WashPost Interviews Bush, Demands He Bend to Will of Democrats, Er, The People

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President Bush submitted to a 25-minute interview Tuesday with the three Washington Post White House correspondents: Peter Baker, Michael Fletcher, and Michael Abramowitz. The transcript in today's Post leaves the definite impression it was another game of asking "when will you submit to the will of the Democrats, er, the people?" The tone of questioning suggests Bush is denying the reality that America is now in the capable hands of a MoveOn.org majority, and demands that he "listen" to their wish list, since his wishes are no longer viable:

Given the election results, is increasing the troop level in Iraq even a viable possibility or option?

Yes, Mike, all options are viable.

– given the political will out there?

Well, all options are viable. I think what the people want is -- they want a couple of things. They want to see Democrats and Republicans work together to achieve a common objective, and they want us to win in Iraq....

But the election results seemed people wanted to bring the venture in Iraq to closure. That seemed to be the strong lesson. And what indications are there that you're actually listening to that sentiment?

Oh, Mike, look, I want to achieve the objective....There's not a lot of people saying, "Get out now." Most Americans are saying, "We want to achieve the objective."

But there are a lot of people who are saying, "Let's get out with a phased deployment over a certain period of time."

If they felt -- if that leads to victory, it needs to be seriously considered. And I'm considering all options and listening very carefully to a lot of good people who have got different opinions about how to proceed.

The Posties also tried to force the president to acknowledge we've lost Iraq, that it's a "fiasco," to quote one of the reporter/authors at the Post. Bush explained that he is speaking to four audiences when he talks about progress on the war front: the first is the American people. But the second is the enemy, the third is the Iraqi people, and the fourth is the troops. He wants to send a message of determination and resolve. Then he turned to the "objective" press:

Anyway, you just need to know that's who I'm speaking to when I speak. And to you, of course. You're the objective filter through which my -- (Laughter.)

I suspect your message gets out. (Laughter.)

I do want to say something about the press. I hope you realize that, one, I enjoy the relationship, and two, know it is vital for my presidency. You can't exist without me, and I can't exist without you. And I generally respect the hard work of the press corps. I don't necessarily generally respect every word you write, but nevertheless, I do respect the fact that you're a hardworking group of people seeking the truth. And we're necessary for each other. And that relationship can either be a positive relationship or a suspicious, harmful relationship. And I have worked hard to make it a positive relationship. And I think it is, generally, I do believe it is. And I bear no ill will, and I don't think you do, either.

We appreciate that, and you've certainly been good for business --

Good. That's what decision-makers do, Peter, people who seize the moment and make decisions to lead give people things to write about.

I suspect the liberal base of the Washington Post's audience won't like Peter Baker suggesting Bush has been "good for business." They'll suggest he's been horrible for the country, regardless of the Washington Post Company bottom line.

—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.


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If Bush is good for WaPo business - I hope he keeps it up.

If Bush is good for WaPo business - I hope he keeps it up.

Another 5 years of their circulation and revenue figures and they will be history.

ACA

...

Acaiguana says:  "Ya can't win if ya don't play."

AmenFight Terrorism at home -

Amen

Fight Terrorism at home - defeat a liberal!

These are some sort of char

These are some sort of characters... They are so out of touch with reality. Anyways, I think the Pres. handled them great.

Bush supporters have be


Bush supporters have become
the "town drunk" no one takes anything they say seriously, and people
look at them and feel a sense of pity. The Bush supporters are still living in
the glory days right after 911...when they actually had power and they were
significant. Now they've become insignificant and the power that they once had,
was used and abused. The American people got fed up with this abuse, so they
stripped them of their power.

It's rather amusing to read sites like "News Busters" and other right
wing extremists sites, these people are totally detached from reality. They
continue to blame the Democrats and Liberals for Bush's failings. They act as
if the Democrats and Liberals have been in charge for the last six years. Bush
had a Republican Senate and a Republican Congress, and yet he still failed
miserably.

It was not only because of his incompetence, but also because of the corruption
within the Republican party. It's kind of hard to do your job when you're doing
shady underhanded stuff, like rubbing shoulders with crooked lobbyists or
covering up the actions of a child predator. The town drunks must go through a
12 step program in order to reach sobriety. The first step should be facing
reality not creating a reality that you can deal with. Aren't you guys tired of
looking at pink spotted elephants?

