George W. Bush to the 99%
Former President George W. Bush made a rare public speech at his Presidential Center in Dallas today and it was largely about taking care of the troops – a subject the current resident of the White House largely ignores. From CNN;
“They are the 1% of America who kept the 99% safe,” Bush said of the 2.5 million military members who have served since 9/11. “While it never hurts to say thank you, that is not really the point.”
[…]
It’s “troubling” that 84% of veterans say the public isn’t aware of the challenges they face and that 71% of Americans agree, Bush said, citing a survey by the Bush Institute and Syracuse University to be released later this year.
[…]
Bush announced that his Military Service initiative has launched a multi-faceted, public-private partnership aimed at helping veterans assimilate back into civilian life.
The straight-talking former President said employers need to tailor their recruiting and hiring practices to accommodate post-war employees.
“I mean you don’t see many job postings that say “Wanted: experience hunting insurgents and terrorists willing to risk their lives for co-workers,” Bush said. “I mean, what’s a veteran supposed to put down? `My last office was a Humvee?'”
Bush also said Post Traumatic Stress Disorder needs to drop the ‘D’ out of PTSD. He referred to it as an injury that can be treated, and he referred to it as PTS.
“Employers would not hesitate to hire an employee getting treated for a medical condition like diabetes or high blood pressure and they should not hesitate to hire veterans getting treated for post-traumatic stress,” he said.
I have no idea why, but CNN quoted Paul Reickhoff in the middle of the article – Paul Reickhoff was rabidly anti-Bush and formed the anti-Bush organization, OpTruth, from which sprang the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. In fact, do a Google search on OpTruth and IAVA is top the top search result. So, the first thing out of Reickhoff’s mouth is that we have find a way to pay for it.
But the Bush Institute calls for a coalition of public and private institutions to de-stigmatize PTS, so the money thing is being handled, Paul. Bush isn’t sniping from the sidelines looking for government money, he’s bringing together government, universities, nonprofits and private companies.
“We’ll be … relentless in serving our vets,” Bush said. Somehow, he is more believable than that fellow who said he’s not going to balance the federal budget on the backs of veterans. Or that Hollywood “Got Your 6” bullshit. Or Paul Reickhoff.
Category: Do You Miss Me Yet?, Veterans Issues
Here-Here President Bush and thank you Sir!
And…Paul Reickhoff is a worthless piece of limousine, liberal, head up his ass, dickshit! Always has been and always will be.
So, why did Reickhoff stick his oar into this? Pay for what? Oh, I get it. He has to get attention, which he does by running his mouth when he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Yes, I used to know someone who would get half of the information about something, get one-fourth of that right, and then go with half of that.
I’ve always told people that no matter what you think of Bush’s politics or his decisions, there was no denying that he cares about the troops, there families, and the vets.
Destigmatizing PTS is a great cause, especially in this day & age. Far too many people still believe the Hollywierd Dr. Phil nonsense that all combat vets have PTS, they’re maniacal killers about to snap, blah blah blah. As everybody here knows, it’s neither exclusive to the military, nor do all vets suffer from it, and the very small percentage of PTS patients who do react violently usually do so in a suicidal rather than homocidal manner. And you’ll never hear the mainstream talk about how common it is in the civilian world, or that most people just deal with it in whatever way works for them. Hell, I’ve been diagnosed with PTS, and I’ve never been in the military. No vet should have to compete with this bullshit myth-based stereotype, but they do. So it’s pretty fucking awesome to hear the former Prez taking up this particular cause. Of course, he never really gave a shit what the MSM thought anyway. He certainly wasn’t the perfect president, but he was good. Way better than the Glorious Leader who came next. I’ve always believed that personal impressions tell you a lot about a public figure, meaning the impression you get when you meet them face-to-face. Somebody might do lots of charity work, or support a cause you agree with, or whatever, then turn out to be a complete blowhard in person. I know people who’ve met George W. Bush, though I haven’t myself. Some voted for him, others rabidly against him. They all agree that in person he’s a sincere, honest, nice guy with a great sense of humor who cares a out people. On the same note, people I’ve talked to who met Bill Clinton say he’s probably fun to party with, but would clearly screw anything and everything that looks remotely female, be it married, single, young, old, illegal, artificial, livestock, whatever. People I know who’ve met Barack Obama (some of whom bought his “hope and change” crap hook, line, and sinker) all agree that he’s a pretentious, arrogant asshole with all the charisma of a rattlesnake, and… Read more »
It’s a shame Reickhoff is such a partisan since IAVA had so much promise. To be a successful advocate for veterans an organization needs to work both sides of the aisle. Reickhoff can’t do that and has little credibility on Capitol Hill. Thankfully the Legion and VFW are able to successfully lobby.
