Reichert bragged about getting finger-waving bus driver fired

[flamingyouth]

DAVE REICHERT, YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE.

SEATTLE -- U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert bragged at a Republican Party picnic last summer that the day after a school bus driver flipped off President Bush, he called the district's superintendent, leaving picnic-goers with the impression that he was responsible for getting the driver fired.

That differs from a version of the story told by school district officials and Reichert's staff this week: that Reichert didn't speak to the superintendent for weeks, and that by the time he did, the bus driver had already been fired.

The 43-year-old single mother, whose name has not been released by the Issaquah School District or her union, was bringing a busload of middle-school children back from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle on June 16 when the president and Reichert drove slowly by in a motorcade on their way to a fundraiser. From the bus, stopped on an onramp to Interstate 5, the children waved; with the windows down in their car, Bush and Reichert waved back.

According to an audio recording of the event released by the state Democratic Party on Friday, Reichert gave the following account in a speech at the King County Republican Picnic on Aug. 12:

"And as the motorcade went by, the president and I drove by on I-5, the president was having a great time. He was waving at everybody, he waved at the kids. He got the biggest kick out of the kids leaning out the window to say hello to the president of the United States.

"The sad part of it is though, we got to the last bus - and I won't tell you which school district this was - the bus driver flipped the president off."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_Bush_Finger.html

[Fenris]

1. What a douchebag.

Thanks for bragging, you stupid asshole. You got a 43-year old single mother fired from her job as a fucking public school bus driver. Bravo, sheriff.

I hope he eats it hard on Tuesday.

[geniph]

2. Not only did he brag about it, apparently it's not even TRUE

because he called the superintendent (who happens to be a friend of his from his Officer Barbrady days) over a WEEK after the incident. So this pathetic toady not only tattles because the Chimperor's feelings were hurt, he LIES about it and EXAGGERATES to make himself sound more important and Sheriff-y to his knuckledragging followers!

LAME, sheriff Hairspray. Lame. Grow the fuck up.

Does this remind anyone else of his, "I caught the Green River killer! Single-handed! Barefoot! In the snow! Dodging snipers!" schtick?

Does the man ever do anything that shows character and integrity, or is he truly nothing more than an empty suit, bent singlemindedly on self-promotion and self-aggrandization?!

:puke:

Thankfully, both my husband and I have already cast our ballots - for Darcy Burner!

[flamingyouth]

3. UGH - I wish I'd moved to the 8th district

JUST SO I COULD VOTE AGAINST THIS CRETIN. x(

God, he's despicable.

[TechBear_Seattle]

11. He was the fascist-in-charge during the 1999 WTO dust-up

It was Reichert who had the police dressed in uniforms that obscured their faces and kept their names hidden (a violation of city and county law.)

It was Reichert who kept the police "in reserve" while problems grew, then unleashed the hounds to tear-gas people who had nothing to do with the vandalism.

It was Reichert who sent his thugs into the Capitol Hill residential neighborhood (where I live) and ordered them to give illegal orders to lawful citizens and shoot them when they tried to comply (One of my neighbors was ordered to go home. When he tried, he was shot with rubber bullets because he didn't live in the direction where the anonymous jackbooted thug wanted him to live.)

More than any other person, Reichert is responsible for the illegal actions of the police during the 1999 WTO ministerial in Seattle.

[Evergreen Emerald]

4. getting a school bus driver fired...

...is not something to brag about. What does it say for his character--not to mention the character of the chimp who was so hurt that someone flipped him off? What the hell? How can they live with themselves?

[MikeNearMcChord]

5. I would love to have his ass, locked in the room

with the guy who made him famous, Gary Ridgeway. I then have sheriff Dave handcuffed to chair, I would lock the door then watch the Seahawks kick the Raider's butt on TV!
Or for the PG rated version, invite some WTO protestors who got gassed, work with Sheriff Dave over with some mace. Dave Reichert, was you born a A-hole, or did you have to work at it?

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

6. So whats a finger

What the hell is a finger in comparism to the guy who is just a practical joker,comm,on now, where the hell is the x sheriff,s sense of humor!

Those republicans must be looking for marshal rule or something.

And thats just why they must be run out of both houses and the white house.

Those ass holes are playing with fire.

[Union Thug]

7. I finally heard the audio of that smug, fascist pig bragging about it...

So this motherfucking ex-pig is proud that he got a person fired from their job for expressing their opinion. I think he confuses his "law enforcement side" with his FASCIST side. There's a reason I call that bastard "3rdReichert"

[flamingyouth]

10. "3rdReichert" - I LOVE it!!!

