The righties have once again gone into pearl-clutch mode, this time over a heated comment from Rep. Pete Stark during the SCHIP veto debate. Stark made comments to the effect that Republicans won’t vote for funds for children’s health care but will appropriate funds to send soldiers to Iraq to quote “get their heads blown off for the president’s amusement”. The GOPers are outraged, I tell you, outraged and demand that Stark apologize for his comments.

Now I will admit that some of what he said was a bit over the top, but setting that aside for the moment, I want to focus on Stark’s claim that soldiers are being sent to Iraq for Bush’s amusement. Because I think he’s on to something there.

Bob Cesca at Huffington Post has been documenting for some time the President’s cringe inducing habit of flashing his taxpayer subsidized pearly whites at some really inappropriate moments. He’s grinned and giggled on all sort of subjects but when it comes to discussions of war, nothing gets the giggle fest going more than that. Just the other day at his press conference, Bush was chuckling like a 10 year having just heard the word “poop” while discussing the oh so jocular subject of World War III.

And anyone else remember the laughs Bush got at the Corespondent’s Dinner a few years ago?

Perhaps I’d be more inclined to scold Stark for his comments if they didn’t seem so spot on.

More from Digby.

Update: Great post on the disparity of rhetoric in presidencies past by Maha.

(X-posted at The Xsociate Files)