Traditionally, the president's speech at the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association dinner is a light-hearted event where he can have some fun.
President Bush continued that tradition Wednesday night. He presented a "White House Election Year Album" full of unposed pictures that he commented on. In one picture, Vice President Dick Cheney held his fingers only a few inches apart. Bush told the audience that when he asks for Cheney's advice, the vice president always replies, "Let's see what my little friend says."
Bush also showed two photos of him and his dog Barney: one from when Bush told Barney the dog had been neutered, and one when Barney took his revenge.
The president took things a little too far, though. He showed a picture of himself looking around a corner in the White House. His comment for this one was, "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere."
This comment stepped over the line of good taste. This is not an example of the president making fun of himself. Bush is not the person risking his life every day in a foreign country looking for the weapons he said existed. Though Bush was stepping outside traditional speech guidelines, his words did not hold the same meaning as those of a professional comedian.
The families and friends of the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are not laughing. Those soldiers are the ones on a hunt that has turned up nothing.
With every speech, there are boundaries. Bush and his speech writers crossed the line with this comment. It is disturbing and disappointing to Americans and people around the world. People put their trust in this administration to justify its motives and methods dealing with Iraq. If those methods fail, the administration is accountable. If the motive was not sound, the administration is misguided. Maybe the Bush administration used weapons of mass destruction as a shot in the dark for a reason to invade Iraq.
But so far, this shot has done nothing but to pierce a hole in Americans' faith in their government.
There are times to make jokes, and there are comments that should never be made. Bush must make a great effort to repair the damage one comment might cause.
The search for weapons of mass destruction has so far turned up empty, but Americans are still overseas looking for them while trying to survive in a hostile environment. There is no humor in that truth.
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