A cousin of mine, who has since recanted her silly impression, once commented to me that she felt that George W. Bush was a great leader. Of course I scoffed, which perhaps was impolite, but what is the correct response to such an outrageous statement?
Great leaders praise in public, criticize in private; that is what I learned in the military.
Great leaders inspire their followers to do good things for the right reasons without being told to.
It is embarrassing that this ignorant fool and traitor is airing his own stupidity out in front of a foreign government, during their anniversary celebration. Impeach him how, arrest him on charges and begin a public trial. If found guilty, put the ignorant fool in jail or hang him, he is in favor of the death penalty after all.
Even better, deny him entry to this country. He looks like a terrorist to me…
Olbermann says it far better than I do, and I agree with every single word
J. Scott | 15-May-08 at 3:51 pm | Permalink
While not the biggest fan of George Bush, but one who hold the “office” of the Presidency in very high regard since it for the most part has been a house that Virginians have built over history, I was stirred by the very sight and expression of body language by this journalist. Of course the “Special Comment” is no more than an OP-ed piece on TV, Kieth managed to really demondstrate not an oppositioon but a hatred for the man. I find that level very unprofession and the language used over the top to voice opposition on policy and Keiths lack of journalistic context or integrity (which of course led him to his new post to begin with if you recall) regarding an obligation of informing objectively always comes into question when w talk about a person who 100% of time only finds fault in someone or something. Fact is nothing Bush does, nothing, is worthy in Keith’s book and that in itself speaks volumes. When you program has gotten so predicated on Bush hating and Fox bashing something of real course is lost. But then as MSNBC see it there’s a demographic out there that needs to have its souls caressed on the left that manage to represent nothing of what this country is supposed to stand for.
snolan | 15-May-08 at 4:32 pm | Permalink
I re-iterate, I agree with every word of this particular “Special Comment” by Keith Olbermann. I typically agree with most of what he says.
The fact is that Bush has done an astonishing amount of damage to our country and it’s people, and he has done it willfully, unapologetically, and with great personal gain for himself and a few others in mind. Many have died so he and his friends can have more toys.
In pointing that out, Keith Olbermann is one of a very few people in the media business actually doing the very important job of the 4th estate. ABC, NBC, and FOX have all dropped the ball completely, and even NPR did not do a good job through Bush’s first term. Thank goodness for MSNBC and Pacifica, they are the last critical journalists we have in this country and we need them more than we need the clown currently occupying the oval office.
The POTUS is just another public servant. He or she is supposed to be here to serve the people of this great country, not a few of their friends.
kgotthardt | 20-May-08 at 6:26 am | Permalink
“Great leaders praise in public, criticize in private; that is what I learned in the military.”
Okay, now I can see this in some instances, but what about citizens who speak out against corrupt government? Do we not have great leaders who do this? At what point is criticizing privately just hypocrisy?
snolan | 20-May-08 at 6:40 am | Permalink
Great point, I meant to say great leaders criticize personally in private. When calling out the problems of an organization criticism does not need to be private, and in fact you are right, the more open and transparent the discussion, the better. The point of the private criticism is to give the criticized person an honorable chance to improve; and to keep one’s own dirty laundry in-house.
I am very offended by Bush because he is both completely wrong (diplomacy is not the same as appeasement) and because he had no business at all dropping his bit of negative crap on a foreign government’s celebration, or even in front of a foreign government at all. If he has/had a problem with Obama - he should bring it up here, in the United States, but he chose to tattle on Obama while hiding behind the skirts of the leadership of another country.
kgotthardt | 20-May-08 at 6:32 pm | Permalink
Bush is probably one of the worst presidents we’ve ever had in terms of diplomatic relations as far as I am concerned. His policy: “Shoot now. Ask questions later.”
J. Scott | 22-May-08 at 9:13 pm | Permalink
Scott, you must keep in mind that there is a alrge part of our population which does not consider Isreal a “foriegn government” per say and see our nation very closely aligned with that one’s very survival.
Is unfortunate but to a great extent that nations survival has historically always been linked to us, whether through military sales or other financial endeavors to keep it secure.