Daily Kos

More Bush lies?

by kos

Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:18:22 PM PDT

Here's the official story line from Crawford:
President Bush took a spill during a Saturday afternoon bike ride on his ranch, suffering bruises and cuts that were visible later on his face just two days before he was to deliver a major prime-time speech on his Iraq policy.

The president was nearing the end of a 17-mile ride on his mountain bike, accompanied by a Secret Service agent, a military aide and his personal physician, Richard Tubb, who treated him at the scene, said White House spokesman Trent Duffy.

"It's been raining a lot and the topsoil is loose," Duffy said. "You know this president. He likes to go all-out. Suffice it to say he wasn't whistling show tunes."

So it's been raining a lot in Crawford, we are told. So here's the recent precipitation levels from Crawford:
May 22: 0"
May 21: 0"
May 20: 0"
May 19: 0"
May 18: 0"
May 17: 0"
May 16: 0"
May 15: 0"
May 14: 0.03"
May 13: 2.79"
May 12: 0"
May 11: 0.15"
May 10: 0"
May 9: 0"
May 13th saw some serious rain, but other than some sprinkles on the 14th, Crawford saw nothing but sun. In the last week alone, the temperature was in the high 80s the entire time.

So rain on the 13th and (barely) 14th was blamed for a Bush fall on the 22nd. As everything else, it wasn't Bush's fault. Nothing is Bush's fault.

Ever.

Liars.

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Permalink | 223 comments

  •  Now that (none / 0)

    is investigative reporting!  Good show, Kos!

    Angie and Bill: Colorado's bright future!

    by ubikkibu on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:19:53 PM PDT

    •  I saw it somewhere else (none / 0)

      I just dug up the links.

      by kos on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:22:55 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Was in this diary earlier... (none / 0)

        http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/5/23/10022/9867

        I am proud to work for Chris Dodd's Presidential campaign

        by ttagaris on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:24:23 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Speaking of Liars (none / 0)

        Here's an AP story that shows the Army lying through its teeth about the Wedding Party it attacked:
        http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5045772/

        A vote for Bush is a vote for Osama.

        by Alan S on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:56:52 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  I Don't give a damn about the Bike Incident (4.00 / 3)

          40 some people were killed at a wedding with our tax money.

          Yes Bush is a moron. No one on this website will argue different. Three days ago everyone was wailing and gnashing teeth about us killing civilians at a wedding, and now everyone is cutting up on Bush.

          One of the things I cherish about being a Democrat, is that we take care of the people without voice. Well the dead at the wedding have no voice.

          The Iraqi government is our puppet.

          The only information going to Sanchez and Bremer is coming from the same xenophobic Marines that launched the attack.

          The dead and wounded were all part of tribes that lived away from everyone and don't give a damn about our politics, Saddam's politics, or anyone else's in the world. They don't have slick media machines to tell their story. Few in America seem to care about them.

          Sorry for the rant, but I couldn't eat for three days after this event. And people are still spewing out excuses and justifications. It's just like Abu Ghraib. Americans, in our name, are debasing and killing Iraqis. Silly articles about bikes, or nomination dates, or who the VP is, really mean nothing to me.

          by mickT on Sun May 23, 2004 at 07:47:04 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  Sometimes Kossians (none / 0)

            just have to have fun.  While we mostly feel embarrassed that this idiot is POTUS, that shouldn't stop us from poking fun on those occasions when he recomfirms what a complete lying SOS and moron he is.

            What FDR giveth; GWB taketh away.

            by Marie on Sun May 23, 2004 at 08:40:39 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  I agree... (none / 0)

            We need to be cautious about denigrating Bush on little stuff -- otherwise we will be made out in the media to be irrational Bush haters and that will diminish the seriousness of our most fundamental criticisms.

            Republican't Leadership is a dangerous combination of cut-backs and incompetence.

            by casamurphy on Sun May 23, 2004 at 09:25:20 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            •  The beauty of dKos (none / 0)

              Is that while you can see ideas hashed out here float up to the surface on the major media, the notion that anyone but us actually follows the comment threads is nonsense.  I am sure that all the major political players in DC have someone assigned to skim the blogs but if they dip down to our level it is only for their private amusement.

              So let it rip.  The only identified political players on this site are Kos and Jerome and the hosts of the other political blogs that post here like Atrios.  You have to count on them to filter and synthesize what they are hearing for presentation to people who are actually listening.

              You want a direct voice?  Start your own blog and get an audience.  But the notion that some user named 'DazedChump' (apologies to anyone actually using that name) posting some over the top criticism of BushCo in any way detracts from the message that the political blogs are sending to the top is just an inflation of our self-importance.

              Pollkatz: Bush Approval

              by Bruce Webb on Mon May 24, 2004 at 02:02:32 AM PDT

              [ Parent ]

      •  WUnderground??? (4.00 / 2)

        You "just dug up the links"

        Of all the weather sites on the internet you linked to the Weather Underground?

        Who names their weather service after revolutionaries, anyway? I think they're down the street from the Symbionese Liberation Bakery.

        • • Get Your John McCain - NOPE T-Shirts & Stickers
        •

        by KingOneEye on Sun May 23, 2004 at 09:15:01 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Ann Arbor (none / 1)

          WUnderground belongs to one of those lubrul pinko professors at the University of Michigan, the school that teaches you to be gay.

