Anger as Bush bids to exploit Olympic games

[DoYouEverWonder]

August 23, 2004

President George Bush stood accused of appropriating the Olympic movement for political means last night, amid reports he was planning to visit Athens later this week to watch some sporting events, including a potential gold-medal winning bid by the Iraqi football team.

According to unconfirmed reports in the US, the White House is examining the logistical and security implications of Mr Bush travelling to the Greek capital in time for Saturday's football final. Iraq, whose progress to the semi-finals of the tournament has been one of the games' most captivating stories, will meet Paraguay tomorrow night for a possible place in the finals.

The Greek foreign ministry confirmed last night that the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, will be in Athens for the closing ceremony.

But it is the potential presidential visit to the games that will fuel a dispute between the election campaign of Mr Bush and his running mate, Dick Cheney, and the US Olympic Committee over an advert which links Iraq's and Afghanistan's participation in the games with the US administration's "war on terror".


http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1288645,00.html

[LosinIt]

1. I hope that Cretin attempts to show up at an Iraqi game

There is no way the 'authorities' will be able to shelter him from the hatred that the world feels for him. This is gonna be good.

[MichaelHarris]

2. I hope the

dumb-ass goes. It'll go over just as good as the flightsuit gig. 100,000 people booing his lying ass will make good TV.

[flordehinojos]

7. the propaganda machine here in the U.S. a/k/a mainstream media

will not televise the booing. They will pick AIR FORCE ONE's landing in Athens and they will show the shrub shaking hands with Greek officials. They might even show a soundless version of him sitting in some glass-bubbled sky box watching the game,and if he dares and they (THE IRAQI PLAYERS) are agreeable they will show him congratulating the Iraqi players. But the mediawhores here will never, never, ever, show the public booing their poster boy in Athens.

[MichaelHarris]

12. with so many people there

with video cameras hopefully someone will get the booing

[flordehinojos]

19. Good point!

But will they run it in the mainstream media?

[MichaelHarris]

30. they're

running scared, they won't show anything team shrub says is OK. But maybe, just maybe one of them will grow some fur and do their job

[jimshoes]

15. I have my doubts whether the Iraqi team

cares to be seen with *. What would he do if he showed up and the Iraqi team walked off the field?

[flordehinojos]

20. We might see a different emotional reaction to the one he showed

on that 7 minute tape after he was notified that the U.S. was being attacked by hijacked planes.

I think that would probably get a much more lively emotional reaction from him (ANGER, ANGER ANGER) ... but then again, we might just get that passive look.

[rooboy]

3. It will be interesting to see how well the Iraqi team plays...

whilst encaged in a "free speech zone".

[Inland]

4. Bush appears before invitation only crowds in the US

He isn't going to let the Iraqis snub him in Athens. No dice.

[Renew Deal]

6. Not just the players, but the fans.

I bet anything that it would get ugly.

[Renew Deal]

5. That would be a big mistake.

No one would be able to control the crowd. I bet anything that the crowd gets loud, ugly and possibly violent if he shows up. The level of anti-Bush feeling there is off the charts. I hope he is smart enough not to do this.

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. What crowds?

This is probably one of the most poorly attended Olympics in modern history.

That's probably why W decided to stick his neck out. Everyone else already decided to stay home.

[Renew Deal]

16. The soccer events have been well attended.

And especially the soccer final at the Olympic statium.

[rooboy]

17. The games have not all been well attended...

the Australian games I saw were mostly to empty stadiums, especially in Crete.

[Renew Deal]

21. I meant in Athens

That's probably true outside of Athens. Crete is a pretty small island. It's an 8-10 boat ride from Athens. It's kind of out of the way. BTW, I got back from the games yesterday.

[zanana]

8. Well, that rules out a terrorist attack.

He wouldn't show up at the Olympics unless he was damn sure a terrorist attack won't happen.

[jeff30997]

9. My bet is that he won't go.

If peoples boo him, it would be a catastrophe for his campaign.

[Renew Deal]

11. It would be beyond booing.

They would be ripping out seats and lighting fires.

