# Bush Press Conference: I couldn't take it anymore... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 14, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888 "2004-04-14T01:10:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/21 "2004-04-14T01:44:07Z")
I thought he delivered his speech okay, but the Q&A was emarrassing. I sort of missed the question, but what was with the, “Uh, golly, John, I wish I knew you were going to ask that … I’m sure something will pop into my head here in a minute.”? I could sense John Kerry’s dick hardening from here. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/22 "2004-04-14T01:44:44Z")
[Text of Bush’s press conference, April 13 2004](http://pennlive.com/newsflash/lateststories/index.ssf?/base/politics-2/1081904343197120.xml) Interesting. There are differences in the text between my original link (Miami Herald, which I discovered requires registration) and the current one, which doesn’t require registration. The Herald transcript includes the line about his disappointment with the performance of some of the troops. This one doesn’t…someone’s playing with history again. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/23 "2004-04-14T01:45:36Z")
I didn’t watch or listen (I had NPR on, but I quickly turned it off when I realized what they were doing). I think too much of my head to have it explode. I would like to take this moment to thank myself for moving out of my parents house so I wouldn’t have to hear Shrubya yap on SO LOUD THE ENTIRE STREET CAN HEAR IT with my dad cheering him on. Dad, I love you, but shut. the. hell. up. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/24 "2004-04-14T01:47:31Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Did anyone hear that fucking strawman about how people who oppose invading other countries and installing puppet governments don’t believe that “Muslims with brown skin can be self governing?” Can you believe it? The fucker threw the race card at us. What a fucking scumbag, man. Holy shit. I was sick when I heard him say that. I mean, his pathetic attempts to avoid _any responsibility whatsoever_ for the intelligence failures around 9/11, on not finding WMDs in Iraq, etc. etc., was bad…but to play the race card in that way…Christ on a bicycle. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/25 "2004-04-14T01:49:09Z")
> [@pantom](#): > > For the first time in my life, I turned off a President’s news conference (State of the Union speech, Inaugural speech, etc.) in the middle. I only caught the tail end of the news conference(lucky me) and apparently someone at NBC or maybe the local affiliate here, had had enough too, because a commercial started right in the middle of one of his responses, for about 5-7 seconds, the President was pre-empted for a commercial. Classic. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/26 "2004-04-14T01:51:15Z")
I see what’s going on. The PennLive link doesn’t include the question and answer, while the Miami Herald link does. [here’s](http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/8423691.htm) the Herald transcript, with q&a. It’s a free registration. I haven’t found a non-registration link to the full transcript yet. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/27 "2004-04-14T01:57:33Z")
Is it just me or did he look terribly uncomfortable up there? He looked as if he knew he was completely unprepared to back up his stance and was unsure if his rhetoric would continue to fly. Granted, he did get some tough questions that any politician would have run from, tail between legs: (paraphrasing) “What have you said/done that you can admit was a mistake?” Ouch. Well, what was he supposed to say? “Well, um…let’s see…wait a minute. I’m the gosh-durned _President of the United States_! I don’t make mistakes.” One thing’s for sure, though. If he thinks that come November the only thing on people’s minds when they’re in the booth is Iraq, he is sadly mistaken. I _will_ remember that tonight he said that every man, woman and child is entitled to freedom. I will also remember that he would consider it a victory to amend the constitution to define the freedom of choice men & women don’t have. Thanks for making yourself crystal clear, Shrub. Stand by your convictions as long as they don’t offend your Christian sensibilities. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/28 "2004-04-14T01:59:01Z")
> [@Darwin's Finch](#): > > I was only half listening, but I thought he was referring to some of the Iraqi troops who refused to fight during the latest “unpleasantness”. I don’t recall hearing him say he was disappointed with American troops. It was Iraqi troops, according to [http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/8423691.htm](http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/8423691.htm) > [@](#): > > We’ll also need to continue training the Iraqi troops. I was disappointed in the performance of some of the troops. Some of the units performed brilliantly. Some of them didn’t. And we need to find out why. If they’re lacking in equipment, we’ll get them equipment. If there needs to be more intense training, we’ll get more intense training. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/29 "2004-04-14T02:00:02Z")
