Bush's pr boo-boo

Cowboy hat By Jim Hightower - Sat., 2/1/03

George W.’s handlers are masters of the photo op, posing their boy just perfectly to convey a positive message for the TV cameras.
But his puffers and buffers boo-booed badly in St. Louis recently. George had been flown in to make a political sales pitch for his tax-cut plan to help the super-rich. To cast this multibillion-dollar giveaway in a warm and fuzzy “populist” light, his handlers staged a press conference in the warehouse of a St. Louis trucking company. It was perfectly suited to the illusion that his program is about helping small businesses in the heartland to create jobs for America.
So there was George as the cameras rolled, speaking in front of what appeared to be stacks of boxes ready to move out. Only there were no real boxes in the picture. Bush stood before a canvas backdrop painted with boxes bearing the proud stamp: “Made in America.”
Why not use the real boxes in the warehouse? Because, at the 11th hour, the Bushites discovered that the actual boxes were plainly marked “Made in China.”
OK, said the handlers, we can put George in front of a backdrop, but what’ll we do to keep the press from seeing the real boxes? That’s when Bush workers were given rolls of tape to go through the warehouse, covering up the “Made in China” markings on each box.
Hey, look on the bright side—Bush found yet another use for duct tape. Is that stuff still made in America?
Filed Under: Republicans