          (from which I just graduated)

          by weet on Sun May 23, 2004 at 09:20:09 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  I was trying to decide... (none / 0)

          Whether (weather?) to comment on that when I first noticed it.  But it seemed so out there, who the hell would do that?  Not to mention the source of that name is actually opposed to their whole reason for being: "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."  I've actually started saying that, along with "Don't follow leaders, watch the parking meters,"  and my favorite, "The pump don't work 'cuz the vandals took the handles."

          by teenagedallasdeaniac on Mon May 24, 2004 at 05:56:09 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Tee hee... (none / 0)

          Who names their weather service after revolutionaries, anyway? I think they're down the street from the Symbionese Liberation Bakery.

          Thank you.  You just gave me my first (and possibly only) laugh for the day.

          by tully monster on Mon May 24, 2004 at 06:40:58 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

      •  and the right responds... (none / 0)

        http://asmallvictory.net/archives/006935.html

        by professorhojo on Sun May 23, 2004 at 10:41:44 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  and more.... (none / 0)

          the explanation from "buddy".  it wasn't raining.  but it was still slippery.

          dang!

          ----

          I live 45 minutes from Crawford. The dominant topsoil on slopes is called "caliche". It's got a lot of bentonite it, a clay which becomes slippery and ubstable when hydrated, and on north-facing slopes, will retain moisture for quite a long time. The lower slopes especially, due to drainage, stay wet long after the last rainfall. What we will need to ascertain is, azimuth, attitude, angle of approach, and velocity. A good topo map, plus affidavitsfrom witnesses, a study of bike tireology, and at least two independant medical reports on the injuries, will set the groundwork for a full investigation, with perhaps a congessional hearing if it turns out that he fell on a southern exposure slope, which, according to my charts, should have been less slippery than the president may or may not have indicated. Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom!..posted by Buddy

          by professorhojo on Sun May 23, 2004 at 10:50:16 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  yeah (none / 0)

            Honestly, I'm in Austin and it hasn't rained on our yard in over a week but I haven't had to water anything in that time, either. I don't know how far north it spread, but we've had rainstorms once or twice a week for about a couple of months now. Until the last week or so. The clay soil is still pretty drenched.

            While I have to admit I'd love to find out they made up the story, I do believe it could be true.

            "...with Liberty and Justice for All."

            by cshardie on Mon May 24, 2004 at 02:47:44 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

    •  We figured this out earlier on another (4.00 / 3)

      website. Kudos anyway. Now tell me about the 17mi hike... is that supposed to be round trip, or was he one mile from the house when he fell. There's 1600 acres on the 'ranch' (actually I thought that was a 'farm' in Texas... I mean that's small, right?) and I tried to do the math, but it's been awhile... does he have 17 miles of open land in 1600 acres... I mean does it go in circles or what? 17 miles is quite a distance to bike when your daughter is graduating from college... where was Laura...? I heard they didn't go to the ceremony because they would create a disturbance. So. he rides his bike, falls and creates all kinds of media attention and blog time speculating over his lying @#$... and tomorrow night he's supposed to look like a wounded warrior when he makes his speech... and will there be questions from the press...? or is this simply a speech? Questions, we have questions... and I'm afraid they will never be answered...

      I don't believe he fell off a bike... I believe he fell off the wagon... again...

      An unexamined life is not worth living - Socrates

      by crone on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:30:01 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Acreage (none / 1)

        There are 640 acres in a square mile.  So, the president has 2.5 square miles of land.  If he were to ride around the perimeter (assuming the ranch was square), that would be 10 miles.  I think it is possible that trails cut through the property could be of a reasonable length, although I have a hard time believing he has a lengthy bike trial through the property.  He could have been doing some laps.

        The question I have is, was he eating a pretzel, and did that cause him to fall?

        -7.00, -7.08

        by mndemguy on Sun May 23, 2004 at 07:08:53 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  17 Miles (none / 0)

        1 square mile (section) contains 640 acres, land is usually sold in quarter size chunks which are 1/2 X 1/2 miles.  If you put 10 quarter sections in a row you would have a length of 5 miles.  A trip around the perimeter would therefore be 11 miles.  I do believe they were riding around in circles.  All of this depends upon 1600 acres being the actual size and the shrub staying on his own property.  my $.02

        by Dan of Steele on Mon May 24, 2004 at 12:22:48 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  So (none / 0)

    Is anyone in the media reporting on this?

    No?

    I'm shocked. Truly.

    -9.63, -7.03 Rage, rage against the Lying of the Right

    by Maryscott OConnor on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:22:13 PM PDT

  •  More likely it was snow (3.88 / 9)

    of the up-your-nose variety.

    "I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..." - Elvis

    by Gearhead on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:23:50 PM PDT

  •  tripping over growing nose.. (none / 1)

    He can't even tell the truth about the damn weather!

    by qwerty on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:24:07 PM PDT

  •  You Expect the Truth? (none / 0)

    Think any of the whores are going to report he was drunk as a skunk again?

    And speaking of "in the cups", Jenna for some reason couldn't haul her ass out of bed to be at her college graduation yesterday morning... imagine if Chelsea had done the same thing.

    Dump Bush!

    by dave on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:24:23 PM PDT

    •  nah (none / 0)

      I'm not willing to give the kid a hard time-- who knows, perhaps she was bitter her parents weren't going to her graduation and boycotted.

      by qwerty on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:26:36 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Reports are that the Bushes (none / 0)

      planned to pass on both graduations.  The rationale was that they didn't want to be a distraction from the events.  Now when were any of these people ever concerned about being the center of attention?

