Bush Wired

PROPAGANDA or PREPARATION? Behind Bush's staged teleconference

2005-10-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

Above: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Allison Barber coaches the soldiers, later insisting that the event wasn't rehearsed. Barber also runs the Pentagon Channel and claims to have no political agenda.
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• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence! More Bulge links at the end of the post.

PROPAGANDA or good PREPARATION?

That STAGED press conference wasn't the worst thing Bush has done. I admit it. Political manipulation of the media has occurred since the invention of the press itself. And yeah, yeah, we'd all love to have a President that could speak to the public in an inspiring and "presidential" way... instead we get "Bring it on!"... we're all used to it by now.

Sure, this administration may have raised the bar in terms of media savvy, good for them. What bothers me however is how the expectation of media manipulation leads to a real complacency amongst the mainstream press. Nobody really cries foul when something as absurd as Thursday's "teleconference" occurs.

It's not so much the act as the lies. Sure, prep the soldiers for the interview, that's standard. But instead, the prep-session was more of a full-blown rehearsal... everyone knew their lines, and what to do if someone went off-script. Thanks to the inadvertent satellite feed we all got to see exactly how it was done. This WASHINGTON POST account sums it up well.

Where's the LIE? Read on... The teleconference was billed as a "spontaneous" conversation with soldiers. Lie. The press was told that the event would be "unscripted". Lie. After the press (and the world) saw the "extended footage", the administration stuck to it's "spontaneous" story. Lie. On Friday, the White House backed off that story a bit, but hardly admitted the level of "preparation" the soldiers received. Lie. From the White House press briefing:

" Q And regarding yesterday's event with the President and the soldiers in Tikrit, has there been any adjustment in the administration's position about whether or not it was scripted or rehearsed, and what sort of protocols will be followed in the future?"

"MR. McCLELLAN: I think you heard from the troops. The troops that were participating in that event said that they were expressing their own thoughts. So you heard directly from the troops. And these are troops that are on the ground in Iraq, who were giving the President and the American people a firsthand account of the progress that is being made on the ground."

Read the official transcript HERE.

But let's dig into the deception a bit deeper. It gets juicy.

It also seems that the soldier most often quoted in the press (Master Sgt. Corine Lombardo) was not an average "grunt" at all. According to the VILLAGE VOICE , she's a MEDIA SPOKESPERSON for the MILITARY. Of course, she's the one who handled the important sound-bites. From The Voice:

" David Axe, who's made several forays into Iraq for the Voice — read his latest, "Powerless," a dispatch from southern Iraq — knows Corine Lombardo from having spent time in Tikrit. He tells me:

Her job when I was with the 42nd Infantry Division included taking reporters to lunch.
She lives in a fortified compound in Tikrit and rarely leaves.
Many public-affairs types in Iraq never leave their bases, and they're speaking for those who do the fighting and dying."

Allegedly, most of the other soldiers were officers and not average soldiers as well.

Hardly anyone in the press has seriously raised the issue of the White House using the troops for what really amounts to a political TV ad... or simply put, PROPAGANDA. In fact, on the subject of propaganda and TV, people are just now raising questions about the Pentagon's entry into the world of broadcasting with, "THE PENTAGON CHANNEL". Orginally a military-only network, its now being carried by most cable and satellite systems. Apparently they also have a web-broadcast but I can't get THE LINK to work. http://www.pentagonchannel.mil/ .

It's the first time ever that the government has run a state-run news and info TV network that's been available to the general public (reaching 12 million viewers so far). CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 recently raised the question of the legality of the new channel, concerned about a 50+ year law barring the government from creating propaganda.

The PENTAGON CHANNEL, supposedly, is free from White House oversight and has no role in advancing administration policies. However, a transcript at NEWSBUSTERS quotes CNN's Jamie McIntyre reporting:

"MCINTYRE (on camera): The Pentagon Channel originates from studios here in Alexandria, Virginia. There's everything here you'd expect to find in a modern television station, cameras, teleprompters, computers. The one thing it says it doesn't have is an agenda to advance administration policies."

"MCINTYRE: While much of the Pentagon Channel programming is more like CSPAN than CNN, this original documentary called Inside the Wire purports to show that the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo is humane. That argues Professor Begleiter sounds a lot like the Bush administration version of the truth."

"RALPH BEGLEITER, PROFESSOR, UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE: You want to have radio free America or some such hypothetical title, broadcasting propaganda to the United States, no. We don't allow that in this country. It's a law."

"MCINTYRE: He's referring to a 1948 ban that stops the government from controlling the news sent to domestic audiences. A law inspired by abuses in Nazi Germany. But Pentagon officials say the Pentagon Channel is simply internal communications for the military. And rejects the idea its programming is propaganda."

Keep in mind this "internal communications" network is being actively promoted and given away for free to any cable/sat. service provider who wishes to include it with programming.

OK, so there ya go... THE PENTAGON CHANNEL.

Who should run this network? None other than Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Allison Barber... And you guessed it, SHE'S the one coaching the soldiers with lines before the President's Staged Teleconference. Full Circle.

Allison Barber has a background in advertising and PR in Washington DC, and also runs the American Forces Radio and Television, the American Forces Press Service, the Department's Internet web operations, the Defense Media Center, and Stars and Stripes newspaper. She also hosts "Ask the White House", an online forum.

According to this quote from the Washington Times :

"Miss Barber said the Pentagon Channel makes every effort to avoid propaganda charges by, among other practices, offering live coverage of such events as press conferences from beginning to end, while commercial networks will pick up only the sections they deem newsworthy.
"It would be propaganda if we tried to spin it," she said."

Well, she sure spun this live teleconference!!! And did a pretty bad job of it, by the way.

And so, the Pentagon Channel probably has an agenda afterall... doesn't surprise me. Especially with Donald Rumsfeld's frequent complaints about negative press and bad headlines regarding Iraq. Thats gotta sway things a bit I'd think, he's the boss.

I for one, really object to my tax dollars being used in this way... a military issues channel, fine. A network designed and used to promote the Bush Administrations policies in Iraq? Documentaries showing how nice Guantanamo is... promoted as news? NO WAY! Just as sinister is how this propaganda has leeched its way into the mainstream media in the form of the Staged Teleconference. News networks carry this kind of thing because its supposed to be "newsworthy", and it should be news... but what we got the other day was blatant propaganda. Enough is enough. The mainstream media needs to stop accepting this slop from the administration as news, make a stink about it, and demand far more than a schloppy PR gig from the administration as "news from Iraq".

'Nuff Said.

ON TOPIC: Apparently the President inserted a WIRELESS EARPIECE into his ear before the teleconference (photo previous post)... This is kind of important for the topic of THE BULGE. For the first time it shows the President actually using the same technology he allegedly used to cheat during the Presidential Debates of '04.

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence!
• Also visit: Oct/Nov 2004 BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• GET THE WHOLE BULGE STORY... THE BULGE HISTORY
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

Staged Press Conference: Expected or an Outrage? Did the President wear an Earpiece?

2005-10-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

• ABOVE: The wireless earpiece Bush put in his ear before the "teleconference"? See, he does use 'em!
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Yesterday's STAGED teleconference with troops hasn't really created the furor amongst the press that I had hoped. I saw it discussed on most of the cable news networks today, the general consensus is that this was an especially obvious use of a typical Bush PR ploy. Nobody was too surprised or outraged. Obviously, President Bush isn't the first person to stage a press conference, or a Q&A session... but this latest incident is an especially crass and outrageous instance. Someone needs to call him on it, enough is enough. However, this story will probably end up as a hilarious segment on The Daily Show, or Leno, thats it... I'm pretty jaded at this point. Someday the mainstream press will cry foul, maybe.

Here's a really great link on the whole Staged Teleconference incident from PRWATCH.ORG . The site also points out that one of the "troops" was in fact a media spokesperson, and not an "Average Joe" soldier at all. It also has a link to the video of the preparations of the teleconference, and some great links for more info.

I'd venture to bet that this latest fiasco wouldn't have occurred at all if Karl Rove wasn't busy preparing for today's Grand Jury testimony. I don't like Rove much, but I'd give him credit for knowing better.

What HAS becoming quite clear in the last months is how the Bush Administration indeed uses and manipulates the press. That's not surprising, or unexpected. What's been alarming is how the mainstream media continues to ignore these increasingly vile instances of injecting administration propaganda into the media under the guise of actual news.

Whether it was the Gannon/ Guckert "scandal", Plamegate, staged teleconferences, hand-picked audiences, prepared questions and answers, paid pundits... etc.etc.etc., what is absolutely clear is how far this administration will go to promote it's agenda. It continues to confound me how people refuse to believe that this administration may have used wireless coaching in the debates. Is it that crazy of an idea?

I'd also like to officially welcome IsBushWired back. What a great blog! IBW is one of the original blogs to cover the Bulge last fall. If you have not seen it lately, they've been posting again! The last few posts are a wonderful "big picture" look at some of the issues above. Plus, wonderful writing as always!

-Icone
Bush Wired

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence!
• Also visit: Oct/Nov 2004 BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• GET THE WHOLE BULGE STORY... THE BULGE HISTORY
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

Bush Teleconference STAGED... No Bulge needed!

2005-10-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

For anyone still in doubt that the White House may resort to coaching or prompting in times of need... perhaps you didn't see today's Presidential "teleconference".

This one is so bad that Bush should probably go back to wireless speaking aids... despite any bulges. Hey, don't take my word for it, ask any of the millions of people who watched... or read the reports in the Mainstream Press!

Read this the report from ABC NEWS titled, "Bush Teleconference With Soldiers Staged". Something tells me that there will be more juicy facets to this escapade following... perhaps someone in the mass media will remember the Bulge. I won't hold my breath.

The official video is on the WHITE HOUSE WEBSITE .

-Icone
Bush Wired

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence!
• Also visit: Oct/Nov 2004 BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• GET THE WHOLE BULGE STORY... THE BULGE HISTORY
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

PRESS CONFRENCE BULGE SIGHTING

2005-10-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

As if on cue, about a year after the BULGE was sighted during the Presidential Debates of '04... our pesky Presidential Bulge has made a special "anniversary" appearance.

Today President Bush held a full-fledged hour long news conference, complete with a question and answer session. While the President's speech seemed to go quite smoothly, Bush seemed to slip up ... a dozen or so times... during the Q&A session. It was the classic Bush pauses and slow speech as the 'hard' questions rolled in... nothing new there.

However, today the President seemed to go back to that odd speaking style that brought us "BulgeGate" in the first place. If you look close at the way Bush spoke today, the frequent stalls then sudden "blurting out" of facts and talking points, the idea of wireless prompting of answers almost seems obvious.

The video can be found on the White House site . There are especially interesting "stammer and pauses" throughout the video, but the idea of answer prompting really seems plausible at approx: 45:30.

Better yet! As the President turned and walked off I thought I saw that tell-tale Bulge shape that we all know so well by now. Within minutes of the conference I received a few dozen e-mails from people who thought they saw the Bulge on TV. Apparently, it was quite obvious on the multi-angled CSPAN coverage... I can't say, I didn't see it. The video on the CSPAN website is too fuzzy to see anything well... but here is the CSPAN VIDEO link.

I did some screen grabs and light enhancing with Photoshop... the compression makes it difficult to tell exactly, but it looks like the Bulge is back!!!

Updates if anything develops.

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence!
• Also visit: Oct/Nov 2004 BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• GET THE WHOLE BULGE STORY... THE BULGE HISTORY
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

More Katrina Bulge Sightings

2005-09-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

There is rumor of a BULGE sigting during President Bush's speech from New Orleans last night... I watched it. I didn't see the BULGE in all it's full glory, but the President's shirt didn't seem to be fitting well (again).

I have already received a bunch of e-mail and a few comments about this latest sighting... its difficult to call since there was never a good shot of the President from behind. However, its true that his shirt seemed to have an odd fit. Perhaps its time for the Presidential tailor to make a fresh appearance in this ever-twisting story and straighten this out. HA!

However, there seems to be a rash of uncomfirmed BULGE sightings from Bush's other appearances yesterday. Hopefully some more pictures or video will pop up.

As the press conference was outside, and bush was touring areas in public... I'll play the devil's advocate here and postulate that this COULD BE an instance of a bulletproof vest. It would make sense in this situation far more than it would have during the Presidential debates.

Stay Tuned! Updates as the news rolls in.

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence!
• Also visit: Oct/Nov BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• GET THE WHOLE BULGE STORY... THE BULGE HISTORY
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

BULGE SIGHTING AMIDST AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINA!

2005-09-02T13:21:00.000-07:00

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence!
• Also visit: Oct/Nov BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• GET THE WHOLE BULGE STORY... THE BULGE HISTORY
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

It's been a while since I have posted new BULGE sightings and info. The "story" has largely disappeared from the public consciousness. However this site still gets a decent amount of traffic, and the occasional Bulge report flows in from time-to-time. The bulge remains often mentioned, but largely uninvestigated in the mainstream press.

First, my thoughts and prayers are with the thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina, those people need all the help they can get, we should all do whatever we can to stabilize the lives of the people who have been so devastatingly affected by this disaster. There will be plenty of time to bring politics into this tragedy in the next weeks and months.

Unexpectedly, in the midst of this horrendous natural disaster, the BULGE (and earpiece-prompting) seems to have reared it's ugly head again. I noticed it when I saw the President doing his awkward press conference yesterday. The slow speech, telltale eye movements... it seems that our leader has been getting his info "piped into" his ear again.

I'm not the only one who noticed. Bob Fertik of Democrats.com has posted this piece which seems to sum up the latest sighting.

• Bush's Ventriloquist Declares Katrina Response "Not Acceptable" (Democrats.com)

BushWired will continue to follow these developments, and will update this site if more info or sightings continue.
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FOR THOSE WHO WANT THE REAL STORY OF WHATS HAPPENING IN NEW ORLEANS... As you may expect, there is a big difference between whats going on on your television screen and what's happening in the "real world". I have been aghast over the last days watching the mayhem, looting and destruction in the Gulf States, and the apparent lack of preparedness and order. I wanted to know more and found some amazing sites in the last days... from blog reports to live scanner feeds from FEMA, The N.O.P.D., to the National Guard. Links are below.

Things seem to be better organized in the last 18 hours or so (5 days after the storm), but the total lack of command and control has been shocking, and frankly, pretty scary.

The official Federal response to this disaster is a NATIONAL DISGRACE.

I listened to the scanners all night and heard some crazy stuff... everything from confused truckers not knowing where to deliver food, to reports of evacuation busses being stolen by desperate citizens, to looting, to live reports of firefighters being shot at.

• THE INTERDICTOR'S BLOG ...this is a truly amazing blog. Reports from the street, from Police Officers, photos, and a live cam. The only live blog coming from N.O. powered via diesel generators.
• LIVE SCANNER FEEDS!

CONFIRMED! KARL ROVE met with NY TIMES Editor before Bulge story was "killed" !!!

2005-03-03T13:33:00.000-08:00

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence!
• Also visit: Oct/Nov BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• GET THE WHOLE BULGE STORY... THE BULGE HISTORY
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

The other day I decided to bring the Bush Bulge mystery back "on-topic" and focus on the many unanswered questions in this odd conundrum instead of criticism of the media for not reporting this important story... that is, until I read this juicy tidbit of information passed on by the Newsrack Blog :

According to New Yorker Magazine's, Nicholas Lemann, in a non-Bulge related column, KARL ROVE met with the New York Times' executive editor BILL KELLER for cocktails on October 22nd, 2004. This meeting was 3 days before the Times' "spiked" story on the bulge was originally set to run in the Times, and 5 days before the story was ultimately killed by Keller. [While this story isn't exactly new, it ran about 2 weeks ago, its taken this long to "connect the dots" and notice the extremely suspicious timing in regards to the Bulge story's demise at the Times.]

It has long been alleged that Rove placed a call or some sort of "pressure" on the Times' editors to "kill" the Bulge story before the Nov. 2nd elections. In fariness, Times Public Editor, Daniel Okrent, responding to BushWired's allegations of Rovian interference regarding the Bulge story, stated, "I have never heard this, nor do I believe it."

Perhaps its time to start believing!

Details of this conversation are clearly outlined in the New Yorker article titled "FEAR AND FAVOR - Why is everyone mad at the mainstream media?" (see the full article HERE) . While the revelations are not Bulge-specific they certainly show how Rove and the Bush Team operates, applying pressure to the press, and how the press responds to such pressure.

The article states that Keller actually asked Rove what he thought of the Times' coverage... resulting in a litany of complaints and allegations from Rove. The column goes on to say:
" Keller took his time describing the conversation, to suggest that he wasn’t dismissing the criticisms [Rove's] out of hand. “Your initial reaction, especially in someone as ferocious as Rove, is to drop into a defensive crouch,” he said. “But I try not to do that. I listened, with a fair measure of skepticism, because a lot of it is calculated. But there was some genuineness to it. He went through a long litany of complaints. I do think he was channelling a feeling about the New York Times that’s out there in the land, that we should be concerned about, or at least aware of.”

