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Bush on Clinton: 'No Time to Finger-Point'
NewsMax ^ | Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006 4:47 p.m. EDT | NewsMax.com Staff

Posted on 09/26/2006 2:32:49 PM PDT by excludethis

President Bush dismissed as "finger-pointing" criticism from his predecessor Bill Clinton of his counter-terrorism efforts in the months leading up to the Sept. 11 attacks.

Clinton, angrily defending his own administration's attempts to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, had accused the Bush administration of doing far less to stop the al Qaeda leader before the 2001 hijack plane attacks.

Bush, who is trying to stave off a Democratic takeover of Congress in November, seemed to bristle when asked about Clinton, only to sidestep his assertions.

"We'll let history judge all the different finger-pointing and all that business. I don't have enough time to finger-point," he said at a news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

"I've got to do my job," he added, "and that is to protect the American people from further attacks."

Bush spoke two days after "Fox News Sunday" aired a heated interview in which Clinton defended steps he took after al Qaeda's attack on the USS Cole in 2000 and faulted criticism by "right-wingers" of his efforts to capture bin Laden.

"They had eight months to try, they did not try," Clinton said of the Bush administration response. The Sept. 11 attacks occurred almost eight months after Bush succeeded Clinton.

Clinton also said when his term ended he left the new Republican administration "battle plans" for going into Afghanistan, overthrowing the Taliban and launching a full-scale search for bin Laden.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice disputed Clinton's statement. "We were not left a comprehensive strategy to fight al Qaeda," she told the New York Post.

Asked about Clinton's comments, Bush said, "I've watched all the finger-pointing and namings of names and all that stuff. Our objective is to secure the country. We've had investigations. We had the 9/11 commission, we've had the look-back this, we had the look-back that."

Bush also said it was "preposterous" for opponents of his Iraq war strategy to call for a swift U.S. troop withdrawal.

He has sought to rally public support for the unpopular Iraq war by framing it as an extension of the "war on terrorism" he declared after the Sept. 11 attacks. Many Democrats say Iraq is a distraction from the broader fight.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: billclintontantrum; bj; bjclinton; clintonistas; donkeyparty; iraqtrainedterror; jackassparty; monicastunacigar; nationaldisgrace; partyofjackasses; saddamisterror; saddampaidterror; suckmycigar; whileclintonhadsex; whileclintonslept
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To: excludethis

Bush, who is trying to stave off a Democratic takeover of Congress in November

Who writes this stuff????????


41 posted on 09/26/2006 3:22:28 PM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Seeking the Truth in Folks.)
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To: excludethis

Finger pointing. Democrats, Communists and Jihad all have this flaw in common - paranoia. Paranoids always project their own faults onto the opposition.


42 posted on 09/26/2006 3:28:31 PM PDT by Paperdoll
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To: Rb ver. 2.0
"Deep down Clinton wishes 9/11 had happened when he was President."

We all wish it had never happened, but Thank God it didn't happen on his watch. He'd still be waiting for the CIA and FBI to certify bin Laden was behind it, and even then he wouldn't have done anything.

43 posted on 09/26/2006 3:30:37 PM PDT by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway~~John Wayne)
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To: PeterPrinciple
I am trying to imagine just what the "left" would say if President Bush made all those statements about "Killing" ol Ben. They would be up in arms about his abuse of the Geneva conventions, how this proves he wanted killing and torture at the prisons etc. Can't you just see the headlines in the left wing press?
44 posted on 09/26/2006 3:35:08 PM PDT by cotton
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To: Rb ver. 2.0

I do believe at some point he actually said that out loud.


45 posted on 09/26/2006 3:43:45 PM PDT by AmeriBrit (By a miracle we lived through 'Eight Clinton Years of Living Hell'....NO MORE CLINTON'S...EVER!)
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To: txflake

"Clinton SAID he wished 9/11'd happened on his watch. Out LOUD, on the air."

What would the lyin', draft-dodging snake have done about it?


46 posted on 09/26/2006 3:53:48 PM PDT by popdonnelly
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To: evets

I've got a smirk on my face for Bill Clinton.


47 posted on 09/26/2006 3:54:42 PM PDT by popdonnelly
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To: MurryMom
Hello MurryMom. You know, it wouldn't hurt if you followed Diana Irey a little more closely and observed how a lady conducts herself.
All these years of liberal edification, (especially of the Clinton variety), has tarnished you.
48 posted on 09/26/2006 4:17:49 PM PDT by jla
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To: excludethis


The fact that "Suckmycigar" appears as a key word in this article says it all.

After the interview on Sunday I've concluded that Clinton is less of a liar and more of a COMPLETE LUNATIC.

I leave it up to you to decide which is worst....


49 posted on 09/26/2006 4:32:44 PM PDT by Tzimisce (How Would Mohammed Vote? Hillary for President! www.dndorks.com)
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To: Tzimisce
I tried so hard. Never had Osama Bin Laden and I am the best President ever."
50 posted on 09/26/2006 4:36:18 PM PDT by A CA Guy (God Bless America, God bless and keep safe our fighting men and women.)
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To: MurryMom
I sure hope GWB didn't smirk when he said that.

Did you smirk when you referred to the administration and the Pentagon leadership as "christofascist terrorists," you pathetic deceitful git?

51 posted on 09/27/2006 6:33:38 AM PDT by Petronski (Living His life abundantly.)
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To: excludethis

Boy that was blunt. A real jab. Shame, shame, shame. If you point the finger at someone else you've still got 4 pointing back at you.


52 posted on 09/27/2006 6:41:30 AM PDT by ichabod1 (Political Correctness is communist propaganda writ small.)
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To: Williams

I heard on the radio that he went to another group, after "the interview" and said that reporters had escaped scrutiny so far, but if they dare to start writing about his marriage they're going to have their own dirty laundry aired.


53 posted on 09/27/2006 6:44:16 AM PDT by ichabod1 (Political Correctness is communist propaganda writ small.)
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To: VRWCmember

I don't even think President Bush meant to say it. I think he had the image of Clinton's wagging in his head and it just came out.


54 posted on 09/27/2006 6:45:47 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: ExcursionGuy84

Clinton has always been confused about the difference between efforts and results.


55 posted on 09/27/2006 6:48:36 AM PDT by ichabod1 (Political Correctness is communist propaganda writ small.)
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To: evets; RegulatorCountry; MurryMom

OLBERMANN: And very briefly, the tone of the president‘s news conference today, your assessment of that?

FINEMAN: All you got to do is look at those pursed lips and that smirk. Talk about smirks that Bill Clinton was talking about with Chris Wallace, George Bush has his own version. He was using it today. That means he‘s—he feels, he feels under, under attack right now (INAUDIBLE).

OLBERMANN: Yes, sure. There are smirks and then there are smirks.

FINEMAN: The presidential smirks, yes.

OLBERMANN: Howard Fineman of “Newsweek” and MSNBC, who never smirks with us. Many thanks, as always, sir.

FINEMAN: Thank you, Keith.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15029655/


56 posted on 09/27/2006 9:12:34 AM PDT 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: excludethis

Who was the one appearing Presidential? GWB or BJC?
We report, you decide!


57 posted on 09/27/2006 9:15:36 AM PDT by connor_in (opus & bill 2008)
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To: TexKat

58 posted on 09/27/2006 9:24:28 AM PDT by evets (beer)
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To: TexKat

Ooooh noooo ... not the smirky-smirk!!! We're doomed!!!

*smirk*


59 posted on 09/27/2006 9:27:55 AM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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