Olbermann Slams Bush On Birthday Lie
07 July 2006 12:29 pm by Taylor Marsh
Olbermann Slams Bush On Birthday Whopper
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When I heard this one I laughed out loud.
Via Matt Stoller:
“It's a debate, actually, that I'm in the process of solving by advancing
new technologies, burning coal cleanly in electric plants, or promoting hydrogen-powered
automobiles, or advancing ethanol as an alternative to gasoline,” he
said.
Bush “solving” global warming?
Hello.
That's not what Christie
Todd Whittman had to say just a couple of weeks ago during a spectacular
HBO Real Sports segment. Whittman and two ex-environmental protection agency
men tore into Bush's policy on Clean Air and other things — lack of clean air
is more like it — which is actually causing the catastrophic collapse of young
athletes in many areas of the country. The show was stunning. That Whittman
finally had the spine to say why she resigned was really amazing to watch.
The president was on Larry King last night and the host gave George W. Bush quite a birthday present.
Mr. King looked less like an interrogator than a hotel concierge gently removing
lint from a customer's coat. – President
Has a Smooth Ride on 'Larry King Live'
But seriously, what do you give a president, who has everything, on his birthday? Evidently,
a pass on telling outright whoppers.
Now, I didn't see “Larry King”, but found out about this
exchange today. I'm telling you, “smooth ride” doesn't begin to cover
it. When you let things like this pass without rebuttal, you're long past
the time to be put out to pasture.
KING: Al Gore was on recently on this program, and concerning the environment
he said, “President Bush and Vice President Cheney have anointed to every
key position that has anything to do with climate change special interest
spokesmen for the oil companies, coal companies, and this is no secret.”How do you respond to that? Have you seen his film?
G. BUSH: No, I haven't seen it yet, but I guess politics never stops. We
have done a lot to deal with greenhouse gases by advancing new technologies.You know, I campaigned against Al Gore. I said we're going to spend money
for clean coal technologies, and we're in the process of doing that. And one
of these days, people will look back and say, well, thank goodness the Bush
administration made these investments, because we'll be able to have electricity
from coal that won't pollute.KING: Why do you think he put a bad rap on you?
G. BUSH: I don't know why. Politics, I guess. But we're the ones
— my administration started the hydrogen initiative. Spent over $1 billion
for research in the hopes that we'll be able to power our automobiles by hydrogen,
which would be an amazing advance in — in — in cleaning the environment.
We've done more on ethanol that (sic) any administration. We've got a great
record. And — but this town is full of politics. People just say what they
want to say.
Yes, Bush certainly does have a record,
which is turning Republicans and lovers of the land out here in the west (and
elsewhere) into Democrats. And since Bush seems to have forgoteen, who can forget this screaming headline: Bush
Disses Global Warming Report. Or this
one: U.S. Turns its
Back on Kyoto, all so big business could continue to prosper at
our expense. Maybe Bush has forgotten he denied
global warming even existed. The list is endless.
But on Bush drones about his “solving” the climate crisis.
I was also sent this beauty that appeared in People:
Do you think Gore is right on global warming?
I think we have a problem on global warming. I think there is a debate about
whether it's caused by mankind or whether it's caused naturally, but it's
a worthy debate. It's a debate, actually, that I'm in the process
of solving by advancing new technologies, burning coal cleanly in
electric plants, or promoting hydrogen-powered automobiles, or advancing ethanol
as an alternative to gasoline.
Keith Olbermann, referring to the quote above, gave the
final smackdown last night.
The fortunes of Senator Lieberman‘s former running mate, the aforementioned
Al Gore, on the rise recently because of the former vice – president‘s
impassioned stance, compelling film about global warming, President
Bush using an interview pegged to his 60th birthday to announce that he is
solving global warning, in response to a question about whether Mr. Gore is
right about the subject, the baby-boomer-in-chief going even further than
he did last week when he said he‘d always acknowledged that the problem
exists. He tells “People” magazine, quote, “I think there
is a debate about whether it‘s caused by mankind or whether it‘s
caused naturally, but it‘s a worthy debate, it‘s a debate, actually,
that I‘m in the process of solving by advancing new technologies,
burning coal cleanly in electric plants, or promoting hydrogen-powered automobiles,
or advancing ethanol as an alternative to gasoline.”Well, then, till the case is solved, just saying you‘re the
environmental president does not make it so, just as saying there is a coalition
of the willing does not make for a broad alliance in the war in Iraq,
the stalwarts of that theoretical alliance dropping like flies lately, and
often not by choice, making the big 6-0 a particularly lonesome milestone
for the American president, the British prime minister, Tony Blair, already
saying he‘ll step down before his next national election in that country,
his Japanese counterpart paying a farewell visit to the White House, and to
Graceland, thank you very much, last week. He is leaving office in September.
…
Belated happy birthday, Mr. President. So glad you got what you so richly deserve.