Was Keller, or the Times concerned enough to "spike" an important pre-election story on the Bulge? Do the previous allegations of Rove calling the Times to apply "pressure" carry more weight now that we know of this meeting? To steal a line from Newsrack blog... "Daniel Okrent's disbelief notwithstanding, Lemann's piece suggests that Keller would have been pretty receptive to such a phone call."

I agree, and again, the sources that first broke this story to BushWired have turned out to be correct. Rove did, in fact, have contact with NYT Executive Editor shortly before the Bulge story was "killed".

There is no recent statement from Mr. Keller on these revelations, but lets look again at a statement from Keller that ran in the Times on November 1st (Full story HERE) ... AFTER the Bulge story was killed, and AFTER his meeting with Rove.

"I can't say categorically you should not publish an article damaging to a candidate in the last days before an election,'' he said. "If you learned a day or two before the election that a candidate had lied about some essential qualification for the job - his health or criminal record - and there's no real doubt and you've given the candidate a chance to respond and the response doesn't cast doubt on the story, do you publish it? Yes. Voters certainly have a right to know that.''
- New York Times Executive Editor, Bill Keller.

Maybe voters don't have the right to know... Something smells VERY ROTTON at the Times.

More updates to follow, including some new info on THIS PHOTO which has been the subject of some recent discussion.

Icone
BushWired

THE BULGE UNVEILED?? New Photo...

2005-03-01T14:49:00.000-08:00

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence!
• Also visit: CURRENT BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• GET THE WHOLE BULGE STORY... THE BULGE HISTORY
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

BULGE NEWS:
• THE BULGE UNVEILED??? A reader has submitted THIS PHOTO from the back cover of David Frum's book, "The Right Man : The Surprise Presidency of George W. Bush" as listed on Amazon.com. AMAZING. Is this the bulge or just a normal radio of some sort? Note that the size/shape is about correct, and the long wire is also present. If this device was worn on Bush's back, under a jacket with the wire snaking over the shoulder it could look exactly like the bulge. Compare to other Bulge pics in the PHOTO GALLERY .
- Audio experts and geeks: what is this thing?

• There have also been numerous reports of Bulges, wires, and coaching in the last week as President Bush has been in Europe on a "goodwill" tour. I looked closely at several photos sent in to BushWired, and didn't see anything worth posting in the PHOTO GALLERY. In fact, I'm certain most photos are simply translation earpieces as in this PHOTO from the White House site .

• There is a new Bulge Yahoo Group dedicated to the Bulge started by Bob Fertik of Democrats.com. who also posted on a new VIDEO last week. More prompting or just "Bush-speak"?

BACK ON TOPIC:
How can it be that such a simple question, "What was the bulge on president Bush's Back" has turned into a strangely woven web of mystery? Why is this story so persistent and popular? Entering the sixth month of this odd Bulge story we still don't have any conclusive answers, and the search for a plausible explanation continues. People still want the truth...

I feel the Bulge debate has shifted off-topic in the last months. In the weeks before the election we all screamed for some sort of serious media "investigation" into the very obvious Presidential Bulge. Some questions were asked by the media but the story was largely dismissed. We all know now that the New York Times decided to "kill" its story on the Bulge the week before the election. If serious media investigation had occurred it very well may have had an effect on the election results... we'll never know.

I feel any sort of serious reporting on the Bulge is important and needed. The story is real and the possible ramifications of the Bulge are quite serious and even disturbing. The pubic and bloggers everywhere are right to harshly criticize the press for ignoring this story... they are not doing their job. I'm happy that the New York Times had to admit and answer to its killing of the Bulge story.

Nevertheless, all the criticism of the media has also served to water down the main point of the Bulge mystery... WHAT IS IT? While we all focus on the media we forget that there is an answer out there. There are so many unanswered facets to this mystery, if the media won't look into further, people will need to do it on their own...

- What happened to the investigation of further VIDEO evidence that Bush wore a wireless coaching device? In addition to the hotly debated "Chirac" video (see this thread from Cannonfire) , there have been numerous reports of other video and audio tapes where prompting was documented. Salon reported on this previously, and had a source who promised to release some audio recordings... I never heard any follow-up.

- I'm not a total believer in the "Defibrillator Theory", but I do admit that it is interesting and has some good supporting "evidence". In fact, this theory has actually gained steam in the last months and I think the topic is still worthy of debate in addition to the Coaching Theory.

- Photos. There are a lot of photos of President Bush; online, magazines, video, etc... I'm sure there are many more Bulge photos yet to be found ... It will take many more eyes than my own to find them. Remember how important the few photos of the Bulge have been, without them we may still be talking about a 'fabric pucker". Please, take a look around the "internets" and share any links to photos in the comments section below!

- Please post any interesting Bulge info in the comments section as well... thats what makes these blogs work!

Karl Rove, the New York Times ...and the BULGE. --UPDATE!!!

2005-02-15T12:34:00.000-08:00

The New York Times and the BULGE... update!!!

2005-02-13T21:10:00.000-08:00

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence! (Recent News and other links are at the end of this post)
• Also visit: PAST BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• GET THE WHOLE BULGE STORY... THE BULGE HISTORY
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

Since adding the post following up on the New York Times fiasco, I've had a literal deluge of e-mail. GREAT!!... but I also encourage readers to post a comment and share your thoughts... that's how these blogs work, y'know!

So, that being said, the New York Times' treatment (or killing) of the Bulge story is still making a bit of news itself and the entire Bulge debate appears to be coming back to life somewhat. There are several links to new news at the end of this post.

Obviously, the Times can absolutely choose what they will or will not print... its their paper! But there are a few things that bother me about the Times' account, specifically, what they published INSTEAD of the killed story. Before jumping into Rovian Conspiracies and digging out our tin-foil hats, lets look at the Times' record on the story (or visit the BULGE ARCHIVES ).

First, lets forget about what the Bulge COULD HAVE BEEN, and stick with what's known in this instance. The New York Times was one of the first major media outlets to publish a story on the Bulge (Oct. 9, 2004) picking up the topic after Salon.com carried it's first Bulge story by Dave Lindorff on Oct. 9th.

The first Times article was written by Elisabeth Bumiller. (NY TIMES ARCHIVES). Bumiller again covered the story on Oct. 18th, (International Herald Tribune), and then published one last Bulge piece after the election on Nov. 8th (NY TIMES ARCHIVES). The Times mentioned the Bulge briefly and without substance in several other articles, but Bumiller seemed to be the "lead" on the story. Bumiller's coverage of the Bulge tended to be a light-hearted look at the issue in a somewhat humorous fashion (...it was kind of funny after all), she basically re-reported the story from Salon.com and The Hill. She also reported on the ridiculous "official" statements made by White House officials. Her coverage was not seriously investigative, as her reporting was mainly based on quotes and information from other published/media sources. Nothing wrong with that, although most Bulge-watchers wished the Times (or anyone else) in the major-media would start to take the story seriously and get some real answers.

And this is what troubles me... the Times WAS INVESTIGATING! They WROTE a serious story on the Bulge that focused on the enhanced debate photos of NASA's Dr. Robert Nelson. Without going into the details of the photos (see the BULGE PHOTO GALLERY) or Dr. Nelsons analysis, lets just say that nobody has questioned the authenticity of these images, or refuted Dr. Nelsons credentials as an expert. The thing these photos show conclusively is that the Bulge is an OBJECT and NOT A WRINKLE. What is newsworthy about that? The photos PROVE that the White House and President Bush himself made numerous false statements on-record about this OBJECT (whatever it is). Why was this object on Bush's back during the debates? Why did Bush lie and call it a wrinkle? That's what everyone wanted to know! Nevertheless, the story was "killed" and these questions were never asked by the Times.

Perhaps the Times thought it best not to run this story before the election. Perhaps they thought they did not have enough information for a good story... who knows... the story was killed and we probably won't ever know exactly what it said. However, we do know the Times still thought the Bulge was worth covering.

Also odd to me is that while the Times had a story in-hand discussing new and unreported developments (in the mainstream media) on the Bulge story AND the enhanced photos, they published a very different story. The final Times Bulge article (by Bumiller, 11/8) simply proclaimed that the presidential tailor, Georges de Paris, was "off the hook" as the source of the Bulge "wrinkle", and that de Paris THOUGHT it was a bulletproof vest... hardly a "scoop", especially when you consider what wasn't reported. There was no mention of photos or the other developments (although the Times reported again that the White House denied that the Bulge was a bulletproof vest).

Stranger still, Bumiller's story was basically re-reported from a piece in The Hill that ran on Nov. 4th ( 11/4 Story ). Surprisingly, the Hill story refuted its own own earlier reporting ( 10/20 Story ) that the Bulge was a simple wrinkle... of course, by citing Dr. Nelson's enhanced photos. That's how Georges de Paris got "off the hook". I guess Bumiller (or the Times) decided to leave that juicy tidbit out of the story.

"All the News That's Fit to Print" ??? ...Well, I guess not... just some of the news, and as long as the topic isn't too touchy, even after the election. Thanks, NY Times... honestly, as a reader, I'm disappointed.

Now that the story on the Times' killing of the Bulge story ( Lindorff's story from FAIR. ) is circulating freely, Daniel Okrent (Public Editor for the Times) has issued a new statement and charged Lindorff with "distortion". Lindorff then reponds strongly to Okrent. Check it out at the FAIR website . Read the previous post (below) for further information on the Times' admission.

• What is all this about??? See the THE BULGE HISTORY.
• Tell the Times what you think!!!
---> Daniel Okrent (Public Editor): public@nytimes.com
---> Bill Keller (Editor): bkeller@nytimes.com
• Other Media: TAKE ACTION/Press Contacts

Other developments and previous links on the Times killed story:
• --> Editor & Publisher covers the Times' killing of the Bulge story.
•--> Daniel Okrent's Web Journal Times readers respond to Okrent and the Times.
•--> Lindorff's story from COUNTERPUNCH.
•--> Lindorff's story from FAIR.
•--> Lindorff's story from the ILCA site.
•--> Newsrack Blog discusses the Bulge and the Times story.
•--> Murky Thoughts Blog on the Bulge and the Times story.
•--> A Bulge Theories site ...excellent.
•--> New York Times covers the new power of blogs vs. mainstream media.

Icone
Bush Wired

BUSH WIRED UPDATE - The New York Times... "All the News That's Fit to Kill"

2005-02-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence! (Recent News and other links are at the end of this post)
• Also visit: PAST BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• GET THE WHOLE BULGE STORY... THE BULGE HISTORY
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

Perhaps its about time to do a BULGE update.

Surprisingly (again), in the past months since I discontinued updating this blog regularly, the BULGE topic continues to live. Around the New Year, the Bulge topic repeatedly popped up here and there in the press... people are still wondering what the Bulge could have been. There certainly have been no conclusive answers or smoking guns. Bush Wired continues to receive a fair amount of traffic and numerous BULGE e-mails everyday... the Bulge is still with us, like it or not.

The Bulge was mentioned repeatedly in several 'years end" articles... The bulge appeared in many forms... as an example of what's wrong with politics today or listed near the top of many "stupidest stories of 2004", to the serious discussion of how blogs affected the political process. Additionally, Salon.com named the Bulge as 2004's SECOND most popular story... only after the election story as a whole. The BOSTON PHOENIX even published a new story about the Bulge Medical Theory, which was quite interesting, but not anything new or startling. Also, Karl Rove reportedly stated that the Bulge was his favorite election topic, and Bush Wired was his favorite web-site... Ha! Thanks for the traffic Karl!

But let's step back a bit to the last strange and serious twist in this story, the follow-up on the New York Times' "killing" of the Bulge story before the election. My last post to this site contained a letter from Daniel Okrent (the Public Editor for the Times) who seemed not to know about the Bulge story (or the story's untimely death). Later, the Times denied working on the Bulge story altogether, even after the naming of the authors. By December19th, the truth finally came out... the Times DID kill the story. (Full text of the NY Times admission is at the end of this post)

Three sources have told Bush Wired (independently) that Karl Rove put in a call to the NY Times editors on Wednesday, Oct. 27 (the day before the story was scheduled to run), and that this was the REAL reason for the story being "killed". While I have no concrete confirmation on this "scoop", previously my sources named the writers of the killed NYT story correctly immediately after story was "killed" and several weeks before the writers' names were made public. I'll go so far as to say that I believe these sources are within the NY Times itself... but make up your own mind.

I'll reserve my comments on this for later... however, if true, it makes me sick.

This week Dave Lindorff has again done some wonderful investigative reporting on the "incident" and adds some new revelations to the twisted saga of the Bulge, the Media, and the Times. Its a good read, Cheers to D. Lindorff!!

•--> Lindorff's story from COUNTERPUNCH.
•--> Lindorff's story from FAIR.
•--> Lindorff's story from the ILCA site.

Many Bulge-Watchers are still tuning in to President Bush's televised appearances looking for that odd "hump", and it should be noted that the Bulge has not been seen conclusively since the debates. I guess the Presidential Tailor has improved his handiwork, or something...?

So, again we wait to see what develops next... nothing about this story shocks me anymore, but I hope that some explanation for all the Bulge Hoopla will come out someday... I'm not holding my breath.

Icone
BushWired

Full Text of the NY Times admission that it killed the Bulge story:

From: Daniel Okrent, Ny Times
The Public Editor's blog:
dokrent - 10:54 PM ET December 19, 2004 (#38 of 38)

President Bush and The Jacket Bulge

Online discussion of the famous bulge on President Bush’s back at the first presidential debate hasn’t stopped. One reporter (Dave Lindorff of Salon.com) asserted that The Times had a story in the works about a NASA scientist who had done a careful study of the graphic evidence, but it was spiked by the paper’s top editors sometime during the week before the election. Many readers have asked me for an explanation.

I checked into Lindorff’s assertion, and he’s right. The story’s life at The Times began with a tip from the NASA scientist, Robert Nelson, to reporter Bill Broad. Soon his colleagues on the science desk, John Schwartz and Andrew Revkin, took on the bulk of the reporting. Science editor Laura Chang presented the story at the daily news meeting but, like many other stories, it did not make the cut. According to executive editor Bill Keller, “In the end, nobody, including the scientist who brought it up, could take the story beyond speculation. In the crush of election-finale stories, it died a quiet, unlamented death.”

Revkin, for one, wished it had run. Here’s what he told me in an e-mail message:

“I can appreciate the broader factors weighing on the paper's top editors, particularly that close to the election. But personally, I think that Nelson's assertions did rise above the level of garden-variety speculation, mainly because of who he is. Here was a veteran government scientist, whose decades-long career revolves around interpreting imagery like features of Mars, who decided to say very publicly that, without reservation, he was convinced there was something under a president's jacket when the White House said there was nothing.

“He essentially put his hard-won reputation utterly on the line (not to mention his job) in doing so and certainly with little prospect that he might gain something as a result -- except, as he put it, his preserved integrity.”

Revkin also told me that before Nelson called Broad, he had approached other media outlets as well. None — until Salon — published anything on Nelson’s analysis. “I'd certainly choose [Nelson’s] opinion over that of a tailor,” Revkin concluded, referring to news reports that cited the man who makes the president’s suits. “Hard to believe that so many in the media chose the tailor, even in coverage after the election.”

It ain't over yet... More BULGE news and developments!

2004-11-21T17:07:00.000-08:00

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence! (Recent News and other links are at the end of this post)
• Also visit: CURRENT BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• GET THE WHOLE BULGE STORY... THE BULGE HISTORY
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

The Bulge mystery, surprisingly, has not completely disappeared in the weeks following the election. Odd and conflicting statements continue to come forward from official sources, meanwhile, the media still needs to question the issue. I have my doubts that the press will ever demand an answer, or even ask any serious questions on the topic. Bush Wired is still receiving quite a bit of Bulge Mail, with new photos, info, and other developments... as long as people still care this important story will not die.

