Howard Fineman, a journalist, playing at being a psychologist, without a degree. Does he have a degree in anything?

in 2000 fineman wrote a piece in newsweek trying to define bush jr before the election.  he wrote this big article about how awful bush senior was (and obviously his son) for not following up and getting rid of saddam and what a threat saddam was and that he had wmds and etc and etc.  he referred to several democratic politicians (i believe dodd was one) and some liberal "experts" who criticized bush for not following up to rid us of this awful threat.   you can get past issues of newsweek and read it.

he is nothing more than a partisan politcial hack.

The MSM in early 1864:

Mr. Lincoln, Generals McDowell, McClellan, Pope, Burnside and Hooker all failed in their attempts to defeat General Lee and take Richmond, and General Meade blundered when he allowed Lee's army to escape after Gettysburg. What makes you think Gen Grant will be any more successful?  Isn't it true that you cannot win this war militarily and that the only way to establish peace is through negotitations?

Here's my take on it, you can decide if he was cocky, tough, or scared.  This was my daily email to Chris Matthews and Hardball where Fineman perches.

I used the heading, "funniest take on the President's speech last night"hardball@msnbc.com -------------------------------Bush's best line of the night-possible the best and most important line he's spoken since his Jan29, 2002 Axis of Evil State of the Union speech:

" It is fair to hold our views up to scrutiny. And all involved have a responsibility to explain how the path they propose would be more likely to succeed. "

Most people didn't even see the right cross across Howard Dean's face. It happened so fast, with such textbook precision, and with such clarity and deliberate effect of purpose that few even notice it today.

Let's look at the replay:
"It is fair to hold our views up to scrutiny. "
Here the President is holding out his hand in an obvious effort to hold the door open to those who wish to leave the anti-war party and walk back into our plane of reality where a 'just leave' strategy seems viable, acceptable, and even good.

"And all involved have a responsibility..."
Here we see the President's comforting and welcoming gesture of an apparent call for bi-partisanship. It sounds so warm and fuzzy. It's a can't-we-all-get-along lovefest. But what's really happening is that his outstretched arm of embracing is drawing attention and while no one notices, his left shoulder has moved forward bracing upon his left foot.

"...to explain how the path they propose would be more likely to succeed. "

KA-POW!!! The right arm of open embracing and apparent love for healthy debate and sweet unity while casting aside the partisanship that's divided the nation and threatens to lose another American war in the exact same manner as Vietnam....wha!? It wasn't an outreach. The President just wound up and in those closing 13 words of his 19 word move, he just crushed Howard Dean and every single Democratic piece of post-powergrab opposition rhetoric.

Here it is again....listen carefully to the sound of the wheels that had been spinning in opposition members minds as they clung on every word looking for a way to strike, when hit...they machinery stops in an instant-

"...to explain how the path they propose would be more likely to succeed. "

Friends, that's perfect rhetorical boxing imo. The only thing that could have taken that from a 10/10 to an 11 would've been bigger speakers (exclusive to Spinal Tap) and the inclusion of "A New Direction In Iraq"  http://newsbusters.org/node/8944

For example, if the President had instead said,
"It is fair to hold our views up to scrutiny. And all involved have a responsibility to explain how the path they propose would be more likely to bring success and take us in A New Direction In Iraq. "
OMG, I think Chris Matthews would've had a stroke. Those 5 words of that were the crux of the Dem's midterm campaign promises, "A New Direction In Iraq." They hang upon their necks like an .....
....well, like an elephant. Problem with power is it comes with responsibility, and Dems have to be more than just the opposition party now.  They have to PUT UP OR SHUT UP "It is fair to hold our views up to scrutiny. And all involved have a responsibility to explain how the path they propose would be more likely to succeed. " LOL!  Anyone seen that vaunted, "New Direction In Iraq" plan that Dean, Pelosi, Reid, and other Dem leaders tricked voters into believing even existed? Anyone who believes the Dems have any sort of plan, or that one can want America to succeed and/or win in Iraq while being anti-war in Iraq....well, they're just pawns to the Deans of the party.  

Did that lack confidence?  Did he seem weak when he just bitchslapped every hollow Dem leader who complains about the war without offering options, who promised us a plan called "A New Direction In Iraq," but admitted they never even formed a brainstorm committee (it was all just a pandering PR scheme to con people like Matthews, Fineman, and other political pawns into selling Dems as a better option while they offered nothing but sizzle, sold it as steak, and tasteless hacks like Fineman, Matthews and a long list of others bought it.

http://newsbusters.org/node/8944

BWUhahahahahahahaha!!!!!  Now they're so frustrated that they'll eat BS and call it steak even KNOWING its BS

http://newsbusters.org/node/9974#comment-254600

Bush kept talking about things that the Iraqi government "must" do. My question is "What if they don't/can't ?" What are we going to do then ?

....was posted at 7:43 PM Pacific Time, or a little over an hour after the president finished.

I'm just guessing here, but I'll bet Howie Not-so-Fineman had probably already written it.  All he then had to do was make a few strategic edits and send it on its way.

I quit listening to Fineman a long time ago, when I see him, I usually turn it, unless there happens to be to a conservative next to him I think will get the chance to talk, otherwise he is just dust in the wind to me.

"If we ever forget that we are a Nation Under God....then we will be a Nation Gone Under."  Ronald Reagan