Posted on 12/15/2003 4:53:08 PM PST by Sub-Driver
Edited on 07/06/2004 6:39:27 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Not really evasive. In his response he's conveyed a message that not all, including you, really appreciate.
BTW, this post isn't directed at you specifically, just generally to everyone that has posted to me (I don't feel like looking back on them all to name them) or read this thread.
Speaking of dancing around the issue, you have yet to provide a credible accusation about George W. Bush; all you have is a question a reporter made up to try to trap Bush.
And from the looks of your posts, you fell for it.
Even Howlin has indicated he didn't because it was the "did you beat your wife" question
Do NOT put words in my mouth to try to save your specious argument.
I never said any such thing. You completely missed my point -- that David Bloom asked a HYPOTHETICAL question -- one that had absolutely no basis in fact and one that didn't deserve an answer.
And he dealt with it by saying he wasn't going to play their game. Don't you pay any attention at all to the way reporters try to "make news" like that?
Do you realize that the ONLY book/article ever to even hint that Bush had a cocaine habit was WITHDRAWN from publication by St. Martin's Press because they couldn't find ANYBODY who had EVER seen or heard anything about George W. Bush doing drugs at all?
The Democrats thank you, though; you're doing their work for them.
believe he did, but that's irrelevent, Xlintoon is a public official, and presidents medical records are usually made public. Rush is a private citizen. Was Robert Downey's medical records made public?
Please provide an exact charge by any reputable person or institution where George W. Bush was EVER accused of using cocaine.I responded with the David Bloom question as well as other verbage from a reputable source. But going back to the Clintonesque question you posed I found the trick word "charge". You see, in general terms charge is an accusation. Was Bush ever formally charged? No. Is that all that matters. Nutty Howard Dean could have killed his neighbor. He may have never been formally charged. Doesn't change that if this hypothetical were true that he killed his neighbor. But Bloom did not make the accusation. He asked a question. A good one. Actually it was a statement. He stated White House appointees are required and list any drug use since the age of 18. Not even a question. Bush however responded with the Clinonian answer of "making mistakes". You see it wasn't even as you suggested a hypothetical question, but rather a statement that White House appointees are required to meet a certain standard. Apparently Bush responded by being defensive rather than upfront. And if we're going to get into the word and response parsing phase, he didn't say he "wasn't going to play their game". He sought refuge behind a stone wall. Find that in a quote for me, please.
You suggested something by St. Marten's press or some left writer. Maybe Bloom's question was in response to the works of St. Marten's or a lefty. So what. Clinton was responding (or more precisely "not playing that game" to the right wing press during 92. Obviously FR didn't exist in 92 so I can't site chapter and verse what Howlin may have believed or wrote, but conservatives, republicans and in some quarters democrats claimed Clinton ducked the questions or never answered them fully and obviously truthfully. There have been many threads here regarding his parsing words and questions. Never once did I see he "wasn't going to play there game."
You then proceeded to go off on a Howard Deen tirade about the 9/11 advance notice. You know, change the subject and not respond to the issue at hand.
Finally we go from use to no credible accusation of Bush having a cocaine habit. Where did I ever mention habit? So what if some book was withdrawn. There are books that are withdrawn all the time. But I never even hinted that there was a habit. Frankly, I'mnot sure about use. All I do know is that when the subject came up during the summer of 99 Bush NEVER said yes there was casual use or no there was never any casual use. You know, a Clintonesque answer.
When people get to topics uncomfortable, they get evasive, don't play the game, parse words, whatever. Those who champion that person will say it's the old "have you stopped beating your wife question". Detractors will say "where there's evasive smoke, there's fire."
As I told ClintonBeGone when he asked me the "have I stopped beating my wife" that if he would pay for the polygraph both she and I will submit to it and both answer no. Why didn't then candidate Bush do the same?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.