Some current Bulge developments:

• - Several readers have forwarded numerous recent photos of George W. Bush's back taken in Chile. I do not see any definitive Bulges in the photos, although better resolution images would help with any analysis. Reports state that Bush was wearing a bulletproof vest in Chile, the "boxy" look of Bush's torso seems to support these reports. Perhaps what is most interesting about these photos is that they can be used in comparison to "actual Bulge" photos. There is no bulletproof vest "strap" visible in the new photos, no wire and no obvious Bulge. These new photos simply show that whatever the Bulge is (clearly seen on Bush's back during the debates), it is somewhat unique, and not part of the President's everyday wardrobe.
• VIEW THE CHILE PHOTOS HERE and compare to the Bulge photos HERE

• - The New York Times is now denying that a Bulge story was written and "killed' in the days before the election. I don't believe a word of it, as many "inside" sources have detailed this story with the Times and were quite specific, even naming the story's authors, William Broad and John Schwartz. The following is an excerpt of correspondence with the Times' Public editor Daniel Okrent ( as submitted by a reader)... If anyone wishes to help the Times figure out the names and dates, write 'em! ...public@nytimes.com

"" You are one among several readers who have mentioned Dave Lindorff's story about the mysterious bulge on President Bush's back. Although I admire much of Mr. Lindorff's work, without names or attributions I just don't have enough to go on to enable me to find out whether, much less why, The Times "pulled" a piece on the subject. Nor can I accept, without much closer review than I am able to provide -- independent analysis, better understanding of digital photo technology, etc. -- that Robert M. Nelson's findings constitute "100% evidence," as one reader put it, "that Bush was cheating in the debates."
Thanks for writing; if someone can give me names and dates, I'll certainly look into it.
Yours sincerely,

Daniel Okrent
Public Editor
The New York Times""

• - The Bulge is also referenced in current reviews about remake of the classic film "The Manchurian Candidate"... I won't post all the links, but the Bulge has come up in several reviews, for obvious reasons.

Bulge stories from the last week or two...
• --> An excellent, in-depth, discussion of the Bulge. From FREEZERBOX.COM
• --> THE NEW YORK TIMES covers this story again, and proclaims that the tailor, Georges de Paris, is "off the hook" and not responsible for the pesky bulge. It was nice that the hapless tailor tried to take the fall, but his theory didn't hold water. Mr. de Paris is "devastated" by all the fuss. The above artricle also refutes the recent story by THE HILL that the bulge was simply a bulletproof vest, but makes no mention of the NASA analysis.
• --> "Nothing was under his jacket,". This statement comes from none other than Karl Rove, in a new AP story.
• --> Karl Rove shows his love for mocking the Bulge (from Newsweek).
• --> Elisabeth Bumiller's story in the International Herald Tribune
• --> Dan Froomkin's BULGE WATCH Section in the White House Briefing column (Washington Post). Discusses recent bulge news (all the way at the bottom).

• CURRENT BULGE NEWS ...updated as it happens!
• BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE ...News, Photos, Video and links to other sites!
• THE BULGE ART GALLERY
• TAKE ACTION write a letter to the press!
• Site contact: send submissions/ private comments/tips/ etc. to: c.shaw@mac.com

BULGE HISTORY... the story.

2004-11-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence! (Recent News and other links are at the end of this post)
• Also visit: CURRENT BULGE NEWS -- BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE -- BULGE ART GALLERY -- TAKE ACTION
• Site contact: c.shaw@mac.com

-- THE BULGE STORY --

Is the BULGE news? Or will it simply fade away into the lore of pop-culture as a strange mystery never to be solved?

We may never get a real answer to the simple question asked well over a month ago: "What is that BULGE on President Bush's back?". It seems like a proper question to ask, especially when millions of people saw this "Mystery Bulge" in all three Presidential debates. When speculation on possible cheating during the debates arose, and with the possible use of a "coaching" device, the question seemed even more pertinent. As official, ridiculous denials were offered and more "evidence" of the Bulge, devices, and possible theories came into the spotlight, important questions were asked.

We did receive some answers, strange ones, but answers nonetheless. However, strangely absent were hard questions asked by the media. One must ask WHY? Lets retrace the steps in this mystery.

The Bulge was originally spotted during the first Presidential debate, Sept 30, 2004. It was unmistakable, millions of viewers raised their eyebrows after seeing this strange "hump" on President Bush's back. Immediately, internet blogs began to ask the question that the mainstream press would not ask, "What is it?" Theories and conjecture flowed in from around the world, rumors of coaching devices, bulletproof vests, Secret Service devices, medical devices and numerous other theories circulated freely on the "internets".

On Oct. 8th, Dave Lindorff, a writer for Salon.com, picked up the issue and wrote a story on the Bulge that received widespread attention. Suddenly, the Bulge became news... or more specifically, the rumors became news. The story was carried by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the BBC, the AP and countless other media outlets. The Bulge rumor and speculation of the President cheating broke into the mainstream.

Nobody expected the Bulge to be seen again, but in the second debate it was again easily visible, despite few shots of the candidates from the rear.

The White House initially denied the Bulge's existence as a "doctored" photo. When it was shown that the Bulge was clearly seen in the raw footage from the debate, the White House backed away from this assertion. The New York Times asked if it was a bulletproof vest ( a logical assumption at the time), and the White House went on-record stating that the President didn't wear such protection during the debates. However, trying to laugh off the topic, Bush/Cheney campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel said it was all ridiculous, and mentioned something about Elvis moderating the debates. This was a great sound-bite which was also widely reported in the media, but it only fueled the debate raging on the web.

Several web-sites and blogs (including Bush Wired) were firmly established by this time and created an open forum for the discussion of the Bulge and all the theories. These sites received millions of hits from curious web-surfers. Then, a funny thing happened... the wired theory began to gain credibility as links, tips, photos and information were exchanged between people worldwide. Some other "evidence" popped up supporting theories of medical and Secret Service devices (among others). However, the wired theory continued to be the main subject of speculation.

Several wireless "prompting" devices were found that closely resembled the shape and contour of the Bulge. Numerous people reported that instances of wireless "coaching" were seen in the past, and had been taped by the media. A few Washington journalists stated that it was "widely known" that Bush used a prompting device during big speeches and press conferences. A somewhat dubious tape turned up of President Bush and Jaques Chirac at a press conference in France, where some sort of "ghost voice" was heard on the audio, apparently feeding the President lines. This video was widely circulated and the discussion of coaching expanded. (It was later reported that the Chirac tape could have been the result of an unexplained audio problem, but nobody really knows for sure.)

Dozens of Bulge photos captured during the debates, and even found on the White House website were posted online and seen by millions. Besides pictures of the telltale hump, a photo of an actual wire under the President's tie, seen during the second debate, was captured. The President's odd eye movements and speech patterns were closely analyzed, they too supported the allegation of debate prompting. The President spoke with long pauses and would speak out sentences one at at time.Bush would also stare blankly for a few seconds after being asked a question then answer with a flood of words and "talking points". These observations are consistent with prompting. At one point during the debate Bush even exclaimed, "Let me finish!" although nobody was speaking.

As serious questions were being asked and the circumstantial evidence mounted, many people refused to believe that this could happen.

Yet, the Bulge was real, and very obvious, people everywhere were still wondering what it was. The White House then stated that the Bulge was a simple wrinkle. While nobody accepted this explanation, it was the first time that the Bulge was "officially" admitted to be something.

By Oct. 12th the Bulge media coverage hit a fevered pitch. Late night talk shows devoted several nights to Bulge jokes including a hilarious Top-Ten on Letterman. Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards joked about the Bulge on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, this in itself made news. Newspapers, TV, and radio continued to discuss the bulge rumor, but strangely, nobody seriously asked what it was. Most coverage was in a humorous light, or simply discussed the internet debate... the absence of the media asking real questions about this possibly serious issue became very apparent.

Salon.com published its second story on the Bulge Oct. 13th, the day of the third debate. It showed more unmistakable images of the Bulge and quoted a technical expert, laying out a very good case for further investigation. The possibility of Bush being wired during the debate while still speculative, became even more of a possibility.

Bulge-watchers around the world tuned in for the third debate. There was a contest offering money to the first person to send in a clear Bulge photo on Democrats.com. Nobody thought the Bulge would make a third appearance... but all eyes were on Bush's back. Again, few shots of the president's back were broadcast during the debate, but at the end, when the candidates met, the world was stunned to see the Bulge again. This time it was clear and absolutely not a wrinkle. In fact, it looked as though whatever was under Bush's jacket was still there, but padded, or covered by something thus making an even bigger bulge. Adding fuel to the fire, it appeared that John Kerry tried to give Bush an informal pat-down when the two shook hands. When Kerry's hand reached out to Bush's back, the President quickly moved away.

Internet speculation now turned into widespread demands for further investigation by the press. People wanted to know what was going on! Rev. Jesse Jackson and others publicly called for an investigation of the bulge, whatever it was. The mainstream press began to show an obvious distaste for this story, and apparently would not look into it further. Several poll results were released showing that the majority of viewers who had seen the Bulge thought it was a wireless coaching device. This fact was used by the media as a reason why the issue should NOT be covered. Their reasoning was that the story, true or not, brought out deep feelings of distrust in Americans and coverage of the story would be detrimental to the election process without solid evidence of wrongdoing. This was a somewhat flawed analysis of the situation when one keeps in mind that the media wouldn't investigate the story on its own, or find its own facts.

Farhad Manjoo wrote an exceptional article for Salon.com (Oct. 15th) on the Bulge. The theories were discussed and weighed against each other, the Bulge story was covered in detail. A professional de-bugger who had worked for the White House, stated on-record that coaching and prompting were widely used, not only by the President, but by members of the cabinet! He stated that he not only witnessed such coaching, but had recordings of such instances archived. The world waited for these tapes to be brought forward... and we're still waiting, No further statements were made by this person.

The Bush and Kerry election campaigns were in full momentum as the "evidence" and conjecture continued to snowball. Official discrediting of the Bulge story switched into high gear. While there still was no thorough investigation of the Bulge by the mainstream media, reporters continuously asked, simply, "What is it?". Ken Mehlman, the Bush/Cheney campaign manager was quoted on Meet The Press (Oct 17th), stating that the Bulge was a device used by the President to communicate with Mars, and that the President himself was an ALIEN! Another great sound-bite that received worldwide media coverage, and again only served to fuel the rumors on the internet.

This is where the story takes its first strange turn. The "official" position on the Bulge was simply, that it didn't exist, its just a wrinkle, and the issue should be laughed at. Meanwhile, the mood on the internet again turned from speculation to an outright call-to-arms. Upset because of the lack of media coverage on an issue as important as cheating during the debates, the internet community yet again called on the press to investigate, this time in a relatively organized effort. Web sites and blogs urged viewers to contact the media and provided contact information and form letters addressed to every media outlet imaginable. America demanded an answer.

The letter writing effort resulted in a few new Bulge stories being broadcast on TV, most notably by CNN's Paula Zahn. The segment lasted a few minutes and was surprisingly in-depth, but offered nothing more than continued coverage of the internet speculation, the photos, and web sites devoted to the topic. No independent investigation was offered, and it seemed that CNN did not even contact the White House or the campaign for a statement. All the media would do is ask the familiar question, "What is it?", but no plausible answer was demanded.

In a new development echoing the feelings on the web, Dave Lindorff again covered the Bulge and asked why the story was not being investigated in the media. Why were serious questions not being asked? Lindorff mentioned that the Bulge topic was being covered seriously overseas, even by CNN, but not in America. Previous overseas reports had examined Bush's speech patterns and also concluded that his odd behavior during the debates and in press conferences could be explained by coaching. Statements refuting the "wrinkle" excuse were debunked by a noted tailor. Experts in the spy-ware industry stated that the bulge indeed appeared to be a wireless device.

New information that Bush was also "wired" during his 9/11 Commission testimony came into the limelight. This assertion had been previously covered many months before the debates as the circumstances revolving the 9/11 testimony were "fishy" at best. Coincidentally, at the time it was also reported that it was widely known that Bush used a prompting device. Photos of Bush taken immediately following his press conference clearly showed the Bulge. Later, enhancement would show this Bulge to be very similar to the debate Bulge.

With Bulge speculation still running rampant everywhere, the Bush/Cheney campaign was continually asked about the bulge, but never gave any sort of realistic answer. They were also wasting valuable press conference time rebutting the Bulge, and it appeared that their humorous assertions were not working well. It was time for serious Bulge "spin control". Further explanations of the Bulge being a simple wrinkle were offered. It could be said that the Bulge was now officially recognized as a pesky campaign side-issue. White House Chief of Staff Andrew card told the New York Times that the Bulge was a "poorly tailored suit". Does the President really wear expensive but poorly tailored suits?

Enter the Presidential tailor, Georges de Paris, who worked for every President since Lyndon Johnson. As the Bulge was now being laughed off as a wrinkle, Mr. de Paris was repeatedly asked about his handiwork. On October 20th, The Hill (a newspaper for and about Congress) ran a story quoting Mr. de Paris saying the White House had previously asked him not to comment on the issue. The hapless tailor, perhaps bravely, decided to "take the fall", at the behest of the administration. Mr. de Paris then demonstrated that the Bulge was a wrinkle, or more specifically, a "pucker". Oddly, the photo only proved that the Bulge was NOT a such a wrinkle... the picture could not have looked more different from the 'real' bulge.

The tailor's assertion was immediately debunked on the internet which was again going crazy over the Bulge topic. People wondered if they were supposed to be so gullible as to accept this explanation. Was there a cover-up? Why was this story so strange? Nothing seemed to add up. Meanwhile, the media widely carried the Tailor's story but seemed to accept the ridiculous "pucker" explanation.

In the following week, editorial columnists continued to remark on the story but little fresh Bulge news came forward. Rumors of the Bulge being an "October Surprise" circulated. Online, the main Bulge issue (Bush cheating during the debate) seemed to be drowned out by criticism of the media's non-coverage.

The "internets" continued to be a lively forum for the Bulge. People were still digging deep for answers, more web sites were founded, and all continued to receive amazing hit counts. The story was being ignored by the media but it was absolutely not dead. The comic strip Doonesbury ran several strips about the Bulge, and helped popular interest increase again.

October 26th, the Bulge story takes its second strange twist. With previous explanations of the Bulge as a jacket wrinkle debunked and flatly dismissed online, President Bush himself went on-record. During an interview on Good Morning America, Bush told Charles Gibson that the Bulge was NOT a jacket wrinkle, but a poorly tailored SHIRT! Again, eyebrows were raised and people everywhere scratched their heads in disbelief. The story was carried worldwide in hundreds of newspapers as well as the televised media, the mystery was deemed "solved". On the internet, people asked why Bush would wear the same badly tailored shirt in all 3 debates, especially since it created so much controversy and trouble for his campaign. (For the record, Bush wears expensive, hand sewn shirts that have been personally fitted by Georges de Paris.)

While media criticism hit an all-time high online, nobody knew that the New York Times was working on a big story about the Bulge, written by William Broad and John Schwartz. Tips to Bush Wired stated that this story was serious, thorough, and properly fact-checked, also bringing forward some new information on the matter. The story was set to run six days before the election but was "killed" at the last moment. (Reportedly by Times executive editor Bill Keller.) Apparently, the story was not run because the Times did not want to influence the election. It could also be argued that the Times influenced the election by NOT running the story. People asked, When did the news media begin to dictate to the public what was, and was not, NEWS? Are viewers so easily influenced that they cannot make their own opinions on an issue? What is the Bulge?

The next strange twist in this meandering story came as both Salon.com and Mother Jones published a story a few days before the election offering irrefutable evidence that the Bulge was not a wrinkle. While this news came too late for widespread pre-election coverage, the amazing truth is that the media did not cover this important development at all.

Dr. Robert M. Nelson, a senior researcher and respected photo analyst for NASA and JPL in Pasadena, Ca, applied his expertise on the bulge photos. Dr. Nelson is an international authority on image analysis. His enhanced photos were stunning, but not a big surprise to anyone following the Bulge. What his analysis proved was that the Bulge was absolutely not a question of ill-fitting clothing, but rather, a clearly seen object with a long wire strapped onto the President's back. If this was the smoking gun, someone must have used a silencer.

Dr. Nelson was willing to risk his prestigious scientific reputation on his analysis saying that not only is the bulge an object but it is also consistent with a coaching device. The scientist's story is interesting. Dr. Nelson approached several major news outlets with his photos since early October, nobody would agree to cover the story. The press wasn't about to take a chance on this story, despite ample (though circumstantial) evidence, including the new enhanced photos. Bob Woodward of the Washington Post called Nelson personally, suggesting that he bring the photos to Salon.com because he would have a hard time clearing them with his editors. Reports have surfaced of pressure being applied to Dr. Nelson's higher-ups at JPL forcing Dr. Nelson to keep quiet. The scientist has not made further statements elaborating on the issue, or offered any additional photos.

It was obvious that something wasn't right about the Bulge and the media, and the official bad shirt story.

So, with definitive proof of an OBJECT under Bush's jacket, and the President going on-record and lying about its existence, the press continued to ignore this story. A source told Bush Wired that there were numerous reporters at the Times aghast over the killing of the Bulge story. It was obvious that the Bulge mystery would not be solved before the election. Rumors of a huge story to break after the election made the rounds on the internet.

After the election, despite the rumors of a breaking story, everyone figured the Bulge had died with Bush's re-election. Hits to internet sites dropped steeply, but there was still significant interest in the Bulge. Karl Rove mocked the Bulge by pretending to speak to the President remotely. An occasional mention of the "Mystery of the Bulge" popped up in the press. While the story seemed to stall, it didn't fade away.

