The Bird is the Word

You might remember a few weeks ago when Leno showed some footage of W apparently flipping off a crowd of reporters. I did my one wiseass post and left it at that, assuming that even though he's an idiot, Rove probably has him better trained than that.

Strangely, the story isn't going away. And the 'bird' crowd is pretty insistent that it wasn't the presidential thumb, which is the administration's line. To be honest, I can't tell. But the White House is concerned enough that they're still making statements to the press about it. Naturally, some members of the press are talking back:

Bush, it seems, has given the press the presidential bird, a digital message of the kind you see exchanged between angry drivers at stop signs. At least we know where we stand.

The White House issued a non-denial denial, and the reporters on hand must have been blinded by the lights bouncing off their makeup mirrors because they didn't see it or thought the president had given them a thumbs up.

But when you view the video, as I have, there isn't much doubt: George Bush, who promised to change the tone in Washington and restore dignity to the highest office in the land, deliberately flipped off the press.

That's his right, even if it makes him the only born-again man whose favorite philosopher is Jesus Christ who flips people off like a sailor. But the press -- we whipped dogs and disreputable stand-ins for the American people -- didn't even raise a whimper.

The Finger-in-Chief was flipped last Wednesday, when the president visited Capitol Hill to meet with Republicans. He waved at the cameras, then walked down a hallway, pestered by reporters' questions.

Then, as he faded out of sight, Bush jabbed his middle finger in the air, the way you would give a farewell salute to a jerk disappearing in your rearview mirror.