Awwww...After watching the video on this page I may have to reconsider my opinion of George W. Bush. I mean, to think that the most powerful man on earth, took time off from his important campaigning in the very important state of Ohio to hug little Ashley, who lost her Mom on 9/11 and selflessly offer her comfort… well, it’s all I can do right now to stop from tearing up. You have seriously got to watch this beautiful video.

Tip of the hat to neocon

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About the author

ck

Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

45 Comments

  • Golly, that’s nice of him, but I still don’t want him running the country.

    “It’s hard work hugging all of these people. I’m the President. I meet with important people all of the time and give them hugs. It’s hard work.”

  • Well it is beautiful, and very sad indeed, and I do believe the President was just being human in his reaction to Ashley when her relative stopped the President to tell him her story, prompting this picture.

    However, did ‘Ashley’s Story’ have to have a request for contributions to a conservative 527 non-profit group that is clearly promoting the reelection of a political candidate. How much of this has to do with Ashley and how much to do with election of a President? The question should not have to be asked at all, should it?

    Sorry CK and Neocon. I lean conservative myself, but if you follow the Contribution Request on the link in ‘Ashley’s Story’, you see it leads directly to a group promoting relection of President Bush. Couldn’t this video release have waited until after the election. Its real intent has a smell.

  • Really, you would have to be seriously cold-hearted not to want to comfort a child in that situation. However, I don’t believe his reaction to Ashley proves that Bush has “heart and soul.” If he were indeed interested in protecting the common man, would he be trying to gut social services and education, erode our civil rights, and favor the interests of the rich and corporations (in both domestic economic policy and in Iraq) like he does. I personally think that Bush is such a disingenuous piece of crap that I believe that, in part, he was mugging for the cameras with Ashley. After all, what better way to exhibit his “compassionate conservatism” than to hug a grieving child (and obvious supporter of this presidency). As pointed out above, the incident is being used as a ploy to raise campaign funds and sweeten the taste of his reelection bid. Incidentally, hugging children, like kissing babies, is an integral part of campaigning – when he hugged Ashley, he wasn’t taking any time off from his busy schedule (though you may recall that he took time off for vacation 42% of his time in office prior to 9/11).

  • CK! Come on, man, get it together! What happened to my favourite ironic blogger? 馃槈
    I really see this as a manipulative, stomach-turning and shameless piece of propoganda. So the man did the right thing and hugged a pretty little blonde girl – while looking directly into the camera lens, I might add – who tragically lost her father. Why in the world do you think this makes him the right man to be prez?

  • Wait, maybe you *were* being ironic and I left my sense of humour in yoga class this morning… Were you? Being ironic, that is?

  • If a show of affection is an indication of having a heart then I guess we have evidence that every politician who has ever walked the face of the earth has been relatively kind hearted. In fact, even Hitler seemed to have a had a soft spot Look at him! Could someone who could play with an innocent baby really be evil?!?

  • My loathing of nonsensical Nazi references is well known. All I can say is he’s YOUR buddy! I hold you personally responsible for that eggregious hitler reference.

    And thanks for that link Kenny. I watched the movie and am relieved to know that despite the Pullitzer Prize winning photo and the history books and stuff, that My Lai thing in Vietnam didn’t really happen like they said it did.

    By the way, yes, loathe is the word of the day.

  • ck – you actually watched that movie? geez, you must be like on crack. i just watched team america. fuck yeah!

  • Irregardless of whether the posting was ironic or not (who cares? Air time!) the vitriol spewed forth in in this thread reminds me of why I’m on the right.

    Almost as much as this does.

    To me, the ad is a nice break from endless mudslinging.

  • Neocon, the ad is a manipulative attempt to make us think that Poppa is gonna hug us and protect us from the big bad terrorists.

    In the meantime, as somebody pointed out above, the same loving, hugging poppa is doing some pretty nasty social stuff. Just as one example, one of the most successful social programs our government runs, HUD’s Section 8 program, assists poor families to find housing by subsidizing part of it. Lots of developers build housing or offer housing to people who would otherwise be unable to afford it on the basis of the guaranteed revenue promised by the US Government.

    Now, by law, the Bush Administration cannot remove the program entirely. Instead they have purposely undermined its credibility and the sense of confidence in its future so that many developers are now removing themselves from the program or have stopped building this type of housing all together. You think Bush is about to give those people a nice, warm loving and caring hug like he’s giving this nice middle class white girl with her photogenic family? I don’t think so. Maybe that’s why a few of us are cynical about this ad.

  • Geez TM, the ad is what it is. And whatever that is, it is self evident. Sometimes it’s best to just let things slide and speak for themselves. Why be so darned cynical all the time?

  • I woulda thunk having kids would have fixed that for you. I mean if George W. popped by to give your daughter a reassuring hug, would you begrudge him?

  • Dude, please edit out that first letter. And no, I wouldn’t begrudge him. Sadly, though, they don’t allow people who aren’t his supporters to attend his rallies so I’m afraid he’d never get the chance to hug her, or me for that matter.
    (ed. note: comment edited. – ck)

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