And then we have the latest weird twist in the story. Nov. 4th, The Hill published another article on the Bulge. This time they refuted their own wrinkle story, citing Dr. Nelson's analysis. ( I have yet to see anyone question Nelson's results.) However, citing anonymous sources, The Hill claimed that the Bulge was now the strap of a bulletproof vest.

The bulletproof vest theory was dissected in detail in the early days of the Bulge. This latest excuse for the Bulge is almost as laughable as their story on the wrinkle. Nobody has been able to show any bulletproof vest that would create a hump or object as it was detailed in Dr. Nelsons photos. The long WIRE also observed doesn't help for a good match with vests. Further, President Bush only appeared to wear this "vest" at debates, testimony, important press conferences, and speeches. He didn't appear to wear this certain bulletproof vest in public or while campaigning. There was no bulge seen when Bush took his jacket off during campaign stumping.

The New York Times again covered the Bulge on Nov. 8th. They proclaimed that the tailor was "off the hook" for the Bulge. Georges de Paris, apparently devastated by criticism of his life's work, decided that HE THOUGHT the Bulge was a bulletproof vest as well, and... so it was. Back to the bulletproof vest, except for one problem, the White House sticks to its original story that the President did not wear a vest at the debates. Meanwhile, Karl Rove has recently been quoted as saying that the Bulge doesn't exist at all.

Still no investigation by the media, and the press has yet to ask any serious questions about the Bulge.

And so the Bulge story stands, after doing a complete circle, the Bulge now fades away, back into the depths of the internet. Rumors still persist of "big news, breaking at any moment". Some have said that this story is bigger than Watergate, others wonder why anyone still cares. Most Bulge sites have shut down or no longer post regularly. The story again seems to have died and replaced by debate raging on the web over election results.

This story has spoken volumes about how the media operates in America. It raises questions about about the debates, the election, and the President. The Bulge speaks about the power of the internet and it's new role in our culture. But in the end, all we are left with is the original question, "What is that BULGE on President Bush's back?"

Perhaps we'll never know.

11/11/04

Recent news posts 11/14/04:
• -->NEW BULGE ARTICLE: An excellent, in-depth, discussion of the Bulge. From FREEZERBOX.COM
• --> THE NEW YORK TIMES covers this story again, and proclaims that the tailor, Georges de Paris, is "off the hook" and not responsible for the pesky bulge. It was nice that the hapless tailor tried to take the fall, but his theory didn't hold water. Mr. de Paris is "devastated" by all the fuss. The above artricle also refutes the recent story by THE HILL that the bulge was simply a bulletproof vest, but makes no mention of the NASA analysis.
• --> "Nothing was under his jacket,". This statement comes from none other than Karl Rove, in a new AP story.
• --> Karl Rove shows his love for mocking the Bulge (from Newsweek).
• --> Elisabeth Bumiller's story in the International Herald Tribune
• --> Dan Froomkin's BULGE WATCH Section in the White House Briefing column (Washington Post). Discusses recent bulge news (all the way at the bottom).

• CURRENT BULGE NEWS ...updated as it happens!
• BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE ...News, Photos, Video and links to other sites!
• THE BULGE ART GALLERY
• TAKE ACTION write a letter to the press!
• Site contact: send submissions/ private comments/tips/ etc. to: c.shaw@mac.com

NEW!!! Twists and turns in the BULGE story... it gets stranger every day!

2004-11-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY View The Evidence! (more news/archive links below)

This story is schizophrenic. Now, according to Karl Rove, the Bulge is NOTHING. We're back to square-one! So, after all the other official explanations ranging from a fabric "pucker", to a device for communicating with aliens... after an esteemed expert photo analyst says that indeed, IT IS something, Mr. Rove has now decided that the Bulge is nothing! Well, I guess I can forget all the pictures I've seen because my eyes have been playing tricks on me!

Wait! Just the other day I read in THE HILL that the bulge was a bulletproof vest! Sounded like a possible, but fishy explanation, but again, The White House sticks to its story that the Bulge WAS NOT a bulletproof vest.

So, no answer today folks... keep holding your breath! Remember that this story has its roots in allegations of cheating during the debates, and possible "coached testimony by Bush at the 9/11 Commission hearings. Read down this site for more info.

Now that we've done a complete 360 on this story... when will the media begin to ask the REAL questions? Isn't somebody questioning the all the fishy explanations and official backpeddaling? If the BULGE is truly nothing... then what's been going on for the last month?

• NEW!! --> THE NEW YORK TIMES covers this story again, and proclaims that the tailor, Georges de Paris, is "off the hook" and not responsible for the pesky bulge. It was nice that the hapless tailor tried to take the fall, but his theory didn't hold water. Mr. de Paris is "devastated" by all the fuss. The above artricle also refutes the recent story by THE HILL that the bulge was simply a bulletproof vest, but makes no mention of the NASA analysis.
• NEW!! --> "Nothing was under his jacket,". This statement comes from none other than Karl Rove, in a new AP story.
• NEW!! --> Karl Rove shows his love for mocking the Bulge (from Newsweek).
• NEW!! --> Elisabeth Bumiller's story in the International Herald Tribune
• NEW!! --> Dan Froomkin's BULGE WATCH Section in the White House Briefing column (Washington Post). Discusses recent bulge news (all the way at the bottom).

• CURRENT BULGE NEWS ...updated as it happens!
• BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE ...News, Photos, Video and links to other sites!
• THE BULGE ART GALLERY
• TAKE ACTION write a letter to the press!
• Site contact: send submissions/ private comments/tips/ etc. to: c.shaw@mac.com

NY TIMES killing of bulge story expands! "Fishy" official explanation for the BULGE questioned.

2004-11-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

George Bush won this election, bulge or no bulge. But the real point of this page was to simply ask... WHAT IS IT? Perhaps we'll get an answer, perhaps not. This has been a strange and crazy story... something inside me says it's not over yet! Check back here for updates as they happen!

The recent news...
• RADIO INTERVIEW Dave Lindorff discusses the Media's coverage of the BULGE, including the killing of the story by the Washington Post, as well as the NY Times. Download the mp3, bulge topic starts at about 17:25.
• BALTIMORE CHRONICLE covers the story.

Yet another OFFICIAL explanation:
• FROM THE HILL ... from the same guys who brought us the wrinkle excuse. Coincidentally, this comes only after the earlier explanation has been refuted by a NASA expert on photo analysis. (NOTE: While this is the first somewhat believable explanation to the BULGE, keep in mind that these "straps" for the bulletproof vest only appeared during the debates, and at the 9/11 testimony. These straps have not been conclusively seen at other occasions or when Bush takes his jacket off. This latest explanation is "fishy" at best... see the photo gallery and make up your own mind.)
• Rumor persists that there will be more revelations forthcoming, including further details on the New York Times coverage and subsequent "killing" of the story.

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY VIEW THE EVIDENCE!
• CURRENT BULGE NEWS ...updated as it happens!
• BUSH WIRED ARCHIVE ...News, Photos, Video and links to other sites!
• THE BULGE ART GALLERY
• TAKE ACTION write a letter to the press!
• Site contact: send submissions/ private comments/tips/ etc. to: c.shaw@mac.com

NY TIMES kills BULGE story!

2004-11-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

A reliable tip to Bush Wired has confirmed that the New York Times killed a big story on the BULGE that was set to run last Thursday. Word has it that there are some very upset writers who want to know WHY? Where is the pressure coming from?
Bill Keller, executive editor of the Times goes on record about breaking pre-election news and contradicts the decision by the Times. Write the Times and ask why they would kill this important story! (See Take Action below.)

We all know THE BULGE exists... when will we get some ANSWERS???

2004-11-01T01:03:00.000-08:00

(Todays BULGE news posts are below, please CLICK HERE FOR NEW NEWS or scroll down.)
• -->THE BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY ...view the evidence!
• --> GO HERE, take action, and write a letter!
• --> Send submissions/comments/tips to: c.shaw@mac.com

"'Nothing about the bulge is going to run here before the election.' -The Wall Street Journal.

I've seen enough! There is really no more need to debate the existence of the BULGE... its there, easily seen and not a bulletproof vest. The big question remains. What is so important that it was worn to all 3 debates,the 9/11 Commission testimony, and worthy of an obvious effort to deny its existence? Why has the President and his campaign continued to "laugh off' this blatent FACT and directly LIE to the world under the guise of "bad tailoring"? Its offensive! There are enough links to news and supporting evidence of this BULGE (HERE, or scroll down) to keep any skeptic busy for hours. Don't want to read? Look at the PHOTOS! Where is the "mainstream" press on this issue? Why is this important FACT, and its ramifications, not being seriously questioned and addressed?

The breaking story: In the last 2 days, both Salon.com and Mother Jones have published stories offering expert photo analysis by a respected NASA scientist... the BULGE exists! (No big surprise!) There is also ample evidence (although still circumstantial) that the BULGE could very well be a wireless receiver. Why would President Bush need to wear such a device at all 3 debates? Was he being coached for answers? What was the BULGE seen after his 9/11 Commission testimony? These questions need to be asked and answered... BEFORE the election.

I urge all readers to contact the press. It is not the job of the press to decide the news, it is their duty to ask the questions and demand plausible answers. GO HERE, take action and write a letter
America deserves ANSWERS, not LIES!

NEW!!! BULGE NEWS: Mother Jones article -NEW PHOTO- and BUSH WIRED commentary!

2004-11-01T01:01:00.000-08:00

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY VIEW THE EVIDENCE! ...updated
• --> Send submissions/comments/tips to: c.shaw@mac.com
• For ARCHIVE: (news, links & OTHER BULGE SITES) CLICK HERE The archive contains all collected news, video, photo, and theory links

CURRENT NEWS!!! Nov. 7th-->
• NEW!! --> THE NEW YORK TIMES covers this story again, and proclaims that the tailor, Georges de Paris, is "off the hook" and not responsible for the pesky bulge. The above artricle also refutes the recent story by THE HILL that the bulge was simply a bulletproof vest, but makes no mention of the NASA analysis.
• NEW!! --> "Nothing was under his jacket,". This statement comes from none other than Karl Rove, in a new AP story.
• NEW!! --> Karl Rove shows his love for mocking the Bulge (from Newsweek).
• RADIO INTERVIEW Dave Lindorff discusses the Media's coverage of the BULGE, including the killing of the story by the Washington Post, as well as the NY Times. Download the mp3, bulge topic starts at about 17:25.
• BALTIMORE CHRONICLE covers the story.
• Yet another OFFICIAL explanation: FROM THE HILL ... from the same guys who brought us the wrinkle excuse.

• --> NASA photo analyst INTERVIEW Listen to part 2!!!
• --> ROVE mockes the "bulge" ...from the International Herald Tribune
• --> NY Times article ...on secrecy in the Bush Administration. Mentions the "bulge".
• --> a Fresh Story out of Australia, discussion of the Bulge (registration req'd).

• SEE THIS --> DAVE LINDORFF'S ARTICLE IN MOTHER JONES The evidence grows stronger and the questions remain unanswered. "'Nothing about the bulge is going to run here before the election.' -The Wall Street Journal." (story excerpt)! A MUST SEE! Another new Lindorff piece .
• SEE THIS --> NEW SALON.COM STORY NASA ANALYST says the bulge EXISTS. New photo enhancement. Story text is posted in the comments section HERE.
• NEW!! --> NEW 9/11 Bulge - Enhanced Photos in the Photo Gallery! Amazing!
• NEW!! --> NEW BULGE PHOTO!!! From White House Site! (also in photo gallery)
• --> SF CHRONICLE discusses BULGES and SPYWARE!
• --> Why the MEDIA WILL NOT COVER THE BULGE Interesting! From radio/transcript.
• --> LINK TO SPECS for the new receiver/earpiece photo go to the PHOTO GALLERY.
• --> THE WEBSITE for the above device.
• --> ASSOCIATED PRESS story on the recent DOONESBURY comic strip. Saturday's strip is causing controversy due to "profanity" and the Bulge subject.
• Doonesbury: Strip #1,... Strip #2, ... Strip #3 ... Strip #4 ... Strip #5 ... Strip #6 The controversial one!
• --> NEW STORY on today's admission by the Bush campaign that they have doctored a photo and used it in an TV ad. It speaks volumes as to how far the Bush campaign will go to stretch the truth. and change facts. Think: Wrinkle or Bad Tailoring?
• --> CONSERVATIVE WEBSITE comments on Bulge. Its not new, I just missed it previously.
• For ARCHIVE: (news, links & OTHER BULGE SITES) CLICK HERE

I have had several requests for my comments and opinion on THE BULGE over the last weeks. Generally, I have left my opinions off of this page. As the election draws near, I have decided to put my two-cents worth into the debate:

What is THE BULGE? Who CARES? These are the questions that I have been asked repeatedly over the last 3 weeks. The answer to the questions are simple.. WE DON'T KNOW, and, MILLIONS CARE!

A larger and more complicated question is WHY DO WE CARE?

Personally, I care because the BULGE is a strange and odd story without any real answers. I also care because the speculation and theories about the source of the Bulge relate to some very serious issues.

WHAT WE KNOW: We know that the BULGE EXISTS, conclusively. We know that the BULGE was not a bulletproof vest (the White House denied that he was wearing one SEVERAL TIMES). We know that millions have seen this BULGE as it was apparent in all three Presidential debates, AND, after Bush's 9/11 Commission testimony. We know that the "official" explanations offered by the White House and the Bush/Cheney campaign are utterly ridiculous.

The "official" statements have ranged from the simple answer that the BULGE does not exist, to a BADLY TAILORED JACKET!., a BADLY TAILORED SHIRT, and even that the President is an ALIEN! It seems to me that the Bush/Cheney campaign would love to dispose of this "thorn in their side" and spend their time talking about campaign issues instead of repeatedly answering questions on an "internet rumor". If they would make a simple, believable, factual statement it seems to me that this issue may simply fade away. The fact that they won't make that type of simple statement causes concern to many, and actually is what fuels this debate.

The main and most accepted theory on the BULGE is that it is a wireless receiver of some sort. This is wholly speculation, but there has been a lot of supporting "evidence" brought forward to bolster this theory. The recent photo analysis by a NASA ANALYST has done a lot to convince people that there is SOMETHING under the jacket. The President's speech patterns, odd pauses, stammering, and blurting out of seemingly unrelated phrases lends credence to the theory that he was "coached" during the debates and in some press conferences. Coaching or prompting during the debates or in 9/11 Commission testimony is a very serious matter, and potentially illegal. Technically speaking, this theory holds water. There are numerous devices ( DEVICE #1 , DEVICE #2 ) that could have been used for "prompting" that also match the size, shape, and contour of the BULGE.

Another theory on the source of the BULGE is that it is a medical device of some sort, specifically, a wearable defibrillator called a "Life Vest" . The "evidence" on the medical theory is spotty at best, but also has some decent circumstantial "proof" . If the President was hiding some sort of secret medical condition, the American people deserve to know before this important election. President Bush's refusal to take his annual medical exam this fall has also fueled this theory.

In fairness, I wish to discuss a third theory, that the BULGE is a device used by the Secret Service. This theory is also entirely plausible, although it has rarely been thoroughly debated online. Reports state that the Secret Service requires the President to be "wired" with a tracking device or a receiver of some sort. For the record, and by policy, the Secret Service will not discuss anything regarding the President's security. However, it seems odd that the Bush/Cheney campaign has NOT stated that the BULGE is simply some sort of Presidential security device. Details would not need to be made public. Again, this would do a lot to dispel the rumors, and allow them to spend their time on campaign issues.

As I have commented previously, the BULGE "phenomenon" also brings to light some important issues concerning the media, and the way the internet has influenced politics during this election. When there is no concrete evidence of cheating, should the media cover this issue? Should it investigate? When does a story itself become news ?

Many media outlets have refused to thoroughly discuss the BULGE issue, but have instead covered the story of the rumor, and not the questions raised. The bulge has been covered both humorously and seriously in the "major" media (CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the BBC among others), but always without further investigation. Some journalists have stated that the BULGE issue is the type of story that is very incendiary... that is, that the BULGE brings out strong negative feelings among readers/viewers that are harmful to the President, without concrete evidence, full coverage of this story would be unfair and careless. Several polls tend to back this up: an unscientific CNN poll showed that 88% of respondents thought that the BULGE was an electronic device. A scientific POLL by The Economist showed that 49% of the people who saw the BULGE image thought it was a wireless receiver.

My opinion is that this simply shows that many Americans don't trust the President, or his administration, perhaps for good reason. People seem quite ready to believe that the President and his administration would simply lie to the public and cheat during a debate. This is an important topic for sure, and honestly, it doesn't make me feel good. The Weapons of Mass Destruction evidence/arguments which brought us to the Iraq War are the most likely cause for this underlying distrust.

