What I'm about to write may be shocking. I didn't think King George was bad, of course I had low expectations. He was his usual bumbling, rambling, unable to think on his feel self, but he didn't completely mess up.
Here was a typical exchange. Note he doesn't actually answer the question and randomly starts babbling about things that weren't asked. I fault my boy, Tim, for not pressing him harder when he just didn't answer questions.
Russert: Will you testify before the commission?
President Bush: This commission? You know, I don't testify? I will be glad to visit with them. I will be glad to share with them knowledge. I will be glad to make recommendations, if they ask for some.
I'm interested in getting I'm interested in making sure the intelligence gathering works well.
Listen, we got some five let me let me, again, just give you a sense of where I am on the intelligence systems of America. First of all, I strongly believe the CIA is ably led by George Tenet. He comes and briefs me on a regular basis about what he and his analysts see in the world.
Other gems were (on Osama):
I have no idea whether we will capture or bring him to justice, may be the best way to put it. I know we are on the hunt, and Osama bin Laden is a cold blooded killer, and he represents the nature of the enemy that we face.
[Amy says: I predict Osama is miraculously found, "dead or alive", sometime in the late summer time frame, so it's front and center in voters minds.]
On Free Societies:
See, free societies are societies that don't develop weapons of mass terror and don't blackmail the world.
[Amy says: he is suggesting that the U.S. is not free or is there a new policy where we are destroying our weapons? Inquiring minds want to know!]
On his National Guard Service:
Russert: You did were allowed to leave eight months before your term expired. Was there a reason?
President Bush: Right. Well, I was going to Harvard Business School and worked it out with the military.
[Amy says: must be nice to be special! I'm sure there are some service people in Iraq who might like to be attending HBS right now]
On the budget:
Russert: How about no more tax cuts until the budget is balanced?
President Bush: Well, that's a hypothetical question which I can't answer to you because I don't know how strong the economy is going to be.
[Amy says: yet he is counting on his tax cuts to boost the economy to the point where his budget will cut deficit in half. Can you review that math one more time, Georgie?]
On being a "uniter":
Why do you think you are perceived as such a divider?
President Bush: Gosh, I don't know, because I'm working hard to unite the country.
[Amy says: gosh darn it! I'm tryin' the best I can. I can't help it if all the heathens who are going straight to hell fight me.]
But the scariest thing he said was this:
I'll tell you, though, I'm not going to change, see? I'm not trying to accommodate I won't change my philosophy or my point of view. I believe I owe it to the American people to say what I'm going to do and do it, and to speak as clearly as I can, try to articulate as best I can why I make decisions I make, but I'm not going to change because of polls. That's just not my nature.
which says: nothing will change in my next administration if I'm re-selected. A truely frightening idea, indeed.
> read the transcript
> some reactions
> more reactions
> DNC's list of inaccuracies-----
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