him, and of being the ultimate coward. Shame on you Dubya, shame on you. At least Kerry had the courage to fight for his country.

And a million people are likely to have died. Have you forgotton the innocent civilians who've suffered in Iraq, from one oppressive dictator (Saddam) to the next (Bush). Learn the facts, and then come back.

are these liberal high schoolers paid to ocome here and bite at my ankles? bush is evil? kerry the great warrior who no one can ever criticie unless they have died in a war themselves? WTF? I feel like aragagorn fighting off wave after wave of orcs and goblins

Let's see how low his approval rating goes THIS time...

Originally posted by mevam
Well obviously Trav really respects Bush and his record of NOT showing up for his duties, of bailing out when his country needed him, and of being the ultimate coward. Shame on you Dubya, shame on you. At least Kerry had the courage to fight for his country.

And a million people are likely to have died. Have you forgotton the innocent civilians who've suffered in Iraq, from one oppressive dictator (Saddam) to the next (Bush). Learn the facts, and then come back.

so bush ousts saddam, frees milionsof iraqis and now its his fault saddam was killing them off? where is that smilie of a smile face pulling a gun and shooting himself in the ehad when you need it? maybe you should learn to stop contradicting yourself mid sentance then come back

Defend what Bush said then. Give me a reason to why he can say that, and then get no criticism for it!

Bush was AWOL!

In the Army, and right before he was going to get sent way; he joined the Nation Guard…that is AWOL!

Kerry fought, and got three purple hearts, and two metals…while Bush was hiding behind his rich father.

How can you argue with that?

Plus to laugh at ANYTHING in a wartime situation, is wrong. To say, “haha there were no WMD’s after all” and just poke fun that civilians, soldiers, and people died because of this mistake in our country, is just fucked.

So Bush "freed" millions of Iraqis, left them with no functioning government, no law and order, extreme hospital supply deficencies, widespread looting and rioting, and the destruction of basic institutions like schools, and he has "freed" the Iraqis? Where are the billions in aid Bush promised the Iraqi people? Why is it all paying for the escalating military presence in the middle east and not giving food to the starving citizens of a war ravaged nation?

He frees millions of Iraqis…while killing 10,000 of them.

He frees them to now be under American Solider rule…to now be under American/Bush rule.

But remember that was not the original reason, it was because of WMD’s not to save the Iraqis. You have adopted this idea after there were no WMD’s.

While we are not fighting real threats to America, we spend it in Iraq…saving people, who a lot don’t want to be saved.

Spending billions, when we could be stopping terrorist networks, from committing massive attacks.

Oh and lets not forget the other dictators around the world who kill their civilians…we are one of the only countries that are “advanced” that still have the death penalty.

What about world hunger? What about everything else, Trav? Why do we pick IRAQ? WAR ON TERROR IS NOT STOPPING MASS MURDERS; IT’S STOPPING TERROR AND PROTECTING AMERICA. THIS IS NOT PROTECTING AMERICA!

defend what bush said....ok, it was a joke to make fun of people like you. it wasnt meant to insult the soldiers, but you sure made sure it seemed like that. and I am not saying kerry wasnt in vietnam. and I am not going to belittle the national guard either. I dont think that just becasue kerry was in a war that everyone should have to vote for him, if that were true where is president dole? lots of people have been in wars, it only seems to be a big del to people like you who have never had any eperience with it or people who were around it. the kerry vietnam thing is so old now its irrelevant.

Originally posted by mevam
So Bush "freed" millions of Iraqis, left them with no functioning government, no law and order, extreme hospital supply deficencies, widespread looting and rioting, and the destruction of basic institutions like schools, and he has "freed" the Iraqis? Where are the billions in aid Bush promised the Iraqi people? Why is it all paying for the escalating military presence in the middle east and not giving food to the starving citizens of a war ravaged nation?

are you mentally retarded? do you have any concept of what has taken place?

WOW! A JOKE? A joke about one of our biggest intelligent failures in American history (or so Bush claims). That’s a joke?

He is joking that his first and for most reason, for going to war in Iraq was flawed? He is just saying and proving that his main reason for going to Iraq was either a lie, or he was wrong.

He is joking that civilians and soldiers in Iraq died because of this flawed accusation? He is laughing that there is no WMD’s, and that then just proves that we should have never gone?

YOU NEVER MAKE JOKES IN A WAR TIME SITUATION!

GET THAT IN YOUR THICK, ARRAGOANT SKULL.

lots of people have been in wars, it only seems to be a big del to people like you who have never had any eperience with it or people who were around it. the kerry vietnam thing is so old now its irrelevant.

^^^^ Great so now you're proposing forgetting about the veterans sacrifices, let's just forget what Kerry did for his country and what Bush DID NOT. Stop contradicting yourself, one minute you say you support your veterans, the next you want to forget about what they did for you.

what the fuck? where are you coming from? why dont you go join the military, spend one day in uniform, tehn come tak. seems bush cant talk to kerry about military service, so why can you talk to me about it? what the hell service have you done? yuo disrespect me, but make john kerry out to be a hero. you, real supportive you partisan jackass

WOW! A JOKE? A joke about one of our biggest intelligent failures in American history (or so Bush claims). That’s a joke?

He is joking that his first and for most reason, for going to war in Iraq was flawed? He is just saying and proving that his main reason for going to Iraq was either a lie, or he was wrong.

He is joking that civilians and soldiers in Iraq died because of this flawed accusation? He is laughing that there is no WMD’s, and that then just proves that we should have never gone?

YOU NEVER MAKE JOKES IN A WAR TIME SITUATION!

GET THAT IN YOUR THICK, ARRAGOANT SKULL.

Hey TRAV read it again....and GET IT IN YOUR THICK, ARRAGOANT SKULL!

shut up please, you are giving me a headache with you endless screeching.

haha can't argue it can you....

hehehe

We win this one...and the one on "God" in the pledge....

Originally posted by Overdose
haha can't argue it can you....

hehehe

We win this one...and the one on "God" in the pledge....

Take a pill Overdose...no wait...I guess you'd have to take a whole handful...

Overdose, why is it you're so outraged by Bush's humorous address to a bunch of reporters? The function he was speaking at is a traditionally humorous one...the reporters who were present laughed...I think it's rather partisan of you, who weren't present and are getting your information second-hand to try and say that what Bush said was an outrage. He was making a JOKE. He didn't joke about people dying, he made a humorous remark or two about not finding WMD's. If you can't see the humor in it then I guess you have no sense of humor. The worst thing you can say about Bush's jokes are that they may have been illadvised.

I understand it was at an event where they are suppose to make, “jokes” about themselves. This joke I would not consider a valid one.

For my mothers friend, who has a son who is serving in Iraq, thinks it’s disrespectful to her son. He sent her son over to Iraq, for the thought of Saddam having WMD’s, and now Bush to just laugh and say, “opps there are no WMD’s, sorry for putting everyone’s lives in danger”.

Saying I have no sense of humor is pointless, you don’t even know me personally.

In this type of situation there is no room for joking.

Originally posted by Overdose
I understand it was at an event where they are suppose to make, “jokes” about themselves. This joke I would not consider a valid one.

For my mothers friend, who has a son who is serving in Iraq, thinks it’s disrespectful to her son. He sent her son over to Iraq, for the thought of Saddam having WMD’s, and now Bush to just laugh and say, “opps there are no WMD’s, sorry for putting everyone’s lives in danger”.

Saying I have no sense of humor is pointless, you don’t even know me personally.

In this type of situation there is no room for joking.

See, you managed to disagree with me without calling me arrogant. Good job.

It's only because we agree on most issues, and Trav comes up with the most ridiculous points in trying to "prove" me wrong...

But I can see the joke, aspect...

I just think the joke was disrespectful, inappropriate, and wrong.

I've explained why...above

Can't we just have one thread where Trav and Mevam and Overdose just scream at each other instead of making every thread completely annoying?

When people argue, and are immature (like me) it turns out this way...

Sorry...I'll work harder to not be so annoying.

Originally posted by Overdose
He frees millions of Iraqis…while killing 10,000 of them.

He frees them to now be under American Solider rule…to now be under American/Bush rule.

But remember that was not the original reason, it was because of WMD’s not to save the Iraqis. You have adopted this idea after there were no WMD’s.

While we are not fighting real threats to America, we spend it in Iraq…saving people, who a lot don’t want to be saved.

Spending billions, when we could be stopping terrorist networks, from committing massive attacks.

So your saying we should just cut and run? Retract all of our soldiers so the Iraqis wont be under the evil imperialistic rule of the Americans only to be replaced by a eutopian islamic extremist government?

YOU NEVER MAKE JOKES IN A WAR TIME SITUATION!

So are you saying that Bob Hope is evil because he told some jokes about the war?

I think if he was joking about say, shooting iraqi school children for sport, THAT would be inappropriate. But making a little quip about the lack of WMD's, i dont know. Hell, probably 2/3 of the country has done it.

Why don't we ask some military people what they think?

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110004883#approve

Sending our men, and women to Iraq for the thought of Iraq having WMD's, and then laughing that his 1st reason for going to war with Iraq, failed is wrong.

Our men and woman are dying in Iraq, because of this flawed assumption...

So you can say whatever you want, but it's still inappropriate, of a president to say.

But go ahead and defend your little President...but you know deep down it's wrong

Looks like the only ones concerned about it are the ABB crowd.

On a side note i had to laugh at this one.

The Kerry campaign had a press release on the issue which said, "George Bush insulted me as a veteran and as a friend to many still serving in Iraq. This act lowers the dialogue about weapons of mass destruction. War is the single most serious event that a President or government can carry its people into. No weapons of mass destruction have been found and that is no joke - this is for real. This cheapens the sacrifice that American soldiers and their families are dealing with every single day." -- Brad Owens (Iraqi War Veteran, US Army Reserves)

Who is Brad Owens one might ask.

http://augustachronicle.com/stories/061398/opi_087-3363.shtml
It's not difficult to figure out how a notorious photograph materialized featuring an enthusiastic Brad Owens -- now a candidate for the Georgia Legislature -- clutching the hand of one-time Ku Klux Klan Wizard David Duke.

Not only does kerry have the support of North Korea, Mohammed Mohathir he now add Mr. Owens (what they have in common is racism). Great crowd of supporters you are gathering their JFK.:rolleyes:

Aren't you paying attention Waldo - racists are all republicans! Excepting of course Robert "KKK" Byrd.

HEY! Thats my name. Only my first name is david. I am not prejudiced against anyone except for the following groups: Jewish people, blacks, hispanics, asians, canadians, russians, muslims, gays, bisexuals, transexuals, women, and hippies.

I am totally neutral on all else. :D