Bush, Obama to meet on Monday as transition accelerates

Why do American leaders always end their speeches and televised addresses by saying "God bless America?" I noticed Obama did it the other night, too. Do they really believe that the U.S. receives a special blessing from God (if God exists)?

Good luck with the transition. I hope the White House employees heed Bush's request and not do any pranks before they leave.

Razor - No, but it keeps the strong Christian base happy. Obama needs to start mixing it up. A few "inshalla"s will start scaring people!

"God bless America?" I noticed Obama did it the other night

That is odd. Obama saying "God Damn America" would have much better reflected his true sentiments.

As much as the majority of people seem to hate Bush, I hope they at least give him credit for the professional way he is going about handing over to Obama and his staff. Regardless of who you supported in election, I think this is the time to not trash people (Bush or Obama), but support them in this transition.

yasukuni -

I haven't seen anyone attacking Bush for his handling of the transition.

I don't care who won really. I'm just hoping this next president does much better and doesn't come off as such an imbecile as the outgoing one and as sly as the sex scandal plagued previous president.

I hope they paint that boring white house.

and I hope Paliment Funkadelic plays at the inauguration.

Funny though, its almost like the White House has been nothing more than a love hotel..

I'm just hoping this next president does much better and doesn't come off as such an imbecile as the outgoing one and as sly as the sex scandal plagued previous president.

Me too.

Taka

Cleo. Eh, I never said that anyone was attacking Bush over that. Did I?

And when I said support "them", I meant the Bush teams and the Obama teams, and I was also addressing disgruntled republicans, some of whom are already waiting to attack Obama. I was simply stating a general wish that after months of mudslinging and attacks that a bit a co-operation and ceasing of hostilities would be nice. That's all.

In that Bush has been seen by both parties negatively. The transition between administrations is extremely difficult and how its done can affect the next administration very much. It has in the past.

Bush doesn't have a choice in this transistion process. In two months he is out of a job. As such, he has to be nice to Obama or live with the consequences. Just imagine if President Obama decided that Bush really was a nasty bit of work, and did not grant Curious George the standard Presidential Pardon. Where would George be?

Then again, I would love to be privy to this first meeting between Bush and Obama. Who knows, Obama might get a serious shock when he realises that the catalog of Bush's future Presidential Library is made up of children's picture books (Curious George of course) and coloring in books.

Razor The USA needs all the help it can get right now

A pity Obama couldn't be sworn in immediately and Bush sent off to Crawford, TX with some crayons and a drawing book.

Helter Skelter - well, it's been "God help America" for the past 8 years.... No, I think you have a far MORE patriotic President in Barack Obama. Unlike Dubya, his genuine concern is for the American people, not for big business, the ruling family of Saudi Arabia and the terrorists that they support.

FnC - overjoyed at recent events

I think you have a far MORE patriotic President in Barack Obama.

For which country?

razor, It's simple. A large percentage of Americans believe in a higher being of some sort. Obama was baptized as an adult into the Christian faith - something that not many do. I think its not so bad for him to pray that God blesses America. Many people of different faiths join him in that prayer no matter how vague it may be.

Heh, the bitterness from the adical right is oozing over the boards.

Instead of looking at the reasons the GOP took another "thumping" at the polls, personal attacks and heresay rule the day.

What sore losers.

God Help America seems like a good choice now that we've elected someone with absolutely no experience.

America: It was great while it lasted.

The funeral hasn't been held yet, apparently. It's supposed to be a quiet, private family gathering, but googling 'Obama grandmother funeral' brings up page after page after page of threats by the Westbro Baptist Loonies to picket the old lady's funeral. If Obama does attend, as I imagine he will, I hope the Secret Service give the loonie bible thumbers a quick lesson in Freedom Zones.

Yes, what sore losers. I am really shocked to read that sick stuff.

It's hysterical to hear the sore loser GOPers here whinging about the percieved imminent disaster for the US after electing Obama and his in-experience, when most have them have a posting history of blind support for W, who let's face it, has been the worst president in American history.

"If Obama does attend ( his grandmother's funeral ) as I inagine he will"

He has issued a joint statement with his sister on his grandmother's death. No mention of attending the funeral...

"This will also be America's firat wartime presidential transition in four decades"

And the incoming president is simply not up to it. Jeepers creepers!

"the worst president in American history"

That would be Jimmy Carter.

"the worst American president in history"

You ain't seen nuthin' yet.

Rightist idiots ran the US for eight years and the mess they have made is plain to see. Now those types will be left to sputtering away in the gutter.

"You ain't seen nuthin' yet."

We've all seen enough with W.

And as to your Predictions, uh, sarge....

Heh - patent that strange divining rod m'boy.

Mr. Colmar I can guarantee that Obama is not your candidate. He's a moderate and you're far radical left. I can also guarantee that if he read any of your posts "supporting" him he'd reject them outright. People like me voted for Obama to get rid of people like you, Michael Moore, George Bush, Dick Cheney....

Madverts - "And as to your Predictions, uh sarge"

I, uh, predicted an Obama landslide. Heh.

Isn't this standard behavior? So far as the White House changing hands during wartime for the first time in four decades, well, I think that has a lot more to do with the complete boneheaded handling of this war. For cryin' out loud, he started it in his FIRST TERM.

For which country?

You ain't seen nuthin' yet.

You guys have a lot of cute one liners and bare assertions (look it up,) but if you think anyone does anything but roll their eyes at you, it would speak volumes at how, uh, surprised you were at the election. Seriously, what kind of track record do you guys think you have, prediction wise? Yeah, we get it: you're "right." But your cute little theories have to play out in the real world somewhere, otherwise you're just another delusional gasbag.

