Quoth Bush the Younger: "For
Quoth Bush the Younger:
"For those who yearn for peace in the Middle East, for those in the Arab lands, for those in Europe, for those all around the world who yearn for peace, we must do everything we possibly can to stop the terror...I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive."
Papers are full of various tut-tuts today. Newsday reports that Bush "did not even pause for a breath" as he told reporters to observe his shot. In a column about Al Gore that I unexpectedly and wholeheartedly agree with, MoDo pauses to sarcastically note Bush's "sensitivity." Even the Pro Golf Association's website duly reports the President's "smirk." Many outlets made sure to mention that White House advisors "pleaded" with him not to "look like he was on a golf course" when he was there last month.
But I laughed aloud when I saw the footage--on Entertainment Tonight, no less. Why? Because it was funny. Here's the President of the United States, calling strongly and sternly upon the nations of the earth to stop heinous, evil acts. But he's on a golf course. He knows he's on a golf course. What no account reported is that he used the same Presidential Tone to direct the reporters' attention to his swing. He wasn't trying to pretend he was somewhere else, or not doing what he was doing. He was well aware of the absurdity of the situation.
Crass? Maybe.
But funny.