:rofl::yourock:

[baby_bear]

8. School bus windows that allow kids to lean out???

Reichert is quoted as saying:
<snip>
"And as the motorcade went by, the president and I drove by on I-5, the president was having a great time. He was waving at everybody, he waved at the kids. He got the biggest kick out of the kids leaning out the window to say hello to the president of the United States."
</snip>

I didn't think that school bus windows, except for the driver's side window, rolled down or otherwise allowed for "leaning out." Am I wrong?

Also, the version in my hard copy of the P-I delivered this morning is different in some respects. In fact, a completely different reporter is credited. Interesting.

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/291164_reichert04.html

Reichert once bragged he ratted out bus driver
Saturday, November 4, 2006

By CHRIS MCGANN
P-I REPORTER

<snip>

After a long, expensive campaign, Democratic congressional candidate Darcy Burner's eleventh-hour hopes of ousting Republican Rep. Dave Reichert may now float on the wings of a bird -- a bird flipped at President Bush by an Issaquah school bus driver. At issue is the veracity of comments Reichert made at a Republican Party picnic Aug. 12. He said the driver raised her middle finger to Bush's motorcade as it passed by a bus full of children near the Woodland Park Zoo. Reichert told supporters at the event that he had called the district to report the incident and gave the impression that he was responsible for getting the driver fired.

Democrats hammered Reichert about the comments this week because they come in stark contrast to the stories told by school district officials and Reichert's own staff. Though Burner and Reichert have been locked in a close race in recent weeks, the most recent poll of 598 likely voters by Survey USA shows Reichert up by 6 percentage points with a 4.1-point margin of error. Even a small ripple of controversy could give Burner the bump she needs and with just three days until the end of the election, Democrats seized the chance to tarnish Reichert as a dishonest braggart.

According to school officials, Reichert didn't speak to the superintendent for weeks, and that by the time he did, the bus driver was already in the process of being let go.
</snip>

There is also this bit which is interesting.
<snip>
The Washington State Council of County and City Employees, the union representing the bus driver, said the single mother didn't deserve to be fired. "In 25 years of this work I've never seen such a severe punishment for an inappropriate, but harmless, act," said union President Chris Dugovich, noting that no child on the bus saw the gesture. "There is video on the Internet that any child can watch of the president raising his middle finger to a camera, yet a momentary gesture by a private citizen is worthy of firing?"

"Why a sitting member of Congress and superintendent would get so personally involved in firing a bus driver raises many questions," Dugovich said. "The woman was sitting in gridlock traffic and lost her cool for a moment. A lot of us have felt the same way. It's an unfortunate incident, but not worthy of a pink slip. And certainly, one would think, the congressman has more important issues to deal with."
</snip>

Anybody know about this video clip?

b_b

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

9. The real snips are

How those republicans groom a candidate. How they create one. There is a reason politics in this state went bad not so long ago, One guy displaced all that recently.

One would have to dig real deep to get to it,but it is all there.
If only West will have confessed.

[baby_bear]

12. I don't understand your response to my post.

Can you expand or further explain?

b_b

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

15. not ment to confuse you B.B.

What I am touching on is very long and drawn out. Corruption in politics and everything dirty you don,t read about in the press.

Falls in line with tax breaks for the few ,and screw the masses.

Grooming politicans for instance is that third rike, is that what you call him/, why that,ed be the truth about old dave the republican -, and how a hero was created.
People who are true doers for instance ,just get it done, many of them really don,t look for feathers to put in their caps if you know what I mean. In fact more of them than you may even know of would much rather some political polkey like Reichert just keep packing those feathers in and keep standing out in front taking credit for the workings of the true doers.

For the true doers, publicity spoils the show.
The less that the public knows ,the better for true duers.

Whereas ,people like Reichert ,serve to keep public intrest away form those that get it done.
Those behind people like Reichert are always more intrested in getting out of it whatever it is they desire ,along the lines of political gains.

Reichert is and always was the guy they flaunt.
Those republicans snapped up that one.

The thing of it is, and this is where it is almost funny, you take for instance reichert flaunting the bus driver thing and the republican picnic. Hay, Red freak Reich, tell us all about it!, Reichert -just like a Hollywood actor that believes his or her own publicity ,ah yes good old L.A>!, Reichert just can,t refuse the oppertunity to talk about himself. That,s always been the thing about red necks, they think the world is about they theirselves.

Reichert is just a guy those republicans groomed and created to screw the pooch.And Reichert truely believes that he is a hero. And in the same way that hollywood actors will fall subject to their own publicity. Usually ,more often than not,that marks the actors end.

A true doer cannot continue to do -unless real ass holes like Reichert are there to take the credit and the fall.

Thats part of the point b.b.

[Jansen]

16. There is video on the Internet that any child can watch...

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6951618146521455283

[upi402]

13. Shortbus "pResident" tattles on bus driver

That morAn can't eat a pretzel or ride a bike. But he sure knows sign language.

[rhett o rick]

14. People dieing in Iraq and they are concerned about a finger. nm