Bush's Town hall

Left-over pointed me to a great Reuters article, but for context, first a question from the press briefing.

Q Are those questions pre-screened, or --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, they can ask whatever -- the people at this event can ask whatever they want.

Okay, so we know it's a non scripted even, right? (Reuters)

Asked by a 7-year-old in the audience at the Louisville Convention Center how people could help in the war on terrorism, Bush replied, "One way people can help as we're coming down the pike in the 2006 elections is remember the effect that rhetoric can have on our troops in harm's way and the effect that rhetoric can have in emboldening or weakening an enemy."

So many, many things wrong with this. First, somebody just happened to bring their seven year old to this boring political rally, and the kid just happened to be informed about the war on terror... I've got a niece of eight, and I just don't see it. Second, as Left-over pointed out, the words "rhetoric" and "emboldening" are in every seven year old's vocabulary, right?

Also, notice that the harm that Bush implies is related to the 2006 midterm elections. The democrats running in 2006, after all, are the enemy. Also, just how powerful is this seven year old in the school yards of America that what he says is gonna embolden Al Qaeda.

What a bizarre lesson to teach this kid, that saying the wrong thing will get your father or uncle or brother killed.

Oh, and Scott McClellan apparently lied, again.

Once you've seen the emperor naked, no matter what he tries to wear, you still see him naked.