But I just haven't found your posts worth my time or effort. In fact, I usually just skip right over them. Perhaps you should start doing the same with mine. Then we'll both be happy.

Have a great weekend:)

Yes, I said to R. Thompson:

"You say that The Bush administration DID single out broadcasters, most famously Bill Maher, with the statement -- "People should watch what they say." But it was not Bush himself who made that statement. It was Ari Fleischer."

Then you said:

"R.Thompson is referring to the Bush Administration. At the time, Ari Fleischer was the official spoke person of the Administration. He said this in the context of press conference as the official spoke person. Whether Bush himself said or did not say something is irrelevant."

First of all, of course I realize that R. Thompson was referring to the Bush Administration. That's how I quoted him. However, the fact that it was Ari Fleischer rather than Bush himself who made the statement is the very heart of my point. Because it proves that Bush considers commenting on the behavior of a private citizen himself well below acceptable presidential decorum. Ari Fleischer simply expressed his interpretation of the Maher affair when asked at a press conference, which is exactly what the proper decorum should be. Obviously, Obama does not feel this way at all. In fact, he seemed to be perfectly comfortable calling out a private citizen when he said,"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done." Big difference.

All that said, what I stated AFTER that is far more important -- and that is:

"Futhermore, after Ari made that statement, he DIDN'T go back to the White House and hatch a strategy against Bill Mayer. But the Obama White House DID do just that against Rush Limbaugh. According to Politico:

"Top Democrats believe they have struck political gold by depicting Rush Limbaugh as the new face of the Republican Party, a full-scale effort first hatched by some of the most familiar names in politics and now being guided in part from inside the White House."

Have a great weekend:)

even if I were to grant you that and I'm not (because a private citizen in this context is a non-politician), the fact that the Obama administration then conspired against this individual from within the White House is still appalling. Anyway, you present your case well and without the usual sniping that so often goes on here. But I DO have to get home now. It's the first warm day we've had here for awhile. So I want to sit out on the deck and watch the sun go down with a big honking glass of wine. Take care.

When you've got nothing, resort to name calling. Nice.

Traditionally, when heads of state meet for the first time, it’s customary to exchange gifts as tokens of friendship between the countries. Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Great Britain seemed to understand the solemnity of the occasion, giving Obama an ornamental penholder made from the timbers of the anti-slavery ship HMS Gannet, once also named HMS President. He also gave Obama a framed commission for the HMS Resolute. The desk in the Oval Office is itself made from the timbers of the HMS Resolute. Lastly, Mr. Brown gave Obama a first edition set of the seven-volume classic biography of Winston Churchill, written by Sir Martin Gilbert.

Naturally, President Obama would have to reciprocate with something as uniquely thoughtful to underscore our special relationship with Great Britain, right?

Wrong.

President Obama's “inspired” gift was a 25 DVD set of classic American films, something which could easily be purchased from Amazon or even a flea market. I sure hope “Plan Nine from Outer Space” was in there.

Try to imagine how the media would have reacted if George Bush had made such an abominable faux pas.

But that’s not all. Because later that week, Obama’s new Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, embarrassed America even more. Answering questions in front of 500 young Europeans at the European Parliament, she compared the complex European political environment to that of the two-party U.S. system, stating:

"I have never understood multiparty democracy. It is hard enough with two parties to come to any resolution, and I say this very respectfully, because I feel the same way about our own democracy, which has been around a lot longer than European democracy."

That’s right, according to Obama’s new Secretary of State, American democracy “has been around a lot longer than European democracy." Wow.

Obviously, the remark dropped a lot of jaws in a parliament that traces back its democratic tradition to the days of classical Greece. But Hillary wasn’t finished. During a working lunch with EU leaders, she raised more eyebrows when she referred to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who stood beside her, as "High Representative Solano." She the referred to European Commission External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner as "Benito."

Again, try to imagine how the media would have reacted if George Bush had made these gaffes.

But, alas, not a peep from the fourth estate. Only the sound of crickets.

Joan, are you out there?