@4 The Other Whitey Thank you sir and well said. I agree with you and politics aside, Bush is a genuinely decent guy. Especially when it comes to his regard for the military.
Thank you again brother. I wish sometimes when I read these threads I would calm down and write it out as well as you and so many others do here seem to do. Not doing so however but getting upset first, I thus produce post #1. I’ll learn.
I certainly didn’t agree with President Bush’s big government, big spending ways, but he and his wife are good people who always treat others with respect. Qualities sorely lacking for the past 5 years. You know that the things he does and the policies he implemented were because he deeply cares about the American people.
I love his support for the military, including his Wounded Warrior bike ride and greeting folks at the airport. A truly caring man.
@7.
I agree.
I have met him a few times and I will say this, I was struck by his charisma and personally-based questions.
I was not on board with his politics in many ways, but I believe he is a good man that cares about the troops.
Way to go Bush.
Shrub must have a guilty conscience from all the men and women he sent to their deaths on a lie that he knew was a lie just to show up his old man over iraq. Maybe next he will feel guilty for alowing 9-11 because he needed a second pearl harbor and katrina. Ask the parents of the dead if they miss him yet.
Wait. Is #9 Reickhoff?
@9:
Go find a suitable hole, crawl inside and die in it. You serve no purpose on this earth except as compost.
@#9….GFY you useless bastard.
Never agreed with some of GW policies, but a man who loves the troops and backs up his love with actions. How many people know after the ft hood terrorist attack George. & Laura went to the base to consol the victims. Nevered covered by the media. Disgusting. #9 you sir are a dickhead!!!!!!
vwp, you do know you are a racist, an advocate of tyrants, and a coward, right?
@9: Nice Katrina reference. Hey the next time you are visiting Ray Nagin in jail, ask him what he was doing at the New Orleans airport 24 hours before he called for an evacuation of the city. No school bus for his wife and kids, no Superdome for them… that’s for the little people. Where did his wife and kids ride out the storm and how/when did they get there? And one other thing… what Pam said.
@15.
Great point about the liberal “Hero” Nagin.
Although NO was sliding downhill WAY before then…
VWP doesn’t care about facts. VWP is far too stupid for facts to matter to him-slogans are all he can manage to understand. Actual facts are just going to deflect off of his immense wall of stupid and bounce harmlessly away.
#17- vwp is a real life example of Orwell’s slogan bleating sheep.
18, that’s insulting the sheep
I was able to attend this event today and it was awesome. They amount of Key people there was mind boggling. The intent is to get Vets jobs and treatment. The Sea Of Goodwill is a real thing in terms folks wanting to help our vets but you have a lot of overlap and a bunch of bad apples (Non Profits who like to make money for themselves)
President Bush did a great job and putting all these folks together to get the ball rolling in the same direction. Paul is an idiot and not sure why they would quote him when you had guys like Ken Fisher or Joe Depinto or Gen Peter Pace who had fantastic things to say. Anyway, great day and I just hope we can get the tide flowing the right way and keep it going.
S/F
Taco
Bush wasn’t so bad, but them other assholes working with him were assholes.
Not totally related to this post, but quite relevant:
Any veteran who votes for an incumbant, in either party, from county level to Washington, needs to have his/her head examined. We veterans are the least of their concern, the rat bastards.
Change will NOT happen until WE change who we send to represent us in doing the business of our counties, our states, our nation. IT WILL NOT CHANGE!
We have no damned need for professional politicians. NONE!
Rant over? HELL NO! Not even started yet!
I don’t hate liberals. I know some flaming liberals who are very fine people that I hold in high esteem, even as I passionately disagree with their views. They each posess three admirable qualities in great abundance: a heart, a brain, and balls.
Libtards like VWPuddleofpiss posess none of the aforementioned qualities, which is why other people, including non-libtard liberals, correctly regard them with utter disdain.
VWPutz, you are intellectually, morally, spiritually, and in all likelihood physically 8 feet lower than snake shit on a cold day. I piss on higher forms of life than you.
I…I’m terribly sorry. My meds malfunctioned again. Once they remove my logical powers and my deep-rooted self hatred over my tiny member, my valor thievery, and my lack of achievement take over, I just can’t help but blame others and belittle veterans to cover my own raging insecurities. Oh…shit!…shrub planed 911, democratz god, rebulickans badd…dammit, sorry, post, quickly, while there’s still time…
@22, Conceptually, a good idea. Are you suggesting a Third Party? If so, it won’t fly.
I’ll never vote for the likes of a Mark Schauer here in Michigan, just to vote against an incumbent. Or whomever the dems would put up to run against my state rep or senator, or, especially the sheriff. Sorry, that is just not a viable way to do business when it comes to the people who would represent me.
@ #9 vwp, you are the Bernath I shot out my ass today.
