In reply to:

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First of all, because other Presidents in the past have done it doesn't make it right. Second, I seriously doubt these kinds of jokes were made over "serious matters" that resulted in GI's coming home in body bags. That's where a line has to be drawn. This is a few steps beyond getting head in the oval office or raising taxes too much.

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I have no argument with you there, that wasn't what I intended to imply. I think what I was trying to say was that once a 'tradition' like that gets started, everyone has to outdo the last guy. I think Bush totally misjudged that and overstepped the line between amusing and extremely distasteful. That quote above, "The fact is that this is the custom in these things", shows that it's probably more important to make the 'joke' than to actually consider the message it is going to send out.