[radwriter0555]

10. he's doing the "THEY WON'T LET ME!" game... pretending to want

to go, (and by the way, why won't he watch any AMERICANS competing???) so he doesn't HAVE to go.

[rooboy]

13. Will all the fans have to sign a pledge? n/t

[Kimber Scott]

18. Seems he'd want to go watch a few Americans win gold.

nt

[Snellius]

22. What planet does this imbecile live on?

Does he really think he's going to be greeted with anything but total disgust? He really thinks if he just smiles and waves and does that little cutsy shoulder shrug that everyone will love him again as much as he does himself.

[Insomnicole]

23. Liked the article in general, but this part pissed me off:

Mark Clark, the spokesman for the Iraqi Olympic squad in Athens, accused journalists of taking advantage of the players. "They are not very sophisticated politically. Whoever posed these questions knew the answers would be negative. It is possible something was lost in translation. The players are entitled to their opinions but we are disappointed," he said.

Yeah, how *dare* the Iraqi athletes express an opinion over what's happening in their country, especially if they appear somewhat less than grateful to Shrubby? Don't they know this could be a great photo op for him to use in his reelection bid? Shame on them!

[dansolo]

28. Mark Clark??

That doesn't sound like an Iraqi name to me. Why is the spokesperson for the Iraqi team (presumably) an American?

[midnight armadillo]

24. The ideal scenario...

...The Iraqi team stomps the competition for the gold medal, and after the ceremony they altogether moon Bush.

[goclark]

25. Why not send Vanessa and Ben and Chris to the games?

If they arrived the same day, I'll bet the response would be overwhelming for the youngsters in the JK camp.

[Rey Pygsterio]

26. Read this story on the Iraqi soccer team from Sports Illustrated

This is a great one.

Excerpts:

"Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign," Sadir told SI.com through a translator, speaking calmly and directly. "He can find another way to advertise himself."

Ahmed Manajid, who played as a midfielder on Wednesday, had an even stronger response when asked about Bush's TV advertisement. "How will he meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women?" Manajid told me. "He has committed so many crimes."

To a man, members of the Iraqi Olympic delegation say they are glad that former Olympic committee head Uday Hussein, who was responsible for the serial torture of Iraqi athletes and was killed four months after the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq in March 2003, is no longer in power.

But they also find it offensive that Bush is using Iraq for his own gain when they do not support his administration's actions. "My problems are not with the American people," says Iraqi soccer coach Adnan Hamad. "They are with what America has done in Iraq: destroy everything. The American army has killed so many people in Iraq. What is freedom when I go to the stadium and there are shootings on the road?"

Unwilling participants: Iraqi soccer players angered by Bush campaign ads

[jackieforthedems]

27. Stay Away Bush And Your Administration

The Olympics have gone well, let's not end it by stinking up the show! Bush is cutting his own throat in this election with the Swift Boaters, the o.t. pay, and now trying to invade the Olympics. Would somebody please just hand him a rope so we can get it over with?! I really think he's hung.

[MaineDem]

29. I've been in Canada and their coverage says...

that the Americans are being boo'd at every game. Now, I'm not sure if they were just talking about the basketball team but, even then, I'm sure the US press isn't picking that up.

I can't imagine the Boy George showing up ANYWHERE where there is a chance of a negative reaction from the crowd.

And, I also agree that IF he were to go, he should be going to watch a US team - like the women's gold medal soccer game perhaps?!!

[gatlingforme]

31. Bush going to watch the WOMEN's gold medal soccer game?

LOL, that is funny. That will be the day when that crook supports a women's anything. HEE HEE.

[0007]

33. There is so much going on that we're not getting here in the U.S.

The U.S. media must be going crazy editing the news from greese.

[Bullshot]

32. Didn't Bush's campaign rep on Meet the Press deny

Bush was going to the Olympics last Sunday? Looks like another flip-flop to me.

I thought I had heard Bush was making several campaign stops in Ohio and fly to Athens on the same day. Maybe the chimp looked at a map of Ohio and thought the Olympics are in Athens, Ohio.

If he does all of this on Saturday, his brain will be in even more of a state of mush.