May 07, 2003

Almost a week later, the whining, moaning and carping continues about President Bush's heroic and studly landing on the U.S.S. Lincoln, where later that night, he humbly, but strongly proclaimed that the U.S. had "turned the tide" in the War on Islamist Terrorism with our victory"Mission Accomplished" in Iraq:
Democrats Question Cost of Bush's Sea Landing
Administration defends Bush flight to carrier
Explanation for Bush's Carrier Landing Altered

The Liberal Media and their masters the Dims are leaving out 2 things when they bitch about this (other than it being the obvious success it was for Bush!):
* As Junk Yard Blog rightly reminds us, you can compare and contrast Bush's visit to the Lincoln last week with Bill Crinton's looting trip to the U.S.S. Roosevelt in 1993:
Bush's Carrier Visit Contrasts with Clinton's

The left is livid at the political master stroke that was President Bush's visit to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on Thursday - with some complaining it was a cynical misuse of military personnel and equipment.

But Bush isn't the only president to attempt to use the powerful imagery of a flight deck lined with saluting troops to burnish his image as commander in chief.

In fact, Bill Clinton tried to do the same thing in March 1993, when he and his White House entourage visited the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

However, instead of creating the inspiring image of a commander in chief adored by his troops, the Clinton gang managed to leave just the opposite impression, by looting the Roosevelt for souvenirs as if it were a cheap motel.

"I think I need to be here because I'm commander in chief," Clinton told reporters as his aides ventured below decks and swiped towels, bath robes and other Navy accoutrements embossed with the Roosevelt's name and call letters.

"The trip supplied television footage of Clinton in a green flight jacket watching fighter jets catapult off the carrier, of Clinton saluting a guided missile destroyer as it sailed by, of Clinton in a USS Theodore Roosevelt cap addressing the crew on the hangar deck," reported the Washington Post the next day.

It also supplied Clinton aides with a treasure trove of priceless military memorabilia - taken in the same spirit, no doubt, that Clintonistas would invoke eight years later when they trashed the White House on their way out the door.

Even before it became known that Clinton aides had helped themselves to everything that wasn't nailed down, the Roosevelt's crew sounded less than impressed by the president's visit.

"Maybe we can call this his military service," the carrier's Cmdr. Bill Gortney told Newsweek. "Three hours is more than he had before."

So, the Left's memory always dims when it comes to their idols, Bill and, of course, Hill.
*The second factor that the Left won't talk about ever is highlighted by the cheeky and hilariously right Mark Steyn in his May 5 column
"What counts is what a guy does when he's not talking":

Speaking of horse-like aspects, a significant sub-set of the above group have emailed me photos of the flight-suited jock and drawn attention to the presidential lunchbox, the most prominent political package since Al Gore appeared in tight bluejeans on the cover of Rolling Stone with his thumbs in his belt loops to hoist his gusset tighter. Having spent most of the 42nd presidency discussing the distinguishing characteristics of the executive branch, I think we need to "move on".

Over on the Left, meanwhile, it's business as usual: "Oh, sure, he 'flew the plane'. He flew the easy bits - the straight part in mid-air. Anyone can do that - look at Mohammed Atta. Bush didn't do the tricky tailhook landing, did he? And we're still not winning the hearts and minds in Iraq - did you see that anti-American demo the other day?

"Okay, it was about a tenth of the size of the one in Berkeley, but that just shows you how bad things are going. And don't give me that hung-like-a-stallion stuff. That's just the way they design those army suits, to ease the sexual insecurities of the impotent white American male - see Norman Mailer, at great length. You want a real strong horse? Check out the guy second from the left in the New York City Ballet..."

Oh, Mark...don't ever change!
You are a riot!
(You should see some of the reader mail he got on that one! Ladies, I am shocked.
Shocked, I tell you.
I, for one, as a patriot who is respectful of my President refused to check out the CiC's package, I'll have you know!
OK, I peeked a bit...Talk about your "Top Guns!" Whoo-Hoo! First Lady Laura must be one happy woman. But I digress.)
Anyway, suffice it to say that the Donks may have lost more than a few "soccer mom" voters (and some gay male ones, too--sorry!) with this "Top Gun" coup!