BarneyCam!

December 8, 2006 2:19 PM

BarneyCam! A holiday video about the nation's First Dog, hosted on the official White House web site!
posted by Steven C. Den Beste (29 comments total)

Troop Morale Boosted By Surprise Visit From First Dog
posted by homunculus at 2:28 PM on December 8, 2006 [1 favorite]

This is worse than the Cheap Trick post.
posted by interrobang at 2:32 PM on December 8, 2006 [1 favorite]

They do this every year. I suppose it was probably produced and edited by the General Dynamics Federal Video Footage Production, Security, and Archiving Division again this year. Though they lost out in the competitive procurement, I think Lockheed Martin's Advanced Motion Picture Systems Lab brings superior artistic and directorial talent to the table. Also, their bid came in at least $17 million below FVFPSA's. For shame.
posted by killdevil at 2:48 PM on December 8, 2006

*Cruel and out of date joke about Lady Bird Johnson*
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 2:49 PM on December 8, 2006

"Bush told Bob Woodward that he would stay the course in Iraq even if Laura and his dog Barney were the last ones left to support it."^*

Well it's looking that'll be the case, Mr. President.

What -- with the findings and recommendations of the Iraq Study Group (released on Wednesday), the new AP-Ipsos poll (released today) finding that 71% of Americans are dissatisfied with Bush's handling of Iraq and 60% want U.S. troops out in six months and more Republicans are now coming out against the war. Yesterday, Senator Gordon H. Smith (R.-Oregon) made an emotional appeal for withdrawal, saying: "I, for one, am at the end of my rope when it comes to supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day. That is absurd; it may even be criminal."
posted by ericb at 3:04 PM on December 8, 2006

One other thing I probably should tell you because if we don't they'll probably be saying this about me too, we did get something - a gift - after the election. A man down in Texas heard Pat on the radio mention the fact that our two youngsters would like to have a dog. And, believe it or not, the day before we left on this campaign trip we got a message from Union Station in Baltimore saying they had a package for us. We went down to get it. You know what it was.

It was a little cocker spaniel dog in a crate that he'd sent all the way from Texas. Black and white spotted. And our little girl - Tricia, the 6-year old - named it Checkers. And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we're gonna keep it.

- Richard M. Nixon, 23 September 1952
posted by gompa at 3:13 PM on December 8, 2006

I thought Chelsea Clinton was designing purses nowadays.
posted by Astro Zombie at 3:18 PM on December 8, 2006

Thanks for posting that, Steve. I just, I can’t tell what parts to talk about:

- That President Bush has dialogue bits which net-video-fiends should have a blast redistributing into other contexts
- That all that acting is about as awesomely wooden as a Canadian indie film
- That the White House is having fun and being silly
- That the White House’s idea of “having fun and being silly” is making a 9-minute video about their pet dog.
- That Dolly Parton came to the actual whatever-the-heck-was-actually-going-on event.
- That they called it “Barney Cam” when it doesn’t even fit the bill of a “something”-cam video (static video monitoring of a subject or scene).

(Also, is the phrase, “What is the plot about?” even correct? Wouldn’t it just be “What is the plot?”)
posted by Milkman Dan at 3:19 PM on December 8, 2006

Oh, also, EricB: I think you might have been watching the other video about the dog. Unless I just didn’t catch the scene where Barney gave that press conference about his policy in Iraq.
posted by Milkman Dan at 3:25 PM on December 8, 2006

Huh. Barney has thought bubbles. More than we can say for his master.
posted by veggieboy at 3:33 PM on December 8, 2006 [2 favorites]

Interesting -- I can no longer find Mr. Den Beste's political website -- perhaps he has removed it?

Based on my recollection of that, it isn't clear that this post was intended satirically...
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 3:39 PM on December 8, 2006

Oh, and look! He thinks he's people.

What?

Oh, no. . . I'm sorry, I wasn't talking about Barney. Karl Rove.
posted by veggieboy at 3:41 PM on December 8, 2006

The credits aren't in alphabetical order.
posted by robot at 3:42 PM on December 8, 2006

And, this Christmas, while Barney is safe and sound, life goes on.
posted by toma at 3:45 PM on December 8, 2006

It's a good thing the Bush Administration has all this free time and resources to dedicate to this little comedy gem. What between all the vacations at the ranch and all. Did they reconstruct a "Whitehouse" set at the ranch.

Oh I get it. They must have made special trips in Air Force One from Crawford back to the Whitehouse in order to shoot those scenes. Spare no expense.

Thank God we aren't losing a couple of wars or anything so the President has time to make movies with his goddamned dog.

