Home > Bush’s Earpiece - Audiogate - What We Know So Far

Bush’s Earpiece - Audiogate - What We Know So Far

by Open-Publishing - Saturday 9 October 2004
23 comments

By Joseph Cannon

cannonfiremail@yahoo.com

The "Bush earpiece" controversy has generated an astonishing number of visitors to this site — and, I presume, to others. Mainstream media has become interested. The Los Angeles Times even made brief (and rather dismissive) reference to the "molar phon" suggestion, first aired on this site.

For some odd reason, though, Matt Drudge has yet to take note. I wonder why?

I have reason to believe that a "respectable" publication will soon do some in-depth work on this story. When that happens, the official Republican harrumphers will enter stage right and do their act. Expect to hear many oh-so-clever references to black helicopters, tinfoil hats and Oliver Stone. Those jokes never get old, do they? Alas, they won’t make the evidence go away.

If you’re new to the controversy, a good way to start is to scroll down to the post below: "What’s the Frequency, Karl?" If you want a handy list of links to all the latest info, I offer the following:

For a web site devoted to this issue, see here. The comments are worth reading.

For a recording of the mid-debate slip that blew this tale open, click here.

For video of the earlier occasion when news mics accidentally picked up a "phantom voice" feeding Bush his lines, click here. (Some have argued that this "pre-echo" was nothing more than a technical foul-up. Listen closely: Bush and his prompter sometimes use slightly different wording.)

For the largest, clearest version I’ve yet seen of the Bush profile shot displaying the earpiece in situ, go here. (I hope the image is still up!) The clearest images of Bush’s "hump" may be seen on the afore-cited "Is Bush wired?" site.

For stories on the molar phone (which I suggest as the likeliest vehicle), try this article, as well as the wonderful quote about the potential political uses of this invention. Other sites of interest: this one from Science World, or this piece, or this report from the BBC, and this lengthy piece is Wired. I can’t help relaying this quote from the last-mentioned article:

Sounds are transferred from the tooth into the inner ear by bone resonance (digital signals being converted into audio). And for those who might be worried about a buzzing mouth, sound reception is assured to be totally discreet. "The vibrations are on a molecular level, so the user only experiences pure sound streaming into their consciousness," Loizeau says.

The implant is designed to work in tandem with either a dedicated device or a modified mobile telephone, which can pick up the long distance signals and transmit a local signal to the tooth receiver. Capable of being fully customized to suit user requirements, reception can be switched on and off at will with the aid of the dedicated device.

"We realize that having unwanted sound information arriving directly into the user’s brain would resemble technological schizophrenia, therefore maximum control is essential." Auger says.

For the video of Bush unfolding a crib sheet during the debate, go here.

This report indicates that Bush does not actually look at the teleprompter when giving a speech. Either the man possesses a far better memory than we have presumed, or he is receiving help aurally.

Here are some other writers looking into this matter:

"Bush The Articulate - Hearing Voices" by Jay Weidner.

An interesting thread on TalkLeft.

The Bellaciao site has garnered a lot of germane commentary, some of it quite useful, some of it silly.

David Lindorff has been doing great work on his site (scroll down). Also see here.

I’d like to offer a few rebuttals to some points raised by would-be debunkers:

1. At the time Bush said "Let me finish," he still had thirty seconds. Plenty of time. No one has offered any evidence that Lehrer or Kerry had made even a slight attempt to break in.

2. The "back bulge" was not caused by body armor. Bulletproof vests latch on the side, not in back. The "Is Bush Wired?" site displays a profile shot of Bush walking away after the debate — and you can clearly see that his suit conceals a hidden wire.

3. Some have suggested the Bush used a device called the Neurophone, invented by Patrick Flanagan, a one-time whiz-kid who was profiled in Life magazine many a moon ago. Since this device allegedly can make the deaf hear, and since I was once romantically involved with a deaf lady, I wrote to Flanagan’s representatives many times, asking to speak to a deaf person who could testify to the invention’s effectiveness. The only response I received was a piece of double-talk worthy of Professor Harold Hill. I suspect that Flanagan (who was also the man behind the "pyramid power" craze of the 1970s) may be a con artist.