Where does Newsbusters advertise they are a Bush supporter?

rainlillie...can you tell me where Newsbusters states that they are "Bush supporters"? Last I read and it was a moment ago, a section you might want to check out, they are a project of the Media Research Center and their objective is to expose and neutralize liberal media bias.

Now I know that Newsbusters is a very challenging website to navigate with words like "forum" "home" "blogs" and the magic "about" sections but if you give it the old college try, you can yourself go to the "about" section and read what they are about.

I myself am a moderate on some issues a conservative on some and some would say liberal on others. For example I am not a supporter of abortion legislation, I believe it is best to be left between a woman or wife/husband and their doctor. That would qualify me as a lib on that issue. But when I watch the MsM such as the dinosaurs of NBC, ABC and that other one that Katie is successfully losing thousands of viewers for each day...uh CBS...when I watch them report on the issue they most often characterize those that support abortion legislation as looney extremist and thoughtless bigots. I may be on the other side of the aisle but I am not so stupid that I can't detect the MsM characterizes the pro-choicers as intelligent, sophisticated and appealingly progressive and the anti-abortion side (I reluctantly use pro-choice and anti-abortion terms but do so for convenience and familiarity) populated by nuts like Randall Terry when that is as far from the case as can be...I see the bias myself though I disagree with them.

And this is one reason why I enjoy Newsbusters so much. They are exposing the hypocrisies of the libs in the media. They want an honest and consistent dialogue. I do too.

You see rainlillie, it is libs and super-libs like you that give your group a bad name and a black eye. You don't even have the integrity to read what Newsbusters clearly states is their mission and none of it includes supporting President Bush. I don't like the President's leadership on a number of points myself, in fact I think he is a very mediocre man regarding his role as President, but in no way do I believe Newsbusters has taken any stated position on the President. They aren't here giving stamps of approval to politicians, they deal with the media. And again, this is where your shame comes in and consistently but sadly, you are par for the course of a lib and super-lib of today.

Instead of honestly representing the arguments or your opponents of giving credence to the validity of their strengths, you do the very thing you complain about against them. You mischaracterize them and misrepresent them. Shame on you. You don't have to agree but at least have enough self-respect to read what Newsbusters is about and not give in to the selfish and self-aggrandizing temptation to misrepresent them just to tickle your tummy and pat yourself on the head for doing a good job of lying about your opponent and hoping someone believes you.

If you claim to be a conservative, please don't disgrace yourself and conservatism by thinking and arguing like a liberal.

Not coming to the site for a few weeks hasn't helped your IQ.

Not coming to the site for a few weeks hasn't helped your IQ.

Try a few more months.  They say the brain is like a muscle.  Exercise strengthens muscles.

Good luck.

ACA

...

Acaiguana says:  "Ya can't win if ya don't play."

Liberals love dead Americ

Liberals love dead Americans

Brute Force: If It Doesn't Work, then You're Just not Using Enough!

Is this another liberal att

Is this another liberal attempt at humor, or is this idiot actually trying to suggest the enormous failures of the "liberal generation" prior to 2001 haven't been monumental obstacles to victory in this current fight?

Since this dungball uses terms like "child predator" and "corruption" so freely -- how easy is it to run off the list of noted liberal sex criminals? -- let's just make sure little miss/mister/it clueless here understands the real world. We are fortunate 9/11 didn't involve nuclear weapons, but allowing liberals to gain a shred of political power would certainly usher in their use in the next attack on US soil. We are fortunate destroying the regime of Saddam Hussein was absolutely the right thing to do, putting like minded regimes on notice invading neighboring countries and mass murder will be forcibly addressed. We are fortunate the insanity of Iran and North Korea have been fully exposed and isolated by the Bush team, not coddled and empowered as previous liberal camps have done, much to the detriment of global security.

Failing to address the Iraq issue throughout his tenure as liar, cheater, and fraud -in-chief, Bill Clinton allowed the emerging threats to prosper and flourish, forcing future administrations to confront the threats openly -- having to actually admit the military option is all that remains after horrific embarassments in Clinton foreign policy (Balkans, North Korea, Mid-east, etc., etc., etc.).

Yet, legitimate Americans continue to "hear" from the likes of these dingbats who deliberately ignore facts in order to advance their fallacious, fraudulent, and feckless agenda. Liberals and their minions are the most destructive and poisonous influence in their little corner of the septic tank. The sooner legitimate Americans find the quickest and most efficient method of rendering the contemporary American liberal completely impotent and historically irrevelant, the quicker America recovers from the maddening downward spiral these liberals have attempted to steer this nation into.

