About a month ago, [tag]Bush[/tag] was in Florida and met with a group of senior citizens to talk about his Medicare plan. He greeted those who rose for his entrance, but greeted a man who remained sitting in a wheelchair with, “You look mighty comfortable.”
It struck me as one of the more embarrassing moments of Bush’s presidency. Today, he topped himself.
At a press conference this morning, President Bush needled Los Angeles Times reporter Peter Wallsten after he stood up to ask a question wearing [tag]sunglasses[/tag]. “Are you going to ask that question with [tag]shades[/tag] on?” Bush said, telling [tag]Wallsten[/tag], “I’m interested in the shade look, seriously.”
But as Wonkette first noted, and which ThinkProgress subsequently confirmed, Wallsten is legally [tag]blind[/tag]. Wallsten tells us he has a rare genetic disorder called Stargardt’s Disease. The disease is a form of macular degeneration that can be slowed “by wearing UV-protective sunglasses and avoiding exposure to bright light.”
In fact, looking at the transcript, after Wallsten offered to take off his sunglasses, Bush noted, “For the viewers, there’s no [tag]sun[/tag].” (It was cloudy in DC at the time.) Wallsten responded, “I guess it depends on your perspective.”
Just to be clear, Bush didn’t know about Wallsten’s condition. Chances are, because of his own insecurities, Bush saw a reporter standing to ask a question and he thought, out of respect, Wallsten should have taken the sunglasses off. When he didn’t, Bush probably decided he could tease him a bit to try and embarrass him. It’s the fratboy charm that makes the president such a “character.”
Regardless, the president’s social graces can make for some painful moments, can’t they? The phrase “all noblesse and no oblige” comes to mind….