May I offer up a piece of advice for the next War-Time President? And you know, thanks to Bush, the next ten Presidents are doomed to BE War-Time Presidents. Anyway. I advise that if they decide to step out of the bunker long enough to make an inspirational video of a pet or what-not that they ACTUALLY MAKE THE FUCKING THING FUNNY.

PS. BTW it's also nice to see the First Family's care for the Presidential Dog reflects the same healthy lifestyle practices as the majority of the GOP. What a fat piece of shit. Isn't there a Presidential Dog Walker or did they send that Marine to Iraq?
posted by tkchrist at 4:10 PM on December 8, 2006

Not exactly, but kinda Triple Post.
BarneyCam 2004 & 2003, previously on MeFi. Don't know why we skipped 2005, but thankful we did. And, no, this is not superscript, just the small tag.
posted by wendell at 4:13 PM on December 8, 2006

Wingnuts keep rhetorically asking if Americans have the nerve and guts and pluck to fight this "real war" on terrorism, as if the only reason Iraq has gone south is that while brave Mr. Bush and his cronies are on a war-footing, the Rosie O'donells and Michael Moores aren't, and this is why we're losing.

And yet, time and money get spent on something like this (and our "war time economy" is propped up on tax cuts for the most wealthy, more importantly).

Thanks for the reminders SCDB. I'm sure you'll forward this thread around and gawk -- "those Bush haters! They can't even laugh at a joke like this!" While December shapes up to be the most deadly for Americans in Iraq ever.

It's all you cretins have left.

(But Dressgate was genuinely funny. The Empress needs new clothes.)
posted by bardic at 4:25 PM on December 8, 2006

Well, that was 9 minutes of my life.
Thoughts:
- the "BP" logo reminded me of British Petroleum
- Is Dolly Parton liberal or conservative? I can never tell
- Laura's gonna file for divorce on 1/21/09
- There were more black pets (3) than black people (1)
- I hate jazzy christmas medleys
- The credit-alphabetizing machine was likely of Diebold manufacture; thus, Barney will be our next president
- That would be an improvement
posted by Saucy Intruder at 4:28 PM on December 8, 2006

A different Barney Cam, at a book signing party for Dave Kellett's Sheldon. Note that he did NOT "suit up."
posted by wendell at 4:49 PM on December 8, 2006

Lupus-Yonderboy: Yup, everything I post has a political message. No exceptions.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 5:12 PM on December 8, 2006

Didn't Clinton make a similar video towards the end of his Presidency, about how bored he was? I seem to remember a scene where he runs after Hillary's departing car, saying she forgot her lunch, or something along those lines.
posted by stammer at 5:24 PM on December 8, 2006

Wow. I'd forgotten what a comedy goldmine the USS Clueless is: I have an incisive mind and encyclopedic knowledge and I have blood in my eye. I will not accept any concept that all points of view are equally valid (they aren't) or that I should honor what someone else says as a matter of courtesy (I won't). Ideas in this debate must stand or fall on their own merits. If I think you're wrong about something, I'm going to say so and do my best to prove it.

I do have to give you credit for not taking it down. Please, continue to lack the shame to do so. As Glenn Greenwald has been writing, it's tiresome but important work to document just how wrong Bush apologists were about everything, every single thing, having to do with 9/11 and Iraq.
posted by bardic at 6:05 PM on December 8, 2006

Steven just wants us to know there's still someone in the White House with a positive approval rating.
posted by dhartung at 6:39 PM on December 8, 2006

Didn't Clinton make a similar video towards the end of his Presidency

Yeah stammer. But three differences.

#1 He wasn't losing a major trillion-fucking-dollar war the he picked agasinst the advice of every serious strategic planner in the country thus alienating every ally we have on the planet (excepting the Grand Duchy of Fenwick who committed three troops in exchange for us fixing the royal plumbing).

#2 He had survived his trumped up impeachment.

#2 That movie was actually funny and self depricating.
posted by tkchrist at 7:10 PM on December 8, 2006

This young marine must not have been there when Barney visited, or he would surely still have faith in President Bush.
posted by homunculus at 7:14 PM on December 8, 2006

It's all you cretins have left.

Someone needs to get laid.
posted by dhammond at 7:45 PM on December 8, 2006

Hey, Barney and Miss Beasley are the only decent occupants in the White House. ; )
posted by SisterHavana at 8:47 AM on December 9, 2006

Agreed, SisterHavana.

Worst president ever/cutest pets ever.
posted by Jess the Mess at 1:25 PM on December 10, 2006

Daily Show: Barney's Holiday Extravaganza
posted by homunculus at 12:42 PM on December 15, 2006