The Divine Calm of George W. Bush: Iraq's a mess, half the country hates you - just keep praying!

Village Voice ^ | May 3rd, 2004 9:30 AM | Rick Perlstein

[Howlin]

Then he retired--didn't have to make a payroll anymore--and is becoming more left.

Oh, so he's a leftie NOW when he wants the government to support him!

[Miss Marple]

I have been saying we are in a wheat and tares, sheep and goats situation in this country. It is amazing to me that the left cannot find ONE thing to admire the president for.

As much as I despised Bill Clinton, I was never as rabid as this. They attack everything from his faith to his taste in food. I swear, if Bush came out tomorrow and said he would raise taxes, they would all immediately start crying for a tax cut.

[EllaMinnow]

Or else he just tells his son Rick that he is so Rick will shut up.

[not2worry]

Yes and they also predicted that The Passion of the Christ would be a miserable flop.

After the Clinton Administration and 9/11, I feel most of Americans are looking for a power greater than ourselves that we can turn to in the troubling problems that confront each of us on a daily basis.

I certainly sleep better at night knowing George W. Bush is in the White House.

AND I pray every night for our President and his Administration, and thank God for the blessing of being an American.

[Howlin]

You could be right. I'd get tired of all the specious drivel myself, and might agree with him just to get him to shut up.

It's very tiring when you constantly have to correct somebody's erroneous statements!

[Miss Marple]

I believe President Bush was given to us for such a time as this.

However, I also believe Clinton was given to us for that time. (Whether as a punishment, a test, or for some unknown good that will be later revealed, I do not know.)

That is why we are to pray for ALL leaders, not just those we like.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Popping in again....you dislike Clinton, you said. The male or female Clinton?

[EllaMinnow]

I guess Rick went way without answering my Ahmanson question. An old freeper friend of mine - and yours - must be laughing his head off if he's lurking around.

[onyx]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1129256/posts


How Ahmed Chalabi conned the neocons
Salon ^ | 5/4/2004 | John Dizard


Posted on 05/04/2004 6:30:46 AM PDT by JohnGalt


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Have not read this "thang" from Salon.
Time being a most precious commodity, you know?

[Perlstein]

Gang, I've got to jet. I'm going to a lefty meeting--seriously!

I always enjoy this.

No problem reading insults on my Dad. I can't stand the guy either. But others, for future reference, might find it a bit of a cheap and rude mode of argumentation.

Anyway, I'm always available at rperlstein@villagevoice.com. I only check Free Republic every month or so when I have an article. To those who fear I've been playing rope-a-dope with their questions, it probably means that they were sufficiently profound that they took more than 15 seconds of thought to respond to. I'm already, what, 50 posts behind here! If you're really serious about butting heads with me--some of these questions deserve debate--get in touch.

'Til next time. When, according to some of you, I may be writing off $2000 checks to Bush, because if I'm on the car lot I must be interested in buying, and if I'm liberal I must be rich....

Be Seeing You (a tribute to Chris),
Rick Perlstein

[onyx]

Don't miss your tribute.

[Paul_B]

Yep. Gotta admit, though, some of my prayers for Clinton were interesting.

[RVN Airplane Driver]

Can you say BOTH

[CaptainK]

I voted for Nader in 2000

Thank you. Please repeat in 2004.

[RVN Airplane Driver]

BOTH

[cyncooper]

April 9, 2004, couldn't have been too nice for the president either. That was when he was deciding whether to publicize the contents of that Daily Brief, after Condoleezza Rice's grilling at the hands of the commission investigating 9-11

National Security Advisor Holds Press Briefing May 16, 2002

Press Briefing by Ari Fleischer May 17, 2002

Rick, the existance of the August 6, 2001 PDB was leaked to the press back in May 2002, complete with the spin it is being assigned today.

You'll please note that Ben Veniste asked Rice for the title of the PDB and she responded. Then Ben Veniste lied for all the world to see, stating until that moment the title had been secret.

So secret, it made the frontpage of the Washington Post on Sunday May 19, 2002. How did the WaPo get it? Please see the link to Ari Fleischer's press briefing of May 17, 2002 where he provides it on the record to the media.

The May 16, 2002 briefing by Rice is again a straightforward addressing of the PDB that had just been leaked and characterized infamously as "Bush Knew".

Poppycock.

You wish to believe President Bush was unperturbed by his Daily Briefings? The facts tell a different tale.

It is a plain and simple fact that nobody had *When, Where and How* of the impending attack. Yet the threat was not being ignored. Plans were afoot to address Al Qaeda, but they--the real bad guys here--made their devastating attack first.

As to your religious points and President Bush being called to run. As I recall it was a democrat from Texas who most vigorously encouraged and lobbied him to do so. That he sought guidance in prayer is hardly bizarre. Our family does so daily. And yes, we believe that we are meant by God to be doing something and being somewhere at certain points. This has happened to me personally often in my life. But does President Bush overtly state such? He does not.

BTW, why shouldn't President Bush run as if it were 9/12? I thought you wanted him to "do something" before 9/11 but he didn't act in time. That is precisely what he is doing now. I, for one, will vote for George W. Bush come November and I wish you would reconsider your position.

[dead]

Did you miss ohioWFan's first post where she said he wrote THIS article after reading our thread about the last press conference?

Oh my Howlin! This sloppiness with facts is not like you!

That was my post! 8-)

Anyway, his Freepmail to me stated, "the gang will go BERSERK over my next piece!". I think he was a little disappointed that nobody got seriously pissed off at his original article. That's why he turned it up a notch in his postings.

[cyncooper]

that Bush sees no reason to question his policies, because he believes them to be in concert with his faith.

On the contrary, he would question and review his policies precisely because of his faith.

Why do you say he does not question and make changes to his policies when his record states the opposite?

[My2Cents]

Sharing the same faith GW Bush has, viewing the world through the same lens of faith Bush does, and having read a number of articles about Bush's faith, including Stephen Mansfield's book, I don't think he has "visions" or has deluded himself into thinking he hears God's voice before embarking on a policy direction. I've read that Bush has the attitude that he should "do the right thing, and then trust God for the consequences." He is convinced that in his policy initiatives, he is doing the right thing. He has a peace that if indeed he's doing the right thing, he'll be vindicated.

An example of "doing right" -- I'm convinced that Bush has taken the position he has on immigration because he believes it is the "right" approach, even though much of his base seethed and foamed. GW Bush is more motivated by "doing what is right" than he is by simplistic political ideology. Another example: He's convinced that toppling Saddam was the "right thing to do," but I doubt he would hang that big picture objective on the individual aspects of the war to topple Saddam, or on the individual aspects of the post-Saddam efforts to stabilize Iraq. In other words, I think Bush would ascribe "rightness" to overall policy, not to individual aspects or tactics to achieve an overall policy.

Also, there is a political imperative to *not* admitting failure...It isn't that he lacks humility, but that he refuses to fall into the trap of his adversaries on the weighty issues of war and peace by giving them a hammer to bludgeon him with.

[My2Cents]

A self-described "puppy-doggish neurotic person," the 30-year-old left-leaning Milwaukee native has just completed a book about the rise and fall of Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign

OH! So you're THAT Rick Perlstein! I thought the name was familiar. Great book about the rise of conservatism, and Goldwater.