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.

[smiley]

President Bush rose above all the arrogance of the press...that's one of the many signs of a truly great leader....we'll make sure history records President Bush's legacy and his war on terror ACCURATELY.

[smiley]

...."I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it," he said, drawing laughter for the first time in the tense East Room.

... Did anyone else catch this phrase to purposely stick an needle in the eye of Gregory since the liberal left press submits questions to democrats before asking their questions? That's what I took away from it...President Bush..."dumb" like a fox.....

[Publius6961]

Does anyone have the press conference recorded?
I would love to see a thread listing the (moronic) questions exactly as asked, and the creative juices of Freepers answering them.
Every question.

We could have fun with that. Unfortunately my video tape is at home and I am at work.

e.g. What would you say has been your biggest mistake?
Inviting you morons to an adult event.

[MrB]

"...any answer, so as to confuse the enemy"

and by "the enemy" I assume you're referring to the anti-American leftists and their supporters in the press corps.

[Publius6961]

the President came off as extremely credible and sincere, he said he thought GWB answered all but the "What mistakes have you made" questions completely and honestly.

No he didn't, and I regret he was not more agressive. For example, when asked the (moronic) question, "do you feel you owe the Americam public an apology?", he should have answered at the very least, "No".

Me? I would have said, If making apologies and singing Kum Baa yaah made my country safer I would do that too; I know better; nothing is as effective as resolute action when confronting mindless evil. Next question.

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

I watched the press conference. It was a room full of snakes trying to bait the President into apologizing for something he didn't do. SHAME ON THE PRESS. President Bush is an honorable person. I am so thankful that he is our President.

[alaskanfan]

"do you feel you owe the Americam public an apology?"

Some confusion on the part of the press. "The Apologist" (bites lip, looks at camera) is no longer in office. He has been replaced by an adult.

[softengine]

Bush already knows and believes in himself, and he believes he's doing the right thing. He expects history will be more than willing to point out his mistakes.

He handled himself so well. Which is all he needs to do to parry press corps offensive (which they were last night). I listened in on the radio and was ticked at the insinuations being flung out at GW. The left press really burns my butt sometimes.

Ok....Actually, they burn my butt all the time.

[TexasCajun]

If there were ever any doubts about Media Bias, the whole country saw it for themselves!

These Liberal Mainstream Media types shamefully and enthusiastically carry the water for John Kerry and the democrats and it was a disgrace to journalism!

[Frunabulax]

Mr. Dickerson's question about his "biggest mistake" appeared to catch the president off guard. "I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it," he said, drawing laughter for the first time in the tense East Room."

What's the matter with Bush advisers? Why didn't someone prepare him to answer this question? He didn't have to give a truthful response, just an answer, any answer, so as to confuse the enemy. He looked very foolish with his response. Heads should roll for crying out out!!!

This is a trick question (eg. "When did you stop beating your wife?"). No matter how he answers it, the reporter gets a damaging headline:

1) Bush claims perfection; "I made no mistakes", says Bush.

2) Bush admits his mistakes caused 9/11 attacks.

3) Bush evades tough questions, refuses to admit mistakes.

I thought he did the best he could under the circumstances by postponing the answer.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Other than totally running away scared from the joint appearance question and not having something profound to say during the mistake question (which makes people think he doesn't think he made mistakes and is a stubborn man), he did great.

[GraniteStateConservative]

It's not that big of a deal. Everyone knows Bush doesn't excel at unplanned speaking. He nailed the questions he'd rehearsed.

[GraniteStateConservative]

He's not self-absorbed.

Others would say it's just being reflective and not "self-absorbed." I'm sure he had an answer, but he was trying to think of what the least politically harmful answer would be and froze not being able to do that calculation in his head at that time.

[GraniteStateConservative]

From another nut-- Les Kinsolving, WorldNetDaily's White House correspondent


Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer, July 2, 2001

Q The murderous Osama bin Laden has threatened Israel and the United States in the next two weeks to, in his words, hit them where it hurts the most. Since President Jefferson sent the U.S. Navy to attack the Barbary pirates and President Wilson sent the U.S. Army under General Pershing into Mexico in pursuit of a mass murderer of Americans, named Pancho Villa, the President realizes that these are two legitimate presidential precedents for his taking military action, doesn't he, Ari? Or does he think that Jefferson and Wilson were wrong? (Laughter.)

MR. FLEISCHER: I can't speak to the history, Les [Kinsolving]

Q You know the history, you went Middlebury College, they have a good history Department. You know the history. Now, was that, in the President's view, wrong what they did?

MR. FLEISCHER: They also teach foreign languages there. Les, I don't discuss military options.

Q No, no, no, I just want to know, does he think that these are not good presidential precedents?

MR. FLEISCHER: The President will take action that he deems appropriate in national security interests.

[Dilbert56]

IMHO the President ignored the questions from the WH Press Corps(e). He stayed above the fray. They want to talk about Richard Clark, Polls and commission testimony. He talked about freedom, sticking to your word, and the consequences of backing down.

I'm confident the people who hate him were furious that he didn't answer those insulting questions line by line. I'm glad they're furious. I hope they're so angry they leave the country in late November.

[GraniteStateConservative]

If he said he made no mistakes he is dead.

Most people don't pay ultra-close attention. All they gathered was that he was saying he couldn't think of any, which to them is pretty similar to saying you didn't make any mistakes.

[Paulus Invictus]

I was shocked at the attitude of some of the media people asking the questions. They started with the assumption that President Bush was wholly to blame for 9/11. I cannot recall them directing such asinine and poisonous questions to Klintoon when he was bombing Sudan and the Serbs. They are 85% RATS in the media and cannot get over their patently obvious bias.

[Paulus Invictus]

You forgot Kerry:

"It's all about my Viet Nam heroism and giving our sovereignty to the UN"

[GSWarrior]

I believe it would have been to Bush's advantage to state at the beginning something like..."When it comes to public speaking, I'm no Ronald Reagan, but...."