Bush press conference -- annotated highlights

[lwcon]

In case you missed Bush's presser today:

As with most of Bush's recent press conferences, his confidence and speaking patterns varied wildly thoughout it, from fairly composed to awkward and lost.

The big news, of course, is that Rumsfeld is out, and Robert Gates is in.

The press corps sat silent as Bush stammered through a lame joke about giving Nancy Pelosi the names of Republican interior decorators. No big deal. The news media has better things to report on than a botched joke.

He felt the need to reassure everybody, including terrorists, about the election: "To our enemies, do not be joyful.... To the people of Iraq, do not be fearful.... To our brave men and women in uniform, don't be doubtful."

Bush admitted having lied to reporters last week when he said Rumsfeld was staying on: "the only way... to get you onto another question was to give you that answer." Later on, he backpedalled into a claim that he didn't decide to make the move until yesterday.

Anyway, it was the damned reporter's fault. "That kind of question, a wise question by a seasoned reporter is the kind of thing that cause, heh-heh, one to either inject major military decisions at the end of a campaign or not."

He again promised not to succeed in the war on terror: "This enemy is not going away after my presidency."

He avowed that the "Democrat" Party also cared about security. At least I think he did, depending on how you interpret his saying that the Dems' different perspective "doesn't mean they don't want America to get attacked." Actually he did repeat this point more clearly: "No leader in Washington is going to walk away from protecting the country." I guess he needs to get the word to the RNC, whose America Weakly fake-news site says "Just Say 'No': Dems End Security Measures."

Stunning admission about why Americans chose Democrats over Republicans in yesterday's election: "People want their congressmen to be honest and ethical. In some races that was the primary factor."

Strangest nitpicking: repeatedly insisting that his admission that the GOP got a "thumpin'" be qualified: "I said the elections were close, I said the cumulative effect (was a thumpin')."

Another revealing line, re: why he didn't see the "thumpin'" coming: "I'm an optimistic person." And no wonder. No matter what he's ever done, until now, he was always rewarded with flowers and chocolates.

Best general-purpose soundbite: "You think I'm nuts?"

Best intentional humor: Asked if he had any metrics about his "reading contest with Mr. Rove," Bush answered: "I'm losing. I obviously was working harder on the campaign than he was."

Best out-of-context quote: "It's very important that the people understand the consequences of failure." He said it about Iraq, but understanding failure begins at home.

Next code-word we're going to be hearing a lot of: "entitlements." Sounds like he'll be using it to push privatizing Social Security and/or cuts in services.

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[BleedingHeartPatriot]

1. Thanks for the summation. I hate that gwb only does these pressers during the day,

although, I suppose I can understand the two reasons that this is so.

1. He isn't as drunk/stoned/drugged late morning/early afternoon, as he is later in the day. Especially, after 5 PM. (The last time he did anything after 7 PM was when the Minutemen demonstrated (all 18 of them) in front of the White House and he gave a prime time address about his brilliant plan to put the NG on the US/Mexican border.

2. Less people will be watching CNN between 10 AM and 1 PM than will be watching NBC/CBS/ABC at 5 or 6 PM, so less people will be able to see his "live" performances, which are always disastrous.

BTW, here's the link to the DU discussion during the press conference:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2638398&mesg_id=2643009

I promise you'll laugh your ass off!

K & R, for a great summation! MKJ

:kick: