Bush Thanks American Idol Viewers (Mr./Mrs. Bush on show)

[doxieone]

Source: Orlando Sentinel


LOS ANGELES - President Bush and his wife, Laura, thanked "American Idol" viewers for helping raise $70 million during last week's charity special, "Idol Gives Back."

The top 12 contestants on the Fox network television reality series 'American Idol' pose at a party celebrating the Top 12 in Los Angeles, California, March 8, 2007.

The money will help impoverished children living in the United States and Africa.

"We thank 'American Idol' viewers who have shown the good heart of America," the president said, in a taped appearance. "We thank all the celebrities who participated, including Bono, and all the contestants who sang their hearts out for these children."


snip

Read more: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/sns-ap-bush-american-idol,0,6889789.story?coll=orl-home-entlife

[okoboji]

1. impeach now

that right there should be the straw that breaks the back ... WTF ... American Idol is important to him?

[zalinda]

2. They should actually be ashamed

How could ANY statesman be proud of an outside charity fulfilling the NEEDS of their country? We are supposed to be the richest country in the world and American Idol is providing food, books and other needs to OUR kids. I could see if all the money was raised and being sent to Africa, because it's poor, but America? How in the hell could he be proud of that?

And not only that, I am sickened he even inserted himself in the charity special. I will never understand people like him.

zalinda

[Mike Daniels]

10. I would think that AI asked him to do the message vs. him inserting himself

One could argue that he should have declined the offer from AI but given Bush's and the Republican's apathy to anything coming from Hollywood I seriously doubt it was his idea to contact them.

Given the work they've done to raise funds for Katrina and other disasters I personally would have thought that Clinton and GHW would have been the better choice for a taped message of thanks.

[cyberpj]

16. Let's not forget AI is a FOX show. They've been waving the flag a lot lately for him. nt

[shanti]

18. ugh

another reason why i refuse to watch this show!

[hisownpetard]

24. Next week, they should have Nancy Pelosi thank the contributors!

Re: They should actually be ashamed

Zalinda:

Those were exactly my thoughts - i.e. how appalling it is that the richest country in the world needs to rely on celebrities to raise money for the poor children in America, while the President then shamelessly goes on TV to thank them for doing what HE obviously will not do, hoping that some credit will accrue to him.

It was a surreal and startling moment, to have W. and Pickles (who looked like she was going to vomit when she called him "Darling,") injected into the show - until I realized it was on FOX, and "Idol" has the largest viewership of any show on television. I just kept thinking, "WTF...?!"

Politicizing a singing contest by giving Bush - who had nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that $70 million was raised - an opportunity to
thank the contributors is a repulsive move, even for FOX. Next week, they should allow Nancy Pelosi or Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama the same ridiculous opportunity; they all had as little to do with the show as Bush did. Better yet, maybe Mike Gravel.

I tried to write to "Idol" , expressing disgust, but couldn't find a contact address. So, thank God for DU, where at least I found
some other people who were as revolted as I was by this nauseating ploy and free plug.

Thanks!!

[underpants]

3. Oookay so we have actually gotten to a real life "American Dreamz"???

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465142/

[bigworld]

7. funny, funny movie. rent it.

[underpants]

9. Eh it was okay I think it failed mostly because it humanized terrorists

I myself didn't feel all that comfortable laughing at the terrorists who were planning on...well you know. I think that and the fact that it was a simple parody of American Idol and the fact that it was basically an unfinished script really hurt it. Great satire really but it was glossed up too much.

[uncle ray]

19. good satire, nobody understood it.

or something, i dunno, nobody went to see it!

i saw the movie on opening weekend, during a prime time showing. me and my girlfriend were the only viewers seeing that movie in an otherwise busy theatre.

[evilkumquat]

4. My First Thought Was:

Wow. He's admitting thanks to these Idol guys for helping to pacify and distract the public from his administration's crimes?

Bread and circuses indeed.

Seriously- the news media can be rightly blamed for helping this douchebag strip mine our constitutional rights and run this country right into the toilet, but there is plenty of blame to spread around to the other parts of the media, the American Idols, the Survivors, the Who Wants to Be a Millionaires... all the bland, popular and utterly soulless shows on television helping to distract the country from what really matters.

Bush owes these shows a lot more credit than what he will ever admit.

Evil Kumquat

[onehandle]

5. "Thanks for watching this utter crap and not paying attention."

"And remember, voting makes you unpretty, unpopular, and untalented."

"Goodnight, sheep."

[jakem]

6. :puke:

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[kurth]

8. If you wish to vote for impeachment

Call 1-800-...

OR Cingular Wireless subscribers can text the word VOTE to IMPEACH.

[thecrow]

11. Thank you for helping poor children out

as I have, quite frankly, cut them out of the budget.

[shaniqua6392]

12. They were just paying back Rupert Murdoch

for all of his help promoting their talking points for the last six and a half years!! One good turn deserves another, as they say.

[grilled onions]

13. The Same Old Story

They cut,we fund raise. They take credit for the money raised. The population wouldn't have to have so many fund raisers for poverty,transplants,paying medical bills,paying to build or refurbish someones home IF the morons at the top wouldn't keep doing their slasher best at cutting every program that is designed to help those people who have the least yet often lose the most. :mad:

[undeterred]

14. He was giggling drunk when they broke in at the end of theshow

They had nothing to do with the fundraising that went on last week. I think this was just another way for Bush to try to show what a great guy he is and how important he is.

[LeftHander]

15. When the middle class and poor give....

Then the rich don't have too...."Thank you, we go on robbing the treasury." - GW Bush.

[Politicub]

17. I wanted to vomit

Bush looked like a psychopath, and Pickles appeared to be high on valium. They both make me sick. How ironic that they appeared to be all smiley and playful when our soldiers are dieing by the thousands in Iraq. Shame on them.

And the real tragedy is that the richest country in the world still has children that live in poverty. This is an outrage.

[anotherdrew]

20. American Idle is more like it. n/t

[Efilroft Sul]

21. To make matters worse, Bush sang.

And since it was Bon Jovi week on Idol, W performed "Who Says You Can't Go Home?" He dedicated it to the the Katrina victims.

:sarcasm:

[Seabiscuit]

22. Alfred E. Newmann and the Botox Queen sink to new lows. n/t

[Seabiscuit]

23. Comment on American Idol boards: "Can we vote Bush off?"

[fleabert]

25. pitiful and maddening- our government should be the ones protecting

and providing for impoverished children in the US- it is embarrassing that the wealthiest nation in the history of the world can't feed it's own people.

Made me want to spit and kick my teevee...