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AFP: Bush seeks political gains from foiled plot (Barf Alert!)
AFP on Yahoo ^ | 8/10/06 | Olivier Knox

Posted on 08/10/2006 8:21:57 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

CRAWFORD, United States (AFP) - US President George W. Bush seized on a foiled London airline bomb plot to hammer unnamed critics he accused of having all but forgotten the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Weighed down by the unpopular war in Iraq, Bush and his aides have tried to shift the national political debate from that conflict to the broader and more popular global war on terrorism ahead of November 7 congressional elections.

The London conspiracy is "a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation," the president said on a day trip to Wisconsin.

"It is a mistake to believe there is no threat to the United States of America," he said. "We've taken a lot of measures to protect the American people. But obviously we still aren't completely safe."

Leading Democrats praised the dismantling of the plot but said it showed how the war in Iraq has siphoned resources from the war on Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, which carried out the strikes in 2001.

"The war in Iraq has become a dangerous distraction, and a profound drain on our financial and military resources," said Senator John Kerry, Bush's rival for the White House in 2004. "Osama bin Laden is still on the loose."

Bush's remarks came a day after the White House orchestrated an exceptionally aggressive campaign to tar opposition Democrats as weak on terrorism, knowing what Democrats didn't: News of the plot could soon break.

Vice President Dick Cheney and White House spokesman Tony Snow had argued that Democrats wanted to raise what Snow called "a white flag in the war on terror," citing as evidence the defeat of a three-term Democratic senator who backed the Iraq war in his effort to win renomination.

But Bush aides on Thursday fought the notion that they had exploited their knowledge of the coming British raid to hit Democrats, saying the trigger had been the defeat of Democratic Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut by an anti-war political novice.

"The comments were purely and simply a reaction" to Democratic voters who "removed a pro-defense Senator and sent the message that the party would not tolerate candidates with such views," said Snow.

"It was not said with the knowledge that this was coming," the spokesman said.

Snow said Bush first learned in detail about the plot on Friday, and received two detailed briefings on it on Saturday and Sunday, as well as had two conversations about it with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

But a senior White House official said that the British government had not launched its raid until well after Cheney held a highly unusual conference call with reporters to attack the Democrats as weak against terrorism.

On Wednesday, Cheney had suggested that Democrats believe "that somehow we can retreat behind our oceans and not be actively engaged in this conflict and be safe here at home, which clearly we know we won't, we can't, be," he said.

While some Democrats have opposed some steps in the war on terrorism, and more and more are calling for a withdrawal from Iraq, no major figures in the party have called for a wholesale retreat in the broader conflict.

"Terrorism remains the greatest threat to our security," said Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the US Senate. "As a result of mismanagement and the wrong funding priorities, we are not as safe as we should be."

But Bush's Republicans hoped the raid would yield political gains.

"I'd rather be talking about this than all of the other things that Congress hasn't done well," one Republican congressional aide told AFP on condition of anonymity because of possible reprisals.

"Weeks before September 11th, this is going to play big," said another White House official, who also spoke on condition of not being named, adding that some Democratic candidates won't "look as appealing" under the circumstances.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bush; foiledplot; londonairlineplot; midterms; politicalgains; seeks; term2
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1 posted on 08/10/2006 8:21:58 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

And even if he and the Republicans do seek to benefit from the foiled plot, so what?

Would the dems rather have more thousands dead?


2 posted on 08/10/2006 8:23:03 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: NormsRevenge
Would the dems rather have more thousands dead?

We all know the answer to that question - ANYTHING for the RATS to gain power, even if it means destroying the country. They think they can "fix it all back up" after they gain their birthright power back again.

3 posted on 08/10/2006 8:25:10 PM PDT by AZConser
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To: NormsRevenge

Yes, you bet they would! That way, no matter what their party affiliation was, when they were alive, they can make them vote for Dems, when they're dead.


4 posted on 08/10/2006 8:25:58 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: NormsRevenge

Did it say anything about Democrats seeking political advantage from the failed plot? Didn't think so.


