Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

SAM DONALDSON: Mr. President, should Mel Gibson be forgiven? (Laughter.)

[Note to self: Laughter? Did they think that was funny? >:O ]

THE PRESIDENT: (Joking) Is that you and Gregory standing back there?

OTHER VOICE: I was there first. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: You know--

DONALDSON:--complaining of the Jews--

THE PRESIDENT: Is that Sam Donaldson? (Laughter.) Forget it. You're a has-been. We don't have to answer has-been's questions.

PRESS CORPS: Ooooh!

[Then some discussion before Donaldson continues...]

DONALDSON: (Inaudible)--about Mel Gibson--

THE PRESIDENT: I can't hear you, I'm over 60, just like you. (Laughter.)

DONALDSON: --Ronald Reagan could get away with that, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: He was over 60, as well. At any rate, as you can tell, I'm thrilled to be here, blah, blah, blah...

YAWN!!!!

The LA Times chimed in with an essentially worthless rehashing of the WH.gov piece. No Pulitzer there.

The Chicago Tribune, however, did have something to add:

"Is that Sam Donaldson?" Bush asked. "Forget it, you're a has-been."

"Never was," replied Donaldson, who had characteristically interrupted Bush with a question from the back of the room, asking if Bush would forgive Mel Gibson, the actor who has apologized for anti-Semitic slurs.

Unfortunately the Tribune got it wrong. Way wrong. Seems only the Washington Post had their ear in the right place:

"You're a has-been. We don't have to answer has-been's questions," Bush shot at Donaldson.

"Better to have been a has-been than a never was," the TV man retorted.

Did you catch that? Sam said "F--k you, Bush!!!! F--K YOU!!!"

Bush--the Prezident that "never was".

And for those who think Sam didn't mean it that way, simply put yourself in his position -- amongst all his peers, he is mocked as a has-been -- then decide what your intent would be with a retort like Donaldson's.

Oh, and by the way, as you might have noticed from the transcript above, the leader of the free world decided it was appropriate to crack a joke when posed a very serious question about a very serious subject. "Oh, blatant hate-mongering bigotry! Ha, ha, ha. Very funny."