Source: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Inauguration/story?id=406639&page=1
Oh, that’s right. When it started becoming apparent that WMDs would probably not be found, the Administration changed excuses.
Given that anybody can make a mistake, why is it that Bush seems to offer no contrition for this error in judgement, but instead seems to gloat?
Does this count as a lie, Bushies?
I might actually believe him, if he had actually made any case other than WMDs for his reason of invading Iraq. There were many possible things he could have brought up… but the only thing he did was WMDs and Al Qaeda. Going back on that now is stupid.
I expect his book to say “Yep, and I’d do it again”. I believe a little more when people say he wanted to invade Iraq from the second he took office.
Gee. I said this very same thing a few months ago.
Duckster-
I know the reason for the gloating but I can’t seem to put the words to it. To him Iraq was 100% no doubt about it the right thing to do and he is basically incredulous that people can others can disagree. Its not so much gloating as it is pompous arrogance with a dash of ‘folksiness’. I get the same from my father at times and it is pretty infuriating. There is no logic you can use to show them that they may be wrong.
As to changing excuses part of the argument (at least mine) was that if we are wrong what have we done? Well we have removed a brutal dictator and (hopefully) replaced it with democracy. Each day that passes the latter part of that is more and more in jeopardy. I fear that we are on the precipice here and could go tumbling over any day. Unfortunately much of the problems were created by poor planning and decision making from the top of this administration. Whether that be by incompentance or faulty intelligence it has caused more deaths than were necessary.
As far as Iraq being the right thing to do with the information we have now I don’t see how anyone can justify it. Our troops/money could have been used more effectively elsewhere to relieve civilian suffering namely Africa. However that doesn’t necessairly mean the original decision was the wrong one to make. With hindsight it is clear that we made a mistake and I personally apologize to all that have suffered for my mistake in supporting this war.
Jake-
Have you recieved your official Doper Bush Bashing Chorus t-shirt yet? If not be sure to send in your money and you will get it promptly.
Not yet, I still need 3 more cereal box tops. I’ll freely admit that I’m in a Bush funk right now.
A couple things we know. First, they’ve had since just before Christmas to think this over. No doubt, they considered several possible routes.
Humble home boy from rural Midland: “Well, shucks, folks, I really, really thought about this, and, gosh darn it, I reckon I made a mistake. Kind of mistake anybody could make, and I’m pretty sure the American people will understand…” Upside: appealing, folksy, draws sympathy. Downside: “Mistake” Never. Never. Never.
Conspiracy Theory: They were there, but an evil cabal of Freemasons and Illuminati spirited them away and/or hid them in the desert. Upside: answers all the questions, doesn’t require proof, immune to counter-proof. Downside: dumber than a barrell of hair.
Brazen it out: Doesn’t matter, never really mattered, wasn’t about WMD anyway, I won, fuck you. Pretend it never happened. Upside: shows over, move along. Downside: you really can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
“Absolutely”? Looks like Door # 3.
And it may be a really, really big mistake. It sort of says that all the Bushiviks ever cared about was winning the election. This will not sit that well with Congresscritters, who are already nervous. They start running for re-election five minutes after their opponent concedes. Bush is pressing for his SocSec agenda, and it will either go down in flames or be diluted into irrelevance.
The Congresscritters don’t want to have to choose. If Bush demands their loyalty, they will start edging towards the lifeboats.
GeeDubya might be a lame duck before he’s even inaugarated. Said it before, say it again: keep your eye on Tom DeLay (R-Undead). If he bites it, its because no one is willing to sacrifice themselves to give him cover, it means that the Republican Jacobins will be trundling towards the guillotine.
Big worry: that he will try to recover his standing with Bold Leadership. Disaster for him, yes. Disaster for us? Likely. Because this is a man who does not suffer doubt. God help us.
Let’s not forget this line that came across the wire today as well:
“I don’t see how you can be president without a relationship with the Lord.”
If one combines both comments, how can Bush deflect any criticism from Muslims in the Middle East that Bush is actually running a holy war against them?
Pip, pip. Good show, that.
Man hasn’t even been inaugurated. I mean, it’s fuckin’ mind-boggling how totally screwed Iraq is. I was hoping the Iraqi elections might provide a good face-saving cover for getting out of there, but now it looks like it’ll just be a bloodbath that will force us to stick around to keep the place from disintegrating into a mad hell - except that it will anyway, even if we stick around, possibly more so if we do.
Damned if we do, totally fucked over if we don’t. A classic Bush Bind.
rotflmao
I can’t believe he actually said that.
rethinks the pages of excuses on “why do people accept Bush’s lies” and “why do people accept Bush’s incompetency” threads
Bah. Nevermind.
Because religious fundamentalism is only bad in Islam. Christian fundamentalism is all good.
Man, I’d hate to be an American soldier on patrol duty once Al Jazeera picks up that quote.
Jake the Plumber:
Can you offer any proof on this? As I recall, all his speeches before the war mentioned other stuff too, like Saddam’s human rights record and his defiance of U.N. resolutions. Even if it’s true that the emphasis most people put was on WMD and Al-Qaeda, I certainly recall them not being “the only things.”
Thank you (I think)
Duckster-
Is there something more specific you want to debate here? I fear this is close to degrading into another ‘Bush is a big poopyhead’.
I don’t know why the OP is so surprised, given Bush’s resistance to admitting mistakes, multiple reasons for going to war (even if many did amount to “Saddam is a bad man”), and previous statements, even before the report was released, saying what he pretty much says in the quote.
As an aside - anyone know why the OP was banned?
I cant find it, but was enjoying the debates he was involved in.
Sin
Just so everyone’s clear, it appears Duckster is safe and sound, Jake the Plumber has been banned. I don’t know, but there was a guy I went to high school with named Jake Plumber. We called him Jake the Snake.
/whogivesashit
Oops - my bad.
Sorry to imply that Duckster was banned.
Thats what happens when you skip the 1st coffee of the day…
Sin
The ‘other reasons’ Bush provided to justify the war, other than WMD, were more to do with trying to get doubters on board, those who didn’t believe there was sufficient evidence or that inspections needed more time to carry out their work.
Those ‘other reasons’ were a sop to those people who wold not be convinced (quite righly) about the veracity of those WMD claims.
The ‘other reasons’ were not sufficient justification in themselves alone, as these were countered many times with reports of similar and worse HR abuses in other nations, particularly Zimbabwe.
All these ‘other reasons’ were about, was damping down the level of concern about the lack of WMD evidence, like a scattergun approach.
Why am I picturing you as the love child of Bertie Wooster and Eugene V. Debs?
Not a bit of it, old muttonchop! Merely expressing approval for a display of good sense and honesty. Could do with a bit more of that, don’t you think? Or don’t you?
Oh, I share your approbation of good sense and honesty, indubitably. I just hope you don’t go stealing silver cow creamers at Totleigh Manor for your Aunt Dahlia.