by Frank James
If you haven't already, check out Mark Silva's excellent post from the wee hours about last night's Gridiron dinner (I really don't know when this guy sleeps.)
Just a few things I wanted to add.
One of the goals of the Gridiron Club's annual dinner and roast is to "singe but never burn."
Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan was definitely singed last night. After acknowledging his presence among all the grandees and workaday journalists in the ballroom, club member Judy Woodruff, the television journalist, quipped of the still fit and vigorous 80 year old economist: "He's in his subprime." Ouch. Very deft line to fillip the man many people blame for encouraging the irrational exuberance that led to the current real estate crash and credit meltdown.
From where I was seated, I could occasionally see Karl Rove. At one point he appeared to be scrolling through his Blackberry. He had the dyspeptic look of a parent going over his kid's cellphone bill. It didn't hit me at the time, but there's a good chance he was reading about Denny Hastert's formerly reliably Republican congressional seat being handily won by Democrat Bill Foster. That's burning, not singeing, you smell.
As Mark wrote, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison told a withering Sen. Larry Craig joke at the end of her monologue, then promptly sat down. The reaction of the people I was sitting near was a collective: "Wow, that was a harsh note to end on." I guess the idea was to leave the audience laughing -- and gasping.
(Sorry about the shaky and grainy nature of the video. It's particularly difficult to keep a camera steady while one's swaying to and fro to Auld Lang Syne.)
Mark does a great job of recounting the president's performance last night, the culmination of the evening. I wish we had video of it. We would have had some if someone hadn't forgotten to hit the shutter button to start the Canon Powershot video recorder mode.
That's what happens when everyone's having just a little too much fun, if you know what I mean. I think the Latin phrase is "In vino no video."
We do have video however of the moments after the performance when the president makes his final remarks and will get it up as soon as possible.
Bush's kissing of Helen Thomas, his journalistic nemesis, happened as Mark described. It was about as short and sweet as a kiss can be and still be called a kiss. But it happened.
And it was a symbol of the kind of evening the Gridiron Dinner represents. It was the lion laying down with the lamb, the pursuer with the pursued. But today the truce is over and we're back at each other.
For those who want to see what we ate, sitting there in our swallowtail jackets and shimmery evening gowns, here's the menu:
On the reverse side of the menu card, was this cartoon of by the Washington Post's Tom Toles, featuring caricatures of Bush and Gridiron Club President Carl Leubsdorf, Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News:
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Comments
And another result from yesterday's elections: Firebrand libertarian conservative Woody Jenkins won the first round in the special election for the vacant Louisiana 5th CD. Jenkins got 49% just shy of winning outright. His nearest opponent got 26% and rumors are flying that she'll soon concede the election withouth a run-off.
Jenkins is about as hardcore limited government conservatives as you could possibly find anywhere. He's essentially a "libertarian Republican."
With Tom McClintock announcing in California for an open Republican-leaning seat, we could see for the first time a real bonafide libertarian anti-Pork/anti-Tax crusading caucus in the Congress for '08: McClintock, Jenkins and Jeff Flake.
Of course, predictably the MSM is highlighting the Hastert seat this morning, and not even mentioning Jenkins and LA.
Eric Dondero, Publisher
MainstreamLibertarian.com
Posted by: Eric Dondero | March 9, 2008 11:31 AM
Dubya & Helen sittin' in a... nah, that's wrong.
Helen & Dubya - Lovin,' touchin,' & a squeezi... nah, that's wrong on so many levels.
Anyway, I hope the kids had fun.
Posted by: Doug "Hussein" Zook | March 9, 2008 11:31 AM
The "Worst" Prez in history is at ease with the destruction he has caused.
God help us!!!!!!!
Posted by: Raving "Hussein" Loon | March 9, 2008 2:05 PM
He is so absolutely disgusting and revolting in every way...
Posted by: ann21 | March 9, 2008 5:33 PM
Sure, "worst President of all time. Only won two wars desposing of two Fascist dictatorships. Best economy in our lifetimes. Major tax cuts early on in his administration. Has kept the country from instituting a draft, or liberal style mandatory national service. Has saved us from nationalization of the health care industry.
