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Bush regrets hurting U.S. diplomacy
rooters ^ | 1-13-04

Posted on 01/13/2005 5:47:28 PM PST by Indy Pendance

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush says he regrets sending the wrong impression of the United States by using phrases like "Bring 'em on" and "dead or alive" in his first term and has pledged to be more diplomatic.

In an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters to be broadcast on Friday, Bush said some of his past remarks were too blunt.

"'Bring it on,' was a little blunt," the president said in a transcript of the interview released on Thursday.

"I remember when I talked about Osama bin Laden, I said we're going to get him dead or alive. I guess it's not the most diplomatic of language," Bush said.

The president in July 2003 used the phrase "Bring 'em on" when speaking of insurgent attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq. The comment was widely interpreted as a challenge to the insurgents but Bush said his intent was to rally U.S. troops.

Days after the September 11, 2001, attacks, Bush said he wanted to catch Osama bin Laden "dead or alive," a phrase that reinforced the U.S. president's international image as a cowboy.

Bush said his wife, Laura, disapproved and "chewed me out right after that."

"So I do have to be cautious about, you know, conveying thoughts in a way maybe that doesn't send wrong impressions about our country," he said.

Asked about bin Laden, who remains at large, Bush reiterated his vow to "bring him to justice."

Bush's expressions of regret over his use of language contrasted with his comments at a news conference in April 2004, when he struggled for an answer to a reporter who asked him to name his biggest mistake since the September 11 attacks.

In another mea culpa, the president said he felt his administration had done a poor job bolstering its image in the Muslim world.

"Our public diplomacy efforts aren't ... very robust, and aren't very good, compared to the public diplomacy efforts of those who would like to spread hatred and ... and vilify the United States," Bush said.

But he said he thought U.S. efforts to aid victims of the December 26 Indian Ocean tsunami would help improve Washington's image abroad.

Turning to domestic politics, Bush played down expectations that his brother Jeb, who is governor of Florida, would someday run for president.

"I don't think he's interested in running," the president said.

In a separate interview in USA Today, Bush said he was concerned about the Education Department's decision to pay conservative commentator Armstrong Williams to promote his "No Child Left Behind" law, which sets accountability standards for U.S. public schools.

He said he wanted to prevent another such incident.

"There needs to be a clear distinction between journalism and advocacy," Bush said. "All of us, the Cabinet, needs to take a good look and make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen again."


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bringiton; bush43; geopolitics; misunderestimate; ropeadope; strategery; term2
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To: Indy Pendance

"There needs to be a clear distinction between journalism and advocacy,"

that leaves out abccbscnnnbcnprpbs and most noospapers.


21 posted on 01/13/2005 5:59:39 PM PST by ken21 (buenos mucus!)
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To: Yardstick

"Or is Reuters indulging itself in a subtle dig at the President."

A subtle? Subltle? SUBTLE? Do you know that means stealth like? Rooters will openly attack our president, nothing subtle about it.


22 posted on 01/13/2005 6:00:21 PM PST by Indy Pendance
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To: Pikamax

Translation into normal English: "Our news agencies spout enemy propaganda straight into the White House television! Why don't y'all start loving your country and spouting the pro-American truth into terror central? We all know the answer; you'd get killed if you treated any old dictatorship on their soil like you walk on the good name of our American homeland."


23 posted on 01/13/2005 6:01:35 PM PST by dufekin (Four more years! Liberals, learn: whiners are losers every time.)
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To: COEXERJ145

When you look at this, you can see it is Bush being the way he usually is: self deprecating and modest. The weird spin comes from Roto-Rooters, which likes to do selective quotes surrounded by heavy editorializing.

As for the preachers of hate having a more aggressive "diplomacy" than the good guys, he's right - mainly because they get the support of the world press and media, and we don't. That's something that we should try to change, although I honestly don't know how anybody could ever get the press to be favorable or even fair about the US.


24 posted on 01/13/2005 6:02:03 PM PST by livius
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To: Indy Pendance

silence......................................................................................................................................................................................yeah lets do away with one of the big things that made George W. so endearing. His ability to not be PC. His backbone to say what most Americans were already thinking. Kill 3000 Americans...Hell yes we want Osama and anyone like him DEAD or Alive. Bring to justice? We see what our justice system has become. Disappointed...deeply disappointed.


25 posted on 01/13/2005 6:02:35 PM PST by BriarBey
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To: Indy Pendance

I absolutely agree, the typed pauses were there to make him look like an idiot. I'm not surprised by that and neither are you. However, if I watch this Friday and this piece rings true to what I hear, pauses in typing won't be necessary to make that distinction. And yes, before all of you get your damned underwear all bunched up, I voted for him. Twice.


26 posted on 01/13/2005 6:03:04 PM PST by ShadowDancer (Vivere est cogitare)
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To: BriarBey
Maybe you should read some of the other posts before assuming that what Rooters is saying is 100% sure and not something they're distorting for their own political agenda.
27 posted on 01/13/2005 6:04:34 PM PST by COEXERJ145
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To: Indy Pendance
I have to believe the content has been taken out of context. You know, the msm would never do that.....

I guess we will see tomorrow when the interview plays.

28 posted on 01/13/2005 6:04:40 PM PST by TexKat (Just because you did not see it or read it, that does not mean it did or did not happen.)
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To: Indy Pendance

Yea right. Our POTUS really meant to say to our troops to GET SOME. If you know what I mean. What else could he say to such a lame brained rabbit.


29 posted on 01/13/2005 6:05:36 PM PST by Marine_Uncle
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To: Yardstick

Well, they're using elipses, which is supposed to denote omitted words, but it appears they're using elipses where dashes would be more appropriate, to denote a break in speech, like the double and, but even a dash would not be appropriate to denote a pause in a grammatically correct string of words. Or maybe the elipses do indicate omitted words.


30 posted on 01/13/2005 6:06:16 PM PST by alnick
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To: COEXERJ145
Too many people on FR go postal every time a story like this appears and they look very foolish when it turns out that the media is distorting what was actually said.

LOL. You'd think they'd figure it out after a while, huh?

31 posted on 01/13/2005 6:08:42 PM PST by alnick
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To: ken21

""There needs to be a clear distinction between journalism and advocacy," "

Not going to happen, we just have to have a 'louder' voice. Free Republic is one avenue!


32 posted on 01/13/2005 6:09:02 PM PST by Indy Pendance
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To: Indy Pendance

If they doctor his words as much as they doctor the lens and tape to make Baba Wawa look good, the words will come out nothing like he prolly said them!!!

I heard audio clips on the radio yesterday, and the way Baba speaks when she asks him a question is just SO pathetically condescending, I wouldn't waste a second watching that show!!!!


33 posted on 01/13/2005 6:09:43 PM PST by Txsleuth (Proud to be a Texan)
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To: alnick
Nah, they never will. There is a collection of people on FR who are willing to believe any and every bad thing about President Bush and any Republican.
34 posted on 01/13/2005 6:11:40 PM PST by COEXERJ145
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To: Indy Pendance

yeah, free republic is part of the new media, and the old media's controlled by the left.

rush had a good take on it the other day. he said that the left tightened its hold on the media as the democrat party fell out of favor, loosing congress and the presidency.

i agree with that. the newspapers like the los angeles times actually were readable in the 1970s and 80s, but gradually became shrill advocacy journalism.

advocacy journalism arose, of course, guess when, in the late 1960s.


35 posted on 01/13/2005 6:12:15 PM PST by ken21 (buenos mucus!)
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To: ShadowDancer
First of all, remember that headlines for articles often paint the entire article before you even read the first word.

It frankly drives me nuts how many freepers respond to headlines instead of what the article actually says. It's obvious that many don't even read the article, or at least much of it, before they feel sufficiently informed to post their brilliant response.

This article doesn't justify the headline. Maybe the interview does, but not what's printed here.

Some of the words he used in response to 9/11 can be second-guessed, even by him. But would he have changed any of the actions he ordered? I don't think so, and I don't think you'll see him saying so.

36 posted on 01/13/2005 6:14:11 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: BriarBey
So, you're conservative, yet, at the first article where you disagree with Bush, published by Reuters, you're jumping ship. Great friend, glad you weren't around for WWII.
37 posted on 01/13/2005 6:16:23 PM PST by Indy Pendance
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To: Indy Pendance
..."Bring 'em on"...

I believe the EXACT quote, was "Bring IT on". CAN'T YOU demoCRAT demoCRAT CRAT CRAT CLINTON CRAT CRAT CRAT CRAT CRAT CRAT CLINTON CRAT CRAT CRAT CRAT CRAT CRAT CLINTON CRAT CRAT CRAT CRAT CRAT CRAT, STINKING, LIBERAL, LYING, PERJURIOUS, pornographic CLINTON CRAT CRAT CLINTON CLINTON CLINTON CLINTON CLINTON CLINTON CLINTON even get that right?

38 posted on 01/13/2005 6:16:29 PM PST by Two Thirds Vote Aye (9/11/2001 - THE FINAL LEGACY of w. j. b. clxxxon, and the people that elected him. :(()
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To: ShadowDancer; BriarBey

Sad there are some posters on this forum who think otherwise and believe Reuters is the second coming of marx.


39 posted on 01/13/2005 6:19:07 PM PST by Indy Pendance
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To: alnick

I'd almost bet that the first elipse represents a pause rather than an omitted word. As for the repeated "and" -- it's probably an accurate transcription of what he actually said. But don't the papers and newswires sometimes edit those kinds of minor flubs? I'd swear that I've seen them clean up the quote of a stumbling speaker. But maybe not.


40 posted on 01/13/2005 6:19:48 PM PST by Yardstick
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