Bush blocks his own way while giving Kerry a free pass [Sad but true]

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | February 12, 2004 | BY ROBERT NOVAK

[Brett66]

Bush has several advantages compared to his father.

1. His opponent is Kerry and Kerry isn't a tenth as slick as Clinton.

2. W cut taxes, his father raised them, creating a lot of anger in his base.

3. The economy is doing significantly better than it was in '92.

4. There will be no sucking sound from a third party candidate (Perot).

5. The dems will likely have to deal with their own third party problems with Nader,Dean or possibly both.

[skip2myloo]

It really doesn't matter what Novak, Noonan, Buckley, Will, Kristol, Ingraham or anybody else thinks - I don't rely on them to do my thinking for me.

I'm completely capable of independent thought, and I do my own thinking.

And, I think Dubya didn't do a very good job on the SOTU nor MTP.

Regarding WMD and AirNG, he needs to say:

1) Iraq had WMD, they used chemical weapons on the Iranians and on their own Shiia' population.

2) We have other, well-documented evidence, even before 1991, Hussein was also pursuing biological and nuclear weapons programs aggressively.

3) After expulsion from Kuwait, a condition of surrender required Iraq to reveal the details of Iraq's WMD programs, and to dismantle and destroy all remnants of those programs.

4) Iraq refused to comply with the conditions of surrender,

5)There were 17 UN resolutions over a period of 12 years urging Iraq to disclose the details of its WMD programs, still they did not do so.

6) In 1998 the U.S. Congress passed an act calling for regime change in Iraq.

7) Believing Iraq to represent a clear danger to U.S. security, recognizing Iraqi failure to comply with conditions of surrender, 17 UN resolutions (especially 1441), and obeying the 1998 mandate of the US Congress, we demanded Hussein step down and seek exile.

8) After Iraq rejected all international efforts to seek a diplomatic solution, the U.S. and 56 (or whatever number)of it's allies formed a coalition to act militarily to protect the safety of our citizens.

(9) A secondary benefit of our action has been to bring a new measure of safety and freedom to the Iraqi people themselves.

10) We did not have perfect intelligence about Iraq.

11) Iraq had a sophisticated and close knit leadership that practiced a high level of operational security and engaged in deceptive practices designed to mislead world opinion. Collecting intelligence in Iraq is not a matter of reading open source material

12) Our own coalition intelligence capabilities were diminished for several reasons:

(a) Budget cuts;

(b) Over reliance on Imagery and SIGINT and too little HUMINT;

(c) Organizational deficiencies within our own intelligence architecture.

13) I will not discuss publicly the details of our intelligence apparatus or how we are restructuring them to be more effective. In WWII, we did not post headlines on the front page of the NYT proclaiming "Enigma Captured - German Code Broken."

14) The search for WMD in Iraq is not finished, I ask America to be patient - there is much still to be done.

15) We did the right thing going to Iraq, we have many successes there. Our forces are conducting themselves brilliantly. God bless America.

16) Some folks are politicizing the character of my military service during the Vietnam conflict. As you know, I served in the Texas Air National Guard. I completed my service obligation satisfactorily as did many other Americans during this divisive era. I will not discuss the matter further. Instead I choose now to focus on America's future.

17) Thank you for your continued support.

End of story - stop the debate.

[Sabertooth]

I believe the panic is premature.

Who said anything about panic?

We're talking about simple caution and prudence.

You want to reap a harvest of votes in November?

It's time to find the good soil, and get planting.

[rrrod]

perhaps prematue ...but then lets take a look back...96 was a disaster..likewise 92 and 98...the most common point in the disaster yrs was lack of leadership and not fighting back by our elected officials..senate, house , guvs . now we are faced with a good pres but not well spoken and a luke warm supporter base...plus cowardly house and senate leaders...lets face it ...the RATS are still in charge...gwb has let down so many of us with his social domestic programs...and everyday we see teams of RATS saying the moist outrages things and not one republican is taking them on...we may find ourselves in the 96 race all over again...comments welcome

[MEG33]

You may not like Bush,you may disagree with his policies,you may say he doesn't address what concerns you most,you may say he has to change direction to get your vote,but calling Bush pompous is absurd.

[SunkenCiv]

Bush is not on the defensive, and showed that. Folks who always pull the lever for the (non-)Democratic Party will see whatever they want, and shoot their ignorant mouths off as they always do. All conservatives have to do is show up on Election Day and the single party state advocating, party above all enemy will lose.