      What FDR giveth; GWB taketh away.

      by Marie on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:29:01 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Accident-porne? (none / 1)

      Think any of the whores are going to report he was drunk as a skunk again?

      Well the BBC article does not mention drinking or the weather, but it does ask  if he is "accident-prone" and gives a picture of how he looked in '02 after he tried to watch football and eat pretzels at the same time.

      by Fred in Vermont on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:35:55 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Dana Milbank (none / 0)

        has some subtle fun with BushBaby's fall from grace.

        I loved the end when he recalls a swimming incident when what arrives (handily sighted) are poisonous water moccasins.

        by Marisacat on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:47:38 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Drudge has this picture (4.00 / 2)

        Matt Drudge has this picture of how he looks this time.

        by Fred in Vermont on Sun May 23, 2004 at 06:00:12 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Holy cow! (none / 0)

          Is it my imagination or does he look like he's aged about 20 yrs.?

          Pssst ... there are mad men in the White House.

          by banjon on Sun May 23, 2004 at 06:03:00 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  no gloves? (3.50 / 2)

          I've never heard it suggested before that the President was a big cyclist. 17 trail miles is a pretty significant distance. And the gouges in his hand? What, no cycling gloves on a 17-miler?

          by schussat on Sun May 23, 2004 at 06:25:04 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  I think (none / 1)

          Laura's vibrator exploded on him.

          threehundredandtwentyelectoralvotes

          by theoria on Sun May 23, 2004 at 06:39:30 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Face plant (4.00 / 3)

          From this picture, the injuries are consistent with him falling off his bike and trying to stop the fall with his hands.

          He's enough of a klutz that he didn't have to be drunk when it happened.

          We seek not rest but transformation. - Marge Piercy

          by Leslie in CA on Sun May 23, 2004 at 06:56:32 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  Yes, but... (none / 1)

            It's also consistent with falling as a result of somebody tying your shoestrings together.

            hinky dink

            Hyperbole will be the death of us all!

            by MrHinkyDink on Sun May 23, 2004 at 07:15:46 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  Definitely face plant... (none / 0)

            ...but the scrape on his upper lip, goes way up under his nose, looks strange to me, at least as regards planting in dirt or gravel. It looks more like an abrasion that ran in the chin-to-forehead direction rather than vice-versa. Any time I've run into a forward faceplant that gets to the lip, the nose has been in much worse shape...

            by minusp on Mon May 24, 2004 at 11:15:57 AM PDT

            [ Parent ]

        •  Let's not forget (none / 0)

          he's got trouble with the ol' Segway, as well.



          Visit Switzerblog now, damn your hide!

          by switzerblog on Sun May 23, 2004 at 07:12:42 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  what's that bit by his eye? (none / 0)

          another ding or something that has always been there?

          by primate on the left on Sun May 23, 2004 at 07:56:08 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Bad athlete (none / 0)

          What person, when he takes a header, actually goes head-first?

          I understand the abrasions on the hands, because the hands go out to absorb the fall and protect the body.  But when a person with athletic training and athletic sensibilities, when he or she falls, the tendency is to protect the rest of the tender parts of the body - in this case, the face.  He has a magnificent scarlet scrape down the middle of his face, including the chin.  A good athlete would instinctively twist the body so that a shoulder and side would take the fall, would turn the face so the harder skull, if any part of the head, would have to hit the ground, instead of the delicate features.  A man falling off a bike, in any direction, would certainly be able to do this.

          It is plain that George W. Bush is either someone with little or no athletic training (substantiated by his numerous falls and fear of horses) or these abrasions were not caused by a fall from a bike.

          by lennywick on Sun May 23, 2004 at 08:41:51 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  head first? (none / 0)

            Uh, don't you mean ass first?

            by ImeldaBlahnik on Sun May 23, 2004 at 09:17:44 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

          •  It's different... (none / 1)

            falling from a bike--if you're wearing toeclips or cleats. If your center of balance is over the front wheel and the back wheel comes off the ground, it's too easy to find yourself feeling like your standing still and looking at the ground rushing up at your face. Probably reminded him of the good old days.

            Still, gloves are the first accessory any off-road cyclist acquires. Those rasberries are essentially self-inflicted.

            AS usual with [insert ad hominem of choice] Bush--more questions than answers.

            And it takes a good part of the day to pull that many miles on trails--doesn't he have some homework to do, or something?

            by markitos on Sun May 23, 2004 at 11:58:03 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

            •  People wear toe clips (none / 0)

              on mountain bikes? Really? How do you take tight turns without planting one of your feet?

              Another thing -- who goes biking with their personal physician and what physician has stuff to treat a patient with him on a bike ride?

              God bless America. God bless our troops.
              God damn George Bush to the fires of eternal damnation.

              by Bill Rehm on Mon May 24, 2004 at 09:33:48 AM PDT

              [ Parent ]

              •  Sure they do... (none / 0)

                I know I do.

                But then again, I know how to ride a bike, and more importantly, how to crash a bike successfully. For an endo like the above post assumed, just post, then tuck and roll, kicking the bike away when it's on top. Try not to land on sharp things if you can help it. Results will include rash to the shoulder and/or elbow, maybe a knee outside. Gloves protect the palms, and the face never, ever gets near the gravel.

