Compassionate conservatism for Katrina victims.

Barbara Bush: It's Good Enough for the Poor

John Nichols
Tue Sep 6, 1:08 PM ET



The Nation -- Finally, we have discovered the roots of George W. Bush's "compassionate conservatism."

On the heels of the president's "What, me worry?" response to the death, destruction and dislocation that followed upon Hurricane Katrina comes the news of his mother's Labor Day visit with hurricane evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston.

Commenting on the facilities that have been set up for the evacuees -- cots crammed side-by-side in a huge stadium where the lights never go out and the sound of sobbing children never completely ceases -- former First Lady Barbara Bush concluded that the poor people of New Orleans had lucked out.

"Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this, this is working very well for them," Mrs. Bush told American Public Media's "Marketplace" program, before returning to her multi-million dollar Houston home.

On the tape of the interview, Mrs. Bush chuckles audibly as she observes just how great things are going for families that are separated from loved ones, people who have been forced to abandon their homes and the only community where they have ever lived, and parents who are explaining to children that their pets, their toys and in some cases their friends may be lost forever. Perhaps the former first lady was amusing herself with the notion that evacuees without bread could eat cake.

At the very least, she was expressing a measure of empathy commensurate with that evidenced by her son during his fly-ins for disaster-zone photo opportunities.

On Friday, when even Republican lawmakers were giving the federal government an "F" for its response to the crisis, President Bush heaped praise on embattled Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown. As thousands of victims of the hurricane continued to plead for food, water, shelter, medical care and a way out of the nightmare to which federal neglect had consigned them, Brown cheerily announced that "people are getting the help they need."

Barbara Bush's son put his arm around the addled FEMA functionary and declared, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job."

Like mother, like son.

Even when a hurricane hits, the apple does not fall far from the tree.



http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=20080

Worse than that: "Soylent Green is people!"

Bwahahahaha.

Barbara Bush puts on a charming facade, but she's a mean motherfunctionary, self-centered and out of touch with objective reality (particularly as it relates to poverty in America).

Whether L'il Georgie gets it from his Mom or his Dad (or both) is for history to decide.

That is just fucking sick.

Btw- What interview was this? I didn't notice them cite any sources.

Just sounds like ignorance to me. Does anyone really doubt that most all rich people in general are out of touch? That's a kicker, I would have expected that out of the likes of Paris Hilton, but that just proves that money makes stupid I suppose.

I don't think anyone doubts that rich people are out of touch, but, you know, you'd think that being the de facto ruler of the country (c'mon, you know dubya calls his ma for advice- just look at him, he's a ten year old in a 50yo+ body) she would try to keep the facade up.

Well, I'll ignore the silly part of that comment, but yeah she's supposed to just smile and say nice things to people, I think. I wonder if the news is ripping her back into reality and making her feel bad now.

I would hope so. F*cking richtards.

But most likely not.

I can't find it, it just says "A radio interview." But i've found other articles other than this editorial I showed, so i'm sure it is accurate.

I found it. http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2005/09/05/PM200509051.html

I hear Barbara is going in for heart surgury. They're going to see if they can give her one.

The Daily Show featured her quote against a background of survivors packed into the Astrodome like sardines. I think she would have made the Moment of Zen, but she was beat out by a weatherman throwing a tantrum.

Will Barbara feel bad? I doubt it. For people of a particularly arrogant temperment, any guilt quickly gets turned around into anger at whoever they perceive as making them feel guilty. They may or may not make public protestation to the contrary, but real remorse is for lesser beings.

This is not universal among the rich. There are some very wealthy people who actively engage in efforts to empower the poor. But it is a widespread social disease.

I'm not gonna assume she's arrogant, or even "mean", for that comment, just ignorant. We don't even "know" her... maybe "Sheltered" is another way to put it. "Unintellectual" perhaps another... she's hardly the only one around guilty of that one. I was shocked when I heard this in the news; a very very stupid thing to say.

As disgusted as I am by her comments, you are doing the exact same thing in reverse. I suppose a blanket statement about rich people is fine?

In a world where soundbites are latched onto and quoted and requoted again and become the very topic of whole snopes.com articles. O... speaking of...

http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/barbara2.asp

It also makes me think of those kind of horror movies when someone has a certain protective barrier, a distance, and thinks nothing bad could happen to them. AND THEN ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. Like, okeydokey, what would happen (purely fictional construct) if someone lobbed Mrs. Bush into the middle of the raging stormwaters or even tossed a rancid corpse at her? Or if an angry mob heard the comments and rushed up, and well... it gets uglier from there.

I just think there are many people out of touch with other people... it's like tagging without intercorrelation... now if only they'd say that more, and ask more questions. See that what appears to be so remote and distant and irrelevant is actually very connected. Me, I realize what a liquid grip I have on reality, so I've decided to firmly embrace virtual reality after realizing it can be done so well in anime!