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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Friday, September 15, 2006

Bush press conference at 11:15 Eastern

Today's killer question: (Atrios) If Bin Laden is on par with Hitler and Lenin, then why is catching him not a "top priority"? Or, how many US troops have died in Iraq? (How about that hemming and hawing moment?)

(Later: Did he really say the Iraq war was necessary to prevent unfriendly regimes from taking control of oil reserves?

The Newsweek guy actually asked Atrios' Killer Question.)

Later still: Rove mission #1 accomplished. In all this flutter, nobody's talking about Iraq.

posted by mikevotes at 9:52 AM

12 Comments:

  • If this is truly the fight for civilization, why are there so few troops committed to the war effort?

    Five years after Perl Harbour WWII had already been over for well over a year. Why is it that five years after 9/11 Afghanistan is slipping into a Taliban resurgence and Iraq continues to spin out of control?

    Why was it easier to defeat the Axis powers -- the Nazis, Fascists and Imperial Japan -- than capturing bin Laden?

    Would you advise burgeoning democracies to limit personal privacy, liberties and freedom of their citizens as you are doing here in America?

    The leaders who successfully brought this country through two world wars set up the Geneva Conventions and Universal Code of Justice based on the lessons they learned from those experiences. What experiences of yours have lead you to believe they got things wrong and that you have a clearer understanding of how war should be waged and justice meted out?

    By Blogger -epm, at 10:55 AM  

  • When will we know the "War on Terror®" is over? Who will sign the surrender documents?

    Do you think we are approaching the Biblical "end times," and if so do you feel called by a higher authority to commit this country to a righteous war against the evil doers regardless of cost; human or financial?

    By Blogger -epm, at 11:03 AM  

  • You are a man with a deeply held sense of faith and claim a personal relationship with God. If God told you to round up all who dissented with your judgments -- appeasers of the terrorists, as your administration has referred to them -- would you act on that command?

    Oooo, I'm just full of questions today!

    By Blogger -epm, at 11:08 AM  

  • And great questions they are!

    By Blogger zen, at 12:38 PM  

  • All great questions, EPM, although I'm not sure the last one would make a press conference.

    I really think this one really does cut to the nub of today's "argument."

    "The leaders who successfully brought this country through two world wars set up the Geneva Conventions and Universal Code of Justice based on the lessons they learned from those experiences. What experiences of yours have lead you to believe they got things wrong and that you have a clearer understanding of how war should be waged and justice meted out?"

    Because the probable "they're terrorists" response really doesn't deflate that argument.

    Mike

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 12:57 PM  

  • Yeah, those last two were just my ranting against governing with a messianic god complex...

    I saw video excerpts only, so far. Bush is freaking melting down. He is SO out of his sphere of competence... If he was a president of a small South Pacific island nation it would be funny. But with a sweep of a pen, or push of a button, this man can reshape the world... both figuratively and literally.

    By Blogger -epm, at 1:34 PM  

  • If you really want to see it, the whitehouse always puts up a video with the transcript. Honestly, reading it will probably be sufficient.

    (It's not up yet.)

    Mike

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 1:58 PM  

  • With Bush, there is so much more communicated by his body language -- jesticulations, smirks and intonations -- that I'm not sure the printed transcript can do it justice. The printed word will suffice for technical "what did he say" arguments... but for "what did he mean?"... the video is helpful.

    By Blogger -epm, at 2:25 PM  

  • I agree. He was most tight on the Iraq and Bin Laden questions.

    NYTimes has the transcript up. Now the Whitehouse does, too + the video.

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/09/20060915-2.html

    Mike

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 3:14 PM  

  • ...then why is catching him not a "top priority"

    For the same reason that eloping with Catherine Zeta Jones is no longer my number one priority. Ain't no way in hell it's gonna happen. ;-)

    By Blogger abi, at 9:18 PM  

  • Aw, C'mon. Don't give up hope.

    Catherine Zeta Jones might be in a horrible disfiguring accident that destroys her memory.

    Mike

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 10:16 PM  

  • The problem is her eyesight.

    By Blogger abi, at 11:08 AM  

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