Did Bush ever clear Brush before he bought his Faux Ranch?

[trumad]

I gotta say that him clearing brush is the biggest phot op of all time... except for maybe his Commander Bunnypants pics.

[petepillow]

1. his new thing is driving cars.

must have tested well among the fundies...

[JohnyCanuck]

16. Can't fall of a car like you can a bicycle I guess. n/t

[abbeyco]

2. Here's a Will Ferrell send-up of * at the ranch

It's a hilarious 3 1/2 minute video.

Enjoy!

http://xgen.vitalstream.com/mcasx.asx?media=1862784&package=1829158

[TerdlowSmedley]

13. Even though I couldn't successfully pick up the video portion

on my computer, the audio alone nearly made me piss myself.

[Sparkle]

32. I just watched that. It is hilarious!

Thanks for that.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Doubtful.

I suspect the brush itself is recycled so he can be photographed "clearing" the same pile of dead branches over and over and over. Since he's spent 40% of the last 5 years on vacation at the pig farm, if there were real brush there to clear it would be all gone by now. It's just something to make him look manly and doesn't take any particular skill. I wonder if they actually let him use a chain saw, or if he just wanders around picking up dead twigs?

[Shoeempress]

4. Clear brush, hell he couldn't spell brush.

[Bluebear]

5. That photo. He could be one of the Village People.

Total costume.

[leftchick]

6. does he really use a chain saw?

with the dexterity he has with bikes I think pickles should prohibit chainsaw use.

Or not.. :evilgrin:

[kcass1954]

22. Maybe she should encourage it... n/t

[Vinca]

35. The thing's no bigger than an electric carving knife.

He's lucky if he can cut asparagus with it.

[DanCa]

7. check out these lyrics by stephan smith

www.stephansmith.com You aint a cowboy.

[Up2Late]

8. I doubt it, he's a "city boy" Cleared Mirrors, yes

Chugged Beer, you bet.

In Texas they refer to people who own ranches like him as, "All Hat, No Cattle."

<http://www.allhatnocattle.net/joke_page.htm>

[Career Prole]

9. If you count shaving Babs' back, sure! n/t

[underpants]

10. I asked about this a few years ago

not being of the ranching/farming lot (though I did live on one early in life thus giving me more fram cred than W) I wanted to know.

DU'ers informed me of what I already expected-a person of his means usually would rent a hedgehog and get either some high school kids or some *immediately available men (perhaps of a brown color)* to clear the brush.

It is complete BS. He lived in a gated community until he moved into the "ranch" in December 1999 (completed ON election day 2000). Google Crawford Tx for the city's werbite welcoming W and Pickles in Dec. 1999. Pure campaign BS.

[AlCzervik]

11. I lived in Houston when idiot son bought that photo-op, prior to that

he lived in a bigass fancy subdivsion so the only cutting going on there was his lawn by the gardener.

[TrogL]

12. Hasn't he heard of a wheelbarrow?

Cut it up into fireplace size pieces and put it in a wheelbarrow.

He's gonna hurt himself (as usual) carrying it like that.

[XemaSab]

19. that looks like a good way

to kill two birds with one stone: blow out your rotor cuff *and* get scraped to shit.

[CTyankee]

14. Historian Doug Brinkley

refers to the ranch as a "movie set." Also, his "costume" -- workshirt, belt buckle, boots. 'Course we couldn't have him photographed summering in Kennebunkport.

[DemonFighterLives]

15. Real men don't wear gloves

or cowboy hats clearing brush.
I don't think he knew the stuff existed until barney got his leash caught going after the dilla. That was his funniest video of him and barney outing the armadillo. Curious george goes to the farm.
It is so cute to see the astonishment on his face.

[XemaSab]

21. it's got to be wicked hot under that hat

also, voluntary labor is done either first thing in the morning or last thing at night.

[DemonFighterLives]

26. That's right

This looks like a hollywood lumberjack.

[bikebloke]

17. With his well known history of laziness

(and snooty arrogance) I doubt he did nothing more than pose for a few minutes. They gave him pre-dirtied clothes to wear for the shoot.

[applegrove]

18. The man battles plants to relax. Now there is a winning proposition.

[PA Democrat]

20. Bush is copying Reagan who got a lot of positive press for his working guy

image. For Bush, it's all about "image" because there is not one damn bit of substance behind the carefully crafted image.



(postcard) President Reagan doing physical labor in the woods with a chainsaw. May 1982.




(postcard) President Reagan in a cowboy hat fixing a fence. May 1982.




(postcard) President Reagan chopping wood at his Santa Barbara ranch. 1980.

[TrogL]

25. He's doing it wrong too

That's not how you hold a chainsaw and he's gonna bash himself in the knee holding an axe like that.

[ironman202]

23. yes...he had it shipped in special so he could clear it...

[doodadem]

24. Well, god knows I'm not defending Bush, but--

In answer to some of the questions posed here, from someone who actually DOES work on their own ranch:
-You wear a big hat if you don't want sunstroke.
-You wear leather gloves to keep from ripping your hands to pieces when tearing down old barbed wire, and (sad to say), clearing brush. Although I've still had it fly up and cut my face/arms.
-(LOL) It's a BUSHHOG, not a hedgehog. Which is like a big mower you attach to the PTO on your tractor.

Now, if his part of TX is like it is here in central Calif, you keep brush cleared because it is a major fire hazard this time of year. Always have to be conscious of that.
If he finds that kind of work relaxing, more power to him. We'd love to be able to afford to hire someone to do it for us, because it's hot, nasty, dirty work.

[BikeWriter]

27. Sheeit, a Friend used to work at Houston's Country Clubs...

She says stepping over * nekkid in the floor was a common thing. She claims a friend once adorned his, uh, thing with a napkin ring!

[ThomWV]

28. Actually You Clear Brush With A Dozer

This is not the middle ages. When brush needs to be cleared you bring in a dozer and in a couple of hours its all taken care of and any little drainage problems, roadways, or other earthmoving tasks are usually addressed at the same time. Its a one time investment that you then maintain. I somehow doubt Georgie Boy understands that.

[funkybutt]

29. what exactly is the purpose of clearing brush and...

why wasn't that cleared when the compound was constructed.

[Touchdown]

30. What do you mean "BOUGHT"?

It was built for him by the GOP to make him look like an "everyman" who would be cool to have a beer with...never mind that he can't have one, being a recovering alcoholic and all.

I bet his investment in his "Ranch" (Since when do ranches not have any animals on them?) is minimal at best.

[BikeWriter]

33. The animals are rented from a neighbor.

[Sparkle]

31. The few pics and video I have seen of this so called "ranch"

looks more like a farm. But I suppose ranch sounds more dignified than farm.

[Zorra]

34. According to his wife, apparently not.

I saw my in-laws down at the ranch over Easter. We like it down there. George didn't know much about ranches when we bought the place. Andover and Yale don't have a real strong ranching program. But I'm proud of George. He's learned a lot about ranching since that first year when he tried to milk the horse. What's worse, it was a male horse.

Now, of course, he spends his days clearing brush, cutting trails, taking down trees, or, as the girls call it, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. George's answer to any problem at the ranch is to cut it down with a chainsaw — which I think is why he and Cheney and Rumsfeld get along so well.

It's always very interesting to see how the ranch air invigorates people when they come down from Washington. Recently, when Vice President Cheney was down, he got up early one morning, he put on his hiking boots, and he went on a brisk, 20- to 30-foot walk.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-05-01-laura-bush-comments_x.htm