"Why do so many free citizens *fear* you, and even *hate* you, Mr. Bush?"

[VolcanoJen]

Did anyone else witness this on ABC's World News Tonight? I hadn't seen it posted yet, although it may have been discussed in earlier threads covering the joint Bush-Blair press conference.

Transcribed as accurately as possible from Tivo:

A British reporter, at the joint conference, asked, "What is your conclusion, Mr. Bush, as to why apparently so many free citizens fear you, and even hate you?"

Bush (smirking wildly): "I don't know that they do. All I know is that, uh... it's uh... (clearly annoyed, shuffled papers, looked around) uh... that uh... people in Baghdad weren't allowed to do this, until recent history."

He "doesn't know that they do?" Does Buckingham Palace get cable? Do they even have an old-fashioned bunny-ears top-of-tv antenna? He didn't notice the burnings in effigy, by free people? He didn't notice all the free people cheering as the statue of him was pulled down in Trafalgar Square? Honestly, I haven't seen that many flashbulbs popping since a Madonna concert. He's seriously going to try to play dumb on this issue?

I believe we have a winner!!! Best.Press.Question.Ever. Wasn't that perfect? Free citizens don't hate freedom, do they? And, may I also say that we have another winner... Lamest.Bush.Press Conference.Answer.Ever...

Edited for typos, and clarity, and stuff...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

1. We've had a great thread going in LBN with a title that

doesn't quite fit it. I've got a transcript there as well.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=230209&mesg_id=230209

snip>
QUESTION: What do you say to people who today conclude that British people have died and been maimed as a result of you appearing here today, shoulder-to-shoulder with a controversial American President?

And, Mr. President, if I could ask you, with thousands on the street - with thousands marching on the streets today here in London, a free nation, what is your conclusion as to why apparently so many free citizens fear you and even hate you?

BUSH: I'd say freedom is beautiful. It's a fantastic thing to come to a country where people are able to express their views.

QUESTION: Why do they hate you, Mr. President? Why do they hate you in such numbers?

BUSH: I don't know that they do. All I know is that it's - that people in Baghdad, for example, weren't allowed to do this up until recent history. They're not spending a lot of time in North Korea protesting the current leadership. Freedom is a wonderful thing, and I respect that. I fully understand people don't agree with war. But I hope they agree with peace and freedom and liberty. I hope they care deeply about the fact that when we find suffering and torture and mass graves, we weep for the citizens that are being brutalized by tyrants.

And, finally, the Prime Minister and I have a solemn duty to protect our people. And that's exactly what I intend to do as the President of the United States, protect the people of my country.


http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031120/API/311200736

I saw it live and nearly spilled coffee all over.

[VolcanoJen]

3. Thanks, Billy! I've been working all day...

... and came home to a news community obsessed with Jacko. It's great to see the question in its entirety, although I think ABC World News Tonight did an amazing job of framing the question and presidential response.

Glad to see the LBN Kids were on top of it! Let's get the information out to everyone, and applaud this reporter for his brave question.

:D

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

7. A British reporter. No American Reporter therewould have the balls.

The wrath of Monkeyboy can be ugly.

[knight_of_the_star]

12. wow

I hope that SOMEONE uses that for a campaign ad! He didn't even asnwer the question!

[flamingyouth]

2. Wow - who was that reporter?!?

I'm deeply impressed, to say the least. Oh, I wish I'd seen that... would have loved to have seen his smirky face.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

20. Nick Robinson

ex BBC, now chief ITV News (which is ITN) political editor.

[VolcanoJen]

22. Thanks, Monkey See!!!

That's him, for sure! Thank you!

VolcanoJen would like to send a round to Mr. Robinson's table!!!

[david_vincent]

4. Heard it on NPR

and yeah, the reporter who asked that question won't have to buy his own drinks for a long, long time. Perfect, point-blank, serious delivery. The Governor was like a deer caught in headlights.

[VolcanoJen]

11. Damn straight he doesn't have to buy his own drinks anymore.

VolcanoJen would like to send a round to that table, the one with the brave British reporter!!



Cheers to the extra-cool British News Guy! Let's all toast him, shall we?

:toast: :toast: :toast:

[Runesong]

5. "FREE CITIZENS"

How do you feel about the fact that Britons are free to assemble and protest, and dissenters in "the Land of the Free" are herded into aluminum corrals away from TV cameras?

[Karenina]

23. Meanwhile, back at the Florida ranch...

Folks are being set-up by undercover cops, tear-gassed and shot with rubber bullets. Talk about through the looking glass! :shrug:

[Emboldened Chimp]

6. Sad that it took a British reporter to ask it

[donotpassgo]

8. Iraqis that protest America are either arrested or shot

Free my ass.

[Q]

10. Great question....

...and we'll know that WE are truly free when they ask that same question in the US.

[45th Med]

9. I wanna see him get heckled in Parliament

Like he got heckled in the Australian Parliament...

[louis-t]

13. Not gonna happen...

...he's too chicken to address Parliament (maybe he could address Funkadelic)OK, bad joke.

[knight_of_the_star]

17. might not happen

The British Parliament is likely to wait until AFTER the monkey is done talking to make his life miserable.

[gulliver]

14. Yeah, but they also asked Clinton that question exactly ...

... zero times.

I think you are right. It's the best press question ever. Has any POTUS ever been asked a question even remotely close to that one?

But Bush gets credit too. Bush raised that question about himself in the first place.

[VolcanoJen]

15. Exactly, gulliver. Bush asked for it. He asked for it every time...

... he said that "They hate freedom."

I would love to see an intrepid DUer Google that phrase. I'd bet it appears more than 100 times in Bush press conferences and speeches. In betting terms, I'll take the over, in fact...

[45th Med]

16. US Press has been neutered

Our US Press are little lap dogs, if you ask hard questions you get sent to the back of the room.

[knight_of_the_star]

18. I wonder

Was this shown on any of the news networks in this country aside from C-SPAN?

[VolcanoJen]

19. Yes. In fact, I saw it for the first time on "ABC World News Tonight."

That's a pretty high-profile place to show such an exchange, I think. I was blown away, and only later learned (from Billy_Pilgrim) that the exchange was well-covered here at DU, in the LBN Forum! (see his post, #1).

[salinen]

21. just shows to go ya

our media is not our media. it's corpocapitalstockholderdicksuckenronhaliburton700clubviagrarightwingdittoheadmushmindjackolacicoulterfaux media.