What about media bias and the political "blogging" on the internet? Obviously the media is, and always has been biased in many ways. From the media's self-censorship in the 50's, to the current "managed" coverage of the Iraq War by embedded reporters, the our modern media shows bias to certain ideas, and to our society. What is relatively new is the numerous networks and newspapers that offer opinions and coverage of news that fits their agenda, politically or otherwise. FOX News, CBS, and the New York Times have all been accused of deliberate bias, among others. I can't argue with that, it seems quite obvious. What remains is the need for people to get the facts as they exist, without the "spin". Enter the internet, an immense uncontrolled of forum for any kind of diverse idea imaginable. Easily searchable, the internet allows any user to "home-in" on specific terms, news, ideas, and websites from a multitude of sources and opinions. A truly "fair and balanced" news source. Users simply decide what they want, or don't want to see... and find out more.

More importantly, the internet also allows individuals or organizations instant and free exposure to the world and millions of potential viewers, BUSH WIRED being a prime example. Despite Orwellian arguments to the contrary, free speech is alive and well in America. Perhaps not on Fox News, but the internet-enabled now possess clear and powerful access to ALL ideas. No longer are we subject to news coming from a few tightly controlled sources. We need to acknowledge this fact, protect it closely, keep an open mind, and always take any idea with a grain of salt.

Blogs have allowed just about anyone to create an open forum for the exchange of ideas, usually for free. During this years' ugly election landscape, blogs have emerged as a new and important venue for debate and fact-checking, often doing the job previously left to the mainstream press. The recent exposure of CBS's forged documents (Rathergate) came form blogs, as was the "instant" revelation that Dick Cheney and Sen. Edwards had indeed met previously (despite Cheney's debate claims to the contrary). A few reporters covering an issue simply cannot beat fact-checking by millions of concerned people. In essence, the internet allows us to act as a single computer, with millions of independent processors.

This brings us back to the BULGE. The BULGE controversy began on the internet, and despite a few "leaks" into the mainstream press it remains largely an internet phenomenon. I feel this story is a very important one and needs to be discussed and investigated by the media. There is enough supporting (though circumstantial) evidence to warrant a closer look by the "major" media. The BULGE is real and very apparent, questions need to be answered, especially before the election. As long as the "official" responses to this BULGE are ludicrous and utterly ridiculous, this will remain a serious topic for debate.

I never knew a digital soapbox would allow me to speak so loudly.

-Chris
BUSH WIRED
• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY VIEW THE EVIDENCE!
• For ARCHIVE: (news, links & OTHER BULGE SITES) CLICK HERE

UPDATED NEWS AND LINKS ARCHIVE!!! BULGE RESOURCES.

2004-10-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

NEWS AND LINKS SECTION:
Compiled over the last 3 weeks. For video/photo/news links scroll down.
• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY VIEW THE EVIDENCE!
• or visit the BULGE ART GALLERY

OTHER BULGE SITES
• --> www.isbushwired.com: Great content and spirited debate.
• --> THE CANNONFIRE SITE More awesome coverage,
• --> A great BULGE SITE! BUSHBULGE.COM Lots of photos and ways to contact the press!
• --> GREAT SITE ...nice image enhancements and evidence!
• --> NICE POSTS HERE politicalcommentator blog

Scroll ALL THE WAY down to view this blog's posts in context.
RECENT & BREAKING News:

CURRENT NEWS!!! Nov. 7th-->
• NEW!! --> THE NEW YORK TIMES covers this story again, and proclaims that the tailor, Georges de Paris, is "off the hook" and not responsible for the pesky bulge. The above artricle also refutes the recent story by THE HILL that the bulge was simply a bulletproof vest, but makes no mention of the NASA analysis.
• NEW!! --> "Nothing was under his jacket,". This statement comes from none other than Karl Rove, in a new AP story.
• NEW!! --> Karl Rove shows his love for mocking the Bulge (from Newsweek).
• RADIO INTERVIEW Dave Lindorff discusses the Media's coverage of the BULGE, including the killing of the story by the Washington Post, as well as the NY Times. Download the mp3, bulge topic starts at about 17:25.
• BALTIMORE CHRONICLE covers the story.
• Yet another OFFICIAL explanation: FROM THE HILL ... from the same guys who brought us the wrinkle excuse.
• --> NASA photo analyst INTERVIEW Listen to part 2!!!
• --> ROVE mockes the "bulge" ...from the International Herald Tribune
• --> NY Times article ...on secrecy in the Bush Administration. Mentions the "bulge".
• --> a Fresh Story out of Australia, discussion of the Bulge (registration req'd).

• SEE THIS --> DAVE LINDORFF'S ARTICLE IN MOTHER JONES The evidence grows stronger and the questions remain unanswered. "'Nothing about the bulge is going to run here before the election.' -The Wall Street Journal." (story excerpt)! A MUST SEE! Another new Lindorff piece .
• SEE THIS --> NEW SALON.COM STORY NASA ANALYST says the bulge EXISTS. New photo enhancement. Story text is posted in the comments section HERE.
• NEW!! --> NEW 9/11 Bulge - Enhanced Photos in the Photo Gallery! Amazing!
• NEW!! --> NEW BULGE PHOTO!!! From White House Site! (also in photo gallery)
• --> SF CHRONICLE discusses BULGES and SPYWARE!
• --> Why the MEDIA WILL NOT COVER THE BULGE Interesting! From radio/transcript.
• --> LINK TO SPECS for the new receiver/earpiece photo go to the PHOTO GALLERY.
• --> THE WEBSITE for the above device.
• --> ASSOCIATED PRESS story on the recent DOONESBURY comic strip. Saturday's strip is causing controversy due to "profanity" and the Bulge subject.
• Doonesbury: Strip #1,... Strip #2, ... Strip #3 ... Strip #4 ... Strip #5 ... Strip #6 The controversial one!
• --> NEW STORY on today's admission by the Bush campaign that they have doctored a photo and used it in an TV ad. It speaks volumes as to how far the Bush campaign will go to stretch the truth. and change facts. Think: Wrinkle or Bad Tailoring?
• --> CONSERVATIVE WEBSITE comments on Bulge. Its not new, I just missed it previously.
• --> MORE BULGE commentary. Ongoing.
• --> FOX NEWS discusses and dismisses THE BULGE, read the story.
• --> Satirical piece ...discusses the BULGE
• --> NEW ARTICLE by Dave Lindorff
•--> BALTIMORE CHRONICLE Opinion Piece discussed the BULGE
•--> Recent piece by the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
•--> A NEW EARPIECE SYSTEM ...note the rectangular "inductor" in the accessories section.
•--> Bush's latest BAD TAILORING comments as covered on CBS, New York
•--> ...and in South Africa
•--> ...and in the Seattle Times
•--> ...and in the Daily Record (UK)
•--> ...and at Bellaciao.org
•--> ...and at Japan Today (with comments forum)
• --> The Tailor's Story from THE HILL. A popular link and a must-see for BULGE fans!
•--> An Editorial ...discusses the BULGE and how it upstaged Ashley Simpson
•--> Recent Story from Axis of Logic ...asks why NO INVESTIGATION?
•--> ARTICLE: The Web of Politics ...more on blogs and bulges.
•--> Bellaciao.org Article ...from Oct. 25.
•--> BUZZFLASH ...posts a satirical piece.

9/11 COMMISSION VIDEO NEWS:
• --> Many visitors have complained that they couldn't view the 9/11 Commission BULGE video. It requires Quicktime.
• --> See the screen shots HERE! ...There is also a link to another video source on the page as well as plenty of commentary.
•--> DOWNLOAD THE FULL VIDEO HERE (6.5mb). The Bulge appears as Bush turns around. Its subtle but its there! Absolutely! Source: Fahrenheit 9/11 DVD - Special Features section - New Scenes- "Bush After His "Visit" with the 9/11 Commission". If you purchased this video you can see the bulge in HIGH QUALITY!
• --> ARTICLE on Bush's 9/11 Commission testimony and the BULGE seen there! Another photo of this is in the BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY.
• --> DAVE LINDORFF STORY from the other day. Interesting... also mentions the 9/11 commission BULGE.
BUSH WIRED feels that the 9/11 Bulge is important because THE BULGE has been seen in another crucial situation where President Bush could have benefitted from wearing a "wire"... The 9/11 Commission Hearings. If you remember, when Bush and Cheney appeared before this commission, they refused to testify under oath, no taping, photos, or transcripts were allowed. Nobody knows what happened behind those closed doors, but these stipulations raised many eyebrows among the press and ordinary Americans. Now that that the familiar "rectangular shape" has appeared again in a very crucial situation, I'm sure more questions will continue to be asked. AMERICA DESERVES AN ANSWER!

LAST WEEK'S BULGE NEWS AND LINKS:
• --> The American Media Has Failed Again A new story... I'll agree with that!
• --> New Article asks, "But has anyone in the media tried to find out what that bulge really was?"
• --> The Tailor speaks again!! From today's THE HILL. Gee, this sounds kinda familiar... I thought they fired him! See the picture... this is funny, well, not really. I can't believe they are still standing behind the statement that the BULGE was a WRINKLE! Does ANYBODY buy this?
• --> Dems keeping BULGE "on ice"? BULGE, THE OCTOBER SURPRISE? ...or, Blogtober Surprise more exactly.
• --> Editorial Commentary ..."What's the Fuss over a Bush Audio Receiver?"
• --> more Editorial Commentary on a OCTOBER SURPRISE... mentions Bulge.
• --> REUTERS VIDEO on THE BULGE.
• --> President Bush (perhaps) references the Bulge "rumor" From today's press release.
• --> SEND A LETTER TO THE PRESSDemand answers and "serious" reporting!

NEWS AND LINKS ARCHIVE (misc. topics):

• --> Paula Zahn Now did a surprisingly in-depth segment on THE BULGE on CNN. No video (yet), but they covered the theories, showed numerous, pictures, and highlughted websites devoted to The Bulge (including BUSH WIRED). This was the first time I saw this story covered in the "major media" in a serious light.
• --> DAVE LINDORFF Author of the first Salon.com story speaks on his BULGE experiences and why the topic isn't receiving serious scrutiny by the media.
• --> WALL STREET JOURNAL A Brief mention of the BULGE.
• --> NEW YORK TIMES article (as posted in the International Herald Tribune)
• --> PILLGATE? from The Washington Post
• --> www.isbushwired.com Gets an anonymous tip from a SECRET SERVICE AGENT!!!
• --> TORONTO STAR article "Media Losing Battle of the Bulge"
• --> OPINION PIECE from the LA Times (as posted in the Salt Lake Tribune)
• --> DALLAS MORNING NEWS asks the question we all want an answer to.
• --> An article from AFRICA a different spin

NEWS ON THE BULGE PHENOMENON AND THE WIRED THEORY:

Salon.com first broke this story to the "mainstream media". Shortly thereafter the story was picked up by the New York Times and the Washington Post. (Salon.com offers a free "day pass" to view the entire article... well worth the price of watching a short ad)
• --> Salon.Com story The original piece by Dave Lindorff.
• --> SALON.COM TRANSMITTER ARTICLE
• --> AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING and in-depth look at the BULGE topic as a whole. Incredible information and quotes from reliable sources "confirming" the WIRED THEORY... we're all waiting for a follow-up.
• --> The New York Times article that covered the BULGE and broke the story to the major media is no longer available to view free of charge. Go to their site if you wish to purchase the article from their archive. NY TIMES ARTICLE
• --> CUEING SYSTEM The alleged earpiece apparatus
• --> Star Stories: How Story Weblogs are Changing the Dynamics of Building News Properties VERY INTERESTING!
• --> Mean Politics
• A MASTER TAILOR on the "bad tailoring" excuse offered by the Bush/Cheney Campaign.
• --> An ARTICLE was submitted that has the specs for this system which was "delivered to the White House"
• --> An interesting article on the WIRED/Earpiece subject.
• -->
Another article on the BULGE
• --> Brit Hume of FOX news weighs in on the issue, dismissing the topic because of the author of the Salon.com piece is a liberal. Shoot the messenger?
• --> An interesting piece from Saudi Arabia (the Author is obviously no fan of Bush)

• --> Another article out of the Philippines
• --> A very interesting opinion piece "Take Me Out to the Bulge Game":
• --> Another BULGE STORY
A skeptic weighs in
• --> A SHORT ARTICLE on Debate 3 BULGE
• --> Another EARPIECE link
• --> A POLL by The Economist. Bulge stats on page 2 & 3 (pdf)
• --> Jesse Jackson weighs in on the BULGE!!! BOSTON HERALD article. Jackson: Voters deserve truth about Bush's mystery bulge
• --> Taking the fight to the airwaves
• --> Washington Post article by Tina Brown (An interesting note on Bulge at the bottom)
• --> And another GOOD STORY that kind of sums up the whole thing, earpiece coaching or not.
• --> THE REGISTER did a story on the BULGE subject.
• --> ARTICLE discussing the Bulge
• --> Hoffman Wire "Sure, Bush uses an earpiece sometimes," a top Washington editor for Reuters said to me last spring. "State of the Union -- he had an earpiece for that. Everybody knows it," he said, "or assumes it." Or so says Michael A Hoffman II. Hoffman is a former broadcaster for the American Contemporary Radio division of ABC News, and a former reporter for the New York bureau of the Associated Press.
• --> The Daily Record (Scotland) does their own investigation

THE MEDICAL THEORY (specific links):

• --> NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE
• --> Salon.com article on the speculation of Bush's health floating around blogs everywhere.
• --> THE LIFE VEST DEFIBRILLATOR the alleged medical apparatus.
• WEARABLE DEFIBRILLATOR More info.
• --> VIDEO speculation about a debilitating condition. A comparison of Bush debate speeches from the recent debates and 10 years ago.
• --> Reuters article from October 6 on Bush POSTPONING HIS MEDICAL EXAM
• --> A DOCTORS NOTE on the subject.

VIDEO & PHOTO LINKS:

• --> THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY
• --> Some video of Bush's "wire" from the previous debate(s). THANKS!
• --> VIDEO 1
• --> VIDEO 2
• --> VIDEO 3... the "let me finish" scene.
• --> This is VIDEO of the alleged "wire", and some familiar bulges, excellent quality and in slow-motion. 35mb and a slow download, but worth it!
• --> More VIDEO of the first debate, the Bulge is at the end.
• --> 2nd DEBATE VIDEO showing the Bulge
• --> PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO the "ghost voice" was recorded! This video is the subject of much debate. 17mb download
• -->
http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/BushAndTheOddSync.wmv (a short, poor quality video from CNN but you can hear it clearly
• --> Another set of mystery bulge pics. HI-RES pics available from a gov't website, this bulge is on the lower back at waist level...
• --> REUTERS VIDEO on THE BULGE.
• --> 24 more photos of the Debate Bulge
• --> Another weird video... no ghost voice, but whoa... this is from last December, they're already talking about an earpiece here! • Bush acting crazy at a press conference, whats he doing? Earpiece prompting?
• --> discussion of above: http://www.circa75.com/showArticle.php?article=89

BULGE BLOGS and REFERENCE SITES

• --> www.isbushwired.com: Great content and spirited debate.
• --> THE CANNONFIRE SITE More awesome coverage,
• --> A great BULGE SITE! BUSHBULGE.COM Lots of photos and ways to contact the press!
• --> GREAT SITE ...nice image enhancements and evidence!
• --> Portland indymedia blog Ongoing Discussion and speculation.
• NICE POSTS HERE politicalcommentator blog

Late Night & Comedy concerning THE BULGE:

• --> The BULGE ART GALLERY! CLICK HERE FOR BULGE ART
• --> LATE NIGHT COMEDIANS The BULGE is definitely fodder for jokes!
• --> Letterman's Top Ten List pertaining to the Bulge.
• --> MSNBC STORY on Sen. John Edwards visit to The Late Show.

TAKE ACTION!!! Write a letter!

2004-10-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

• Please write a personal letter to any of the media contacts below.
• Send links to "bulge" sites or news stories to friends.
• Help get the word out that this is an important issue to our democracy.

My advice is to keep your letter to the point. Remember, all we know for sure is that there is conclusive evidence of the "bulge", and now the President has gone on-record and blatantly lied about it. That is the first reason why the mainstream media needs to look into this matter. Secondly, the circumstantial, but supporting evidence that the "bulge" could be a wireless receiver/prompting device ,is compelling and plausible. What happened at the debates is an unanswered question.

In my letters I asked:
• Since when has it been acceptable for the President to personally lie to Charles Gibson on Good Morning America, saying that the bulge is a badly tailored shirt?
• Has it generally been acceptable for the press to brush aside a story which involves these serious issues, even in the face of an expert opinion from a respected NASA photo analyst?

It is not the press' job to decide what is or is not news, its duty is to ask the questions and demand a plausible answer.