Lillie is a frequent driveby

Lillie is a frequent driveby and usually makes no sense.  She will pass and usually not answer.  What she and most libs forget is that President Bush is the the President til Jan 20 2009 

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark. -- save my gun, shoot a liberal.

Silly, silly, silly

Rainlille, this is just silly. I cannot think of nicer words to use to describe this attack on people you do not know. It is also wrong-headed. If Bush supporters where so impotent, why would the MSM be getting their panties in a knot about Sen. Johnson.

From your diatribe it is clear you have no idea how Realpolitick works. You seem to think that the Democrats are in power and can ram things thru as they wish. That is not true. They do not have enough members to completely control either chamber and with many moderates elected, they might line up with the Republicans, especially in the House where they will want to be re-elected in two years.

Our real problem, then, is not our strength today; it is rather the vital necessity of action today to ensure our strength tomorrow. Dwight Eisenhower

It's kind of hard to do your

It's kind of hard to do your job when you're doing shady underhanded stuff, like rubbing shoulders with crooked lobbyists or covering up the actions of a child predator.

After all, you as a terrorist-enabling, America-hating Marxist/Leninist type would know, as it was your party that wrote the book on political corruption.

Bush had a Republican Senate and a Republican Congress, and yet he still failed miserably.

In what way has Bush been a failure? By removing Saddam from power? Regime change in Iraq, in case you have forgotten, was the standard policy of the Clinton administration and was duly authorized by your America-hating friends at the UN.

Given the miserable failures of the Kennedy, Johnson, Carter and Clinton administrations, you as member of the Marxist/Leninist party should be real careful who you point to as being incompetent.

Bill Clinton giving missile technology to the Chicoms and nuclear technology to the N. Koreans as well as the Iranians is about to turn around and bite this world squarely in the ass. Iran is now saying they are going to begin sharing their nuclear know-how with their "friends" in the region.

At the end of the day, all you terrorist enablers and appeasers, along with your fellow cowardly friends in the DumbMass Media are really going to accomplish is ensuring that the coming global conflict is going to be far, far more widespread and much more deadly than it needs to be. Hitler could have been stopped early on, with very little bloodshed.  Because of people like you, many millions died as a result. It didn't have to be that way.

They day is coming, and I believe very soon, when people will look back on the number of our brave soldiers who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan and will consider it a bargain.

Maybe when we lose an American city you head-up-your-ass liberals will finally figure out what we are facing. Although, given the fact that most of you are Marxist/Leninists to the bone, you probably won't even care.  After all, your favorite form of government has been the most murderous the world has yet seen, so what's a few hundred thousand dead Americans if it furthers the cause, eh, comrade?

That troll has been SHACKED

That troll has been SHACKED!

Good. That's what decision-ma

Good. That's what decision-makers do, Peter, people who seize the moment and make decisions to lead give people things to write about.  ~ George Bush

Well, that statement certainly isn't going to endear the President to the democrat lackeys (oops, MsM).

What with all their hair-tearing, teeth gnashing and all, and still the President refuses to cave in and govern a-la Clinton, with his finger in the air and his eye on the polls.  Good for him.

Too bad the left (I need point no further that lillypad's drive by post above) are too obtuse to understand the man means what he says.

Damnit Blonde, I let her get

Damnit Blonde, I let her get to me again.

Dave,So how does that get me

Dave,

So how does that get me a "Damnit Blonde"?

Kidding...I'm actually laughing about that one, one of my favorite people in the whole wide world used to use that phrase all the time.  Thanks for the laugh.

Old lillypad just has that effect on people.  Like a bad wreck on the side of the road...you know you shouldn't do it, but you just can't help looking.

I guess I am a little chagri

I guess I am a little chagrined as I thought that the above was one of my better rebuttel efforts around here recently, as we are rather busy here in the orifice these days (I was on hold with a client for 12 whole minutes!) and I wasted it all on a hit and run troll, the same one who sucked me in a couple of weeks ago.

Maybe I need an Alzheimers test or something. Geez.

Like I said...it's the wreck

Like I said...it's the wreck syndrome.  You just got overwhelmed by the stupidity and had to respond.  Just think of it as practice for the next idiot troll who drops by.

I guess my office is busy too....too bad I'm not there!  I finally got smart and got off the laptop and onto my home p.c.  Now I am actually enjoying my day off!  No bleeping e-mails. ;-)