The Tonight Show
guest Dennis Miller

You know something, this is — this stuff has got to stop, somebody's got to say something good in this community about this man. I'm starting a new web sit, pro-Bush, called www dot w. And you know something, if you're watching tonight, President Bush, and I'm not sure you are because I got a feeling you watch the national network reruns of "BJ and The Bear," but if you're watching, I want to just say, I think you're doing a hell of a job and I'm proud that you're my president. I want to thank you and wish you Godspeed because you got a tough deal of the cards. I think there are a lot more people out here on your side than you would think.

[CommandoFrank]

For now, however, the president is in political retreat,

And I don't understand it. If he is still under the presumption that he can win the votes of independents and/or democrats by being 'Mr. Nice Guy', he's very wrong. Nice guys finish last.

I want a president that has the guts to stand up to the Democrats and their lies... Quit pandering, hoping for more votes. Instead it is going to cost him Republican votes...

[Republic Rocker]

First...think Arnold! Look at what happened here in California. Campaign confident, stick to issues, be positive at all times and leave the trash politics behind.....!

Second, stop bobbing and weaving...be more direct. MTP was a chance to put out some fears for the Dems.

Third, address your core...recently GWB has made some moves that have alienated his loyal voters. Make it known that he has only begun to address these issues and listening to the people will help him better to set it stone.

And last...I wonder how many of you in here whom have ranted I will sit out this vote due to things like immigration...Are some of you being reflected in the polls now. i think so. After reading some harsh threads in here over the last month I have seen a few points shaved from the Bush popularity rating...

I urge you to think and speak out. but be careful with that vote or non vote.....A Kerry-Clinton ticket could be coming our way...

God Save Us

[MindBender26]

Are you my ex-wife???? :~)

[MissAmericanPie]

That is not my solution, my solution is to destroy socialism where ever you find it.

[MissAmericanPie]

Sorry, not buying that simplistic argument. I would never vote for Kerry, but that putz has far less chance of getting an amnesty past congress than Bush. Bush called congressmen at all hours, threatened careers, (nice of him), and arm twisted to get his Drug Plan passed.

[MissAmericanPie]

Idiot argument. Bush is the most dangerous. The problem with history is, the people living it at the time do not see when they are at a major crossroads. They do not see that a jog left, and event right, will set the course for centuries.

I have no problem seeing what the history books will record about this election, this administration, and these times. Well that does depend on who is writing them, I intend to do my best to see the author is conservative.

[MissAmericanPie]

Ok, let's change pompus to very focused, globalist, extremist.

[deport]

Without that, Bush 41 would have won.

---

Interesting.... Do you have anything to indicate how those almost 20 Perot voters would have voted had they not voted for Perot? Or for that matter how many would have even bothered to come to the polls and vote if they were they disenchanted with the other options?

[petercooper]

Nope - just a common sense assumption.

[Consort]

Idiot argument.

I tailor my argument to the person I'm arguing with.

[deport]

Thanks.... I thought you may have seen a study indicating that conclusion..... Every study I've seen looking at it on a state by state basis still concludes that Clinton would have won but the Electoral College vote would have been closer. Again thanks for your response

Here's one study that has looked at it:

http://www.fairvote.org/plurality/perot.htm

[MissAmericanPie]

Tailor in how apprecitive your kids will be to find themselves without constitutional protections because you didn't ask the question, who has a better chance of getting the FTAA treaty and amnesty through a republican congress. Bush or Merry Kerry? If either of them can we are toast, and both of them are burning up to be the one to get the job done.

[Swanks]

There is nothing "ivory tower" about Bush

Bull, there isn't. Not only his economics guy but Bush himself support losss of jobs as a good thing. I'm not going to argue for/against the point. Just that it is Ivory tower thinking that you should say that at this time with millions out of work. It scare the s**t out of people that - if he doesn't care about job creation on the front end of an election, you can be the ranch he won't spend two minute in the next four years on it.

When you surround yourself with Ivy league pinheads who see someone's job loss in Nowhereville, Ohio as no big deal, your in an Ivory tower with no windows.

But its their falut, right? They can leave the stell mill and go to Cornell and get a Phd in economics and be like the rest of the Bush bots.

[petercooper]

that's a nice site - thanks