[beyond the sea]

"For this Mr. Webb has been roundly criticized. And on reading the exchange I thought it had the sound of the rattling little aggressions of our day, but not on Mr. Webb's side. Imagine Lincoln saying, in such circumstances, "That's not what I asked you." Or JFK. Or Gerald Ford!"

""That's not what I asked you" is a sentence straight from cable TV, from which many Americans are acquiring an attitude toward public and even private presentation." ---

Dear Peggy has a problem with the President saying to Webb, "That's not what I asked you." What do you think?

[rhombus]

Dear Peggy has a problem with the President saying to Webb, "That's not what I asked you." What do you think?

I think she's reading something into the phrase that I didn't when I first read it. My interpretation was that Bush was making an attempt to be personable and more human with respect to Webb. But who knows, I'd have to hear the exchange to judge the vocal inflections.

[MizSterious]

"What do you think?"

I think...that Ms. Noonan is so fond of wordy, flowery phrases that she has no respect for straight-talking. She has taken other swipes at the President's way of speaking, at least one of them insinuating (in her usualy wordy, flowery manner of course) that he wasn't as intelligent as he should be. I don't recall the exact column, just remember reading it and thinking, she really hasn't a clue, has she?

[djstex]

I Think Noonan presumes to know what JFK, Lincoln or Ford would say understand such circumstances.
What would anyone in particular the President could have said to such a caustic remark by Webb when the Commander in chief was simply inquiring about his son who is serving in the military...
The truth of the matter, just knowing from many past remarks of this President when he does ask of any one of our troops, he'd probably said, thank him for his service....but we never read or heard this in this exchange printed by the Washington Post...just Webb wanting to slug the Commander in Chief.
Peggy wants to talk of grace..how about starting with Webb,who lacks civility and respect for our President.

[libbylu]

It is a parent's phrase. And Webb was acting like a child.