(Bush Speech Live Thread) Bush to compare Iraqis to America's founders

CNN ^ | 12/12/05 | Unknown

[Coop]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush is using a visit to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, birthplace of the U.S. Constitution, as a reminder before the Iraqi elections that the path to American democracy was not always easy either.

Pennsylvania also is the home state of a leading Iraq war critic, Democratic Rep. John Murtha, who planned to speak on Bush's heels and repeat his call to bring the troops home from a fight he says has become too violent and out of control...

Iraqis are preparing to vote under tight security to elect a 275-member parliament that will run the country for the next four years. The election will be the first under the new constitution ratified in an October 15 referendum and will complete the steps toward democratization following the ouster of Saddam Hussein's government.

Monday's Iraq speech is Bush's third, part of a campaign to win support for the mission, with most Americans saying in polls that they disapprove of his handling of the war. The speech is scheduled for 11:15 a.m. ET.

[Bahbah]

This follow up by the President is every bit as good as the speech itself.

[Mo1]

But you'll never find a Dem doing the same in the red bits.

You mean like Howard the coward Dean ??

[conservativebabe]

W, reminding everyone why we love him. I LOVE when he is humorous.

[arbee4bush]

I could listen to our President respond and shoot down these stupid questions all day..he is hilarious! Spot on today~~because he is confindent that he is doing the right thing.

[freema]

Do we have the confidence in universal values..........

WOW.

[STARWISE]

I think Pres. Bush is talking to you, bill. Listen up.

[Congressman Billybob]

Actually, our checkered history which included rebellions in the streets and getting it wrong the first time (Articles of Confederation) is a very solid analogy to what the Iraqis are going through today. And we took 11 years to get it right in the Constitution. The Iraqis are far ahead of our schedule.

You need to crack some history books, my friend. Concentrate on our constitutional history, and then read some histories of the development of "Japanese-style" democracy (which Bush just said on-air) and "German-style" democracy. Read up, and then reconsider what you just posted.

John / Billybob

[milagro]

The last question has given our President a wonderful chance to show us his heart: God Bless him! "Only a certain kind of people can handle democracy".--sticking it to the Dems!!!

[Carolinamom]

Agreed....what was his remark about Specter...Dang. I missed it.

[Mo1]

W, reminding everyone why we love him. I LOVE when he is humorous.

And he is answering the People's questions

Not the stupid reporters

[Fishtalk]

Did I hear correctly? Did the President say that if he had to do it again, "KNOWING WHAT I KNOW NOW", 'I'd do it again.' Then on to verbiage that Saddam was a threat to the world. Then the applause.

Help me out here....is Bush saying, after mentioning about how the whole world thought Saddam had WMD's, did the President say, in effect, that even if I had known he DIDN'T have WMD's, I'd still do the same thing?

I heartily agree don't misunderstand, but won't the Dems go after him for saying that? Why all the debate on the WMD's if their existence didn't matter?

If I'm making any sense here, is the President saying as I think above?

[arbee4bush]

"Thats not REALITY!" He is on fire!

[conservativebabe]

"My job as the president is to see the world the way it is, not the way we hope it is". YES YES YES!!

[Congressman Billybob]

Or, as a friend of mine from the 82nd Airborne said their motto is: "We kill people, and break their toys."

John / Billybob

[freema]

And God Bless George Bush.

[Jemian]

I hope the transcript includes these questions as well as the speech. This one went out the ballpark. It was great. He really smacked-down that woman questioning him about the connection w/911. Good job.

[Mo1]

Agreed....what was his remark about Specter...Dang. I missed it.

Using a big word .. he said he did it for Arlen

But I didn't catch the word

[debg]

CNN's got a breaking news headline online that reads:

"President Bush says about 30,000 Iraqis have been killed since the beginning of the war."

That's all they got from this speech? B'tards.

[advance_copy]

That was outstanding! The President of the United States took questions from the audience, he was very open and candid about the war in Iraq. And he made perfect sense.

[milagro]

Boy did I cheer when I heard that!!