President Bush, buffeted by unrelenting criticism at home over Iraq, on Monday saluted Mongolia's "fearless warriors" for helping his embattled effort to establish democracy in the heart of the Middle East.That's the first sentence of the AP report. I feel proud to see our President go to this remote place, to thank its people for standing with us in the war and to hearten them in the cause of freedom in their own country, where they have abandoned communism and adopted Western-style democracy. I'm disgusted that the editors saw fit to shoehorn the phrase "buffeted by unrelenting criticism at home over Iraq" into that sentence. The inability of news organizations to cover the President's trip without inserting commentary like that is embarrassing.
Being in Mongolia, Bush did some classic Mongolian things. He drank fermented mare's milk and listened throat singing. "He was greeted at the Government House by flower-toting children in traditional Mongolian robes and soldiers in bright red, blue and yellow overcoats." He met with the president, Nambaryn Enkhbayar, in a white tent -- a ger -- with "a red-and-yellow design on the roof and red wood doors."
Inside were red brocade chairs, tapestries, Oriental carpets and a towering, white statue of Genghis Khan, the legendary horseman-warrior and country founder whose empire once stretched as far south as Southeast Asia and west to Hungary.Beautiful. I note that the AP declines to shoehorn in any criticism of Khan.
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Take a trip with me for a bit, it will take awhile but there is a point.
Remember Saul's comment regarding why you weren't well received at the discussion at the cafe.
His main complaint was that you didn't choose to tell a story like your opponent.
By not telling stories you refused to humanize the subject at hand. And how can you expect people to empathize with you if you don't comfort them with narrative.
Well the MSM has their comfortable narrative. Any and every opportunity to make the President seem childish, foolish or less than intellectual will receive an inordinant amount of attention.
The cameras of the photogs are ever on the search for any bulge in his jacket, any note asking directions to a bathroom, or any gesture and expression where he looks befuddled (like with the door this weekend).
I would bet that anyone under the level of scrutiny he endures would have thousands of moments where they look like Chimpy McStoopid (the narrative for Sen. Kerry was Frenchy McDoofus and there were plenty of those photos, too)(would FDR have been elected for even one term had the press chosen to attack him that way?).
To go with the embarrassing photos you also need the narrative of the embattled, unpopular, uncurious, cretin-in-chief. Over at eschaton they are critiquing Pres. Bush's choice of restaurants of all things.
Christ on a cracker (or christ as a cracker, transubstantiation and all), some people really need lives.
xwl - Here's more.
Read an account of Bush's inability to find his way out the room after his news briefing in China. Last night on his radio show, Drudge compared the gaffe to his father's upchucking up at a formal banquet when he was in China. With friends like Drudge, Bush doesn't need any enemies. Maybe Drudge is testy because he wasn't asked to be on Roger's editorial board.
As usual, Bush was good natured and self deprecating about not realizing that he needed to find an opening in the wall, rather than use the rather imposing double doors, for his exit. Oh, those inscrutable oriental doors!
The report I read (sorry I don't remember where) said Bush overheard one of the alleged reporters say that his performance was unimposing.
Ace of Spades sentiments are my own when he said here that, "Men are trying to win this war for you, . . . "
He was addressing Sullivan and his overblown case of BDS, but the same goes for all the detractors who presume to judge a man whose shoes they couldn't shine.
There has recently been a lot of re-examination of Mongol history under Genghis Khan. Particularly because any celebration of such history was supressed under communism. Also because of the discovery and translation of certain histories in the last 30 years.
The Mongols would have defeated any army put against it, including western knights clad in full armor (which they soundly crushed in Poland and Hungary). The only reason they stopped at eastern Europe was boredom and too many trees to maintain a large horse army.
Another interesting note for those who think the Iraqi Shia Arabs and the Iranian Shia Persians are natural allies.... the last time Iran and Iraq were ruled together, was under the Khans in the 14th century. However, at that time the Iraqis were not shia. They only recently converted (in the 19th century).
Also note the sarcastic headline of "Hey, Mr. Bush, You'll be Really Surprised!"
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10069069/
Actually, since he has been doing business and diplomacy with Mongolia for quite some time, I'll be he knows a bit more than you do, Mr. Snarky Lewis.
CriticalObserver, that was a nice story!
From the AP story Ann quoted: ...Bush ventured just outside the capital to sip fermented mare's milk and listen to the traditional Central Asian art of throat singing.
"Really special," he commented.
OK, I may be diving a lil too deep here, but is there anyone in America who can read Dubya's comment without thinking of The Church Lady? Bias ain't always blatant...
Thanks for the correction. Starless. You're a star in my eyes.
o/t but only slightly. Mare's milk in Mongolian is Kos also the word for yogurt. I wonder if the leftwing nutcase who uses that word as a blogname is aware of its meaning and if he is, what meaning does he associate with it. Just wondering.
Kos uses the name because his first name is Markos. I don't think he attaches any further significance to it.
Stability is not itself a virtue, Bear.
And despite your apparent carping (or am I just misreading? But if so, what're you trying to say?) about Mongolia, it is a democracy, with a Freedom House rating of 2,2 (aka "Free").
Damn! I dream of Mongolia! I've always wanted to see those folks, to feel the fierce freedom they've embraced in spite of the Chinese attempts to tame them. They're one of the last great peoples still close to the earth. Hopefully, they'll inspire Bush as much as they've inspired me over the years. Just...awesome...that he went there.
Jealous.
I like the idea of shoehorning criticism of Khan:
"Inside were red brocade chairs, tapestries, Oriental carpets and a towering, white statue of Genghis Khan, the legendary horseman-warrior and country founder whose empire once stretched as far south as Southeast Asia and west to Hungary,
(a) and whose record of protecting the rights of indigenous peoples was abysmal."
(b) although Khan's judicial appointments were insensitive to reproductive freedoms and civil rights plaintiffs."
(c) despite not benefitting from a free press to advise him at every turn."
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