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  • TUESDAY OCTOBER 31 2006 8:30 PM

Laura Bush Lies, Trashes Michael J. Fox

Submitted by legionnaire

Edited by legionnaire

Tags: Laura Bush, stem cell, Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox, the popular former actor afflicted with a particularly nasty form of heritable Parkinson's disease, had been making the rounds in lectures and advertisments endorsing candidates who favor increasing stem cell research, until Rush Limbaugh called him out on it, claiming that he was mugging for the camera in some dastardly partisan ploy that was probably somehow Bill Clinton's fault. Fox showed a level of maturity unusual for the political arena, essentially ignoring Limbaugh and focusing on his agenda; to increase funding and availability of stem cell based therapies. Parkinson's disease is considered to be a particularly likely candidate for stem cell based therapeutic approaches, as it involves the selective death of a very specific neuron type in the brain, and researchers have been turning stem cells into these neurons in laboratories for several years.

But the GOP attack machine isn't finished chewing up Fox just yet, as it unleashed one of its big guns today, first lady Laura Bush stepped up the partisan attacks on Fox today, all the while making up facts about her husband's supposed devotion to stem cell based therapies.

Q: One of the issues that’s come up. Michael J. Fox. The whole issue of stem cell research. Your reaction to the events of the past week.

LAURA BUSH: Well, I don’t have any idea about any of those. I mean, I’ve watch on television just like you have. But the fact is President Bush is the only president that authorized funding for stem cell research. And, um, you know, it’s an issue that it’s easy to try to manipulate people’s feelings about and I understand that. My dad died of Alzheimer’s. You know, there’ s nothing I’d like more than to think there was a cure for Alzheimer’s. Especially before I get to be the age he is, but knowing also how he suffered. It’s always easy to manipulate people’s feelings, especially when you are talking about diseases that are so difficult.


The fact is that stem cell research did begin under President Bush. George H. W. Bush, that is. The work began in 1990, but it was Bill Clinton who expanded available funding for stem cell research, only to have George W. Bush change those rules to a more restrictive set during his first year in office, limiting all research done on embryonic stem cells to existing cell lines, despite a variety of problems with those lines. So both she and Tony Snow pushing this ridiculous line that all stem cell research is available courtesy of George W. Bush is flat out lying to try and boost the GOP this close to the election.

And she's complaining that Michael J. Fox is manipulative?

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NickFaust

NickFaust

USA
April 2004

OCT 31, 2006 08:40 PM

You are confusing manipulative and stupid. And Laura is really, really stupid.

Evidence? You ask?

Item 1: She married Bush.
Item 2: She has not divorced him.

The prosecution rests.

NickFaust

NickFaust

USA
April 2004

OCT 31, 2006 08:47 PM

oyaji said:

NickFaust said:
You are confusing manipulative and stupid. And Laura is really, really stupid.

Evidence? You ask?

Item 1: She married Bush.
Item 2: She has not divorced him.

The prosecution rests.



I had to read this twice before I realized that you meant:

"You are mistaking 'stupid' for 'manipulative.' "

and not:

"You are confusing, manipulative and stupid."



Lol

Well, you know, both could be true!

TheFuckOffKid

TheFuckOffKid

NEWSWIRE

Australia

OCT 31, 2006 08:53 PM

oyaji said:
"You are confusing, manipulative and stupid."



legionnaire, you stand accused!

ilovemaynard

ilovemaynard

Export, PA
October 2006

OCT 31, 2006 09:17 PM

yeah Im a firm republican and even I think that was freaking stupid. That was a shady comment from Limbaugh. shocked

skeptik

skeptik

New Orleans, LA
February 2004

OCT 31, 2006 09:19 PM

Y'know, I used to have some respect for Laura Bush.

I mean, I've always admired the dedication it takes to be a teacher and librarian ... although she was only a teacher for three years and a librarian for four. And early on it looked like she might actually become her own person with a mitigating influence on her husband's stupidity.