4. Many have made snide remarks about Bush’s poor debate performance. If he had help, why did he fail? I would argue that his "help" may have been more of a hindrance. Speaking while listening is no snap — in fact, it’s a rare talent. In the field of translation, only the top professionals can offer simultaneous interpretation (a skill made famous during the Nuremberg trials), which involves use of both mouth and ear at the same time. Similarly, newsmen have to learn how to speak while receiving instructions from their directors. This task is not easy, and I am not surprised that Bush became flustered.

5. I’ve offered "Audiogate" as a name for this controversy, but I’m open to other suggestions. "Gepetto-gate"? "Radiogate"? "Rovergate"?

http://www.rense.com/general58/ear.htm

Forum posts

  • how about "infiltraitorgate". Bush’s comments about being environmentally friendly are laughable. just look at what’s happened & happening in the Tongass National Forest of Alaska. hopefully we’ll hear "the rest of the story" before the election. I’m afraid Mr Bush will bankrupt America just as his past record shows in his past business vultures, I mean ventures.

    • I don’t have timecode but I videotaped it from C-SPAN. About an hour into the debate, Bush says, "He’s gonna raise the taxes on the rich. That’s what he said. Top two brackets." Right there you can see the wires near the left shoulder blade and a v-shaped thing in the middle of his back.

      And my vote: Wiregate. Sounds good with a fake cowboy accent.

    • Wiregate

      Watergate

      With the right accent, they sound the same.

      I LOVE it !!

    • I agree, it should be "Wiregate" and emphasize that it involves the same technology as Watergate in recording conversations.

      Perhaps he has been wearing it all the time, makings recordings of conversations that we all might be interested in? Can this get legs, big enough to bring a true investigation?

  • Nice work, Joseph! Inspired by you and others, I’ve put up a site at mysterybulge.com with links, updates and such. I don’t think you have to be a conspiracy theorist to think something weird has been going on. - Jim

    • All of this back aand forth about if Bush did or did not have help....if he did he is even more stupid than we suspected, if he didn’t he is still stupid. So what is the point? The Guy is a moron? Well we already knew that. I have yet to hear anything good about his first debate even from his supporters who now are saying he was "tired". Out all night I guess partying.

      What is really funny though is the second debate where Bush grinds his jaw the whole time while blinking his eyes repeatedly and looking spaced out. I think Georgie is still a coke addict. Coke is one of the drugs that is very very hard to give up. Could our commander in thief have been high as a kite? He sure looked like it to me. And when he called Kerry Kennedy, I wondered if he has aadd or if it was just the coke. He promised to increase the "wetlands" by 3 million??? My question to Bush who is promising to do all of the things Kerry has suggested is what the hell are you waiting for a second term to do something for the American people for? Put down the mirror and get busy you are still supposedly in charge.

  • The second presidential debate Friday night revealed again that George W. was wearing a contraption of some kind...albeit better concealed than with the first debate. All through the Friday night debate, whenever there was a shot of him from the left-back, a cable running over the left side of his back, underneath his coat again, is visible. Easiest is to fast-forward to the end, then run back and stop at the young blonde with her abortion question - when George W. speaks of his "unborn victims of violence act" - you can see the cable clearly. I have made others aware of this who missed it and they also see it. Everyone expects to see a box again in the same place and a wire going up the right side and probably didn´t think to search the left side as well. The box itsself was better concealed, but the wire clearly running up the left side of his back! Check it out yourself! We can´t let these "folks" get away with their imbicilic denial-tactics.

  • Great Job! May I suggest Echogate or Reverbergate. I was trying to think of something along the line of the Wizard of Oz, you know, the voice behind the curtain.

  • There more of the Paris news conference at http://philbrittin.com/news/news.php#

    This is still not complete.