                As always, YMMV, especially in the vicinity of any thorny vegetation.

                by minusp on Mon May 24, 2004 at 10:39:01 AM PDT

                [ Parent ]

              •  I wear toe clips. (none / 0)

                And I never put my feet down.  In general I am going waaay too fast to put a foot down.  (Occasionally at the top of a hill - maybe.)

                As far as the 17 miles...

                One of my favorite tracks in the area consists of two loops.  One 6 miles and one 9 miles.  While they are both pretty technical, the 6 is harder.  When I first started the 15 mile total took me over 2 hours.  I can usually do them both in under 1:15 now.

                So I would consider it easily possible to do 17 miles and still have plenty of time to go to photo-ops and fundraisers.

                On the other hand, IIRC, the country is at war and Americans are dying.  Why the f*ck isn't this idiot in Washington?

                313-Matt

                Sorry for the rambling post....

                by 313Matt on Mon May 24, 2004 at 01:22:42 PM PDT

                [ Parent ]

                •  Is Texas all downhill? (none / 0)

                  313, If you're actually riding a fat-tire mountain bike about fifteen miles on "technical" trails in just over an hour, my hat is off to you. In all my years of mountain biking, I've gotten over the fact of doing maybe 15 miles per hour on paved roads, without major hills, and perhaps with a tailwind. So, maybe I'm just too slow...

                  As for how fast Preznit George was going, well, look at the man. He's a weight-lifter, perhaps he's got lots of upper body strength and no doubt a very manly grip, but you can tell by his bowlegged swagger that he has those little strappy calves that bedevil weak riders everywhere. The kind of riding you're talking about requires regular pushing at the agonistic threshold, even a dedicated job-slacker like Bush couldn't maintain that aerobic tone. I picture Bush as a competitive guy, but not a competitive athlete. He might be able to bench press his own weight, but my little sister could smoke him on the trails. My grandmother could smoke him....

                  And while the descriptions of falling have been on the mark, the likelihood is that the kind of fall that left the skidmark on the president's face was a slowspeed one. For what it is worth, at higher speeds you have more ability to tuck and roll and to get away from your bike. It also helps that adrenaline makes things seem to be happening more slowly. Ironically, it is in slower speed falls that the ground seems to rush up at you, leaving you without time to take preventive measures.

                  I'm looking for some similar sort of fall in the political arena to take this dumbass out for good.

                  by markitos on Thu Jun 17, 2004 at 01:18:24 AM PDT

                  [ Parent ]

        •  Hung over? (none / 0)

          So where is the big outdoorsman's TAN? Or was he biking, mayhap, in Seattle?

          For a guy who has supposedly been biking 16 miles the day before, he looks AWFULLY pale and drawn to me.

          Kinda like he spent the night before throwing his guts up.

          John McCain--Anti-choice and anti-woman!

          by Sharoney on Mon May 24, 2004 at 12:27:53 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Hung over? (none / 0)

          So where is the big outdoorsman's TAN? Or was he biking, mayhap, in Seattle?

          For a guy who has supposedly been biking 16 miles the day before, he looks AWFULLY pale and drawn to me.

          Kinda like he spent the night before throwing his guts up.

          John McCain--Anti-choice and anti-woman!

          by Sharoney on Mon May 24, 2004 at 12:49:53 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

    •  Hey Watch It (none / 0)


      I should've been there too!

      by Ottoe on Sun May 23, 2004 at 09:23:39 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  They have to have a bullshit story for everything. (none / 0)

    I mean, if he ran over a rock and fell over, why not just say so?  Shit happens.  Are they just so used to lying their asses off that it comes more naturally than telling the truth?

    Support the troops. Drive a smaller car.

    by republicans are idiots on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:26:30 PM PDT

    •  well... (2.66 / 3)

      Hey, they were telling the truth. "Recently" is at least a week ago.

      (ah, dammit, I used the word "is" again. not quite sure if it is being used in the right context).

      by CheezeBall on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:30:04 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  I can't blame Bush (none / 0)

      I can't get excited about ragging on W for wiping out, although it is funny.  I've ridden road and dirt my whole life and still manage to wipe out once in a while.  And most people should get off their butts and ride once in a while.

      But the weather-related lie is ridiculous.  It's exactly as you say.  I guess once you lie so often, it becomes an automatic response.  It is pathetic.

      Angie and Bill: Colorado's bright future!

      by ubikkibu on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:31:32 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  As an inveterate mountain biker... (none / 0)

    I can say that a face plant results from going too fast for the trail, in a descent, usually. Your wheel hits something--an embankment, usually--and you discover you've left your bike behind. Bush is lucky he didn't break a collarbone.

    I've missed face plants because I've held onto the bars a bit too long, and ended up slamming my back into the gravel or rocks. That's not fun, either. One of the more interesting ones that I've heard about was from a friend: he was riding at night and hit a black bear. Broke his collarbone. (Not the bear's.)

    You do not get a face plant from bad topsoil.

    by Brian CB on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:28:21 PM PDT

    •  Isn't Crawford in flat country? Or is it near hill (none / 0)

      Austin? I simply assumed he was on flat terrain on a 'mountain bike' ---

      An unexamined life is not worth living - Socrates

      by crone on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:33:59 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Crawford is out by Waco... (none / 0)

        Driven through Waco twice...don't wanna do that again, but it is completely flat.  And hot.  And hellish.  And Red...and I don't mean Communist (or a racial slur against Native Americans, for that matter).  Went big for Bush and will again.

        by teenagedallasdeaniac on Sun May 23, 2004 at 06:26:32 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Hey, I know Waco... (none / 0)

          I went to Waco with my six year old to go to Baylor... thought I could get my law degree faster...

