Doonesbury, 1971

Getting Priorities Straight

Remarks by the President to the Press Pool
Nothin' Fancy Cafe
Roswell, New Mexico

11:25 A.M. MST

THE PRESIDENT: I need some ribs.

Q Mr. President, how are you?

THE PRESIDENT: I'm hungry and I'm going to order some ribs.

Q What would you like?

THE PRESIDENT: Whatever you think I'd like.

Q Sir, on homeland security, critics would say you simply haven't spent enough to keep the country secure.

THE PRESIDENT: My job is to secure the homeland and that's exactly what we're going to do. But I'm here to take somebody's order. That would be you, Stretch -- what would you like? Put some of your high-priced money right here to try to help the local economy. You get paid a lot of money, you ought to be buying some food here. It's part of how the economy grows. You've got plenty of money in your pocket, and when you spend it, it drives the economy forward. So what would you like to eat?

Q Right behind you, whatever you order.

THE PRESIDENT: I'm ordering ribs. David, do you need a rib?

Q But Mr. President --

THE PRESIDENT: Stretch, thank you, this is not a press conference. This is my chance to help this lady put some money in her pocket. Let me explain how the economy works. When you spend money to buy food it helps this lady's business. It makes it more likely somebody is going to find work. So instead of asking questions, answer mine: are you going to buy some food?

Q Yes.

THE PRESIDENT: Okay, good. What would you like?

Q Ribs.

THE PRESIDENT: Ribs? Good. Let's order up some ribs.

Q What do you think of the democratic field, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: See, his job is to ask questions, he thinks my job is to answer every question he asks. I'm here to help this restaurant by buying some food. Terry, would you like something?

Q An answer.

Q Can we buy some questions?

THE PRESIDENT: Obviously these people -- they make a lot of money and they're not going to spend much. I'm not saying they're overpaid, they're just not spending any money.

Q Do you think it's all going to come down to national security, sir, this election?

THE PRESIDENT: One of the things David does, he asks a lot of questions, and they're good, generally.

END 11:29 A.M. MST

John Kerry's Military Service

What with Dean's hysterical scream in Iowa (what Buchanan dubbed "the worst political performance since Gary Hart stepped off the Monkey Business" on The McLaughlin Group), John Kerry is looking to be the leading Democratic nominee. The 'Best of the Web' (blog of The Wall Street Journal) refers to Senator Kerry as "the haughty, French-looking Massachusetts Democrat who by the way served in Vietnam," for his perpetual referral to his military service in his campaigning . . . Newsmax (conservative newsrag) has uncovered some troubling "skeletons in the closet" regarding Kerry's "military service" after Vietnam.

Life & Death in Baghdad

"For hours no one knew where they were. We went about our day as best we could. Work never stops here — progress is the best revenge against these savages. But our minds were with Raghad and Hadeel — and our prayers, too. Several Arabic speakers from our office hopped in a car and made the rounds to all the hospitals. . . ."

"Hard Times: Life and death in Baghdad"
by Martha Malone (pseudonym)
NRO Jan. 22, 2004

The Neo-Conservative Myth

Max Boot dismantles the many misconceptions and outright falsehoods regarding the so-called cabal of neo-conservatives running the Bush Administration and pulling the strings of American foreign policy in "Think Again: Neocons" (Foreign Policy January/February 2004).

Guess how they found Saddam?

Liberating Art . . .

"When he was forced to fashion statues of Saddam Hussein on horseback, the Iraqi sculptor, Kalat, had no idea that someday he would melt them down to create a memorial for American Soldiers. . . ."

"Changing faces: statue honors fallen heroes"
by Spc. Benjamin R. Kibbey
TIKRIT, Iraq (Army News Service, Jan. 6, 2003)

Bug Eyed Monsters!

Planet Comics no. 17, March 1942 and other comic books from the 1940's, scanned and reproduced online for your viewing pleasure.