2009-10-20

George W. Bush Video Countdown, #1

It's been a great countdown. Let's recap:

10. George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier

9. Transitioning to Obama

8. Aircraft carrier landing

7. Teaching black people how to dance

6. The Liberty Speech

5. "Major League Asshole"

4. "I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it."

3. Axis of Evil

2. Shoe Throwing? Bring it on!

And now, with George W. Bush's Edmonton speaking engagement only a couple hours away, it's time to bring out our best Bush video moment. And for that, we need to turn to his shining glory, the immediate aftermath of September 11th.

There were several things from the Clinton Presidency that Bush recalled with distaste, and you can see many of these experiences guiding his Presidency. Entering office with the "W's stolen off keyboards" incident led Bush to ensure that his successor entered office with the full support of the staff of the outgoing administration. Bush very publicly expressed disgust with Pardon-gate where every criminal with any link to the Clintons got a full pardon as he left office... in 2009 Bush's small number of pardons was immediately shrank when he learned the beneficiary's father was a Republican donour. Clinton had the U.S. military bombing Serbia from on high, and when Iraq/Afghanistan began Bush was convinced he was going to do things differently: if a cause was so important that a few individual Iraqi and Afghani lives were worth the sacrifice than surely American soldiers who had vowed to sacrifice their lives if need be for a greater good could be added to the roster. The Cindy Sheenans of the world weep and cry hearing about this, but better for both American and Iraqi peoples to be fighting and dying on the ground than the latter dying as the former fly away in total security confident only the darkies need suffer.

When I take action, I’m not going to fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt. It’s going to be decisive
- George W. Bush
But that's not the quote in our top video moment (for example, there's no video). Instead I bring you this:

Our top video moment starts at 0:46 into the video. When Bush's megaphone isn't loud enough to be heard everywhere at first, the crowd calls out "We can't hear you George." Bush responds with one of his most memorable lines:
I can hear you, the rest of the world can hear you and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon
- George W. Bush


Attaboy George! See you in a few hours!