    It sounds like what I remember hearing at the time.

  • About Wiredgate...
    Concerning the story at http://www.isbushwired.com
    The White House has said, "Bush is not wearing a bulletproof vest"
    The jacket he’s wearing has a pucker in it when it’s stretched tight across his back?
    (Only two positive replys.... Yea, Right! )
    The rules for the debate state:
    No cameras to show the back of the candidates.
    The candidates will use the microphones on the podiums, and
    will not wear wireless mikes for the networks.

    I have to wonder why is it that for just $2,700 American dollars you too can have the exact same wireless device that the President (probably?) wore on the first debate.

    It even HAS THE RIDGE DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE BACK PLATE.
    To have a President that attempts to do this in a National Debate, may the Lord have mercy on America’s soul.
    You can even see a picture of the device at
    http://www.accelerated-promotions.com/consumer-electronics/two-way-radio.htm

  • How about "Foddergate"...but I digress... When is America going to wake up? Bush inherited the largest budget surplus in modern history and we now have a trillion and a half dollar deficit, and growing like a California wildfire. He’s the first President since Hoover to have a negative number (over one million) in jobs. I want even bother mentioning the war, that’s all so evidently clear as well, healthcare is moving backwards and I didn’t think that was possible, and the enviroment will be a catastrophy four years from now if this village idiot is re-elected.

    The thing that astounds me is how little the American public knows about the depths of Karl Rove’s underhandedness...(is that a word, sorry a Bush moment, but hey, I’m not the leader of the free world). Rove is the puppet master of all puppet masters going back to the 70’s, yet most people out of the know that I talk to don’t even know his name. I only wish "Bush’s Brain" would have been released in wide release prior to the election. Of course, the far right would dismiss it as propaganda just like always.

    My last point is this. If John Kerry can catch heck over possibly having a "black pen" to write with the night of the first debate, why does the Republican party and DRUDGE/RUSH/O’REILLY think this should be so quickly dismissed. Maybe we should all make like trees and leave in Novemeber if Bush happens to steal the election again...

  • This question of Bush being remotely prompted during the presidential debates is very serious business which should be carefully investigated. If Bush is actually being fed his lines like some kind of robot we are in real trouble as a nation. We do not need a robot running our nation in these dangerous times. There are some disturbing signs that "Robotgate" may be a reality and not a wild conspiracy theory. What, for example, is the odd earpiece clearly evident in numerous photographs and videos of George Bush? Look at the following website where Bush’s mysterious earpiece is seen clearly in photos from just after the first debate:

    http://photos1.blogger.com/img/133/1923/750/13.jpg

    As many experts have pointed out, there is no need of a wire running up to the earpiece. A wireless transmission from the receiver/transmitter hidden under his clothing would not be a problem. Clearly it is pointless looking for another bulge in Bush’s jacket at this point since his handlers would have moved the equipment to another location on his body by now. It’s a shame, but I doubt it would be allowed to frisk the president. I do not see a problem, however, in insisting that the candidates remove any earpieces they may be wearing. The only excuse I can see for not doing so is if the earpiece in question is a miniature hearing aid. If that is what the earpiece actually is the president should simply document the fact and clear this up immediately. Otherwise there is no conceivable excuse for Bush to be wearing an earpiece during the third debate. I think the earpiece may be the key here and this should be vigorously pursued. Perhaps the moderator of the third debate could ask George Bush about this directly and request that he remove the earpiece if he is still wearing it at that time.

    Certainly there are some extraordinarily bizarre expressions, pauses and statements made by the president during the debates; as when he exclaimed, "I, I, uh- let me finish..." when the green light was still lit and it was clear he had time left to speak. It was as if he was inadvertently talking to a voice which was continuing to talk in his ear while he was still talking. It is not wild conspiratorial thinking to wonder what prompts bizarre behavior such as this. These are sound and reasonable questions which require an answer.