> [@Darwin's Finch](#): > > I was only half listening, but I thought he was referring to some of the Iraqi troops who refused to fight during the latest “unpleasantness”. I don’t recall hearing him say he was disappointed with American troops. Yeah, it was in the context of saying that they needed put more time and resources into training Iraqi troops, because he was disappointed with some of their performance. I thought it might have been a reference into the [suggestion that Iraqi Civil Defense Forces deliberately lured those contractors into an ambush](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/09/politics/09BLAC.html?ex=1082088000&en=d9b358956c15bdde&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE), which hardly seemed like something that could be resolved through better training. I didn’t hear about the troops who refused to fight-- that makes more sense. ([Here’s a link](http://www.insightmag.com/news/2004/04/27/World/Dod-Disappointed.With.Iraqi.Security.Forces-658701.shtml).) _previews_ > [@jayjay](#): > > The Herald transcript includes the line about his disappointment with the performance of some of the troops. This one doesn’t…someone’s playing with history again. Yes it does-- here it is: > [@](#): > > We’ll also need to continue training the Iraqi troops. I was disappointed in the performance of some of the troops. Some of the units performed brilliantly. Some of them didn’t. And we need to find out why. If they’re lacking in equipment, we’ll get them equipment. If there needs to be more intense training, we’ll get more intense training. Did it strike anyone else as a bit politically naive to let an NPR reporter have the last question? (Not that I’m complaining about what could be simple even-handedness!) He sure looked uncomfortable, though. I half-expected some collar-tugging. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/30 "2004-04-14T02:03:17Z")
> [@Jack Batty](#): > > I sort of missed the question, but what was with the, “Uh, golly, John, I wish I knew you were going to ask that … I’m sure something will pop into my head here in a minute.”? Something to the effect of “What mistakes have you made since 9/11?” See above. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/31 "2004-04-14T02:15:45Z")
> [@skutir](#): > > What was going on with his tie? Doesn’t he have wardrobe people who know what kind of tie to wear on television? Come now! That was at least entertainment for those of us who didn’t want to look at his face! ohhh pretty colors moving! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/32 "2004-04-14T02:30:33Z")
Did anyone notice that in the aftermath of the Q&A, the TV networks treated it as if Bush spoke coherently? Not one of them said anything about the babbling, the rambling, the nonsensical mutterings, the repetition, etc. The members of the press corps had to be as embarrassed as we were. Imagine. The President of the United States has demonstrated to the whole world that he’s a total idiot. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/33 "2004-04-14T02:32:43Z")
> [@Antiochus](#): > > Imagine. The President of the United States has demonstrated to the whole world that he’s a total idiot. You act as if that’s news. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/34 "2004-04-14T02:34:54Z")
I think I might have heard someone there utter, quite audibly, “Oh God” to one of his lamer responses. Was I hearing things? Or was it something else and I’m just hoping one of his handlers shit his pants at that moment? ---
**Author:** ![Bangiadore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@Bangiadore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bangiadore)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/35 "2004-04-14T02:36:34Z")
I was impressed. I learned a lot from Our President tonight, to wit: The War on Terror isn’t over yet. I didn’t know that. He was right to go into Iraq the way he did, because when an American president speaks, he needs to do what he says he’s going to do. I didn’t know that. And besides, Saddam was a bad man who gassed his own people, and he was a gathering threat. I didn’t know that. And the vast majority of Iraqis know that they’re much better off without Saddam in power, though maybe some of them don’t like being occupied so much. I didn’t know that. And that a free Iraq will make the whole world a safer and more peaceful place. I didn’t know that. And that he had to take advantage of this historic moment to change the world. I didn’t know that. And that he weeps and hugs with the families of soldiers who’ve died in Iraq. I didn’t know that. And he’s surprised he still hasn’t found out where the WMD are, but if you can hide mustard gas on a turkey farm in Libya, you can hide WMD in Iraq. I didn’t know that. And besides, Saddam refused to disarm. I didn’t know that. And Iraqi oil’s flowing ahead of projections. I didn’t know that. And that they’re still figuring out who to turn Iraq over to on June 30th. I didn’t know that. And that the PDB of August 6, 2001 was a history lesson. I didn’t know that. And if he’d known what was going to happen, he’d have moved heaven and earth to prevent it. I didn’t know that. And that the terrorists hate our freedom. I didn’t know that. And that brown-skinned people like freedom too, just not the ones who hate freedom. I didn’t know that. And that America makes sure that everybody has a good education and enough to eat. I didn’t know that. But I learned all this watching the president tonight, and I learned it well, too, because he said it all over and over again, every time some wise guy asked him some dumb, impertinent question. Oh – and I learned that he doesn’t know of a single mistake he’s made, but I guess I knew that. Whatta guy, our man in Washington. Glad he could take the time to talk to us. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/36 "2004-04-14T02:41:24Z")
> [@Bangiadore](#): > > Glad he could take the time to talk to us. You misspelled “at”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/37 "2004-04-14T02:42:11Z")
> [@Cinnamon Girl](#): > > I think I might have heard someone there utter, quite audibly, “Oh God” to one of his lamer responses. Was I hearing things? Or was it something else and I’m just hoping one of his handlers shit his pants at that moment? Just to steal from **Jack Batty’s** joke, that was John Kerry, as he came in his pants. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/38 "2004-04-14T02:45:21Z")
> [@Hentor the Barbarian](#): > > Just to steal from **Jack Batty’s** joke, that was John Kerry, as he came in his pants. Thank you, **Hentor**. Thank you very much. I’ll be going to change _my_ pants now. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/39 "2004-04-14T02:46:17Z")
Me too. Pissed right in 'em. Bastid. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-press-conference-i-couldnt-take-it-anymore/239888/40 "2004-04-14T02:48:21Z")
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