September 11, 2002
Revising Reality-MSNBC's Whitewash of GWB's Failure of Leadership on 9-11
by Paul Lukasiak
One of the best-kept secrets of 9-11 is the complete failure of Presidential leadership demonstrated by George W. Bush when he was notified that the United States of America was under attack. The media has been engaged in a relentless campaign to misrepresent George W. Bush as a forceful leader who took charge on 9-11, rather than as the man who literally did nothing when specifically notified that this nation was "under attack".
Instead
the media has decided to completely rewrite history as part of its orgy
of coverage of the first anniversary of 9-11. Nevertheless, anyone with
a computer and a modem can watch the unequivocal evidence that the current
occupant of the White House did nothing when told about the 9-11 attacks
in no uncertain terms. Saratoga, Florida's Emma T. Booker Elementary School
produced a video record of the events of 9-11 that demonstrate the complete
failure of George W. Bush to act appropriately to the information that
America was under attack for the first time since Pearl Harbor. Although
this video is edited somewhat, it provides more than enough evidence that
the continued occupancy of the White House by its current resident represents
a clear threat to the well-being of this nation and its people.
One classic example of history being rewritten comes from the MSNBC 9-11
timeline site . In characterizing what happened at the Booker School after
Card notifies Bush that America is being attacked, MSNBC writes:
Five
minutes later, he abruptly ends the lesson and
departs, telling a reporter who asked him for comment
on the crashes, "We'll talk about it later."
This simple statement rewrites history in three separate ways:
- It states that "five minutes" after being notified of the attack, Bush took action. Yet various witnesses state that Bush did not leave the room for 10 or more minutes after being notified of the attack, and even the official version has the notification taking place at 9:05, with Bush leaving the room at 9:12. (Unfortunately, the video is edited, making it impossible to determine exactly how long Bush sat and did nothing, and efforts to gain access to copies of the network video and audio feed of the Booker School event have been consistently rebuffed.)
- It states that Bush ends the lesson. Nothing could be further from the truth. The lesson was ended by the teacher who was leading the reading demonstration, and the 'photo op" was only ended when the principal of the school walked up to Bush and stood beside him.
- There was nothing whatsoever 'abrupt" about the manner in which the lesson was ended, and Bush left the room. Indeed, the video demonstrates that Bush was entirely unconcerned about the fact that the nation had been attacked. Rather than take the first opportunity to leave the room, Bush engaged in irrelevant patter with the teacher and students at a time when thousands of Americans were dying, and two other hijacked planes were flying toward Washington DC.
The video is edited in such a way that we do not see the actual end of the reading demonstration itself. But according to Booker Elementary School Principal Gwen Rigall, at the end of the reading demonstration of an excerpt from a story entitled "The Pet Goat", the children were told that the story was "to be continued" and were asked if they knew what "to be continued" meant. It is at this point that the video resumes. (Note…times cited are to the time in the Booker School video itself, and do not reflect the time passed after Bush being notified.)
[6
minutes: 02 seconds] cut to children with their hands raised
[6:03] unidentified child: {indistinguishable}
[6:06] Bush: That's exactly right.
[6:08] Bush: Ohh, these are great readers...
[6:10] Teacher: Yes they are
[6:11] Bush: Very impressive
[6:13] Bush: Thank you all so very much for showing me your reading
skills.
[6:17] Bush (to teacher): I bet they practice {indistinguishable}
[6:19] Teacher: Oh yes, that's a requirement, homework, reading homework
[6:22] Bush: Reading more than they watch TV?
[6:24] Teacher: Oh yes, oh yes
[6:25] Bush (to children): Anybody do that? Read more than they
watch TV?
Many children raise their hands
[6:28] Bush: Oh that's great. Very Good.
[6:32] Bush: Very important to practice.
[6:36] Bush: {indistinguishable} very impressive.
The school principal walks up to Bush. Bush closes his reader.
[6:40] Teacher: Boys and girls close your readers.
Bush looks at the principal, but makes no move to rise to leave the
room.
It is at this point that the video is again cut. We do not see Bush rise from his chair, and leave the room.
What is abundantly clear from a close observation of the video is that Bush felt no sense of urgency whatsoever, after being told that the United States was under attack. Instead, he engaged in chit-chat, and the video shows that he is quite relaxed and at ease while doing so.
Given the nature of what happened, when all of America were real time witnesses to the death and destruction of 9-11, one can understand (if not necessarily approve of) the media's inaccurate presentation of Bush as a leader who immediately rose to the occasion when America was attacked. In moments of crisis, people look to their leaders for answers, and it was important that the nation as a whole feel that things were under control in the wake of the attacks on 9-11.
But the continued distortion of events of 9-11 in a manner which provides political advantage to the Republican Party less than two months before congressional elections is simply inexcusable. George W. Bush failed to fulfill his role as Commander in Chief after being told that America was under attack. Yet Bush is using the office of the presidency, and the personal popularity that he gained as a result of the media's denial of his failures, to raise funds and votes for Republican candidates for the US House and Senate. And the media is presenting a wholly distorted picture of Bush's "presidential" leadership in the midst of a national and worldwide debate over America's military intervention in Iraq.
By rewriting history, the media becomes a willing partner in the lie and complicit in the social, economical, and political destruction that results from the real lack of compassion, comprehension and leadership skills in George W. Bush.
Paul Lukasiak
* * *
The video can be found at the links on this page:
