[-V-]

Was the president wired during the first debate?

full article:
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/10/08/bulge/index_np.html

excerpts from the salon.com article:

Did the device explain why the normally ramrod-straight president seemed hunched over during much of the debate?
...
On several occasions, the president simply stopped speaking for an uncomfortably long time and stared ahead with an odd expression on his face. Was he listening to someone helping him with his response to a question?
...
In a peeved rejoinder to Kerry, he said, "As the politics change, his positions change. And that's not how a commander in chief acts. I, I, uh -- Let me finish". It must be said that Bush pointed toward Lehrer as he declared "Let me finish." The green warning light was lit, signaling he had 30 seconds to, well, finish.
...
sure enough, at minute 23 on the video of the debate, you can clearly see the bulge between the president's shoulder blades.
...
the Bush administration insisted on a condition that no cameras be placed behind the candidates.
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Suggestions that Bush may have using this technique stem from a D-day event in France, when a CNN broadcast appeared to pick up -- and broadcast to surprised viewers -- the sound of another voice seemingly reading Bush his lines, after which Bush repeated them. Danny Schechter, who operates the news site MediaChannel.org, and who has been doing some investigating into the wired-Bush rumors himself, said the Bush campaign has been worried of late about others picking up their radio frequencies -- notably during the Republican Convention on the day of Bush's appearance. "They had a frequency specialist stop me and ask about the frequency of my camera," Schechter said. "The Democrats weren't doing that at their convention."
more info here:
http://www.isbushwired.com/

[Badandy]

Give me a break. There is no way he was wired, he sucked in the first debate, he couldn't have been getting helped.

[-V-]

from the second article: http://www.isbushwired.com/

"Sure, Bush uses an earpiece sometimes," a top Washington editor for Reuters said to me last spring. "State of the Union -- he had an earpiece for that. Everybody knows it," he said, or assumes it.

[-V-]

New York Times:
According to rumors racing across the Internet this week, the rectangular bulge visible between Mr. Bush's shoulder blades was a radio receiver, getting answers from an offstage counselor into a hidden presidential earpiece. The prime suspect was Karl Rove, Mr. Bush's powerful political adviser.

When the online magazine Salon published an article about the rumors on Friday, the speculation reached such a pitch that White House and campaign officials were inundated with calls.

First they said that pictures showing the bulge might have been doctored. But then, when the bulge turned out to be clearly visible in the television footage of the evening, they offered a different explanation. "There was nothing under his suit jacket," said Nicolle Devenish, a campaign spokeswoman. "It was most likely a rumpling of that portion of his suit jacket, or a wrinkle in the fabric."

Ms. Devenish could not say why the "rumpling" was rectangular.

Nor was the bulge from a bulletproof vest, according to campaign and White House officials; they said Mr. Bush was not wearing one.

[-V-]

"It's not true. It's ridiculous," Bush campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel said. "Some people have been spending too many hours looking at left-wing conspiracy Web sites," Stanzel said. "Did you hear the one about Elvis moderating the third debate?"
elvis, ha ha...
now tell us what the *!@% that thing was on your candidates back!

[rimbaud402003]

Of course Bush was wired. Rove was telling him what to say but Dubya couldnt pull it off.

He probably rebelled against the idea (of a wire) but was forced to submit in order to pacify the folks who are actually in charge of his presidency. He ALWAYS gives in to his handlers. NEVER Flip-Flops on that my friends.

Bush is old school. And not terribly bright. He can't hang or improvise when technology takes a crap.

Maybe there was some kind of delay (that happens a LOT when it comes to audio tech. I worked with bands for years. I KNOW) THIS would cause Ayatollah Dubya to become flustered and pissed off and wondering what he should say.

Did we ACTUALLY think his horrible performance in this debate was based on him actually THINKING about what Kerry was saying?

Of course not. Bush is only comfortable in a crowd full of his minions who adore and never question him, who respond in time to every mindless bumpersticker edict!

Bush is so dumb that he NEEDED a wire and so fearful of pissing off his handlers that he became confused and lost. His NATURAL state. Decisively insipid.

Bush would probably need a wire to answer the question "Whats your favorite Color?"