5 posted on 08/10/2006 8:26:13 PM PDT by saganite (Billions and billions and billions-------and that's just the NASA budget!)
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To: NormsRevenge
"Terrorism remains the greatest threat to our security," said Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the US Senate. "As a result of mismanagement and the wrong funding priorities, we are not as safe as we should be."


"Terrorism Democrats grandstanding remains the greatest threat to our security," said Harry Reid, the top Democrat in the US Senate. "As a result of mismanagement partisan obstructionism and the wrong funding priorities, we are not as safe as we should be."

6 posted on 08/10/2006 8:26:38 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: NormsRevenge

Pete Wilson's afternoon show on KGO was a hoot today. An incredible number of San Franciscans are claiming that Rove/Bush scheduled this just to keep control of the Congress.


7 posted on 08/10/2006 8:27:05 PM PDT by SmithL (The fact that they can't find Hoffa is proof that he never existed.)
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To: NormsRevenge
Weighed down by the unpopular war in Iraq...

As much as the press and liberals seem to be gripping, it seems pretty popular to me!!
8 posted on 08/10/2006 8:32:22 PM PDT by phoenix0468 (http://www.mylocalforum.com -- Go Speak Your Mind.)
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To: NormsRevenge

I heard the President's speech, if anything he bent over backward to NOT make it sound political. If fighting terrorism is "political" to the turdheads, so be it.


9 posted on 08/10/2006 8:33:39 PM PDT by madison10
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To: NormsRevenge

there is no doubt the demoncrats would rather have death on their hands for political advantage. amazing that they look at every victory against terrorism as a ploy against them... do they realize what this makes them look like?


10 posted on 08/10/2006 8:33:49 PM PDT by Cinnamon
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To: NormsRevenge

Agence France Presse White House correspondent Olivier Knox

11 posted on 08/10/2006 8:37:55 PM PDT by kcvl
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To: NormsRevenge

President Bush's remarks and officials speaking on condition of not being named equals seeking political gains from the foiled terror plot. I'd like to see the picture that connect-the-dots page makes.

There are people in the world who want to kill as many of us as they can. What part of this does the MSM not understand?


12 posted on 08/10/2006 8:41:40 PM PDT by Theresawithanh (Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I stuck around...)
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To: NormsRevenge
A better headline would be:

"London Plot Proves Bush Was Right The Whole Time"
13 posted on 08/10/2006 8:42:55 PM PDT by Question Liberal Authority (A Disproportionate Response Is An Effective Response)
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To: NormsRevenge
Ooh, ooh....this is my favorite part:

Bush's remarks came a day after the White House orchestrated an exceptionally aggressive campaign to tar opposition Democrats as weak on terrorism, knowing what Democrats didn't: News of the plot could soon break.

*big grin*

14 posted on 08/10/2006 8:44:49 PM PDT by aligncare (Reporter ignorance killed journalism)
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To: kcvl

at least he isn't wearing a bow tie like the other bloke.


15 posted on 08/10/2006 8:48:04 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ......Help the "Pendleton 8' and families -- http://www.freerepublic.com/~normsrevenge/)
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To: aligncare

Gee, wonder why President Bush didn't brief Senator Leaky in advance?


16 posted on 08/10/2006 8:51:47 PM PDT by RedRover
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To: NormsRevenge
AFP: Bush seeks deserves political gains from foiled plot

There, fixed it.

He deserves our gratitude as well.

17 posted on 08/10/2006 8:53:08 PM PDT by Family Guy (I disagree with what you said, but I'll defend to the death your right to shut up.)
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To: NormsRevenge

A little slow on the trigger Norm, DU's had this up for quite a while now. I didn't bother to read their comments, which I assume are rather predictable.


18 posted on 08/10/2006 8:54:54 PM PDT by umgud (Gov't needs a Department of Common Sense)
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To: NormsRevenge
Democrats never benefit politically from the dead. Its Republicans who get accused of being ghouls in invoking the specter of 9/11.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

19 posted on 08/10/2006 8:55:31 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: kcvl

I'm wondering what he is looking at on the screen and if his pants are down around his ankles.


20 posted on 08/10/2006 8:57:39 PM PDT by Nomorjer Kinov (If the opposite of "pro" is "con" , what is the opposite of progress?)
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