    Why did the Bush administration initially insist on the condition that no cameras be placed behind the candidates? Were they afraid the cameras might reveal dandruff on their candidate? That is a seemingly bizarre condition; but there must have been a reason for it. No? Maybe, just maybe, it was because of the original positioning of Bush’s receiver/transmitter.

    What about the CNN D-day broadcast where viewers heard a voice (not Bush’s) speaking Bush’s lines before he said them and then heard Bush repeating the lines, often with slight variations?

    There are far too many unanswered questions here. This is not the stuff of wild-eyed conspiracy theorists. There are legitimate reasons to launch a serious investigation into this matter and it should be done immediately. As I have said, these are dangerous times and the last thing we need is a robot president.

    • I agree that at the very least, the candidates should be checked for ear or "molar" pieces before this next debate. I just wonder if that is going to happen. I’ve read where at the Republican convention recently, they were worried about cell phone frequencies just prior to Bush’s speech, where they did not have this concern before others’ speeches, or at the Democratic convention.

      Perhaps the easiest way to ensure that this is not allowed is to have an audience member "whiz kid" play with the frequencies and either jam them or otherwise make it impossible for them to carry on. This would really throw them in the lurch and have better effect, because they will have been counting on the voice prompting. My guess is the extremely poor showing by Bush at the first debate was because the system was not working properly and he was relying on it, among other things.

      Below is the address found by doing an internet search (public records) for the Executive Director of the Commission on Presidential Debates. They are supposed to be nonpartisan. One would think they would be concerned that the ground rules were respected.

      Janet H. Brown, Executive Director
      Commission on Presidential Debates
      1200 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 445
      Washington, D.C. 20036
      202-872-1020
      jb@debates.org

  • call the scandal "Wiregate"

    Isby Jillj

  • I’d call it "Wiregate"

  • ABC and Fox researching "wired" story

    Following isbushired.com, the BBC and Seattle Times, commecial TV: ABC and Fox are now researching it.
    Specifically a dispute between two Republicans on the PDX IMC site

    http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/10/299251.shtml

    the first repub post confirms that bush was "wired", from Brad Menfil of Knoxville:

    "I have contacts within the Republican Party. I was told by Scott Zale, a Repulican operative in eastern Tennessee that he knows it to be a fact that Bush was wired. He said that within the Bush campaign, there are certain mid-level staffers that have leaked this tidbit because it was just "too fantastic to ignore."

    Zale told me that the transmission device is popular with other high profile officials in the Bush administration. It helps everybody stay "on message." Zale said that Bush was only fed ready responses to just certain types of questions. He didn’t know which questions those were but admitted that Bush just sounded(to him)to be more articulate at certain "oportune" times.

    Zale confided that he was told that the president wore a loose fitting jacket during both debates. The device protuded because Bush has a tendency to hunch over and shrug his shoulders a lot.

    This is a true story as it was told to me. If you want to know more, please contact Scott Zale at the Bush-Cheney campaign headquarters in Knoxville, Tn. Thanks"

    Scott went nuts and posted a reply:

    "Please shut down this blog. I was informed this morning by the national editor of the Knoxville Times that my name was invoked by a man named "Brad Menfil" in regards to this out-of-control story.

    It is true that I work for Bush-Cheney here in Tennessee. My office is in Gatlinburg, not Knoxville. Although I do happen to work at least two days a week in Knoxville. I am a staff accountant and one of my duties is to process local contributions. As part of that duty, I have to wire funds to the national committee in Washington D.C. So I do have national Republican contacts and have heard many things.

    "Brad" is not his real name but I suspect he is or may be my counterpart in the Washington collections office. He has probably been to Tennessee about 15 times in the last 7 weeks, though he does not live here. I won’t give his real name (even though he felt it was necessary to give mine).

    The Knoxville Times called me at 6am this morning asking me to confirm or deny the "Bush is Wired" story they read here at Portland IMC. My immediate response was, "What is the Portland IMC?" and I then I issued a "no comment". Other than that, I did say that "Brad Menfil" is not a real person.