          You're right... it's hot this time of year... like South Carolina, but with no trees... hot! What do you say - they don't give us credit for having much sense, do they?

          An unexamined life is not worth living - Socrates

          by crone on Sun May 23, 2004 at 07:28:22 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

      •  not necessarily hills (none / 0)

        i used to mountain bike in the houston area, which is basically flat swamp land, and you don't necessarily need actual "hills".  there are a number of areas that have lots of up-and-down roller-coaster type of terrain.  especially near rivers, or the little streams that pass for rivers in most of texas...

        and the soil can get kind of crumbly when dry, and that makes for slippery patches if you hit 'em right.  tree roots come up too. so i find this whole discussion pretty lame.

        you want to make fun of duhbya and his minions over this one, use the "show tunes" quote.  talk up how he took a spill because he was whistling show tunes.  see who corrects you.

        so now the facts are partisan?

        by zeke L on Sun May 23, 2004 at 11:14:13 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  Crawford (none / 0)

      is flat as a pancake!  It's not even in the Hill Country!

      No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices. - Edward R. Murrow

      by CrazyHorse on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:35:47 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  I respectfully disagree with everyone here. (none / 0)

      I once face planted going uphill. I race mountain bikes, I train incessantly, it's who I am. I had a small twig kick up once while climbing a hill and lodge itself between the spokes of my front wheel and the fork. The front wheel instantly halted and I went over the bars and face first into the ground at about 17 mph. Now, most people don't climb hills that fast. But this was a shallow hill, and I was sprinting, and yes, I can do that.

      It hurt. I got better. The point is, we really have no idea what happened. It's hard to say whether a week of baking heat could have dried out everything. A low point, in a watershed, in the shade, that always fills up with water? He could have been riding on baked, dry dirt and hit that one remaining wet spot in a corner. I've seen a lot of people crash on mountain bikes in very weird ways. I've seen people badly hurt while trying to do a track stand in clipless pedals. In short, Kos: Yes, there could still be wet spots (even more dangerous because they're rare) and Yes, people get hurt like that mountain biking all the time.

      Here's what a national leader who has to go on T.V. regularly and has millions of dollars was missing:

      http://www.epinions.com/bike-Helmets-All-Switchblade
      http://store.airbomb.com/mmASCTEST/Images/large/q/CL8262.jpg

      Like... duh?


      -- Barbara Boxer Hates Freedom

      by Proud And Free on Mon May 24, 2004 at 08:44:51 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  This is so nothing... (none / 0)

    ...yet they cant even come clean.

    It's the classic example of: if they're going to lie about something so inconsequential they clearly will lie about anything they consider more important.

    Given that this sets the bar SO LOW, that's quite a bit.

    by PopeFlick on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:29:34 PM PDT

  •  Training wheels (none / 0)

    It's a volatile link (and not so much about Bush falling off his bike, so OT)... but here is the most hilarious "training wheels" editorial cartoon at the Slate cartoon index. You have to follow my link, then click "get image" for it to appear. The one you want is Jeff Koterba 5/21/04.

    Raging in enthusiastic support of the machine since January, 2008

    by abw on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:30:21 PM PDT

  •  what's with the show tunes comment? (none / 1)

    Does "suffice it to say he wasn't whistling show tunes" mean W isn't gay?  What does it mean?

    by globecanvas on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:32:12 PM PDT

    •  That... (none / 1)

      ...was what most struck me, too--the obvious swipe at gays for no particular reason. WTF???

      Yo, Slappy: http://www.batemania.com

      by scottbateman on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:35:59 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  It's a job requirement (none / 0)

        Or they just can't help themselves:

        Most of the staff are young, dedicated, almost fanatical, and very, very Christian. The Ten Commandments are in each and every office with nice pictures of Jesus accompanying them. I have chatted up a few of these bright-faced kids and find out that they Love Jesus, Hate Gays, Abortionists, Moslems, Blacks, Catholics, some Jews, all Democrats, Liberals, Hindus, Chinese, Frenchmen, Germans, and now, Spaniards."

        The polls don't tell us how a candidate is doing; they tell us how the media is doing.

        by Thumb on Mon May 24, 2004 at 05:34:15 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  When all else fails - (none / 0)

      "You know this president. He likes to go all-out. Suffice it to say he wasn't whistling show tunes."

      Watch Tweety a bit.  He likes little GWB has done and never supported the war.  Yet, after a bit of Bush bashing, Tweety's facial expression changes  as he reflects once again on the manliness of GWB.  Tweety is like a star struck teenager whenever he ponders the person of GWB.  That was the audience for the above statement -- GWB is a MAN!

      What FDR giveth; GWB taketh away.

      by Marie on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:43:59 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  It was a nervous response (none / 0)

      Bush, indeed, was whistling show tunes at the time of his -- let's say, brush with gravity.

      My theory is that they were so nervous about this fact leaking that they decided to put the kabash on the notion from the get-go. That way, if anybody happened to report later on that Bush had been injured in a show tune whistling incident, nobody would believe them.

      hinky dink

      Hyperbole will be the death of us all!

      by MrHinkyDink on Sun May 23, 2004 at 07:31:01 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Wasn't whistling show tunes (none / 0)

      Actually, I took that to be a semi-humorous euphemism for "he was cussing like a sailor, being the manful man he is." Guess they were too obscure.

