Re: [MF:Apes] bush slur (sure)... (via /contact form)

On Sat, 12 Jan 2002, oohandy wrote:

> sorry - I assumed incorrectly that you kept yourself informed.

Since when is "who is the most admired american as determined by a Gallup
poll" was part of being "Informed". Does it show up in *Cultural Litercy*?


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0394758439/qid=1010877662/sr=2-2/ref=sr_2_27_2/104-9761366-4579925


FWIW, I don't keep track of who's in *Who's Who*, either.

> Since 1948,
> Gallup has been polling Americans on the question "What man do you admire
> most?"

So woman don't count? Why is this at all relevant.

> This year's poll, now taken with the help of USA Today and CNN,
> George W. Bush was chosen by a record 39%. The previous record had been 32%
> by John F. Kennedy, in 1961. One interesting difference, however, is that
> today, tens of thousands more americans participate in the poll.

Er...but do they take a larger sample *percentage wise*? Which is surely
the more relevant issue.

And it's self selected? That seems odd.

> Editor Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup poll said "Typically,
> the president wins, but he does not usually dominate, like Bush did."
> Steven Hess, a presidential scholar at the Brookings Institution, said "If
> the survey had been taken on Sept. 12, you could, in a sense, dismiss it.
> But when it is taken three months later, it is a much more accurate example
> of the support the american people have of his leadership."

Er...really? That seems complete off. How does he determine this?

Let's see what happens next election.

> Make no mistake, I am a supporter of George W. Bush.

Really?

> But aside from that, I
> have heard no one else other than you suggest

We don't suggest, we state that he did.

> that he made this slur, or
> even ask him to apologize for anything. Not one news organization has made
> this claim or observation.

This could equally be a statement about the new orgs yes?

But here:

	http://www.timesofindia.com/Articleshow.asp?art_id=426132774
	

> I have not even been able to find this quote
> anywhere else on the web or in a newspaper. If you could tell me where I
> could access this quote in a legitimate national media site or newspaper, I
> would like to read it.

Sure:

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ucrr/20020109/cm/the_unintended_consequence_war_between_pakistan_and_india_1.html

Here's a direct quote in a straight news report:


http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20020107/pl/southasia_bush_dc_6.html

(Note this reporter doesn't catch the slur.)

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20020108/pl/bush_pakistanis_1.html

"He did not apologize or withdraw the comment, but McClellan noted that
Pakistan is a key ally in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan."

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20020107/pl/southasia_bush_pakistanis_dc_1.html

"""Asad Hayauddin, spokesman at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, said
he did not consider what Bush said to be an insult.

``I would give him the benefit of the doubt and say it was said in
passing. In all fairness, I would say it's not a racial slur,'' he said.

He did, however, receive a number of phone calls from reporters seeking
the embassy's reaction."""

Well, the spokesman, IMHO, seems a little confused. It *is* racial term,
even if Bush didn't mean it that way. "In passing" is weird.

(Of course, the current Pakistani government wisely isn't going to make a
issue about it, considering how dependant they are.)

(This quote is about the strongest thing I can find on your side. I hope
it helps.)

Alas, I'm unable to find a transcript (again) of this press
briefing. (whitehouse.gov doesn't seem to have it, but they don't have
everything).

(Note these likes are an easy Yahoo search away.)

It's entirely possible that he apologizes somewhere in the remarks. If you
find such, please send me a pointer. I'll *happily* post a retraction.

(I find having to do your web research for you a little funny given your
haughtiness about my being "uninformed" about trivial popularity polls
:) Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this earlier, but 5 minutes on the
monkeyfist site would have shown that I wasn't a Gore/Clinton
supporter. Clicking on the related link at the bottem would have shown you
me giving bush grudging credit where credit is due (about speaking out
against anti-Arab violence). So, you didn't do *ANY* research about me,
even the most trivial, and then say 1) you know nothing about me, 2) that
you know my political views and psychological motivations, and 3) that I'm
not well informed. I don't at all mind discussing this issue seriously,
but I think you owe a bit more courtesy and due dilligence.

FWIW, I hardly think that this incident was the *worst* Bush has done
:) If I thought that my contributing to this column would *further*
tensions, I would have surpressed it. But as you said, George is more
known and popular than me. He has the tougher standard to meet. And he
was not an unwilling draftee...he sought the job.)

Cheers,
Bijan Parsia.