Well, ENJOY!
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."
Replace the names Reagan with Nixon, and Bush with Reagan, and McCain with Nelson Rockefeller(look how far he went) and you have your post of the typical middle of the road republican of the late 70's if they had an internet back then. Reagan DIDN'T hold the world in the palm of his hand. That is mishistory. He was vilified for his foreign policy. No one liked Nixon or Rockefeller on foreign policy except for libs.
How did you like the jackbooted, fascists part?
Did I waste my time with a troll? I am a relative newbie to this august site.
Post #239 , Forever Topaz, is the troll.
The other post just quoted the post for posterity..I have an idea post #239 will disappear and the poster banned.
ZOT!
Good riddance of a "pretender"..Bet she calls in on the R line at CSpan,too!
phaugh!
what a stench.
I'd say a response is in order.
I'd also say that a summons to a certain feline group wouldn't be amiss.
what, that "drunken slut" crack?
oh, yes... the Ann Coulter Admiration Society will not be amused.
thank you, o Almighty Mod!
I dared not look up Coulter threads and ping the fans..It would have gotten brutal!..
She almost slipped under the radar but made the mistake of answering a post of mine with her diatribe.
well, I think you get creds for the killshot.
Thanks!
wow, you're still cranky aren't you? God doesn't think you're better than me, he loves us all the same. But if you need to feel superiour for your own piece of mind, so be it.
You must associate with Bush haters.
#239 I almost failed to notice her post to me..She failed to answer my reply..LOL
Plainly,newbie,you have little knowledge of the WOT and what's really happened/is happening in Iraq.And worst of all,you sound exactly like Barbra Streisand and algore and Michael Moore.
And as an avowed McLunatic sycophant,you are NO Conservative.Ergo,I suggest that you leave FR and go to climes you'd be better served on.
Definitely a troll!
She has been zotted by the mod..Another "pretender".
If the first parts were not enough.."jackbooted fascists" sealed her fate.
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