Live Root Beer Blogging - Memorial Day Edition*
*(Hey, it's too early in the day for vodka - give me a break.)
So, here we go. I have CSPAN on and have settled in to watch. Let's see what happened:
1055 - Bush shows up and muffs his hand salute for the National Anthem. He looks bored. It's tough to hold those service flags at Present Arms, especially with all the battle pennants. Four drum flourishes, followed by the high, lonely music of Taps.
1057 - Wreath laying and moment of silence, then into Arlington House and out back to the Amphitheater. One of the inscriptions on the Amphitheater is The Old Lie, dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. The Marine Band swings into This is My Country, and one can't help feeling the urge to join in the song. When it stops, all you can hear for a while is birds singing (thank God for CSPAN).
1103 - Karl Rove's in his seat (how's that for blasphemy?); John Warner looks disgusted at something.
1104 - There's a guy in the audience with a red Hawaiian shirt as loud as the ones I wear!
1105 - Stand up for four ruffles and flourishes, followed by Hail to the Chief as The Decider shows up.
1106 - Prayer, calling for remembrance and unity. Of course, unifying behind this President is kinda hard to do if you have more than two brain cells to rub together.
1107 - National Anthem. Extremely well done by the Marine Band's singer (much better than the asshole who muffed it at the concert last night).
1109 - General Pace, looking all spit and polish: Service members "must rededicate ourselves" to their oath of office, which calls on them to "defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." Hmm. Must avoid paranoia today.
1111 - America the Beautiful, sung by the same Marine. Gotta applaud that.
1114 - DepDefSec England: Thanks to all active servicemembers and to veterans. Freedom is a gift that must be defended. Cites Reagan. Points out that the Commander-in-Chief bears the ultimate responsibility for leading us to victory - nice way to introduce The Commander Guy.
1118 - Bush speaks. Starts by invoking the dead of previous wars and says, "This hallowed ground receives a new generation of heroes" who "believed in something larger than themselves."
1121 - Goes into the favorite method of humanizing the war by talking about individual soldiers. Of course, it's the only way he can humanize it - he's never been to the funeral of any soldier he's sent to die for this morally dubious cause.
1123 - Extolls freedoms and their costs and skirts close to the "9/11" by saying that find ourselves under attack. Says that our enemies question our moral strength - our friends are doing that too George.
1124 - He and Laura visited with wounded soldiers and the families of the dead. Isn't that nice of them? He also stated that 174 Marines asked to have their enlistments extended. Gonna have to check that.
So, here we go. I have CSPAN on and have settled in to watch. Let's see what happened:
1055 - Bush shows up and muffs his hand salute for the National Anthem. He looks bored. It's tough to hold those service flags at Present Arms, especially with all the battle pennants. Four drum flourishes, followed by the high, lonely music of Taps.
1057 - Wreath laying and moment of silence, then into Arlington House and out back to the Amphitheater. One of the inscriptions on the Amphitheater is The Old Lie, dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. The Marine Band swings into This is My Country, and one can't help feeling the urge to join in the song. When it stops, all you can hear for a while is birds singing (thank God for CSPAN).
1103 - Karl Rove's in his seat (how's that for blasphemy?); John Warner looks disgusted at something.
1104 - There's a guy in the audience with a red Hawaiian shirt as loud as the ones I wear!
1105 - Stand up for four ruffles and flourishes, followed by Hail to the Chief as The Decider shows up.
1106 - Prayer, calling for remembrance and unity. Of course, unifying behind this President is kinda hard to do if you have more than two brain cells to rub together.
1107 - National Anthem. Extremely well done by the Marine Band's singer (much better than the asshole who muffed it at the concert last night).
1109 - General Pace, looking all spit and polish: Service members "must rededicate ourselves" to their oath of office, which calls on them to "defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." Hmm. Must avoid paranoia today.
1111 - America the Beautiful, sung by the same Marine. Gotta applaud that.
1114 - DepDefSec England: Thanks to all active servicemembers and to veterans. Freedom is a gift that must be defended. Cites Reagan. Points out that the Commander-in-Chief bears the ultimate responsibility for leading us to victory - nice way to introduce The Commander Guy.
1118 - Bush speaks. Starts by invoking the dead of previous wars and says, "This hallowed ground receives a new generation of heroes" who "believed in something larger than themselves."
1121 - Goes into the favorite method of humanizing the war by talking about individual soldiers. Of course, it's the only way he can humanize it - he's never been to the funeral of any soldier he's sent to die for this morally dubious cause.
1123 - Extolls freedoms and their costs and skirts close to the "9/11" by saying that find ourselves under attack. Says that our enemies question our moral strength - our friends are doing that too George.
1124 - He and Laura visited with wounded soldiers and the families of the dead. Isn't that nice of them? He also stated that 174 Marines asked to have their enlistments extended. Gonna have to check that.
posted by Walt at 11:41 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home