    Please stop speculating about this. Our president is a great man and can only get hurt by this. I suspect this isn’t going to go away and I regret anything that I said to "Brad" that may contribute to downfall of a great man and president.

    Please drop this for the good of our country. We have bigger problems and should not be distracted by matters that don’t ultimately determine the measure of an honest man. I want to say that the right answers are what matter most, not whether or not those answers were "fed" my someone else. President Bush is a good messenger regardless.

    Thanks, Scott Zale, Senior Staff Accountant, Bush-Cheney Tennessee. "

    And Brad responded:

    "Scott Zale is right, "Brad Menfil" is not my real name and I didn’t hear this story from him, he heard it from me. Sorry Scott.

    I do work for Bush-Cheney and I can olny say that the substance of my first posting is correct, even though I used a fake name. I hope everybody understands why I would do this.

    I got a call from Scott this morning (actually, about 10 minutes ago). He said that he had been contacted by ABC and Fox after his own posting.

    I don’t share his belief that ignoring this would be good for the country. I’m sorry I involved Scott and didn’t have enough courage to use my real name. I hope the truth gets out and Scott is absolved.

    Thanks for reading this, "Brad Menfil." "

    this is getting really serious and definately no longer tinfoil hattish, but instead can doom this presidency like Watergate.

    "Wiredgate" anyone?

  • Come on, people. What about "Plausible Deniability"? The Presnit can’t be aware of the wire he’s wearing, or they can’t blame it on some underling of an underling of an underling of Karl Rove. Any earpiece is simply a secret service device for helping protect the Presnit.

    His wire is an implant... maybe in a tooth, maybe in his nose job, maybe in his skull... planted without the Presnit’s knowledge. This also explains how he hears the voice of God (it is really Karl Rove speaking in his skull).

  • Who cares if the President is being prompted? Sounds like a good idea to me.

  • Who cares? This is not true but if it was, it would not be a big deal and I do not think most Americans would be suprised. Sounds like a great tool to keep the President on message.

  • This is not true and if it were what is the big deal? The President represents his party and administration. Sounds like a great way to keep him on message.

    • I was skeptical at first when I heard this rumor but after seeing several shots of Prez. Bush at the first debate, the pucker on the back of his tailored $8,000 suit cannot be a natural one.

      Separate from the debates, it appears from the following news segments that Bush is indeed playing out a real-life Wizard of Oz. Check out these embarrassing moments when a puppet handler for Bush, accidentally gets picked up and broadcast for a CNN news segment.
      http://www.canofun.com/blog/videos/BushAndTheOddSync.wmv

      The following Fox News footage inadvertently catches & broadcasts the voice telling Bush what to say...before Bush says it. Bush clearly looks uncomfortable but stays the course, pretending that the audience did not hear the Wizard in the backround piping out sentences. (Note download takes 2-3 minutes but very telling of our MilliVanilli president!) http://philbrittin.com/news2/news.php

      (A few good photos of the wire during the debates.)
      http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,397809,00.jpg
      http://bradandsasha.com/images/bushit/3.jpg

      More evidence—Pre-debates
      http://www.lies.com/wp/2004/07/11/the-smallness-of-george-w-bush (Photo of object in back of suit.)
      http://community.democrats.com/forums/discussions.cfm forumid=170&topicid=139646&bookmark=21 (scroll down to Message #139994. Must look very closely for near-invisible wire pulling lightly on Bush’s ear—not quite the middle of the ear but slightly below. The wire continues on to what appears to be under Bush’s collar line. Not from debates---taken earlier in Feb. 04.)

    • And why do you have a problem with this?

    • That’s it!... "puppet handler"= "Puppetgate"!!! "Puppetgate" describes the essence of the matter. Alas, "Puppetgate" is TOO good and therefore will probably not stick. Nevertheless "Puppetgate" has my vote. "Puppetgate"!