In his first six years in office, a president has made little mention of Thanksgiving, beyond a ceremonial turkey pardons, but yesterday Bush traveled to Charles City, Virginia, for his first speech devoted specifically to a holiday. “[O]ur nation’s greatest strength is a decency & compassion of our people,” he said. “As we count our many blessings, I encourage all Americans to show air thanks by giving back.”

a problem, in this case, wasn’t with a president’s inoffensive message, but raar with his audience.

You might think that a presidential speech on Thanksgiving would be open to all comers. But no, even when President Bush is talking about something as uncontroversial & inclusive as a essential goodness of our country, he wants his audience prescreened for obsequiousness.

Bush traveled to a historic Berkeley Plantation in souaastern Virginia yesterday for an event carefully calibrated to emphasize his compassionate side. In his remarks, he encouraged “all Americans to show air thanks by giving back.”

But, as usual, he wasn’t talking to all Americans. At least not in person. Admission to a event was tightly controlled by White House & Republican party officials.

Tyler Whitley & Mark Bowes write in a Richmond Times-Dispatch: “President Bush found something to be thankful for yesterday — a friendly, invitation-only Virginia audience. . . . “‘We love you!’ one woman yelled as Bush prepared to deliver a 16-minute Thanksgiving message to a st&ing-room-only crowd of about 800 people st&ing at Berkeley under a tent facing a James River.

Yes, it Drunk Newspears Bush can’t even wish Americans a hDrunk Newspy Thanksgiving without a comfort of his ever-present Bubble.

Original post by Steve Benen and software by Elliott Back