Shrub did such a good job hiding out in the texas air national guard to avoid service in vietnam that no viet cong made it past the new mexico border. Anyway till he deserted to go help with a political campaign in alabama. Pappy bush must have to really pulled string to get shrub an honorable discharge. You can’t get more honorable then opposing abortion and taking your girl friend to new york to get an abortion!
@26 Like I said before, VWPussy, I piss on higher forms of life than you. It’s strangely ironic that you’re so in favor of abortion, given the fact that the slimy syphilitic whore that whelped you should’ve exercised that right to “choose” that you so cherish. The best part of you dripped down her asscrack and stained the sheets.
And with his comment #26, vwp just proves he can do nothing but bleat out pre digested bits of talking points, just like the sheep in “Animal Farm”.
Mr. Blue: agreed. He probably also believes that the forged “TX ANG letters” CBS got fooled by were real.
— break —
vietnam war protestor: “I fart in your general direction.”
vwpussy–go suck start a howitzer. You aren’t fit to lick the jockstrap of GWB, and I say that as a president who I felt was pretty “meh” in policy, but was a good man.
Can you say the same about the object of your fellatio fantasies, Obumbles the SCOAMF?
VWP, Bush volunteered to go to Viet Nam and was passed over for more experienced pilots. Bush’s Commander also came out and said the he was never AWOL.
My wife will never forgive Bush for hiring Rumsfeld. Whenever she remembers the crap Rumsfeld said to the wives at Ft. Wainwright after our extension in Iraq she sees red. Oh and his quote when asked if we would be home for Chritsmas, “I’m not Santa Clause” still pisses her off.
I wonder how the Vietnam war would have ended if Bush had been the CINC.
32@ when ask on a form if he would like to serve in vietnam he put down NO! As for awol comment people say what is in their best interest to say as the waitress who is now living in a million dollar house has nothing to say about her abortion of shrubs baby. 34@ AS john Mccain said he probably would still be a pow over their!
Stupid is forever, folks. Let’s not shoot at what we can’t kill.
#35 BAAA BAAAA BAAA
Are you a sheep?
Yes, you are a sheep!
The sheep goes BAAA!
BAAA, sheep, BAAA!
Amen to that, HSS, a toadstool on a “cow pie” has an IQ ten times higher than what vwpissbucket does!!
But, what the heck, I’m incapable of following my own stinking advice. VWP—no, Bush really did volunteer for Vietnam and never got orders to go. You’re thinking of the forged documents CBS passed off as fact. And hell, even if he did serve during Vietnam and didn’t go, he has plenty of company in that regard. Plenty of soldiers who enlisted got sent to various cold war bases and never came within a thousand miles of Southeast Asia. Doesn’t make ’em cowards. And hey, he could have just gotten endless college deferments until the end of the war if he really wanted to dodge.
And just in case anyone doubts the young man – and yeah, I’m talking to you, vietnam war protestor, if you’re not too brain-dead (or stoned) to read:
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/08/27/mary-mapes-knew-bush-volunteered-for-vietnam-cbs-report/
Hit-piece journalism at its finest. Mapes needs to thank God that Bush was re-elected, or she’d still be paying the libel settlement.
Addendum: found the text of the CBS internal report. See page 130.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1317710/posts
VWPussy, did your momma have any children that lived?
@9, 27, 35: Blah, blah, blah
@7: Yep.
Baa baaa, vwp,
Have you any thoughts?
No man, no man!
Thinking is hard!
@35 VWP In the words of “Curly” in “City Slickers”…”I crap bigger than you”. Now GFY and then GFY.
So Bush wants vets to “….experience the American Dream,” does he? What a monstrously hypocritical piece of crap! This from the man who destroyed the American Dream, not just for vets, but for all of us. This from the man who CHOSE to send 5000 troops to death in a fraudulent war to enrich his wealthy and contributing friends in Big Oil. This from the man who provided them with inadequate armor during the war, and even more inadequate care after the war. The best thing Bush could do for vets and the rest of us is to just shut the hell up and go away. Oh, that’s right, he can’t really go very far. There’s that uncertain risk that some country with a conscience might arrest him and charge him with war crimes.
Hey, folks – looks like “vietnam war protestor” has a semi-literate friend.
@46 santiamman You need to read back and see what your “brother” Vietnam War Protestor writes. Maybe after dinner before mom tucks you guys in, you could give him some spelling, grammar and sentence structure tips. Dickhead!
It usually helps if assholes like vwp and santiamman knew what the hell they were talking about. But they simply parrot talking points that have ben fed to them.
@46, santiawhatever, do you pay ANY attention to the FACT that American Casualties in Afghanistan have skyrocketed since your pseudo-messiah B. Hussein 0bama took office? *DUUUUUUUHHHHH-HUUUUUHHHH!*, DICKHEAD!!