      I too am struck by the casual lying. There really are pathological liars in the inner circle, and I mean that in the clinical sense: people who will lie even about inconsequential stuff, even when the truth is harmless, even when they know that the lie is patently obvious.

      Does somebody have a link to the Laura Bush poetry stuff. That comment about "Why would anybody expect me to tell the truth" is very telling. She had a more recent quote I'm hearing about how politics is just about making the other guy look as bad as possible and what is the problem anyway. She's deep into this culture of... whatever it is.

      BTW is it just me or does anyone else have the disturbing feeling that they've heard nothing whatsoever about the first lady in the last 3.5 years? I can't remember an administration where I've had no impression whatsoever of the president's wife. No knowledge of her personality, no pet projects, nothing.

      by rppa on Mon May 24, 2004 at 06:57:18 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  I know (none / 0)

      It means he was humming show tunes.  You see everything they say is kind of false.  False in overall meaning, but true enough for deniability.  So if they say he wasn't whistling show tunes, then he must have been humming show tunes.

      by Rob C on Mon May 24, 2004 at 08:35:27 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  show tunes (none / 0)

      I just figured they meant he was "working hard" at riding that bike. As opposed to sitting around doing something that wouldn't take much energy. Like whistling. Who knows, really. None of them are much good at coming up with one liners.

      It's too bad they keep trying.

      "...with Liberty and Justice for All."

      by cshardie on Mon May 24, 2004 at 03:40:01 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Two things (4.00 / 5)

    Okay, number one.  I'm in Austin.  After some heavy, heavy rain on May 13th the famous summer time high pressure moved into all of central Texas.  It has been bone dry and hot as Hades ever since.  There's narry a tree one on the Crawford ranch, I've been by it too many times.  W's place has been baking for days.  My place is covered in trees and I've had to water twice this week.  Bullshit!

    Secondly, had Bush showed up at UT this town would have tore him a new one.  Austin is a liberal city - and not just by Texas standards.  He's hated in this place.  This weekend's commencement would have been a sideshow.  The cops would not have been able to handle the protestors.  It's just as well, for the sake of all the kids graduating that the Boy King remained at his (rain soaked) castle.

    By the way, didn't Dumbass fall off a Segue a few months ago?  You'd have to be drunk to take a header on one of those...d'oh!

    No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices. - Edward R. Murrow

    by CrazyHorse on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:34:24 PM PDT

  •  to be fair (3.50 / 2)

    nearly 3 inches of rain in one day is a LOT in a desert or semi-desert area, and may result in significant erosion where there is not much vegetation.

    On the other hand, we all KNOW they are liars, and that the Shrub takes responsibility for nothing.  It must be someone else' fault the dirt was rearranged, and certainly we can't expect he might have NOTICED where he was riding.  (Sort of like not noticing where he is taking the country.)

    What surprises me is that BushCo did not find a way to blame a terrorist or Clinton for this pResidential mishap.

    "I don't want to name names, but they know themselves." Koffi Annan

    by Sue in NH on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:35:27 PM PDT

    •  Blame (none / 1)

      Sue in NH writes:

      What surprises me is that BushCo did not find a way to blame a terrorist or Clinton

      Give it, time, Sue.  Give it time.

      The Spirit of 75

      by Thomas Kalinowski on Sun May 23, 2004 at 07:21:09 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  but that rain (none / 0)

      was a week ago and it hasn't rained since. It would have evaporated in about 24 hours at this time of year in Central Texas!

      Liberal Streetfighter: Left-wing served al dente.

      by wilfred on Sun May 23, 2004 at 07:25:20 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  my two cents (3.33 / 3)

      Where exactly were the rose pedal bearers.  Aren't they supposed to make sure Bush never touches dirt, not even his precious shoes.

      Really who knows what happened, these are the same guys who lied about Airforce One encountering a British Airways plane on the way to Iraq for Thanksgiving.  There is no method to their madness here, it's just reflex at this point.  But maybe this is to cover those seizure rumors that were spreading around last month.

      by UofAZGrad on Sun May 23, 2004 at 07:47:11 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Seizure? (none / 0)

        Do you mean these reports?

        Brain strokes are common in cocaine use...especially long-term abuse and smoking of crack.. The President's behavior falls well within the medical boundaries of cocaine stroke.

        The polls don't tell us how a candidate is doing; they tell us how the media is doing.

        by Thumb on Mon May 24, 2004 at 05:46:44 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  fantasy (none / 0)

          Maybe it was cocaine. But I like to think Bush's seizures, if they are real, occur because of health problems stemming from his visit to the WTC site in the days after 9/11.  By ordering his EPA to LIE to New Yorkers about the risk of the air around the site, maybe Bush is a victim of his administration's deception.  

          A boy can dream can't he?

          by UofAZGrad on Mon May 24, 2004 at 12:36:38 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

    •  Better response... (none / 0)

      You know, pointing out that it hasn't rained is pretty anal.

      I think a better response is as Sue suggested, saying "I'm surprised he hasn't blamed Clinton for his fall."

      It's sarcastic, cynical, and speaks to this man's character.

      (0.00,-3.13) "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend, to the death, your right to say it."

      by Steve4Clark on Sun May 23, 2004 at 08:48:36 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  We didn't start the loose dirt story (none / 0)

        They did.