Links:
Recent Salon story:
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/10/29/bulge/index_np.html
Mother Jones story
http://www.motherjones.com/news/update/2004/11/10_407.html
Bush Wired blog
http://bushwired.blogspot.com/
Bush Wired Photo Gallery:
http://homepage.mac.com/c.shaw/BushBulges/PhotoAlbum15.html
IsBushWired?
http://www.isbushwired.com/

Here are individual press e-mail addresses (a combined list to cut/paste is at the end):

Bob Woodward/Washington Post: woodwardb@washpost.com
Robert G Kaiser, associate editor Washington Post: robertgkaiser@yahoo.com
Paul Krugman/New York Times: krugman@nytimes.com
Bill Keller bkeller@nytimes.com
Jill Abramson jabramson@nytimes.com
Gail Collins gailc@nytimes.com
Daniel Okrent public@nytimes.com
Maureen Dowd liberties@nytimes.com
Bob Herbert bobherb@nytimes.com
Nicholas Kristof nicholas@nytimes.com
LA Times Michael Kinsley, michael.kinsley@latimes.com
LA Times Ron Brownstein, ron.brownstein@latimes.com
New York Times news dep't: nytnews@nytimes.com, news-tips@nytimes.com
Washington Post letter to the Editor: letters@washpost.com
New York Times letter to the Editor: letters@nytimes.com, managing-editor@nytimes.com, executive-editor@nytimes.com
LA Times Letter to the editor:letters@latimes.com
LA Times Ombudsman: readers.rep@latimes.com
LA Times Editor: John S. Carroll: john.carroll@latimes.com
Associated Press: chaswell@ap.org, kcurtis@ap.org, mwarren@ap.org, psinger@ap.org, mgraczyk@ap.org
(Dan Balz - political correspondent) balzd@washpost.com
(Mike Allen/Dana Milbank-White House Correspondents) whitehouse@washpost.com
kurtzh@washpost.com
davidbroder@washpost.com
(Thomas Edsall - Political writer) edsallt@washpost.com
letters@washpost.com
letters@newsweek.com
George Stephanopoulis: thisweek@abc.com
Dan Rather: evening@cbsnews.com
Face the Nation: ftn@cbsnews.com
Crossfire: crossfire@cnn.com
CNN Saturday Night Anchor: catherine.callaway@turner.com
Jeff Greenfield: jeff.greenfield@cnn.com
Bill Schneider: bill.schneider@turner.com
Lou Dobbs: lou.dobbs@turner.com
Candy Crowley: candy.crowley@turner.com
Judy Woodruff: deirdre.walsh@turner.com
NPR's Morning: morning@npr.org
Dateline: dateline@nbc.com
Today: today@nbc.com
Matt Lauer: matt.lauer@nbc.com
Russert: world@msnbc.com
--CNN
wolf.blitzer2@turner.com
Aaron.Brown2@turner.com
jeff.greenfield2@turner.com
eason.jordan@turner.com (News Chief)
(Anderson Cooper) 360@cnn.com
AndersonCooper@turner.com
(American Morning) am@cnn.com
cnnpresents@turner.com
crossfire@cnn.com
daybreak@cnn.com
headlinenews@cnn.com
insidepolitics@cnn.com
moneyline@cnn.com
loudobbs@cnn.com
christiane.amanpour2@turner.com
paulazahn@cnn.com
--NBC & AFFILIATES
mtp@nbc.com
nightly@nbc.com
today@nbc.com
dateline@nbc.com
info@cnbc.com
--MSNBC
hardball@msnbc.com
FirstRead@msnbc.com
countdown@msnbc.com
mark.effron@msnbc.com
Erik.Sorenson@msnbc.com
world@msnbc.com
TWIP@msnbc.com
steve.johnson@msnbc.com
imus@msnbc.com
buchananandpress@msnbc.com
abramsreport@msnbc.com
joe@msnbc.com (Joe Scarborough)
ventura@msnbc.com
viewerservices@msnbc.com
Mickey_Kaus@msn.com
--ABC & AFFILIATES
politicalunit@abcnews.com
thisweek@abc.com
nightline@abcnews.com
2020@abc.com
--CBS & AFFILIATES
evening@cbsnews.com
ftn@cbsnews.com
60II@cbsnews.com
60@cbsnews.com
--AP
info@ap.org
npickler@ap.org
cwoodward@ap.org
--NPR
ombudsman@npr.org
atc@npr.org
morning@npr.org
--USA TODAY/GANNETT
editor@usatoday.com
--PBS
newshour@pbs.org
viewer@pbs.org

All of the above...ready to paste into your letter.

woodwardb@washpost.com, robertgkaiser@yahoo.com, krugman@nytimes.com, bkeller@nytimes.com, jabramson@nytimes.com, gailc@nytimes.com, public@nytimes.com, liberties@nytimes.com, bobherb@nytimes.com, nicholas@nytimes.com, michael.kinsley@latimes.com, ron.brownstein@latimes.com, nytnews@nytimes.com, news-tips@nytimes.com, letters@washpost.com, letters@nytimes.com, managing-editor@nytimes.com, executive-editor@nytimes.com, letters@latimes.com, readers.rep@latimes.com, john.carroll@latimes.com, chaswell@ap.org, kcurtis@ap.org, mwarren@ap.org, psinger@ap.org, mgraczyk@ap.org, balzd@washpost.com, whitehouse@washpost.com, kurtzh@washpost.com, davidbroder@washpost.com, edsallt@washpost.com, letters@newsweek.com, thisweek@abc.com, evening@cbsnews.com, ftn@cbsnews.com, crossfire@cnn.com, catherine.callaway@turner.com, jeff.greenfield@cnn.com, bill.schneider@turner.com, lou.dobbs@turner.com, candy.crowley@turner.com, deirdre.walsh@turner.com, morning@npr.org, dateline@nbc.com, today@nbc.com, matt.lauer@nbc.com, world@msnbc.com, wolf.blitzer2@turner.com, Aaron.Brown2@turner.com, jeff.greenfield2@turner.com, eason.jordan@turner.com, 360@cnn.com, AndersonCooper@turner.com, am@cnn.com, cnnpresents@turner.com, crossfire@cnn.com, daybreak@cnn.com, headlinenews@cnn.com, insidepolitics@cnn.com, moneyline@cnn.com, loudobbs@cnn.com, christiane.amanpour2@turner.com, paulazahn@cnn.com, mtp@nbc.com, nightly@nbc.com, today@nbc.com, dateline@nbc.com, info@cnbc.com, hardball@msnbc.com, FirstRead@msnbc.com, countdown@msnbc.com, mark.effron@msnbc.com, Erik.Sorenson@msnbc.com, world@msnbc.com, TWIP@msnbc.com, steve.johnson@msnbc.com, imus@msnbc.com, buchananandpress@msnbc.com, abramsreport@msnbc.com, joe@msnbc.com, ventura@msnbc.com, viewerservices@msnbc.com, Mickey_Kaus@msn.com, politicalunit@abcnews.com, thisweek@abc.com, nightline@abcnews.com, 2020@abc.com, evening@cbsnews.com, ftn@cbsnews.com, 60II@cbsnews.com, 60@cbsnews.com, info@ap.org, npickler@ap.org, cwoodward@ap.org, ombudsman@npr.org, atc@npr.org, morning@npr.org, editor@usatoday.com, newshour@pbs.org, viewer@pbs.org

Another PRESS CONTACT LIST:
• http://www.fairpress.org/rolodex.htm

A FEW FRESH UPDATES!!! Official debunking FAILS - NASA Photo Analyst speaks! New enhanced 9/11 Bulge Photos!

2004-10-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY VIEW THE EVIDENCE! NEW UPDATE!!
• BULGE ART GALLERY NEW UPDATE!

• NEW!! --> NEW SALON.COM STORY NASA ANALYST says the bulge EXISTS. New photo enhancement. Story text is posted in the comments section below.
• NEW!! --> NEW 9/11 Bulge - Enhanced Photos in the Photo Gallery! Amazing!
• NEW!! --> SF CHRONICLE discusses BULGES and SPYWARE!
• NEW!! --> Why the MEDIA WILL NOT COVER THE BULGE Interesting! From radio/transcript.
• NEW!! --> ASSOCIATED PRESS story on the recent DOONESBURY comic strip. Saturday's strip is causing controversy due to "profanity" and the Bulge subject.
• -->Follow the DOONESBURY coverage of THE BULGE!
• Doonesbury: Strip #1,... Strip #2, ... Strip #3 ... Strip #4 ... Strip #5 Saturday's strip is not available yet.

• MORE NEW NEWS and LINKS below.

Send submissions/comments/tips to: c.shaw@mac.com
________________
The BULGE still won't die!!! This story is still with us everyone! Just when we all thought our Bulge-world was being drowned out by other important news and the amazing revelation of another nationally exposed "Milli Vanilli Moment" (Ashlee Simpson on SNL); surprisingly, The President himself blew new wind into our sails by announcing that the BULGE was now "officially" a BADLY TAILORED SHIRT (not the previously announced BADLY TAILORED JACKET!.). This follows other "official statements" ranging from, simply, that the BULGE did not exist, to the explanation that device for was for communicating with Mars, and that the President was an "ALIEN".

For BULGE newbies, please remember that the White House previously stated that the Bulge IS NOT a bulletproof vest (with protruding trauma plate). Please view the posts below for more detailed info PAST LINKS & THEORIES or simply scroll down. News, Video, Photos and supporting EVIDENCE gathered over the last few weeks. Why did I make this site? READ THIS (a previous post)

One look at the photo gallery will show clearly that we still have no REAL explanation for the bulge. The fact that this BULGE existed during all 3 debates, in other important situations, and could very well be a "coaching" or "prompting" system, thus allowing Bush to "cheat" makes me very concerned. This is an especially ugly election year and "dirty tricks" have already been used by both sides. The other "theory", that the BULGE is a medical device also raises some very important questions. BUSH WIRED urges you to look at the evidence carefully and MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND!

Recent BULGE NEWS and LINKS:
• NEW!! --> NEW SALON.COM STORY NASA ANALYST says the bulge EXISTS. New photo enhancement. Story text is posted in the comments section below.
• NEW!! --> SF CHRONICLE discusses BULGES and SPYWARE!
• NEW!! --> NEW STORY on today's admission by the Bush campaign that they have doctored a photo and used it in an TV ad. It speaks volumes as to how far the Bush campaign will go to stretch the truth. and change facts. Think: Wrinkle or Bad Tailoring?
• NEW!! --> LINK TO SPECS for the new receiver/earpiece photo in the PHOTO GALLERY.
• NEW!! --> THE WEBSITE for the above.
• NEW!! --> MORE BULGE commentary. Ongoing.
• NEW!! --> FOX NEWS discusses and dismisses THE BULGE, read the story.
• NEW!! --> Satirical piece ...discusses the BULGE
• NEW!! -->Follow the DOONESBURY coverage of THE BULGE!
• Doonesbury: Strip #1,... Strip #2, ... Strip #3 ... Strip #4 ... Strip #5
•--> NEW ARTICLE by Dave Lindorff
•--> BALTIMORE CHRONICLE Opinion Piece discussed the BULGE
•--> Recent piece by the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
•--> A NEW EARPIECE SYSTEM ...note the rectangular "inductor" in the accessories section.
•--> Bush's latest BAD TAILORING comments as covered on CBS, New York
•--> ...and in South Africa
•--> ...and in the Seattle Times
•--> ...and in the Daily Record (UK)
•--> ...and at Bellaciao.org
•--> ...and at Japan Today (with comments forum)
• --> The Tailor's Story from THE HILL. A popular link and a must-see for BULGE fans!
•--> An Editorial ...discusses the BULGE and how it upstaged Ashley Simpson
•--> Recent Story from Axis of Logic ...asks why NO INVESTIGATION?
•--> ARTICLE: The Web of Politics ...more on blogs and bulges.
•--> Bellaciao.org Article ...from Oct. 25.
•--> BUZZFLASH ...posts a satirical piece.

9/11 COMMISSION VIDEO Update
• Many visitors have complained that they couldn't view the 9/11 Commission BULGE video. It requires Quicktime.
• --> See the screen shots HERE! ...There is also a link to another video source on the page as well as plenty of commentary.
•--> DOWNLOAD THE FULL VIDEO HERE (6.5mb). The Bulge appears as Bush turns around. Its subtle but its there! Absolutely! Source: Fahrenheit 9/11 DVD - Special Features section - New Scenes- "Bush After His "Visit" with the 9/11 Commission". If you purchased this video you can see the bulge in HIGH QUALITY!
• --> ARTICLE on Bush's 9/11 Commission testimony and the BULGE seen there! Another photo of this is in the BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY.
• --> DAVE LINDORFF STORY from the other day. Interesting... also mentions the 9/11 commission BULGE.
BUSH WIRED feels that the 9/11 Bulge is important because THE BULGE has been seen in another crucial situation where President Bush could have benefitted from wearing a "wire"... The 9/11 Commission Hearings. If you remember, when Bush and Cheney appeared before this commission, they refused to testify under oath, no taping, photos, or transcripts were allowed. Nobody knows what happened behind those closed doors, but these stipulations raised many eyebrows among the press and ordinary Americans. Now that that the familiar "rectangular shape" has appeared again in a very crucial situation, I'm sure more questions will continue to be asked. AMERICA DESERVES AN ANSWER!

LAST WEEK'S BULGE NEWS AND LINKS:
• --> The American Media Has Failed Again A new story... I'll agree with that!
• --> New Article asks, "But has anyone in the media tried to find out what that bulge really was?"
• --> The Tailor speaks again!! From today's THE HILL. Gee, this sounds kinda familiar... I thought they fired him! See the picture... this is funny, well, not really. I can't believe they are still standing behind the statement that the BULGE was a WRINKLE! Does ANYBODY buy this?
• --> Dems keeping BULGE "on ice"? BULGE, THE OCTOBER SURPRISE? ...or, Blogtober Surprise more exactly.
• --> Editorial Commentary ..."What's the Fuss over a Bush Audio Receiver?"
• --> more Editorial Commentary on a OCTOBER SURPRISE... mentions Bulge.
• --> REUTERS VIDEO on THE BULGE.
• --> President Bush (perhaps) references the Bulge "rumor" From today's press release.
• --> SEND A LETTER TO THE PRESSDemand answers and "serious" reporting!

AND BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THESE SITES!
• www.isbushwired.com: Great content and spirited debate.
• THE CANNONFIRE SITE More awesome coverage,
• A great BULGE SITE! BUSHBULGE.COM Lots of photos and ways to contact the press!
• GREAT SITE ...nice image enhancements and evidence!
• NICE POSTS HERE politicalcommentator blog

Send Tips, Comments, Unseen Photos, News and Links to: c.shaw@mac.com
Press contact is welcome and encouraged.

Note to the ANONYMOUS tipster.

2004-10-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

Please conatct me so I can forward you some information on getting in contact with the media. Your information will be kept in absolute confidence. We strongly urge you to present the evidence you possess, this is a very important issue and people deserve to know the facts.
c.shaw@mac.com

For other visitors, see the post below.

BUSH WIRED IS BACK!!!

2004-10-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

We're back online after dealing with an important family matter. The BULGE DEBATE is still growing! President Bush's latest excuse for the BULGE is now a badly tailored shirt... this new statement has again brought new life to this issue.

I have some catching up to do... expect a huge update shortly. New news is coming in from all over.

Stay Tuned!!! And read the posts below!

NEW BULGE NEWS - "Medical Theory" grows...

2004-10-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY VIEW THE EVIDENCE!

Today the subject of Bush's health arises again. There seems to be mounting evidence that the President's recent odd behavior, speech, and of course, the BULGE may be the result of an "unknown" medical condition. Previously this has hardly been covered in the press as speculation on THE BULGE has focused on an earpiece/receiver used during the debates for "coaching".

• TODAY THE CANNONFIRE SITE has an interesting and informative look on the MEDICAL THEORY. Well done!
• NEW!! Another story examining the MEDICAL THEORY mostly from Cannonfire.
• VIDEO speculation about a debilitating condition. A comparison of Bush debate speeches from the recent debates and 10 years ago. A previous post.
• Reuters article from October 6 on Bush POSTPONING HIS MEDICAL EXAM
• VIDEO OF BUSH, acting CRAZY during a press conference. Earpiece? Medical Condition? or can't he THINK? A previous post.
• GOOD POST at this site. Remarks from a doctor.

• A new BULGE SITE! BUSHBULGE.COM
• For a lighter look at THE BULGE...CLICK HERE FOR BULGE ART ...just some humorous art submitted.

Tips, Links, Comments, Opinion, Submissions cheerfully accepted and encouraged. Contact: c.shaw@mac.com

THE BULGE GROWS - a brief note from BUSH WIRED

2004-10-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

We enter another week of the BULGE. New stories about the bulge are again popping up in the press from around the globe. What started as simple speculation on the "internets" has become a phenomenon of sorts. The Bulge exists, we can all see it!

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY - SEE THE LINKS BELOW THIS POST FOR FURTHER INFO, NEWS & VIDEO.

