Ice Cream Co-Founder Travels Country With Image of Bush With Pants on Fire

By Jimmy Moore
Talon News
July 22, 2004

A liberal co-founder of Ben & Jerry's ice cream is traveling across the country with a 12-foot tall image of President George W. Bush with his pants on fire.

Dubbed the "Pants On Fire Tour," Ben Cohen is traveling with his characterization of Bush to underline the lies he believes Bush has told as president.

"In a polite society, you don't go up to a person and look at them in the face and say, 'You're a liar,'" Cohen told the Associated Press. "We think it's a lot more dignified and there's a lot more decorum to say, 'Excuse me sir, your pants are getting a little warm, don't you think?'"

The emotive Bush "PantsOnFire-Mobile" is actually a trailer hooked up to a car. The image of Bush shows him wearing a "Mission Accomplished" flight suit, a derogatory reference to the sign posted on the USS Abraham Lincoln after the major battle in Iraq was over last year.

On the front of the Bush character is an electronic ticker denoting the "lies" told by Bush.

Ken Lisaius, spokesman for the White House, said Cohen has the right to express his opinion about the president, although most Americans support Bush and his policies.

"The president welcomes the fact that we live in a democracy and that people in this country are free to make their own opinions known," Lisaius said in a statement.

Cohen first began using the mobile idea to help promote Ben & Jerry's ice cream with co-founder Jerry Greenfield as part of a "Scooping Tour." Cohen said his Bush concept is the same idea.

Organized through Cohen's political action web site called TrueMajority.org, which boasts nearly a half million members, the "Pants On Fire Tour" is comprised of all volunteers who operate the Bush character and effects.

Cohen himself trains the volunteers and sends out a call to action to members when an event is coming to their area.

Although Cohen was one of the co-founders of Ben & Jerry's and sold the company in 2000 to Unilever, Cohen said this political venture has nothing to do with their famous ice cream.

Ironically, Unilever is the same company who owns Slim-Fast, who fired Whoopi Goldberg last week for her distasteful tirade against Bush at a recent fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry.

Nevertheless, Cohen said he has only received positive comments about his Bush entourage and has plans to start a second one in the coming weeks.

As for charges that he is disrespecting Bush with this, Cohen said an image of the president with flames coming out of his back side is perfectly acceptable considering the message he is trying to convey.

"I believe that it's disrespectful of the president to essentially lead the country based on lies," Cohen concluded to the AP. "If that happens, then I believe it's actually our patriotic duty to make people aware of it."

The "Pants On Fire Tour" began in Long Island, NY last November and is scheduled to run until the November elections. It has been to the states of Florida, Texas, New York, Arizona, Colorado and Washington.