        The whole thing is ludicrous.  You surf, you wipe out. You ski, you wipe out. You bike ride off road, you wipe out.  It happens.  The automatic defensiveness they put in play here is typical.  When the Chimperor truly has no clothes you have to be eternally vigilant lest the young boy cries it out.  I bet they really regret unleashing the dogs on Kerry's bike spill.

        Pollkatz: Bush Approval

        by Bruce Webb on Mon May 24, 2004 at 02:22:45 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  As soon as (none / 1)

    I realised that this was within the property of the "ranch", all miserable 1700 acres of it (many in TX laugh frankly), and there was no camera crew, no media along... well...   The kicker ws that the personal physician was there at the ranch.

    No biking, no accident on the trail.  Our boy (well, you know, their boy) was out of it, lost it and fell...somewhere.  Or lost it generally, got out of control and in frustration, one way or the other, beat himself up.

    I expect the doctor was there to keep something flowing to calm the wretch in preparation of the Monday night big 'splainin'.  I am certain George resents having to do this.

    Funny people.  But not amusing.

     

    by Marisacat on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:36:50 PM PDT

  •  Whistling Away (4.00 / 3)

    "You know this president. He likes to go all-out. Suffice it to say he wasn't whistling show tunes."

    Oh yes he was. As he was contemplating his post-Washington, DC life beginning on January 20, 2005.

    Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
    And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed
    Nothin' seems to fit
    Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'

    So I just did me some talkin' to the sun
    And I said I didn't like the way he got things done
    Sleepin' on the job
    Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'

    But there's one thing I know
    The blues they send to meet me won't defeat me
    It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me

    Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
    But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red
    Cryin's not for me
    'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'
    Because I'm free
    Nothin's worryin' me

    [trumpet]

    It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me

    Raindrops keep fallin' on my head
    But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red
    Cryin's not for me
    'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin'
    Because I'm free
    Nothin's worryin' me

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. America for Gore

    by JekyllnHyde on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:37:05 PM PDT

  •  It's really simple... (4.00 / 2)

    ...he's drinking again.

    Come on, he's up a creek.  Everything is spinning out of control.  As quickly as he can erect barriers to the truth, they are getting ripped down even faster.  Nobody is able to bail him out, no one to purchase this smoking heap out from underneath him.  None of his daddy's friends to turn to.

    No matter how insulated, no matter how loudly he hums with hands over his ears, this is starting to sink in and he knows he's in trouble.  The vision of a beloved saviour of our nation and reality of the crumbling facade and his place in history are becoming appearent to even his eyes.

    "The center cannot hold..."

    Let us hope that he implodes before he can destroy the country in some kind of a Right-wing Gotterdamerung.

    by yam on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:40:04 PM PDT

  •  In Reaction To The Rain (none / 1)

    Homeland Security experts are forbidding any further rain in Crawford for the rest of the year.

    by Maccabee on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:40:51 PM PDT

  •  Not Whistling Show Tunes (3.75 / 4)

    Isn't it kind of odd to be dissing Broadway music when your convention is going to be in New York City?

    by firenze on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:41:38 PM PDT

  •  The Universal Constant (3.66 / 3)

    Tell the physicists to stop looking, because we've found the universal constant:

    Nothing, repeat, NOTHING that Bush or the Bush Administration has EVER SAID has been true.

    A cheeto becomes a pretzel.  Pleasantly warm and sunny weather becomes a monsoon.  Come to think of it, that's a pretty good analogy for his presidency.

    by tenacity on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:42:13 PM PDT

  •  He was drinkin' (none / 1)

    We need to watch for signs in this speech that:
    1. - the makeup artists handiwork-- you can bet he'll be made up "big time" (those "big time" make up artists know what they are doing)
    2. - is he glassy-eyed?  This is how he seems when he is recovering from his binge
    3. - he didn't fall off no damn bike... that's for sure.  
    And of course..

    It would sure be funny if Laura showed up with a bandaged fist...

    Bush will be impeached.

    by jgkojak on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:44:21 PM PDT

    •  Laura? (none / 0)

      It would sure be funny if Laura showed up with a bandaged fist...

      More like Cheney.

      Didn't the "Pretzel incident" also precede another big speech about Iraq? Is it possible that Bush wants to come clean with the American people but the neocons had to beat some sense into him?

      Preserve democracy, cancel your cable

      by The past is over on Sun May 23, 2004 at 06:33:35 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Which Showtune was he whistling? (none / 1)

    Suggested by teenagedallasdeaniac:

    "Blow Gabriel Blow" from Anything Goes

    Well, it's Gabriel, Gabriel playin'!
    Gabriel, Gabriel sayin'
    "Will you be ready to go
    When I blow my horn?"

    Oh, blow, Gabriel, blow,
    Go on and blow, Gabriel, blow!
    I've been a sinner, I've been a scamp,
    But now I'm willin' to trim my lamp,
    So blow, Gabriel, blow!

    Oh, I was low, Gabriel, low,
    Mighty low, Gabriel, low.
    But now since I have seen the light,
    I'm good by day and I'm good by night,
    So blow, Gabriel, blow!

    Once I was headed for hell,
    Once I was headed for hell;
    But when I got to Satan's door
    I heard you blowin' on your horn once more,
    So I said, "Satan, farewell!"