Meanwhile, the Bush/Cheney campaign and many in the mainstream media continue to deny the existence of the BULGE. If you watched MEET THE PRESS with Tim Russet yesterday, you know what I mean. A "vast left-wing conspiracy"? HA! I'm just one guy with a broken laptop that noticed the bulge and started asking questions a couple weeks ago. At first I thought this was funny, then odd, now its snowballed into a very important topic. I can't believe the Bush/Cheney campaign still outright denies the existence of the bulge. I can't say what it is... but I know its there! To be honest, I had hoped it wasn't a coaching device... but if it was, the world deserves the truth. A medical device? Thats an important issue too. Some straight answers would have put this topic to bed long ago. Without those answers speculation and free-speech are all we are left with.

Further, this "phenomenon" may be an important milestone in the history of the internet. If the media won't ask questions then somebody has to... Where would the world be now if the internet and blogs existed during the Iran/Contra scandal? I suspect a very different place. The fact that the STORY IS NOW THE STORY is also an important point. I never knew a digital soapbox would allow me to speak so loudly.

-Chris
c.shaw@mac.com

BULGE LINKS & THEORIES

2004-10-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO BUSH WIRED! The following is a consolidation of links to NEWS, PHOTOS, and VIDEOS past and present. If you have an interesting link that I forgot please send it my way! Submissions, tips, personal comments, to: c.shaw@mac.com

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY VIEW THE EVIDENCE!

There are 3 main theories to the source of THE BULGE.
•1- The "WIRED" theory: George W. Bush uses a coaching device during press conferences and more importantly, the DEBATES!
•2- The "MEDICAL" theory: President Bush has a secret medical condition and requires a device of some sort. Sounds outrageous but there are some compelling arguements.
•3- The BULGE is a device of some sort furnished by the Secret Service. The Secret Service, by policy, does not comment on these issues, so no information on that theory is on this site.
•* Many people have thought that the BULGE is simply a bulletproof vest. However this has been officially denied, therefore we don't cover that theory on this site.

For further info and opinion written as this story unfolded simply scroll down the site. BUSH WIRED hopes that you find this site informative and invites you to make up your own mind!

• The new BULGE ART GALLERY! CLICK HERE FOR BULGE ART ...just some humorous art submitted about The Bulge.

CURRENT BULGE NEWS (Oct 18):

--->>> NEW!!! • Paula Zahn Now did a surprisingly in-depth segment on THE BULGE on CNN this afternoon. No video (yet), but they covered the theories, showed numerous, pictures, and highlughted websites devoted to The Bulge (including BUSH WIRED). This was the first time I saw this story covered in the "major media" in a serious light.
--->>> NEW!!! • DAVE LINDORFF Author of the first Salon.com story speaks on his BULGE experiences and why the topic isn't receiving serious scrutiny by the media.
--->>> NEW!!! • WALL STREET JOURNAL A Brief mention of the BULGE.
• NEW YORK TIMES article (as posted in the International Herald Tribune)
• PILLGATE? from The Washington Post
• www.isbushwired.com Gets an anonymous tip from a SECRET SERVICE AGENT!!!
• TORONTO STAR article "Media Losing Battle of the Bulge"
• OPINION PIECE from the LA Times (as posted in the Salt Lake Tribune)
• DALLAS MORNING NEWS asks the question we all want an answer to.
• An article from AFRICA a different spin

RECENT and PAST NEWS ON THE BULGE PHENOMENON AND THE WIRED THEORY:

Salon.com first broke this story to the "mainstream media". Shortly thereafter the story was picked up by the New York Times and the Washington Post. (Salon.com offers a free "day pass" to view the entire article... well worth the price of watching a short ad)
• Salon.Com story The original piece by Dave Lindorff.
• SALON.COM TRANSMITTER ARTICLE
• AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING and in-depth look at the BULGE topic as a whole. Incredible information and quotes from reliable sources "confirming" the WIRED THEORY... we're all waiting for a follow-up.
• The New York Times article that covered the BULGE and broke the story to the major media is no longer available to view free of charge. Go to their site if you wish to purchase the article from their archive. NY TIMES ARTICLE

• CUEING SYSTEM The alleged earpiece apparatus
• Star Stories: How Story Weblogs are Changing the Dynamics of Building News Properties VERY INTERESTING!
• Mean Politics
• A MASTER TAILOR on the "bad tailoring" excuse offered by the Bush/Cheney Campaign.
• An ARTICLE was submitted that has the specs for this system which was "delivered to the White House"
• An interesting article on the WIRED/Earpiece subject.
•
Another article on the BULGE
• Brit Hume of FOX news weighs in on the issue, dismissing the topic because of the author of the Salon.com piece is a liberal. Shoot the messenger?
• An interesting piece from Saudi Arabia (the Author is obviously no fan of Bush)

• Another article out of the Philippines
• A very interesting opinion piece "Take Me Out to the Bulge Game":
• Another BULGE STORY
A skeptic weighs in
• A SHORT ARTICLE on Debate 3 BULGE
• Another EARPIECE link
• A POLL by The Economist. Bulge stats on page 2 & 3 (pdf)
• Jesse Jackson weighs in on the BULGE!!! BOSTON HERALD article. Jackson: Voters deserve truth about Bush's mystery bulge
• Taking the fight to the airwaves
• Washington Post article by Tina Brown (An interesting note on Bulge at the bottom)
• And another GOOD STORY that kind of sums up the whole thing, earpiece coaching or not.
• THE REGISTER did a story on the BULGE subject.
• ARTICLE discussing the Bulge
• Hoffman Wire "Sure, Bush uses an earpiece sometimes," a top Washington editor for Reuters said to me last spring. "State of the Union -- he had an earpiece for that. Everybody knows it," he said, "or assumes it." Or so says Michael A Hoffman II. Hoffman is a former broadcaster for the American Contemporary Radio division of ABC News, and a former reporter for the New York bureau of the Associated Press.
• The Daily Record (Scotland) does their own investigation

THE MEDICAL THEORY:

• NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE
• Salon.com article on the speculation of Bush's health floating around blogs everywhere.
• THE LIFE VEST DEFIBRILLATOR the alleged medical apparatus.
• WEARABLE DEFIBRILLATOR More info.
• VIDEO speculation about a debilitating condition. A comparison of Bush debate speeches from the recent debates and 10 years ago.
• Reuters article from October 6 on Bush POSTPONING HIS MEDICAL EXAM
• A DOCTORS NOTE on the subject.

VIDEO & PHOTO LINKS:

• THE OFFICIAL BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY
• Some video of Bush's "wire" from the previous debate(s). THANKS!
• VIDEO 1
• VIDEO 2
• VIDEO 3... the "let me finish" scene.
• This is VIDEO of the alleged "wire", and some familiar bulges, excellent quality and in slow-motion. 35mb and a slow download, but worth it!
• More VIDEO of the first debate, the Bulge is at the end.
• 2nd DEBATE VIDEO showing the Bulge
• PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO the "ghost voice" was recorded! This video is the subject of much debate. 17mb download
•
http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/BushAndTheOddSync.wmv (a short, poor quality video from CNN but you can hear it clearly
• Another set of mystery bulge pics. HI-RES pics available from a gov't website, this bulge is on the lower back at waist level...
• 24 more photos of the Debate Bulge
• Another weird video... no ghost voice, but whoa... this is from last December, they're already talking about an earpiece here! • Bush acting crazy at a press conference, whats he doing? Earpiece prompting?
• discussion of above: http://www.circa75.com/showArticle.php?article=89

BULGE BLOGS and REFERENCE SITES

• www.isbushwired.com: Great content and spirited debate. A+ coverage.
• THE CANNONFIRE SITE More awesome coverage, A+
• A new BULGE SITE! BUSHBULGE.COM
• MYSTERY BULGE.COM No updates in the last few days.
• Portland indymedia blog Ongoing Discussion and speculation.

Late Night & Comedy concerning THE BULGE:

• The new BULGE ART GALLERY! CLICK HERE FOR BULGE ART
• LATE NIGHT COMEDIANS The BULGE is definitely fodder for jokes!
• Letterman's Top Ten List pertaining to the Bulge.
• MSNBC STORY on Sen. John Edwards visit to The Late Show.

NEW BULGE PHOTO!!!

2004-10-17T19:25:00.001-07:00

This one is REALLY interesting.

A viewer sent this picture in. Its President Bush after the 9/11 Commission Hearing, and shows the same mysterious rectangle on his back. I have not yet verified this photo independently, but apparently video of this can be found on the Fahrenheit 911 DVD in the extras section.

The BULGE PICTURE GALLERY

NEW NEWS - Update

2004-10-17T15:36:00.000-07:00

A new news story by Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times.

White House Letter: Is Bush overprotected. Currently available in the International Herald Tribune.

Back to the BULGE

2004-10-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

The BULGE PICTURE GALLERY to see the BULGE EVIDENCE!

And the new BULGE ART GALLERY! CLICK HERE FOR BULGE ART ...just some humorous art submitted about The Bulge.

There was little new earth-shattering news arising about President Bush's BULGE arising in the media yesterday. It seems that the issue has been mentioned in many editorials and opinion pieces in papers over the weekend, and although the BULGE mystery is still a hot topic discussed in political forums on the internet, the issue is losing momentum. The BULGE is still receiving little coverage in the mainstream media. However, I am still receiving a lot of e-mail from people offering their own opinions, theories, support, criticism, and further evidence. I took the day off after an insane week of maintaining this BUSH WIRED blog, and had some much needed time to reflect on this issue.

I have decided to "stay the course" and continue to update this Blog, its been "hard work" but its also an important issue with some rather serious questions arising if you read between the lines. It seems to me that somewhere in all the rumor and speculation, there is still a serious story here.

Afterall, the evidence is rather clear, THERE IS A BULGE! I'm going continue to ask WHAT IS IT?

That's the simple question posed by this Blog almost two weeks ago. I have tried to keep this forum committed to this important question, and have tried hard not to have this site becaome a place for partisan political rants, or mean anti-Bush commentary. This Blog is simply a forum to post "evidence" and I encourage viewers to make up their own minds and continue to submit links, evidence, photos, and comments.

I have a big update to this site under way. For now, please visit the Bush Wired Gallery (link below) for photos, and scroll down the page for further information and links on this topic.

Thank you,
Chris
BUSH WIRED
c.shaw@mac.com

BULGE ART GALLERY ADDED!

2004-10-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

Just to lighten things up a bit I have added a BULGE ART GALLERY
All art submissions are encouraged, even non-bulge political art. I don't care about the opinion expressed, but I reserve the right to "curate" this gallery. Keep the files small but easy to see.
Submit art, and your contact info or link to c.shaw@mac.com

CLICK HERE FOR BULGE ART

Artist site links:
Great Bulge art submitted by Ron Donovan of the Firehouse!
An awesome Quasimodo piece from Joseph Cannon!
A few from me, Chris Shaw!
A Kerry piece from www.politicalgridlock.com
and some anonymous submissions.

Don't forget the standardBULGE PICTURE GALLERY to see the BULGE EVIDENCE!

MORE NEWS UPDATES SOON!

Small update of news stories on the BULGE

2004-10-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

An interesting piece from Saudi Arabia (the Author is obviously no fan of Bush)

Another article out of the Philippines
A very interesting opinion piece "Take Me Out to the Bulge Game":
Another BULGE STORY
A skeptic weighs in
On CNNs crossfire Jon Stewart of the Daily Show was asked what he thought the BULGE was. Oddly, he didn't seem to know about it. The question was then answered for him by the Crossfire guys... they said it was ridiculous, as in, the bulge didn't exist and the wire theory was immediately dismissed as impossible. I think they should check out today's Salon article (below).
Keep 'em coming... Thanks!
I know there are more BULGE PICTURES out there someplace... if anyone finds a some more please send 'em my way! Submissions to: c.shaw@mac.com

For New Visitors

2004-10-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Bush Wired.
Be sure to scroll down the page to view all the posts, links, video & news that have been posted as this story has evolved, you can find out what the BULGE may be and why this story has been such a hot topic. A comment link is located at the bottom of each post. For those who feel that the BULGE is simply a bulletproof vest, we have prepared a statement below. Click the comment button and read the first post.

Blogtober Surprise? BREAKING NEWS!!! Big update!

2004-10-15T04:32:00.000-07:00

View the BUSH BULGE GALLERY!!!

Thank you for all the mail and submissions. I still need to post the BULGE ARTWORK gallery, so keep sending the art! If you have tips, news, stories, photos, links, or a personal comment for me send e-mail to: c.shaw@mac.com

Otherwise, please comment below.

Its been another day chock-full of further BULGE speculation as theories and "evidence" continues to snowball. The two main theories on THE BULGE as of this writing seem to be A WIRE and a MEDICAL DEVICE.

First, I'm covering news on the WIRE theory as there now seems to be FACTS about the matter arising, and PEOPLE COMING FORWARD to substantiate the use of a WIRE by the President:

AN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING and in-depth look at the BULGE topic as a whole, again from Salon.com... the folks who originally broke this story to the mainstream press. Its absolutely worth watching an ad and receiving a free day-pass to their site. I'll include a few snippets below, but its a rather lengthy article and I suggest reading it at SALON.

Topics include:
The ACTUAL possibility of a coaching device, complete with quotes from an expert who has worked for Presidential Cabinets, and has first hand knowledge of the use of wireless prompting systems within the White House! He also states that he has "archived" audio of prompting being used by Presidential staffers actually prompting President Bush! There is also brief discussion of the BULGE issue from bloggers (including myself). Other knowledgeable people opine and many issues are brought forward. Other topics mentioned including the emerging medical theory (briefly).

Brief snippets:

"I've done a tremendous amount of work for presidential Cabinets," Atkinson says. "I've worked for Cabinet members, plus staff and advisors ... in the [George H.W.] Bush administration, and in both terms of the Clinton administration." ...

"I have found wireless mike signals transmitted during [White House] press briefings, with multiple subject advisors. You'll hear the speaker, and another voice will cut in, like 'It's 28 million' -- and the speaker will repeat, 'It's 28 million.' The speaker will institute certain delays or will ask the question again, and will receive a prompt."

"I heard it. In Boston I was working a project several blocks away from where the president was speaking. It's archived."

The MEDICAL theory:

*(note)* As I have previously posted, I have had some reservations about adding discussion of unsubstantiated claims of Bush's health problems. I feel that a person's health is a private issue. However, as the topic grows, and because this issue involves the President, and perhaps, his ability to lead this country in the future, I have decided to include some NEWS. Further, this topic has already been published in the press. Personally, I don't wholly believe it, but there are some compelling arguments floating around the net... and of course, some very questionable ones too (he has faltering mental abilities due to past substance abuse, similar to Ozzy Osbourne).

The BULGE could be a medical device. There are rumors that the President had a MILD STROKE, suffers from BELLS PALSY, a mild dementia, or even had too much BOTOX. His condition allegedly varies from day to day and this was observed in his face (droopy, uneven, with spittle on his mouth, and jaw grinding) during debate 3 and also with the somewhat confused stammering seen regularly by the President when he speaks. The alleged stroke is theorized to have been covered up by the report of Bush fainting and choking on a pretzel (remember?). His speech and coordination are said to have been affected, and this was the reason for Bush's bicycle accident and falling.

As always, you be the judge, here are some links to follow:

NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE

Salon.com article on the speculation of Bush's health floating around blogs everywhere.

WEARABLE DEFIBRILLATOR

VIDEO speculation about a debilitating condition. A comparison of Bush debate speeches from the recent debates and 10 years ago. (links to the site)

A DOCTORS NOTE on the subject.

Reuters article from October 6 on Bush POSTPONING HIS MEDICAL EXAM

For the record, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush's doctors "felt it was perfectly fine to do it later this year... The president is a very active person. He's in great health."

From another blog:
"From a Botox Web site:
The most common side effects of injections around the eyes and in the face include temporary bruising, eyelid drooping, dry eyes, and double vision, and facial droop can occur with injections into the cheek.
(Results: heavier makeup, droopy face, dry blinky eyes??? But would it last more than one debate?)"

And some other news mentioning THE BULGE:
Mean Politics

An interesting new article on the WIRED/Earpiece subject.

Another new article on the BULGE

BULGE RESOURCES
http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/
http://www.isbushwired.com/
http://www.mysterybulge.com/ (last update 10/13)
Portland indymedia blog

STAY TUNED!!! MORE UPDATES ON THE WAY!!! Send me links to your BULGE blog or site!

NEWS UPDATE... BULGE is now a HUMP!

2004-10-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

Well, THE BULGE is now a HUMP... I guess that settles it. Or at least, thats the new term floating around the media. Everyone satisfied?

