Bush says a bunch of stupid things, and America to be in Iraq till 2008

[Grimmlok]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush said Tuesday the decision about when to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq will fall to future presidents and Iraqi leaders, suggesting that U.S. involvement will continue at least through 2008.

Acknowledging the public's growing unease with the war - and election-year skittishness among fellow Republicans - the president nonetheless vowed to keep U.S. soliders in the fight.

"If I didn't believe we could suceeed, I wouldn't be there. I wouldn't put those kids there," Bush declared.

He also stood by embattled Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld.

"I don't believe he should resign. He's done a fine job. Every war plan looks good on paper until you meet the enemy," he said. Except that nothing was put to paper, no plan, no contingencies for occupation and he thought US troops would be greeted with flowers and chocolate. Heckuva job, Rummy.

In his second-full blown news conference of the year, Bush confronted his political problems by addressing them directly.

"Nobody likes war. It creates a sense of uncertainty in the country," he said. "War creates trauma." Omg war creates trauma! I had no idea! Any more brilliance you want to toss our way?

The public's support for the war and the president himself has declined dramatically in recent months, jeopardizing his second-term agenda. "I'd say I'm spending that capital on the war," Bush said when asked about the political capital he carried out of the 2004 re-electon campaign.

When asked about his failed Social Security plan, Bush simply said: "I didn't get done." But he defiantly defended his warrantless eavesdropping program, and baited Democrats who suggest that he broke the law.

Calling a censure resolution "needless partisanship," Bush challenged Democrats to go into the November midterm elections in oppostion to eavesdropping on suspected terrorists. "They ought to stand up and say, `The tools we're using to protect the American people should not be used,'" Bush said. No, the tools should be used properly and within the law to protect the American people, not above the law or completely disregarding it like you have done. I love how he phrases these things in the most silly and simple way possible.

The news conference marked a new push by Bush to confront doubts about his strategy in Iraq. A day earlier, he acknowledged to a sometimes skeptical audience that there was dwindling support for his Iraq policy and that he understood why people were disheartened.

"The terrorists haven't given up. They're tough-minded. They like to kill," he said Tuesday. "There will be more tough fighting ahead." Yes, and there's more of them now that you've turned Iraq into a one stop terrorist shopping mall

The president said he did not agree with former interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, who told the British Broadcasting Corporation Sunday, "If this is not civil war, then God knows what civil war is."

Bush said others inside and outside Iraq think the nation has stopped short of civil war. "There are other voices coming out of Iraq, by the way, other than Mr. Allawi, who I know by the way - like. A good fellow." One would think the elected Prime Minister would be the voice people woud listen to.

"We all recogized that there is violence, that there is sectarian violance. But the way I look at the situation is the Iraqis looked and decided not to go into civil war." What, just because you say it didn't? Everyone else says it has, but you can just wish that away by saying otherwise despite the evidence at hand..

Nearly four out of five Americans, including 70 percent of Republicans, believe civil war will break out in Iraq, according to a recent AP-Ipsos poll.

Bush said he's confident of victory in Iraq. "I'm optimistic we'll suceed. If not, I'd pull our troops out," he said. So if Iraq falls into hell, you'll just skip town? Wow. That's responsible. You destroy a country, plan poorly for the occupation and then dispense with your legal duties as an occupying force under the articles of war once it gets too hard? You asshole.

Bush said he agreed to U.S. talks with Iran to underscore his point that Tehran's attempts to spread sectarian violence or provide support to Iraqi insurgents was unacceptable to the United States. Yeah, except that 'evidence' has been declared totally false by your military generals.

His opening remarks were designed to steel Americans for more fighting in Iraq and put an optimistic spin on the state of the U.S. economy.

"Productivity is strong. Inflation is contained. Household net worth is at an all-time high," Bush said, crediting his administration's policies. Yeah, in the top 2 percent. The rest of the nation is saddled with debt and unemployment. Do you even look out the window?

On Iraq, Bush bristled at a suggested that he wanted to wage war against that country since early in his presidency.

"I didn't want war. To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong ... with all due respect," he told a reporter. "No president wants war." To those who say otherwise, "it's simply not true," Bush said. Despite there being lots of documents and even recorded footage showing otherwise?

More than 2,300 Americans have died in three years of war in Iraq. Polls show the public's support of the war and Bush himself have dramatically declined in recent months.

Bush acknowleded that Republicans are worried about their political standing in November. "There's a certain unease as you head into an election year," he said.

Asked about former supporters who now oppose him and the war, Bush said he's trying to win them over by "talking realistically to people" about the war and its importance to the nation.

"I can understand how Americans are worried about whether or not we can win," Bush said, adding that most Americans want victory "but they're concerned about whether or not we can win."

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[AliceInWonderland]

Helen Thomas let him have it though! She's my hero!! she basically asked for justification on why he was planning on invading Iraq since he got into office and he got all mad and said "A president never wants to go to war" and shit like "9-11 happened and I vowed I'd never let that happen again" and tried to tie it to Afghanistan but it didn't work and he was all rude to her as usual, but she let him have it THANK GODDESS!

[Sojiita]

^^Isn't she the one Anne Coulter referred to as 'that old arab'?

[AliceInWonderland]

YEAH Probably that stupid bitch! she wouldn't know real journalism if it smacked her in her Adam's apple! You're supposed to ask the President questions like that and he should be able to answer them coherently, not like a retarded monkey spouting lies and propaganda!

[Sojiita]

A little off topic, but I accidentally tuned into the wrong radio station this morning..it was a conservative(straight white male) show..and even THEY were making fun of Bush! ..they were comparing him to some local sports coaches(failures) and one of them said, 'well at least they aren't getting people killed!'...maybe there is hope for the world yet.

[buttmunch]

helen Thomas rules. What a ballsy, great woman. And yes, the right wing seems to be slowly turning on el shrubbo. Even Fox news throws in snide remarks here and there.

[UndercoverGator]

You can only pretend the nekkid emporer is robed for for so long. .. how long before they go from taking snide potshots at him to demanding his head on a pike?

[Grimmlok]

THose idiots at FOX news should have their heads spiked along with Bush's. They're only turning on him now because it's demographically expedient.