    And now I'm all ready to fly,
    Yes, to fly higher and higher!
    'Cause I've gone through brimstone
    And I've been through the fire,
    And I purged my soul
    And my heart too,
    So climb up the mountaintop
    And start to blow, Gabriel, blow

    99% perspiration

    by DaveOinSF on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:48:21 PM PDT

    •  There's a part in it where... (none / 0)

      After Reno Sweeney, New York's sexiest evangelist (yes, the play's hilarious) sings that part, her flock start singing too, and they all start singing, "Blow, blow Gabriel blow!" over and over.  Considering Cole Porter (the author) was a well known homosexual, the lyrics take on a hilarious undertone.  After the song, Reno asks if any sinner in the audience has anything to confess.  The curiously effeminate, eccentric, and British Lord Evelyn Oakleigh gets up and says that he had an affair with a Chinese girl.  The audience gasps, but Reno smiles and says, "Good.  I was worried about you."

      by teenagedallasdeaniac on Sun May 23, 2004 at 06:42:52 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  It wasn't (none / 0)

    raining in Crawford TX, the (unelected one) was urinating in his pants.
    He can't watch TV by himself without choking on an animated pretzel, why would anyone think he could take a seventeen mile bike ride without having some kind of an incident, damm this person can't walk and chew gum at the same time by the looks of it.
    This is what the American voter thinks a president should be like, help us all!
    Think peace first!
    ABB&B!!!

    by PC on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:54:12 PM PDT

  •  He Wasn't Drunk (none / 0)

    I heard Condi kicked his ass for making her lie in front of the commission. Then kicked him in the kneecaps just because she can.

    by wph on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:54:48 PM PDT

  •  its a conspiracy (4.00 / 2)

    Damn liberal weather channel, lying about rain in the area just to hurt Our Evangelical Leader.  Its Satan, I tell ya....

    Abu Ghraib: Hell House of the Religious Right

    by sendtoscott on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:55:36 PM PDT

  •  Sidenote (4.00 / 3)

    Secretary Rumsfeld maintains he had no prior knowledge of rainfall or loose topsoil in the Crawford area until presented with doppler images and soil composition reports.  He declared a formal investigation, but added that a deliquent low-level gardener may have done a poor job with drainage, due to poor training.

    Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you. Jean-Paul Sartre

    by Stevo on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:56:21 PM PDT

  •  Drudge has the picture (none / 0)

    http://www.drudgereport.com/boo.jpg

    His hand probably stings a bit right now....

    Good, quick, cheap. Choose two.

    by Danack on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:56:53 PM PDT

  •  When does he spend time in the Oval Ofc? (none / 0)

    It seems every time you turn on the tube that guy is in Crawford? Did someone move the WH there?  I'd hate like hell to see the bills for his travel to and from Crawford.  As for the scrape on his face it certainly looks like a burn scrape - either a rug burn or a cement burn, but falling on gravel? ummm maybe not.

    Pssst ... there are mad men in the White House.

    by banjon on Sun May 23, 2004 at 05:58:40 PM PDT

  •  damn it (4.00 / 4)

    Why does gravity hate America?

    by Oolong on Sun May 23, 2004 at 06:13:00 PM PDT

  •  I worry a bit... (4.00 / 8)

    Reading these comments I worry that we risk being blinded by our loathing of The President America Tried So Hard Not To Elect. I do not say that loathing is an inappropriate response, but we do well to recall that Clinton's foes were themselves undone by the hatred clouding their vision: by the time Clinton handed his enemies a sword in l'affaire Lewinski the Rabid Right had already desensitized its audience with "Bill Clinton Recruited by the KGB in 1969" and "Bill and Hillary Murdered (Lesbian) Hillary's Lover Vince Foster"...I mean, geez, Occam's Razor, chums: just because a proposed scenario is more gratifying doesn't mean we have to send our critical faculties to bed. So he fell off his fucking bike. So it wasn't on damp terrain--you expect the Rove Machine to acknowledge that the Dear Leader partook of mere human clumsiness?

    Get real, friends. Let's not be distracted by ephemera, nor indulge the illusory comfort that all we're facing here is a lapszed alkie.

    Rand Careaga - Oakland CA

    by rcareaga on Sun May 23, 2004 at 06:20:27 PM PDT

    •  scroll up to the pic posted (none / 0)

      he is looking a wee bit yellowish these days. Isn't it true liver damage can cause yellowing of the skin? Long term use or overuse of prescription drugs can also be rather hard on the liver....which is why I'm sticking to my impression the man is on drugs just like the rest of his cabinet and admin. How else does one explain the bizarre choices made by these erhm folks?

      by primate on the left on Sun May 23, 2004 at 07:43:32 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  The Concern is Fair Enough... (none / 0)

      ...but seriously, nobody is suggesting that we impeach him for lying about this accident.

      In fact, I think our ability to continue laughing at the Chimperor, despite all the damage he does, is a good sign that we're keeping our heads about us!

      This nicely summarizes what's wrong with American political life today. (Source)

      by GreenSooner on Sun May 23, 2004 at 09:45:35 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Echoes of last week (none / 0)

        It was almost exactly at this time (post-midnight Monday) last week that I suggested that a weekend thread on the Berg affair would not doom dDkos for generations.  We need to keep some perspective here, in a day this thread will be total past history to everyone except those who are checking back to make sure they didn't miss some critical reply to their comment.

        I am in total agreement with GreenSooner here, if we can't have some fun why bother coming?

        Pollkatz: Bush Approval

        by Bruce Webb on Mon May 24, 2004 at 02:37:07 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  Nice try Kos (4.00 / 4)

    But you have to get up pretty early in the morning (any time before noon will suffice) to pull one over on me. I did a little research on this