To Help US Veterans Charity, George W. Bush Charged $100,000

When will the soldiers realise that those ordering them around don't give a damn. It's time to wake up... If Bush is a fool then what shall we say about the ones that followed him?

Bill Clinton gets 700k per speech
Hilary would not utter a word under 250k
Hell even Chelsea Clinton gets 65k per speech for having famous parents...lol

GWB did more for troops than any other President to date, and he still visits wounded ones at the VAs, so who cares what he makes.

Hate on Bush but he is old news and I don't see anyone bashing who is in office right now that has been negatively affecting the whole country for 6 plus years...get over it and look at what the current administration has done for you...

a reply to: Skid Mark

This does not surprise me at all. Most of the upper crust elites in the US think of the average "common" person as a sub human rabble. In Bush's mind, it was probably a great honor for the peasants for him to come speak to them. They should be happy they lost arms and legs to go fight a war for him so he could get even for Saddam trying to kill his "daddy".

Personally, if I were a vet who was handicapped in that war, I would get together and file class action suit after class action suit so Dubya spent the rest of his life paying lawyers to keep from losing his vast fortune.

As for charging vets to do a charity appearance, it just further verifies my belief that Bush and people like him are just soulless shells in the shape of human beings.

It was clearly a charity for George Bush's wallet.

originally posted by: hotintexas
a reply to: Flatfish

Remind me again what it was that stopped Bush from donating those "fees" to the veteran's charity?

He did donate his fee to the charity. Once again, easy to verify if one is interested in the truth and does a bit of research.

I for one, am still waiting for that "easy to find" source link to the information verifying your assertion. Been waiting since 10:30 last night.

Has a cat got your tongue, or were you just spreading bald face lies?

Go ahead! Show us!

ETA: I can see that you were still posting in other threads here on ATS at 2:00 a.m..

So for now I'm gonna assume that you don't have and/or can't find a credible source to back up your claim and that it's just a big fat lie.

a reply to: Xtrozero

Are you kidding me? There is non-stop, round-the-clock, anti-Obama circle-jerk on ATS. Ask xeunchen, she's the queen. If you can't find a suitable thread wait 30sec. The current topic is indefensible on Bush's part. I don't care if he washes veterans' feet on his VA visits. There's no defending this. Even the lawyer questioned about it threw it back on him. Sure, the charity (allegedly) raised an additional $1M cause he was there. Could have been $1.1M. I mean, they could have gotten a long list of 'celebrities' to speak and would likely have done the same. He shouldn't have charged an organization trying to raise money to help people HE caused to be maimed. And for what?

I think that some people seem to be missing the point. This is not a Bush bashing thread. I'd bash the hell out of anyone who had to gall to send people into a war and then charge money to speak at a charity for them. Do you not see how crass that is? Really? He sent them into the meat grinder and then charged money for speaking at a charity that's raising money to help the soldiers he's responsible for sending there in the first place.
ETA: If you seriously don't see what's pissing people off so bad maybe this song is for you:

a reply to: Skid Mark

What about the clowns who recommended and paid him?

Who in their right mind would pay a man-who is taking money to raise money-to appear at a fundraiser to help the wounded soldiers his government created? I'd be bitter as ginger if I had to sit through that speech.

Jesus tap dancing Christ.

a reply to: Thecakeisalie

I agree that they have some fault in this too. I think they did it because they were afraid that not enough people would come if they didn't have a big name speaker; still though it's no excuse.

originally posted by: jtma508
The current topic is indefensible on Bush's part.
He shouldn't have charged an organization trying to raise money to help people HE caused to be maimed. And for what?

I can't say "HE" caused their maiming... With your logic so did everyone in Congress, so did everyone in the Military at that time too. Ok we are all at fault, still I think you and others are putting way too much emotional energy into this when all the ex-presidents/politicians etc are on a speaking circuit.

What made me cringe the most was when the GWB Spokesperson said "Well, maybe he'll donate it to a Veterans' Charity"?

The CNN interviewer asked exactly the right question at the right time, which is very unusual these days

"Why would he take the payment from one Veterans' charity just so that he can give it to another one?"

Bush should have returned the $100,000 immediately, but to my knowledge, hasn't responded at all to the controversy.

The big problem is, that if he returns it, he can probably claim it as a charitable donation on his next income tax return, and the American people will end up paying him the 100K anyway.

originally posted by: babybunnies
What made me cringe the most was when the GWB Spokesperson said "Well, maybe he'll donate it to a Veterans' Charity"?

The CNN interviewer asked exactly the right question at the right time, which is very unusual these days

"Why would he take the payment from one Veterans' charity just so that he can give it to another one?"

Bush should have returned the $100,000 immediately, but to my knowledge, hasn't responded at all to the controversy.

The big problem is, that if he returns it, he can probably claim it as a charitable donation on his next income tax return, and the American people will end up paying him the 100K anyway.

Bush is a very traditional man when it comes to how he views the presidency. He might donate the money but given his expressed viewpoints on matters of presidential etiquette I can't see him ever turning it down because that sets a new precedent for those who follow him after office, and presumably not everyone who is president is going to be extremely wealthy.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if Bush gives away the money, because that's the type of person he is. He'll still charge the going rate though.

originally posted by: Flatfish
You're entitled to adorn him with your praise for as long as you want, but it won't change the fact that he is a discredit to the human race.

Meh. You can be overdramatic all that you want, but that doesn't make your opinion more appropriate or more correct.

Like you said, to each their own. But here's the thing--all of the negativity that you spewed out in your response to mine has nothing to do with the comment that I made, and the last paragraph of my original comment still stands:

Yes, he put Service Members in harms way (my wife being one of them...I never had to deploy), but that doesn't mean that he lacks a heart if he gets paid to speak to them. The logic behind your reasoning is like Cheney's heart--lacking.