Local Press and Bush Spokesperson having a "Hard" Time Validating Love of "Missy"

It's not at all unusual for politicians to humanize events by name and "story telling" in a debate of issues. Some claim elections have been won outright by the mere ability to provide compelling real life examples of real people and real events. Or as in the infamous case of Reagen citing a Chicago "Welfare Queen" who had ripped off $150,000 from the government, using 80 aliases, 30 addresses, a dozen social security cards, and four fictional dead husbands one may also garner sympathy or anger (as the case may be) over entirely fictional accounts spun very well.

President Bush told a story in the first debate about Mary Johnson (that the President apparently knows as Missy) as follows:

"You know, I think about Missy Johnson. She's a fantastic lady I met in Charlotte, North Carolina. She and her son Bryan, they came to see me. Her husband P.J. got killed. He'd been in Afghanistan, went to Iraq."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

Further adding how difficult his job really is:

"You know, it's hard work to try to love her as best as I can, knowing
full well that the decision I made caused her loved one to be in
harm's way."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

There's little doubt Mary (or Missy) and her heart felt loss is quite real or that Bush did visit Charlotte families of Iraq casualities in highly publicized visits, but it's proving hard work to validate the Bush-Missy love exchange. The Charlotte Observer has been trying to reach Mary for comment ("unavailable") since Bush spokeswoman Rachael Sunbarger said she doesn't know if Mary "Missy" Johnson was among the families Bush met in Charlotte.



Which seems rather odd to me considering Bush said "She's a fantastic lady I met in Charlotte, North Carolina."

You'd normally think "case closed" when the President says something (though I understand doubts over that with this one now) or some list would be maintained of the President's appointments or at a minimum it would be in the Bush campaign's best interest to prepare for expected press questions like who the hell is Missy?

But it's hard work backing up the President's claims, and I can't emphasize that point enough.

Additional revelations of how hard things are for Bush as President from the same 90 minute debate as the "Missy" story include:

"In Iraq, no doubt about it, it's tough. It's hard work. It's
incredibly hard."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

"There's a lot of good people working hard."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

"I work with Director Mueller of the FBI; comes in my office when I'm
in Washington every morning, talking about how to protect us. There's
a lot of really good people working hard to do so."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

"It's hard work. But, again, I want to tell the American people, we're
doing everything we can at home, but you better have a president who
chases these terrorists down and bring them to justice before they
hurt us again."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

"And now we're fighting them now. And it's hard work. I understand how
hard it is. I get the casualty reports every day. I see on the TV
screens how hard it is. But it's necessary work."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

"The plan says we'll train Iraqi soldiers so they can do the hard
work, and we are."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

"It is hard work. It is hard work to go from a tyranny to a democracy.
It's hard work to go from a place where people get their hands cut
off, or executed, to a place where people are free. But it's
necessary work."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

"You know, my hardest -- the hardest part of the job is to know that I
committed the troops in harm's way and then do the best I can to
provide comfort for the loved ones who lost a son or a daughter or a
husband or wife."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

"There are 100,000 troops trained, police, guard, special units,
border patrol. There's going to be 125,000 trained by the end of this
year. Yes, we're getting the job done. It's hard work. Everybody knows
it's hard work, because there's a determined enemy that's trying to
defeat us."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

"I would hope I never have to. I understand how hard it is to commit
troops."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

"We've done a lot of hard work together over the last three and a half
years."
-- George W. Bush, September 30, 2004 (First presidential debate)

Please help George out on this one. He's swamped and Missy is Missing. I've been searching the BlogsForBush myself for a picture or story or anything describing this account but I can't take the pictures of Bush kissing babies anymore.

Can anyone out there find Missy with emphasis on any possible tie to her ever coming in contact with Bush love?

Additional points awarded for photographic evidence and financial statements of Reagen's Chicago welfare queen. She's proven more elusive than Bigfoot despite the past quarter century of rabid fear and hatred of her.

[edit on 4-10-2004 by RANT]

Invoking emotional imagery is not one of GWB's strong suits, and the "Missy" story was really a lame attempt to stir something up. In my case, I think that it just stirred up my dinner. It was especially hard for me to believe that GWB really cares about these people based on the flimsy reasons that they were sent there and the way things are playing out now.

Paul Johnson, or P.J., does exist and as someone who earned more than 30 awards and decorations, he deserved more respect from Bush than to be used as a political pawn. And if he was planning on using this family tragedy for politcal gain, he could at least get the facts straight. It probably was Fayetteville. Details, schmetails.

From the Fayetteville Observer:
10/27/03
'He wanted to get the job done because it was his calling.'
� the Rev. David Holloway

Fond memories
Fallen soldier followed calling
By MATT LECLERCQ
The Fayetteville Observer

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. � Serving his country was Staff Sgt. Paul J. Johnson�s calling.
As a boy, he disappeared for hours to play Army around his neighborhood. As a man, the Calumet native became a respected and decorated leader in the 82nd Airborne Division.

Friends and family packed Second Baptist Church in downtown Fayetteville Sunday to pay tribute to Johnson, who was killed in Iraq Oct. 20. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor and the Purple Heart, which were presented to his wife, Mary �Missy� Johnson, at the end of the funeral service.

The 29-year-old paratrooper was a squad leader in Alpha Company, 1st Battalion of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. He is survived by his wife and their 4-year-old son in Fayetteville.

The Rev. David Holloway asked the more than 100 people in the church to recall their fondest memory of Johnson. He told them to write that memory down in the form of a letter for Johnson�s son, Bryan. The family will combine them into a scrapbook so that one day, Bryan will know his father and �understand what kind of man he was, what kind of hero he was.�

Holloway said he remembered talking to Johnson about a year ago when he had come home briefly from Afghanistan. All Johnson talked about was going back.

Holloway asked Johnson why it was so important.

�He said, �I�ve got some responsibilities. I need to be back with my men,�� Holloway said. �He wanted to get the job done because it was his calling.�

Johnson was born in Laurium. He enlisted in the Army in 1993 after graduating from Calumet High School in 1991. In the Army, Johnson participated in missions in Haiti and Bosnia, in relief efforts after Hurricanes Andrew and Fran, in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in 2002 and in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

He was killed outside Fallujah, 40 miles west of Baghdad, when a bomb exploded near the Humvee he was riding in.

Friends said Johnson, who went by P.J., was good with his hands. He made living arrangements easier for the soldiers he worked with. He loved hockey, and he loved to make people laugh.

At the front of the sanctuary was a collage of pictures showing Johnson laughing and hugging his son at Christmas and on the beach.

www.vfwnc.org...
www.annistonstar.com...
www.usma.edu...

They did a really funny skit on Saturday Night Live mocking Bush and Kerry's debate.

Every other word out of Bush's mouth was 'it's hard work' and kerry went overboard with gesticulation (in the skit, as well as in real life? :lol