Yupper, I'd call that "the worst President in history alright."
God help us indeed. God help us when George W. Bush leaves office.
Posted by: Eric Dondero | March 9, 2008 7:17 PM
Eric,
Any American president can overthrow third world governments. And any American president can prime the pump by lowering taxes while increasing spending.
That's not the key to a successful presidency. As you note, it's what the president leaves for the next president that matters.
In this case, Bush leaves two unresolved wars after deposing of two third rate dictatorships and he leaves an economy in crisis.
God help us, truly.
Posted by: Bud McFarlin | March 9, 2008 9:31 PM
"And it was a symbol of the kind of evening the Gridiron Dinner represents. It was the lion laying down with the lamb, the pursuer with the pursued. But today the truce is over and we're back at each other."
Dude, if you are talking about the MSM, you spend all of your time lying down with the lamb. Heck, most of the time you are the lamb and the lion has you for lunch.
I wish the press would give up smoozing (while trolling for a good unnamed source) and go back to investigation. Makes you wonder if this is the kind of event where the future Judith Miller flirts with the next Scooter Libby.
The MSM is a pretty sloppy, corner-cutting, complacent, self-righteous bunch. They share that with the prez, and it shows in the dismal state of US journalism.
Posted by: john Fillmore-Patrick | March 9, 2008 10:18 PM
Not appropriate at all in such serious times when he continues to send American men and women to their deaths for 5 years. His unprovoked invasion/occupation of Iraq has killed too many, and has created this US recession. The guy seems out of touch with reality-- the reality of most Americans. Chimpy looks like Chimpy. Is Dick the organ grinder?
Posted by: Vivian | March 9, 2008 11:07 PM
Ah yes, the final scene from 'It's a Wonderful Life' as George Bushley kisses Mary and they all live happily ever after, cut to cracked Liberty Bell ringing out..
Uh, oh, wha? I just woke up from a good dream.
Posted by: C.Morris | March 10, 2008 9:57 AM
What planet does Eric live on. Is Iraq one of the wars "we won".
Worst President, almost hands down (most have forgotten James Buchanan, but I'll put "W" up there with him any day)
Posted by: hdf | March 10, 2008 11:32 AM
Why is Saddam Hussein wiping out hundreds of thousands of his own people and invading another country, and possibly others ok? Go read your history people-the actual quotes from Hitler sound exactly like current terrorist/Saddam quotes. If we end up with a president who wants to "sit down and talk" with these people we can only pray we don't end up like those countries. I can never understand why the same people get outraged at only selective atrocities. If Hitler had been stopped after Austria? think about it...Bush was upfront about the new kind of war we face these days right after 9/11. he knew what the score is and he TOLD us. It will take years. But everyone who supported him then seems to have forgotten about that. Read the book Shadow Wars. Learn about the successes......the things we never hear about in the "free press". Where are all the news stories of the progress that the soldiers-some of whom I personally- know tell us? If we are so stupid to think that we didn't give Saddam months and months to hide all his weapons and plans and partners...Go read how Hitler knew that the world would not do anything. He knew human nature. So do these enemies. they count on us to grow tired of the war. Makes me sad to see history repeating itself. Even my children can see it. I am praying for blind eyes to be opened.
Posted by: D Stephansen | March 10, 2008 12:20 PM
It took about 15 years to get over the Regan disaster, but we will NEVER get over the damage Bush has done to our economy, health care, education, relationship with the rest of the world. May blind eyes be opened indeed!
Some 28% of the country believe in Bush, UFO's and that Adam and Eve rode their dinosaurs to church.
Posted by: canoe | March 10, 2008 12:53 PM
Hitler attacked us and lets get something straight, Dubya is the president in name only,Cheney is the real president, so get off of dubyas back.Eric wake up and smell the coffee, what war did he win????
Posted by: BSKI | March 10, 2008 1:06 PM
Vivian is right. Everytime Bush appears in public these days he seems to be increasingly acting the fool--does he have any clue of what disasters he's created? I can hardly wait to wake up from the nightmare he's created.
Posted by: Judith | March 10, 2008 1:20 PM