Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Bikes, Bush, and Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots

Bikes, Bush, and Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots

Bush to ride with cycling champion Armstrong

Well, that's a revoltin' development, considering the post Tour de France touting of Lance as a potential candidate.

But apparantly, according to Maureen Dowd, they will be Biking Toward Nowhere:

Pressed about how he could ride his bike while refusing to see a grieving mom of a dead soldier who's camped outside his ranch, he added: "So I'm mindful of what goes on around me. On the other hand, I'm also mindful that I've got a life to live and will do so."

Ah, the insensitivity of reporters who ask the President Bushes how they can expect to deal with Middle East fighting while they're off fishing...


In any case this unique form of athleticism - "I'm the President so I get to hang out with the champ" (who's obviously smart enough to slow down and let the King win) - has many possibilities. Perhaps he'll take an interest in boxing and figure he can spar a few rounds with the heavyweight champ...



My childhood was the era when people became concerned about cartoon violence. Along about this time Tom and Jerry became buddies and, not coincidentally, less funny. Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots was a brilliant dodge: the boxing violence was OK because it wasn't people or animals, it was ROBOTS!

Now, note that the Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots (yes, we had a set, everyone I knew did) are red and blue - just like states! Our networks could use this gripping political metaphor in 2008 election coverage, and I won't even claim copyright on the idea.

However, Marx Toys, makers of Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots (do they still make them?) might.

In my fond hopes I can just hear the GOP getting knocked out and Bush saying, as in the ad that was omnipresent on my childhood Saturday mornings, "Hey! You knocked his block off!"

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