Brit Hume of FOX news weighs in on the issue, dismissing the original Salon.Com story (old news by now) because the author is a "left winger" who has mentioned Bush and Hitler in the same sentence. Interesting, but forget about the now infamous Salon story... THE BULGE (now a HUMP) does in, fact, exist... that's what the controversy is about, not the Salon piece! C'mon FOX!

The issue of "GHOST COACHING" seems to be coming up again. The Bush/Chirac video (see the link toward the bottom of this page) is inconclusive as of this update. However, there are numerous reports of other "GHOST VOICES" floating around, witnessed in-person and on video. Anyone have further info or video?

Additionally, the topic of Bush's health has been receiving lots of attention and speculation recently... I've been hesitant to bring it up here, it doesn't feel right. But as speculation grows, I direct you to CANNONFIRE'S recent post.

I'll be taking a break to do some "real work", but will be back with more timely updates later! Stay tuned!

Debate 3 BULGE Update

2004-10-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

The evergrowing BULGE GALLERY

As people continue to scratch their heads about the BULGE and its surprising reemergence in last night's debate 3, new theories and speculation as to what THE BULGE was continue to circle the globe on the "internets".

Personally, I am a bit confused about last night's BULGE. If it was a wire, one would have thought that the BUSH/Cheney team would have done something to hide the BULGE after the brouhaha created by the previous sightings. Maybe not, they can be stubborn at times. All I can say is that the new theories are getting crazier by the minute.

New BLOGS and sites devoted to BULGE speculation are popping up everywhere. I want to thank everyone for their submissions, as the day goes on I will be posting some more links. I've received several submissions of BULGE ARTWORK, I'm thinking of starting a separate BULGE ART gallery, so, send 'em if you got 'em!

Submissions to: c.shaw@mac.com

For now check out these links:

A wonderful site of POLITICAL CARTOONS relating to the debate, some great BULGE 'toons included. Thanks for the submission!

Another Bulge story from the Washington Post.

This KNOXVILLE TIMES article comments on the BULGE HOAX as reported on
www.isbushwired.com. This was (is) a really strange story, I stayed away from speculation on this topic here at BUSH WIRED. It was just TOO weird, and I thought I smelled something rotten...

And last, some more video of Bush's wire from the previous debate(s). THANKS!
VIDEO 1
VIDEO 2
VIDEO 3... the "let me finish" scene.

Cheers!

BULGE NEWS Update

2004-10-14T03:06:00.000-07:00

As always, THE BULGE PHOTO GALLERY
Submit photos, news, links, and tips to:
c.shaw@mac.com

NEWS:
A SHORT ARTICLE on Debate 3 BULGE

A new EARPIECE link

A POLL by The Economist. Bulge stats on page 2 & 3 (pdf)

Jesse Jackson weighs in on the BULGE!!! BOSTON HERALD article. Jackson: Voters deserve truth about Bush's mystery bulge

David Letterman featured THE BULGE in the TOP TEN list tonight.

A GREAT NEW STORY from salon.com. It was also posted in the comments section below. WHOA! ?????

An EXAMPLE of lame bulge journalism... this story ran TODAY! Didn't I read most of this LAST WEEK in papers... straight off the AP wires?

As speculation on THE BULGE continues after the third and last debate its interesting to think about the BULGE PHENOMENON as a whole. No matter what you believe this entire fiasco brings up some interesting ideas about the media, political discussion, free speech and the power that each of us holds in the information age. I'll save that rant for later when the BULGE MYSTERY is solved or the topic begins to die off. This is a forum for BULGE EVIDENCE and not my own opinion. For now check out these interesting articles:

Taking the fight to the airwaves

Star Stories: How Story Weblogs are Changing the Dynamics of Building News Properties

Washington Post article by Tina Brown (An interesting note on Bulge at the bottom)

From a post on another blog... I like this one:

Bush suddenly laughed out loud when he just
heard the moderator start a question by mentioning
that he had received a lot of e-mail this week...
Bush probably expected a question about the bulge.
He changed his attitude when I [he] found out the question
was actually about immigrant[s].

DEBATE 3 BULGE PHOTOS

2004-10-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, I saw "it" again tonight, others too...

WHAT IS IT??? If it is bad tailoring, or a wardrobe malfunction, you'd think they would have fixed it by now... at least to stop the controversy. Rotten french tailors! -ahem- "Freedom" tailors.

Debate 3 photos submitted and posted to the BULGE PHOTO GALLERY

Keep 'em coming, if anyone has video online already let me know I'll post a link!

Debate 3 aftermath

2004-10-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

I am moving the live comments from the debate into the comments section below.

I didn't see any super-conclusive evidence of a bulge, perhaps something in Bush's left brest pocket area.

I loved how Kerry did a little pat-down on Bush at the end!

Reports coming in about a Bulge sighting on Bush's back at the end. Ok everyone rewind the VCR and start the analysis, send screenshots to me via the ABOUT ME section.

I'm reviewing the tape of debate 3 for the Bulge, reports from all over of a BULGE sighting at the end... STAY TUNED!

HERES A BULGE CONTEST!!!
$100 Reward for Bulge Photo!
Democrats.com will pay $100 for the first photo we receive showing an unmistakable bulge or wire in Bush's jacket during tonight's third debate in Tempe, AZ.
-Be sure to save the picture in a file that's 50K in size or smaller, with a maximum width of 400 pixels.
-Send it to bulge@democrats.com with your name and paypal account (or mailing address for a check).
-Also tell us if we can mention your name (we will not include your e-mail address).

For New Visitors:

2004-10-13T16:56:00.000-07:00

For those of you new to this site, or just trying to find out more on the Mystery of the Bulge, be sure to scroll down toward the bottom of the page and check out some of the links to video, photos, and other sites with BULGE info. It'll help you find out what all the commotion is about...

Pre-Debate Update

2004-10-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

Recent news:

CBS Evening News showed "the picture" tonight.

There are numerous new articles coming out from newspapers in the US and worldwide continuing to cover THE BULGE. What's different about today's stories is that the BULGE isn't in question as much as the idea of Bush being "wired" during the debate. At this point everyone pretty much admits that the BULGE does exist. It's refreshing to see that the press is starting to ask their own questions, and relying less on "soft" wire reporting. There seems to be a bit of a lull in new stories at the moment as everyone is gearing up for the debate... I'm sure there will be more solid news later. I'll post an update as the stories roll in...

Regardless of your views on THE BULGE, I think most people believe that this story IS, in fact, NEWS.

The theories about THE BULGE continue to be quite diverse... here's a few of the more accepted opinions:

1) The BULGE is a wireless transmitter connected to a hidden wireless earpiece that Bush uses to receive "coaching" from his handlers. There have been numerous reports of this wireless technology "leaking" into press audio in the past. (see links and video below)

2) The BULGE is some sort of electronic device fitted to the president for security purposes. There have been numerous reports from security personnel stating that high-ranking government officials often wear these devices (furnished by the Secret Service). I have seen no evidence of this device, and I would welcome any solid information on this theory.

3) The BULGE doesn't exist, its a left-wing internet conspiracy, and is only bad tailoring. This has been the White House's official story.

4) The BULGE is a medical device of some sort. There is much speculation on this idea as well, again, no solid evidence.

5) The BULGE is a bulletproof vest. Even the White House has denied this, stating that Bush did not wear a bulletproof vest during the debate.

6) The BULGE is some sort of medical device. Questions are popping up about Bush's health. Some speculation that he had a stroke, or needs some sort of medicine "drip". I've seen no evidence of this, but a lot of speculation on other blogs.

My personal opinion is that it is probably #1, or #2. Check out the BULGE PHOTO GALLERY and decide for yourself!

Dont forget about the PROMPTERGATE poll at CNN. Currently 88% voted in favor of THE BULGE being an electronic device!

All eyes on the debate tonight!!!

The www.mysterybulge.com site is still up but hasn't been updated since yesterday, computer problems.

www.isbushwired.com IS working... and updated! It was real slow for a while, but seems to be working good now. This site was widely published in the media, and I'm sure its getting slammed with hits and posts.

Update to the CANNONFIRE site!

Keep sending the links, pics, and info! If someone wants to start a new Bush Bulge blog or site, do it and send me the link! THANKS!

LATEST NEWS

2004-10-13T03:37:00.000-07:00

Well it seems that the US press is beginning to give THE BULGE transmitter story some space.

A great article from SALON.COM heres a snippet:

Technical expert: Bush was wired

Now a technical expert who designs and makes such devices for the U.S. military and private industry tells Salon that he believes the bulge is indeed a transceiver designed to receive electronic signals and transmit them to a hidden earpiece lodged in Bush's ear canal.

"There's no question about it. It's a pretty obvious one -- larger than most because it probably has descrambling capability," said Alex Darbut, technical and business development vice president for Resistance Technology in Arden Hills, Minn.

And another GOOD STORY that kind of sums up the whole thing, earpiece coaching or not.

The Energizer President?

John Edwards' appearance on the Tonight show has been making news due to Edwards' speculation that The Bulge was a battery... the media loves the comment... and so we enter another day of BULGE speculation.

Well... lets hope somebody with HDTV captures tonight's debate in high resolution, and somebody records all the communication frequencies!! Something tells me that Bush had a heart-to-heart with his tailor, Georges de Paris, and I doubt we'll see a bulge.

The Earpiece... finally exposed...again

2004-10-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

Perhaps its time to stop focusing on THE BULGE (we've all seen it) and get back to the topic of the earpiece.

I posted this link earlier, its the cueing system allegedly used by George Bush at press conferences and speeches, (and debates?) and is supposedly what caused THE BULGE.

CUEING SYSTEM

An ARTICLE was submitted that has the specs for this system which was "delivered to the White House"

Some pics of this added to THE BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY

This was posted on the Portland Indymedia blog... its a jem!

A columnist in Utah, D.P. Sorenson ("Salt Lake City Weekly", email= comments@slweekly.com ) wrote this on 3/20/2003: "When the president appears on public occasions, observers have noticed that he now wears a tiny earpiece."

Interesting Story

2004-10-12T22:47:00.000-07:00

The news has died off a bit, but theres still some great stuff being sent in... here's an interesting piece piece from THE REGISTER

THE BULGE has been a hot topic on late-night TV.

"GUESS THE BULGE" was featured on David Letterman tonight... it wasn't a receiver, just a T-Bone steak. But the bulge was right-on... Maybe Bush was just trying to thaw out some meat for a post debate BBQ!

Jay Leno had John Edwards on the Tonight Show... they speculated on the bulge for a moment. Edwards said it was Bush's Battery-pack. HA! MSNBC did a story on the exchange HERE

Thanks for the submissions!

Bad news... apparently http://www.mysterybulge.com/ won't be updated for a while due to computer problems. Great site, lets hope that it gets up and running soon!

News, Video, and more links!!!

2004-10-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

OK a brief update...

PROMPTERGATE POLL on the CNN site! GO VOTE! current results:

88% an electronic device
6% a bulletproof vest
2% bad tailoring
3% left-wing conspiracy
(10,614 voters)

News:
Nothing new that is spectacular. Not much in the US press still, but the story is still being run here and there. I've seen the story migrate from Europe into Africa, India, China and other places. Most of the stories are brief and from previous wire reporting.

Light discussion of the earpiece, and weird rumors on Hardball with Chris Matthews... they said something like, "If he did have an earpiece and received coaching they did a damn poor job of it!"

A good article.

Some more VIDEO:

This is VIDEO of the alleged "wire", and some familiar bulges, excellent quality and in slow-motion. 35mb and a slow download, but worth it!

More VIDEO of the first debate, the Bulge is at the end.

PHOTOS at the usual BUSH WIRED PHOTO GALLERY. Keep sending them my way, I update whenever I get new ones!

This link was sent to me and has the alleged UGANDA EARPIECE... direct from the State Department! Not too convincing... but hey... make up your own mind! We're FAIR and BALANCED!

And finally, other great places to keep updated:

Great Blog site!!
http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/

News, Views, and lively discussion!
http://www.isbushwired.com/

A great site... waiting for an update!
http://www.mysterybulge.com/

Don't forget to check the posts below for good stories, links, and video!

Updates on the way!!!

2004-10-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

Thanks to EVERYONE! I have received hundreds of e-mails with pics, links, news, video and further speculation. I'm slowly going through them and will be posting updates... stay tuned.

For now I've added a few more pics to the

BULGE PHOTO GALLERY

Check back soon!

2nd Debate video

2004-10-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

10 meg video, good quality... see it for yourself and make up your own mind! I'm convinced he was "wired" (or something) in debate 2 as well !!!

2nd DEBATE VIDEO

Lively discussion at http://www.isbushwired.com/

tons of great posts and info!

Great Quote... spill the beans on the source!

2004-10-12T04:21:00.000-07:00

Somehow I missed this the other day... from the Hoffman Wire

"Sure, Bush uses an earpiece sometimes," a top Washington editor for Reuters said to me last spring. "State of the Union -- he had an earpiece for that. Everybody knows it," he said, "or assumes it."

Or so says Michael A Hoffman II. Hoffman is a former broadcaster for the American Contemporary Radio division of ABC News, and a former reporter for the New York bureau of the Associated Press.

Also... added a few more pics to the BULGE PHOTO GALLERY

Another great news article.... Hmmmm.

2004-10-12T02:02:00.000-07:00

More independent reporting from overseas... the US media still has not jumped on this story probably because its still all a lot of speculation... but I think everyone has gotta admit by now that SOMETHING was under Bush's jacket.

Here's a tasty morsel from the story:

But with the White House insisting the strange shape was caused by a wrinkle in Bush's suit, the Daily Record spoke to top private investigators in Scotland about how easy it would be to be wired up to receive messages.

The answer is, very easy - even with basic equipment. Scots bugging and surveillance expert, Bob Carrigan, of Caledonian Investigations Agency Excel kitted us out at short notice with the kind of gadget which would have created the bulge.

Using very basic devices costing around £100, Bob equipped me with a receiver and earpiece which would do the job of feeding me lines.

Taped to my shirt, it created a Bush-style bulge between my shoulder blades which stuck out like a battery pack or concealed weapon, and was as uncomfortable as it looked.

Full story at the Daily Record (Scotland)

Bush Bulge Pics

2004-10-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, theres a ton of "bulge" pics circulating the "internets", heres some of my faves!

BULGE PICS

Share 'em with your friends, and let me know if you have a good one to share, I'll post it!

Another set of mystery bulge pics. HI-RES pics available from a gov't website, this bulge is on the lower back at waist level... maybe its Bush's pager, I dunno, but something is there!

And finally, 24 more photos of the Debate Bulge.

The Video from France

2004-10-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

I took off a lot of the previous links, because you can find 'em on the other blogs... but if you want the 17mb version of the Bush/Chirac press conference check it out at:

http://www.musiccoop.org/Bush-Chirac.zip

AMAZING

Any more out there?

Audiogate, Promptergate, whatever...

2004-10-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

Wanna know more about the Bush earpiece/ mystery bulge? Its sort of a humorous story in the US mainstream news, but in elsewhere its a huge story. They've been analyzing Bush's speeches on the BBC/BBC radio all day. The story seems to be sticking. There's a lot of people stepping forward with their own info now.... the story is snowballing.

Check out the links:

The "official" web site:

http://www.mysterybulge.com/

A great blog link:

http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/

Another weird video... no ghost voice, but whoa... this is from last December, they're already talking about an earpiece here!

Bush acting crazy at a press conference, whats he doing? Earpiece prompting?

discussion of above: http://www.circa75.com/showArticle.php?article=89

Check it out and send the links on!

Was George Bush wired in the Debate? What was the Bulge?

2004-10-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

The recent news on speculation that George W Bush was wired and received coaching via an eapiece during the presidential debate is a snowballing story... all over the world people have been posting their opinions... but what are the facts? Post 'em folks! Or tell us what you know!

Heres a couple interesting tidbits scoured from here and there:

1) According to a Reuters reporter Bush is "widely known" to have worn an eapiece in the past.

2) Reports say Bush wore an earpiece during the last State of the Union speech
3) Bush isn't a great public speaker and apparently has trouble with a teleprompter... therefore he uses an earpiece... whats wrong with that? But in a debate???

4) During a press confrence with Jaques Chirac in France last June, there was an inadvertant "feed" of Bush's ghost prompting that was carried live by all major networks... check out the video

http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/BushAndTheOddSync.wmv (a short, bad video from CNN but you can hear it clearly)
http://www.musiccoop.org/Bush-Chirac.zip (16mb video... amazing)

5) There are various other reports of this "ghost voice" during press confernces including a post 9/11 news story aired on channel 56 WLVI Boston... I'd love to see that video.

6) Is this the apparatus? http://www.comtek.com/IFBCueing/ifbcueing.html

7) There are reports from cameramen at the Republican Convention that the Bush advance team required all wireless audio frequencies to be disclosed in advance.

8) There are a lot of photos of Bush's previous "bulges" circling the net... besides the now famous photo from the first debate, including some close-up shots of Bush's ear with something in it... If you know any post 'em or the links!