Poor old Presidink Bush

This is an excerpt from his press conference on May 24.

He was talking about the immigration issue.

PRESIDENT BUSH: I was touched yesterday when the kid from the Coast Guard Academy, ensign -- now ensign talked about his migrant grandfather from Mexico. And here's this guy, this man standing up in front of the President of the United States and his class, talking about serving America. He wasn't -- you know, his grandfather wasn't born here.
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Uh -- Isn't "ensign" a rank in the coast guard ... you know ... like "captain?"

Reading this, it appears he thought it was the guy's name. "Mr Presidink, this here is Ensign Gonzales." Maybe the guy's name WAS "Ensign." -- in that case, he's Ensign Ensign Gonzales. I wonder why the press didn't make fun of this "Big-a'meat-a-ball over the plate."
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Interesting stuff about the Coast Guard :

Tossing of covers:
As with all military academies, at the moment the cadets are confirmed as Ensigns, they toss their hats high into the air in celebration. If the timing is just right, there will be a Coast Guard aircraft flying over at the same time.

Shoulder boards:
It is tradition that the newly appointed Ensign choose the two people most important to him/her to place the ensign shoulder boards on their uniform for the first time.

Silver dollar:
Upon commissioning, it is tradition for a new Ensign to recognize the person giving him/her their first salute with the gift of a silver dollar. Each cadet must come prepared; often the silver dollar is from a year that is meaningful to the cadet.


The Klown salutes the Coast Guard and all our military peeps and vets.