* "I'll ask myself a follow-up...why did you use military action in Iraq?"

[omega minimo]

A while back, The Late Show showed footage
of Bush on camera, waiting to go “on.”
He was nervous and shifty, at a podium facing the camera,
not sure where to look.
It looked like the porch light was on but nobody home.
He looked like a deer caught in headlights, reduced to a trapped animal state.

Was someone in his ear?
Was he waiting for someone to be in his ear?
He really looked lost and near frantic, but blank.

Human beings never look like that.
Is he a captive, a trained monkey,
a MES-Sage De-LIV-Er-Er?

If you’ve ever been to any public forum, with local, regional or state officials, when they don’t want the Good Questions asked (or answered) ya’ll know they send the dumb guy to be the spokesman-- a bland, pleasant Dan Quayle type or green-behind-the-ears up and comer. If you have the Real Power at the podium, people might ask those Good Questions and expect some Real Answers.

Today’s press conference is another opportunity to play “Catch Dubya....waitforit.......Delivering the Prompt!” and watch someone walking a tightrope-- how aware is he of being a puppet and how much does he think he’s in charge? Somewhere on that knife's edge is the Color Code of our own deepest fears, that the Pronouncer-In-Chief is either medicated to dampen his awareness that he is a phony mouthpiece-- or that he actually believes he’s callin' the shots.



http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/white_house/july-dec06/bush_10-11.html

JOURNALIST: I want to ask you a little bit about -- I want to follow on the criticism that you've received for the suggestions from Senator Warner and from James Baker, and now Olympia Snowe. This is not exactly the board of directors for MoveOn.org. Do you...

GEORGE W. BUSH: That's true.

JOURNALIST: Do you feel in some way that there is some shift going on, in terms of the general support for the war in Iraq and your strategy specifically? And do you ever feel like the walls are closing in on you, in terms of support for this?

GEORGE W. BUSH: Jim, I understand how hard it is. And I also understand the stakes. And let me go back to" ......CATAPULT THE PROPAGANDA HARD WORK........................

JOURNALIST: You said yesterday in your statement that the North Korean nuclear test was unacceptable. I'm wondering, sir, your administration has issued these kinds of warnings pretty regularly over the last five years, and yet these countries have pursued their nuclear programs. I'm wondering if you -- what is different about the current set of warnings? And do you think the administration and our government runs a risk of looking feckless to the world by issuing these kinds of warnings regularly without, you know, response from the countries?

GEORGE W. BUSH: That's a fair question. First of all, I am making it clear our policy hasn't changed. It's important for the folks to understand that we don't continually shift our goals based upon, you know, polls or -- whatever. See, I think clarity of purpose is very important to rally a diplomatic effort to solve the problem. And so I try to speak as clearly as I can and make sure there's no ambiguity in our position. And to answer your question as to whether or not, you know, the words will be empty.....

<snip>

I thought you were going to ask the question, how come you don't use military action now? And my answer is that I believe the commander-in-chief must try all diplomatic measures before we commit our military. And I believe that diplomacy is -- you know, we're making progress when we've got others at the table.

You know, I'll ask myself a follow-up. If that's the case, why did you use military action in Iraq? And the reason why is because we tried the diplomacy. We tried resolution after resolution after resolution. All of these situations are -- each of them different and require a different response, a different effort to try to solve this peacefully. And we'll continue to do so.



<snip>

JIM LEHRER: Do you see it the same way?

JESSICA MATHEWS: I think we're beyond that. I think what the American people are wondering is whether we are in this because some kind of a victory is possible or whether we're in this to avoid a catastrophic loss.

[madmusic]

1. Even see magic shows and the magician knows who to pick in the crowd?

It's so tricky it fools everyone.

[omega minimo]

2. sometimes i feel sorry for *

[omega minimo]

3. "victory is possible or whether we're in this to avoid catastrophic loss"

JESSICA MATHEWS: I think we're beyond that. I think what the American people are wondering is whether we are in this because some kind of a victory is possible or whether we're in this to avoid a catastrophic loss.

[spanone]

4. They never answer the question. Never.

[omega minimo]

6. Gotta Catapult The Propaganda, Repeat the Same Message Over and Over

Til The Murican People Unnerstan............

Yesterday it was "folks understand" not the old "The American People." Maybe he knows he's only reaching a handful of "folks."

[peekaloo]

5. I believe that was Jim Axelrod of CBS asking that question(s).

Axelrod actually makes me miss John Roberts. JA tries to soften his questions by buddying up to Bu$h (he started with a clothes remark, continuing a riff that Bu$h started with a previous "journalist").

What a joke, Bu$h "speaking clearly". :eyes:

[omega minimo]

7. Yeah telling "folks" he's speaking clearly, not quite the same as doing it

Thanks for the name. The text is from the Newshour transcript. Even with the fluffy sugar coating both those questions IMHO were pointed and potentially embarrassing to *. One the tape the journalists seem a bit more bold....... considering how protected from reality * is.

[Bandit]

8. It is obvious from his answers he has no idea of the meaning of diplomacy

We tried resolution after resolution after resolution. How is that diplomacy? Diplomacy is talking to someone, not making unrealistic demands without ever hearing the other side. They never once talked to anyone from Iraq.. Never once and they are not talking to anyone from Iran or Korea only making Demands and they call that diplomacy...

[omega minimo]

9. Funny. They're talking about diplomacy now.......................

after spending 6 years destroying it.