I hope Bush is more mature than his supporters.

TPOJ - "For cryin' out loud, he ( Bush ) started it ( the war on terror ) in his FIRST TERM"

Um, Bush didn't start the war on terror. Does Osama bin Laden and 9/11 ring a bell?

"You guys have a lot of cute one liners and bare asserions ( look it up )"

Typical condescending liberal put down.

Give Barack a chance to get into office.

You republican posters will bar-b-que him I'm sure.

Hurray for Barack. < :-)

President Barack Obama.

Yep, that sounds just right.

Pity some people out there just can't deal with it :-)

Does anyone out there doubt that Bush has been the Worst President Ever?

No, didn't think so.

It's funny how the Extreme Right on JT have spent the last 8 years supporting Bush, then when the American electorate slams Bush and everything he ever stood for out of the ballpark, all the Extreme Right can do is criticize things President-Elect Obama hasn't even done yet.

President-Elect Obama was right when he said McCain and his followers just don't get it :-)

"I, uh, predicted an Obama landslide. Heh."

The Denial continues.

Maybe they should call it JapanToday Syndrome.

Sarge - "I, uh, predicted an Obama landslide. Heh."

Sarge posted many many times - 'Get ready for President McCain and Vice President Palin.'

So you predicted an Obama landslide, eh?

I see.......

Why do American leaders always end their speeches and televised addresses by saying "God bless America?" I noticed Obama did it the other night, too. Do they really believe that the U.S. receives a special blessing from God (if God exists)?

Note: God bless America, is asking for God to bless America. God blesses America would imply a special blessing for America.

God blesses Germans and Arabs too.

In fact, God cares about as much about race as Republicans care about their country - ie: not much. :-)

"The Denial continues"

Sure, I posted "Get ready for President McCain and Vice President Palin, but that was just to rile up Madverts, smith and Sushi. I also posted "McCain is toast!" and that it would be an Obama landslide. ( I was wrong about the landslide )

I'm sure Madverts can find those posts. He's good at finding posts going back years heh heh ...

Sarge, so you still think mccain and Palin would have been good for America? :-)

If so, why were they whumped out of the ballpark by your countrymen?

Surely the majority of your countrymen who voted for Obama can't ALL be wrong???

1.2 million jobs lost this year, 651,000 jobs in the last 3 months alone.

Another 'success' for bush to notch up on his bedpost in Crawford :-)

Why is bush leaving such a mangled trainwreck of an economy for President-Elect Barack Obama do deal with?

Seems like bush was just a clueless idiot, as Dems and most of the world have known since the get go. :-)

But the Republicans just din't seem to get it.

“This will also be America’s first wartime presidential transition in four decades,” he said. “We’re in a struggle against violent extremists determined to attack us, and they would like nothing more than to exploit this period of change to harm the American people.”

Talk about fear... always the old speech of Bush

why were they whumped out of the ballpark by your countrymen?

Because, just like you, they're lemmings to the leftist MSM.

Instead of looking at the reasons the GOP took another "thumping" at the polls, personal attacks and heresay rule the day.

After months of the most viscous and vile personal attacks against McCain and Palin, the leftists are now trying to take the high road here. I'll be more than happy to pull up some of the past posts if you want to go there.

Sure, I posted "Get ready for President McCain and Vice President Palin,

I also posted "McCain is toast!" and that it would be an Obama landslide.

flip-flopper.

"Surely the majority of your countrymen who voted for Obama can't ALL be wrong???"

Yes.

Wottock - I see you conveniently left out "but that was just to rile up Madverts, smith and Sushi." I should have included you. Sorry.

Sarge, so you are now railing against the majority of your countrymen by claiming everyone who ovted for Obama is wrong?

Is that how you see it?

I see them as deluded. As in they were fooled by a sham. By the medias portrayal of him as this great savior. Its only now we're starting to get more details. Now that the elections over, some of the media is entering the cover their butts phase, and actually running background stories on the guy. lol. Little late now though Brokaw!

"By the medias portrayal of him as this great savior."

you can say that again.

this is from the opening paragraph of the feature article in the latest issue of time magazine, gushing about obama:

"Some princes are born in palaces. Some are born in mangers. But a few are born in the imagination, out of scraps of history and hope."

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1856914,00.html

SushiSake3 - "Surely the majority of your countrymen who voted for Obama can't ALL be wrong???"

Sarge - "Yes."

That includes patriotic former Sec. of State Gen. Colin Powell.

You're saying he got it wrong, too??

From everything I have heard Bush has been doing a good job on making this a smooth, safe and secure transition. In this particular instance it would appear that he is putting his country first. The importance is paramount if you have seen the statistics for terrorist attacks close to an election (not just in the U.S.). It is also vital that there be no gap in our efforts to save our struggling economy.

The Bush administration has already arranged security clearances for key Obama transition staffers and is providing work space and policy briefings as well.

The reports I saw earlier in the week said that Bush's efforts are far beyond any actions just for show. It is good to see a unified effort in our nation's best interests. I briefly saw a CIA official say that Bush directed them to give Obama the full briefing and it sounded to me like Obama had great access to intelligence.

It is very clear that Bush has the authority to handle these matters however he chooses. Fortunately he appears to be putting his last, best foot forward.

while the Bush doctrine and performance can be judged very harshly, the man himself has been unfairly maligned and it is no surprise to anyone paying attention that his love for his country prevented him from slinking around on his belly like most of his critics.