That was a long time ago ...

meggle

meggle

Berkeley, CA
November 2002

OCT 31, 2006 09:37 PM

...nothing to see here...move along...

SirPsychoSexy

SirPsychoSexy

Ridgewood, NJ
January 2004

OCT 31, 2006 09:38 PM

TheFuckOffKid said:

oyaji said:
"You are confusing, manipulative and stupid."



legionnaire, you stand accused!



Woooooooooooooosh

wink

FellOnEarth

FellOnEarth

Temecula, CA
April 2006

OCT 31, 2006 09:39 PM

It's always easy to manipulate people's feelings...


Thank you for that brilliant insight Laura. Bitch.

So, is it easier to manipulate other peoples feeling's when you are completely devoid of feelings yourself?

Sometimes I really wish these people could listen to themselves.

stella_marie

stella_marie

New York, NY
January 2005

OCT 31, 2006 09:41 PM

shes just as well spoken as he is

ortho7117

ortho7117

Charlotte, NC
April 2004

OCT 31, 2006 10:21 PM

Well she started off truthfully: "Well I don't have any idea about any of those..."

And why is it that I think she's speaking from experience about that manipulating people's emotions bit? Oh shit, I'll have to think more on this later... they just raised the terror threat level!

orbro

orbro

New York, NY
July 2004

NOV 01, 2006 02:01 AM

stella_marie said:
shes just as well spoken as he is



i'm flummoxed. jokes like that should definitely be demarcacted. the fact that mike fox is still a football given everything else is like a hurricane in the brain.

obijonk

obijonk

United Kingdom
May 2003

NOV 01, 2006 02:01 AM

The thing that strikes me the most is that any and all things that the Republican party do not agree with are viewed as threats; not just a hiccup, and attacked, as threats.

Michael J. Fox may not be the saviour of stem cell research, but to attack him for wanting there to be more research, to SAVE PEOPLE's LIVES simply to seemingly satisfy radical religious right supporters seems a bit... how can I say? Ridiculous?

I wonder if Bush really believes in any of the policies or themes of his Presidency, or just backs what will make him popular with his daddy's friends?

mingol

mingol

Singapore
July 2005

NOV 01, 2006 02:17 AM

(I)t was Bill Clinton who expanded available funding for stem cell research, only to have George W. Bush change those rules to a more restrictive set during his first year in office ... this ridiculous line that all stem cell research is available courtesy of George W. Bush is flat out lying to try and boost the GOP this close to the election.



Pfft. Come on, legionnaire, get with the program. In this administration, pesky things like facts simply don't matter!

ASSH0LE

ASSH0LE

Las Vegas, NV
June 2003

NOV 01, 2006 02:56 AM

Skeptik said:
Y'know, I used to have some respect for Laura Bush.

I mean, I've always admired the dedication it takes to be a teacher and librarian ... although she was only a teacher for three years and a librarian for four. And early on it looked like she might actually become her own person with a mitigating influence on her husband's stupidity.

That was a long time ago ...



I've always admired her for being the first First Lady who sold weed back in college.

FellOnEarth

FellOnEarth

Temecula, CA
April 2006

NOV 01, 2006 03:40 AM

ASSH0LE said:

Skeptik said:
Y'know, I used to have some respect for Laura Bush.

I mean, I've always admired the dedication it takes to be a teacher and librarian ... although she was only a teacher for three years and a librarian for four. And early on it looked like she might actually become her own person with a mitigating influence on her husband's stupidity.

That was a long time ago ...



I've always admired her for being the first First Lady who sold weed back in college.


Yes, but those were "youthful indiscretions", you know, something that the proletariat call "felonies" when their sons and daughters get busted doing the same thing and end up going to jail. Gee, as long as were going to hold politicians and their fuck-buddies to a "higher" standard, I'm hoping I can claim that my "youthful indiscretions" will last well into my adulthood, say 60ish... biggrin

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