Linkmeister

Politics and Sept. 11

Jimmy Breslin doesn't think much of President Bush's ad campaign.

The ad is nothing more than another George W. Bush fraud. First, arriving at the trade center, he was led by a flunkey to a retired fire fighter, Bob Beckwith, who had come down three days after the attack to take a look. Bush's flacks had Beckwith stand on a destroyed fire engine and Bush came up next to him and Bush put an arm around him and, two heroes, Bush called out "we're tough" to the television cameras.

He had all he wanted out of the place. A picture.

When Breslin is in full righteous rage, he's a magnificent writer, and this column is one of those times. He goes after both Bushes, Giuliani, and that tame police commissioner who came out for the cameras to say the ads were appropriate. Be sure to read to the end; his last line is a masterpiece.

In a related story from the NYT, Elizabeth Bumiller notes: "Mr. Bush was remarkably acquiescent, they added, during the two to three hours of camera work it took to get his lead campaign commercial ready to broadcast..." (My italics)

Ah, but only one hour for the 9/11 commission.

Posted by Linkmeister at March 8, 2004 09:45 AM