Bush parries reporters' thrusts on 'false premises,' 'mistakes'

Washington Times ^ | 4/14/04 | Joseph Curl

[kattracks]

False premises. Errors in judgment. Personal responsibility. Mistakes, mistakes, mistakes.

Those were the words and phrases that filled last night's hourlong prime-time press conference as a gaggle of White House correspondents finally got to ask President Bush what they have quietly been asking in the cramped press quarters just off the Oval Office.

[Porterville]

Bush kicked ass, I watched it, he did so well, he has to get into the groove before the debates to absolutely crush Kerry... practice makes for a perfect warrior.

[Imal]

Clinton presidency: "It's all about Bill."

Bush presidency: "It's all about America."

Compare and contrast.

[Robert_Paulson2]

I don't think the President did as well as many conservatives are asserting.

On the other hand, MY SOURCES indicate that the AMERICAN PEOPLE are getting rather fed up with the attacks on the President during an active combat/time of WAR. Even liberals are noting how he is being ATTACKED without conscience by the terrorist supporters in the Press and across the aisle.

I think tonight's rabid attack dog session did more to harm John Kerry than the democrats ever dreamed was possible. Bush looked like a man who had done his best, knows he did a GOOD job, and is being assaulted unfairly for it.

The dems and their bastarde supporters in the communist press, are turning people off. And the 9/11 investigation is hemmoraghing Kerry's chances of being competetive. The Gorelick scandal has come full circle, and has virtually guaranteed the damnation of the whole lot of those hypocrites. America knows. America sees. It's getting close enough to November now, that some of America that is just getting a little turned off for the dems now, will be in full scale revolt by election day.

This reminds me of the wellstone funeral, that turned into a bill clinton, rage party, run by deaniacs and rah rah gore supporters. It backfired big time. They ruined a good man's death remembrance, dishonored the family and very likely helped defeat gore in the presidential because of the unseemliness of the whole affair.

The dems went too far then. They have gone too far now. The calls for assasination of our War Secretary... are over the top, and retracting the ad copy now, won't undo the damage done. America is turning the dems OFF.

I can almost feel it.

[Robert_Paulson2]

That's what I am talking about.
The country is turning the dems volume WAY down.

Bush, love him or hate him... they are hanging on his every word. Tonights press sponsored barbecue of a God FEARING, America LOVING man... will burn some bridges that AMERICANS are not willing to cross in a time of War.

[claudiustg]

---I tell you, there is NO enthusiasm for Kerry in the Democrat rank and file.---

He's just very unlikable. He's an instantly recognizable fake. I think that he's one of those Senators that has no hope getting elected outside his state, sort of like Byrd.

[Truth29]

Bush could go a long war toward winning the war on terror by locking up the Washington press corps.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

President Bush had his "A" game last night. The press conference showed his resolve and conviction to bring the war to the terrorists.

This president doesn't waiver. And his enemies, domestic and foreign, know it.

[PhiKapMom]

Bush could go a long war toward winning the war on terror by locking up the Washington press corps.

I second that idea! In fact, it is an outstanding idea!

[vanmorrison]

I watched about ten minutes of the questioning, which included about three of the "journalists", and was so disgusted with the blatant Bush-hatred and leftist anti-American partisanship of these press corps bastards that I turned the damn thing off and watched the hockey game.

I am getting to the point that I look upon leftist Democrats as the old Confederates must have looked upon the Damn Yankees of their day. These pricks are flat irredeemable and should all be gotten the hell out of this great country and sent to whatever Socialist hellhole they care to slither off to.

And it just grinds my ass to no end that so many other "Americans" continue to support these bastards, no matter what damage they do to this country.

...And JohnEffinKerry is ahead in the polls!

[laredo44]

I, too, noticed at least three questions about "mistakes" or errors" at the press conference. Broad, open ended questions, not narrowly specific ones like, "Do you think, in hindsight, that April 15th might not have been the best day to announce your new tax increase?" I've never heard such questions before in a Presidential press conference. I smell collusion or some type of single source -- Democrat Talking Points -- for the similarity of questions last night.

[GailA]

Also get a couple of voter registration cards and if you run into some one who is not registered to vote get them to sign up.

[metesky]

The President never looked better. An open, honest man who stands in sharp contrast to the glibness, sharkskin suits and outdated JFK haircuts of the pitiful, cowardly cut-and-run DemocRats.

Buck up, newbie. It's a long road between now and November and IMHO, President Bush will prevail quite handily.

[Puddleglum]

I think the president started out slow but then got into gear. He had a list of things he wanted to say in his head, I think, and sometimes tried to append these to any answer. But once he got to speaking from his heart there was no stopping him.

And yes, the press were jackals. They haven't got the wits of the hairdryers they use. I hope a new crop comes along with some smarts and true investigative skills instead of just a desk with an inbox of faxes from the DNC.

[anoldafvet]

It was sure evident to my wife, my two sons and I. My wife is normally a very calm person, but when that idiot asked the President why he used the same words all the time, I feared for my television.

[VRWC_minion]

Why didn't someone prepare him to answer this question?

He handled it perfectly. If he said he made no mistakes he is dead. If he says he made a mistake, even one he is dead. He had to look humble, sincere and resolute about the mission.

A proper response required him to be anything but smooth.

[LibLieSlayer]

He answered it precisely as he should have. He is comfortable with ALL of the decisions that he made. If he received incorrect information, he cannot be faulted for a decision made using any flawed data.

LLS

[1Old Pro]

EVERYONE, and I mean everyone, noticed how rude and hateful the media was. This makes Bush look even better as people want to be on his side after witnessing this gang-up.

He should hold a press conference a week and he'd win every single state in November.

[cajungirl]

I am praying you are right but fearing you may be wrong. I don't think you can go wrong by assuming the masses in this country can be led around by demogogues. Half of them are willing it seems to me. I hope I am just cynical. That press conference disturbed me so greatly. That good man, our best hope, just being badgered by mediocre party hacks. It was disgraceful to the press.

[cajungirl]

I disagree with you. GWB is not slick, we have had slick and don't want it. He is honest, thoughtful, at times can be taken aback. I love the man. He is decent. Decent people sometimes stumble in the glare of the press. I don't think this was a stumble. The thought that he would fire someone for his small awkwardness is unthinking,,GWB is not that kind of man.