Thursday 5 August 2004

One Double Standard, to Go

I assume that unless you're deaf, dumb, blind, and trussed up in a box, that you've been exposed to the Great Plastic Turkey Scandal?

How Bush's minders pre-arranged a photo opportunity?
Showing Bush with a Plastic Turkey?
Specially flown in with him?
And gotten the troops up at 5.35am for it?

(See this interview for example)

All of which is completely bogus, debunked etc. but never mind that, the press had a field day, and 'never let the facts interfere with a good story'. The meme has even been used to show that There's no such thing as Al Qaeda etc.

Well, here's something a little less factually-challenged, nicely summarised by the pen of Mark Steyn :
Friday was the Edwardses' 27th anniversary, so, in keeping with tradition, they hit the Newburgh Wendy's, along with the Kerrys, campaign mascot Ben Affleck and accompanying press crew.

The photo-op didn't go smoothly. Kerry went over to say hi to some marines, who turned out to be Bush supporters and resented the interruption to their lunch. More telling was Teresa Heinz Kerry. She pointed to the picture of the bowl of chilli above the clerk's head: "What's that?" she asked. He explained that it was something called "chilli" and she said she'd like to try a bowl. The Senator also ordered a Frosty, a chocolate dessert. They toyed with them after a fashion, and then got back on the bus.

It then emerged that Wendy's had just been an appetiser. The campaign advance team had ordered 19 five-star lunches from the Newburgh Yacht Club for Kerry, Edwards, Affleck and co to be served back on the bus: shrimp vindaloo, grilled diver sea scallops, prosciutto, wrapped stuffed chicken, etc.
"Let them Eat Chilli!"

Funny how this hasn't received the same amount of publicity. I mean, everyone loves to hear scandal about the rich-powerful-and-pretentious being caught in blatant hypocracy. You'd almost think it was a Double Standard, with or without lettuce, cheese, pickles and onions. Or Fois Gras.





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