In other words: A discussion of The Bush Administration
After a week off:
The Top Ten Conservative Idiots, No. 137
4. The White House
It seems that a favorite hobby of this White House is making things up, and Bush's 150-minute tiptoe through Baghdad International Airport gave them the opportunity to do just that. According to the Washington Post, communications director Dan Bartlett described the intense secrecy surrounding the flight thusly: "Air Force One had come within sight of a British Airways flight over water. The British Airways pilot, Bartlett said, radioed to ask, 'Did I just see Air Force One?,' and, after a pause, the Air Force One pilot radioed back, 'Gulfstream 5.' After a long silence, Bartlett said, the British Airways pilot seemed to realize he was in on a secret and said, 'Oh.'" Isn't that an exciting story? Well it would be - if it had actually happened. The next day British Airways reported to Reuters that none of their aircraft had contacted Air Force One during its flight. So the White House had to change its story: apparently the British Airways aircraft didn't contact Air Force One, it contacted air traffic control in London. Case closed. Except... that didn't actually happen either - British Airways and Britain's National Air Traffic Services both denied this second version of events. So the White House revised its story again, this time claiming that "the aircraft inquiring about Air Force One was, in fact, 'a non-UK operator,'" and that "The presidential pilots thought the query 'was coming from a pilot with a British accent, and so that's why they had concluded that it was a British Airways plane.'" Okay. And why is this such a big deal? Well, during a recent White House press briefing, Scott McLellan was quick to explain: "what we always try to do for you all in the press corps is to provide you a little color of important events, because we believe that's helpful to you for your stories, and to do your reporting to the American people." So there you have it, folks - finally, official proof that they just make stuff up and try to pass it off as fact.
5. Ernest Gallet Elementary School
Hey kids, remember - it's good to tell lies. At least, that seems to be the conservative moral of Marcus McLaurin's story. Marcus - who is seven years old - got into trouble at school when another child asked him about his mother and father. Marcus explained that his mother is gay, and that gay means "when a girl likes a girl." Marcus wasn't lying - his mother is gay, she's divorced from Marcus's father and they live with her partner. But for telling the truth, he was scolded in front of his class, sent to the Principal's office, barred from recess, and ordered to attend "behavior clinic" where he was forced to write repeatedly, "I will never use the word 'gay' in school again." Congratulations, homophobic conservative wackos - you've outdone yourselves this time. But it gets even crazier - an assistant principal called Marcus's mother to explain that he was in trouble, and told her that Marcus had used "foul words" and that he "didn't feel comfortable" using them over the phone. I mean, for crying out loud, what's wrong with these people?!? I guess the new method of preaching family values to seven year olds is to ridicule them in front of the class, tell them that their parents are evil, and make them write a pledge to never, ever discuss their family in school. Compassionate conservatism strikes again.
- rob 1:25 PM - [PermaLink] -
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