Tuesday, July 03, 2007

"My job is to enforce the law"

'Please,' Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, 'don't kill me.'

From: "Devil May Care" by Tucker Carlson, Talk Magazine, September 1999, p. 106

"Bush's brand of forthright tough-guy populism can be appealing, and it has played well in Texas. Yet occasionally there are flashes of meanness visible beneath it.

While driving back from the speech later that day, Bush mentions Karla Faye Tucker, a double murderer who was executed in Texas last year. In the weeks before the execution, Bush says, Bianca Jagger and a number of other protesters came to Austin to demand clemency for Tucker. 'Did you meet with any of them?' I ask.

Bush whips around and stares at me. 'No, I didn't meet with any of them,' he snaps, as though I've just asked the dumbest, most offensive question ever posed. 'I didn't meet with Larry King either when he came down for it. I watched his interview with [Tucker], though. He asked her real difficult questions, like 'What would you say to Governor Bush?' 'What was her answer?' I wonder.

'Please,' Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, 'don't kill me.'

I must look shocked -- ridiculing the pleas of a condemned prisoner who has since been executed seems odd and cruel, even for someone as militantly anticrime as Bush -- because he immediately stops smirking.

'It's tough stuff,' Bush says, suddenly somber, 'but my job is to enforce the law.' As it turns out, the Larry King-Karla Faye Tucker exchange Bush recounted never took place, at least not on television. During her interview with King, however, Tucker did imply that Bush was succumbing to election-year pressure from pro-death penalty voters. Apparently Bush never forgot it. He has a long memory for slights."
[Carlson, Talk, 9/99]

[Ed. Note: During the Larry King-Faye Tucker exchange, Tucker never asked to be spared.]

Such a compassionate conservative. When you are white, male and in the club.

And was the above the conduct of a Christian?

Humph.

12 comments:

Brillig said...

Oh my gosh. So much horror in one little post. Boy, I could go off for hours about just the title of this post. But I'll spare you. Instead, I'll just state the obvious, which is that this president of ours is completely disgusting.

Jenn in Holland said...

There is hardly a word to sum up the _________ he is.
Fill in the blank with all or any: idiot, evil, madman...

ick.
Great, now I've started my day ANGRY. Can't we go back to partially naked, totally drunken, fire dancing Tongans in your backyard?

Adventures In Waitressing said...

Though I am not a Bush supporter by any means. I shall keep my opinion of the death penalty silent. I am pretty sure I would shock your socks off.

soccer mom in denial said...

Hey Adventures -

This post wasn't so much to bring up his position on the death penalty but who he is as a person - a mean-spirited, nasty SOB, among other things.

But feel free to share your opinions here or let me know if you post about them so I can read them. I once worked with a woman whose husband was murdered and she was all for the death penalty. Her rage and sadness went to places I couldn't even imagine (nor wanted to) and I could not judge her for that position.

Jenn in Holland said...

Yes! Those were the words I was searching for... Mean spirited, sob, AMONG OTHER THINGS!
That mean spirit really shows through in this particular instance. It's not so much his idiocy but his evil that shines through here.
(still angry)

Jami said...

He's a petulant little boy.

(I was going to expound on why that's the case, but I've just decided to let the comment stand on its own. I don't want to waste my time and your bandwidth restating the obvious.)

Adventures In Waitressing said...

Well I totally agree that Bush is an ass per say. As for the death penalty I am all for it. One thing I am firm on. I truely believe that if as a people, when you purposfully kill someone either by your own hands or by orders, if that person would die immediately. There would be no such thing as serial killers and definatly a lower murder rate. Not sure I worded that correctly. Makes sense to me. If you take a life and yours would immediatly end. That is basically what I was trying to say. Personally that thought alone would scare the socks off of me. It is like some of the older laws in other countries. You steal, you lose a hand. Same therory, different principals.

But I agree and will say again. Bush is an ass. LOL

Gunfighter said...

The death penalty deters nothing.

As for GWB... well, SMID, my friend... you don't think that I would ever defend that jackass... do you?

soccer mom in denial said...

AiW -

Be clear, I like you. I've enjoyed your blog and look forward to continued dialogues. But in good conscious I can't let stand your comment that capital punishment is a deterent for violent crimes. If the Libby commutation shows anything our legal system is not color or wealth blind.

While a New Jersey statistic, this relects all states with the death penalty:

A report released by the New Jersey Supreme Court found that, "There is unsettling statistical evidence indicating that cases involving killers of white victims are more likely to progress to a penalty phase than cases involving killers of African-American victims." (Asbury Park Press, Aug. 13, 2001).

There is a wealth of information at http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/

They are good people doing good solid research into the unfairness of the death penalty in the US.

But, here you are welcome even if you disagree! Especially since we are of like minds that GWB is a bonehead!

And you sign your name. I'm very partial to folks who proudly declare their views, whether we agree or not!

Unknown said...

SMID, thanks for finding my blog. I think we are gonna be friends. :)

And Room With A View is one of my all time faves too.

Adventures In Waitressing said...

Oh.. I don't totally disagree with you. I wasn't saying I was in total favor with the death penalty. I know some cases are unfair and money wins. I was saying that if we were created in birth, that if when we killed someone intentionally that our life ended..as in a cosmic thing. A pre-destined biological design. Not saying that they should immediatly be carted off and killed by the death penalty. Does that make better sense? In general though I do think the majority of our judical system is a crock. Not just GWB. What our country started out as, and what it has become are two totally different destinations. Shame really. But not all change is for the better.

I am happy with agreeing to disagree, for I enjoy your blog and I personally wasn't trying to offend you. I am one of those people that believe everyone is intitled to their own opinion. We were created to be unique. I think if everyone agreed on everything and we all were alike. Life would be utterly DULL! ICK! I like my adventurous life.

AIW aka Real Life Drama Queenie

PS. Keep up the great blogging and I will continue to read it. HUGS

soccer mom in denial said...

Hey gorgeous waitress,

HUGS back to you! You rock for coming back and keeping it up. I wish it was all cosmic (how Buddist/Hindi of you) but sadly our judicial system doesn't work that way.

And start posting again.