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Did Trump Walk Back on "Bush Lied"?
Rush Limbaugh.com ^ | February 19, 2016 | Rush Limbaugh

Posted on 02/19/2016 2:19:39 PM PST by Kaslin

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Now, remember when that happened in the Saturday night debate, a lot of people were shocked watching this. I immediately evolved a theory to explain it. Here you have the Republican front-runner -- and let's review. The Republican front-runner defended Planned Parenthood. "A great organization that does great things for women's health." It's almost a cliche!

It's what left-wing, Planned Parenthood defenders say.

They're an abortion mill!

They are an abortion factory!

The lion's share of their so-called "funding," their income, comes from performing abortion. They don't do mammograms, for example. The idea that Planned Parenthood is involved in women's health is largely a PR smokescreen to cover up the fact that they're an abortion factory. Well, Mr. Trump came out and said, "Planned Parenthood, they do great things," and that he didn't want to defund them because they do "great things for women's health." That's the Republican front-runner. I sat up when I heard this.

I said, "Whoa! Not even Romney said that. McCain hasn't even said that. What's this?" Then, as the debate went on, Mr. Trump accused Bush of lying about Iraq. They knew there weren't any WMD in there, and they still went to war anyway. "They knew," Trump said. "They knew." Trump said that he opposed the war in Iraq and that Bush was lying about that and lying about 9/11, that Bush didn't keep us safe, that the Twin Towers fell when Bush was in the White House. And he did that while assaulting Jeb, going after Jeb.

But, nevertheless, I said, "What is this? This is the first time I've heard any of this," and then it hit me. Well, it's an open primary, and in South Carolina, Democrats and independents can cross over and vote. I theorized what Trump was trying to get here was get some of those votes, because we had reports that Cruz was gaining ground. Internal polling data showed Cruz was two points behind. If that internal polling existed in the Bush campaign, Trump campaign knew it, too. So it was one of two things... Either Donald wanted to go get these additional voters one of two reasons.

Either to stave off what was happening with Cruz, or to just amass more and more votes to just hammer that final nail in the coffin and just be done with this and just win with a slam dunk. And then commentators on TV took me to task. They said, "No, Rush! Trump's not that diabolical, he speaks from the heart." I said, "There's nothing 'diabolical' about it. It's political strategy. All I'm saying is Trump is not surrounded by idiots. He's got some political pros in his organization and it could be well they strategized to do this."

Because it's not often that you hear the Republican front-runner anywhere defend Planned Parenthood and destroy a revered former Republican president. Bush is revered in South Carolina with 83% approval. You just don't hear that. So there had to be a reason. And then Trump yesterday -- or maybe two nights ago -- now when he's on MSNBC during that town hall, admitted he's going to get crossover votes. He was going to get Democrats and independents. I said, "A ha! My theory was right on the money! That's exactly what they were doing. That's why Trump said that."

Then there were a couple of additional things, such as Trump saying that he's going to rewrite the electoral map because of so many people -- so many crossovers in other states -- are gonna end up supporting him that Wisconsin is going to be in play, Pennsylvania is going to be in play, Michigan is going to be in play. And then last night, Donald Trump... Well, let me just read to you from the Wall Street Journal: "Donald Trump on Thursday appeared to try to walk back his claims that the administration of former President George W. Bush lied about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to justify the war.

"During a town hall-style event hosted by CNN, when the Republican front-runner was asked about the comments he made during last weekend's GOP debate, Mr. Trump said: 'I'm not talking about lying, I'm not talking about not lying. Nobody really knows why we went into Iraq.' He added. 'Bottom line: there were no weapons of mass destruction. ... Whether he lied or not, he went into Iraq,' Mr. Trump said. 'It was a horrible decision.'" And so the Wall Street Journal and others in the Drive-By Media are now trying to say that Trump is walking it back.

Now, if Trump is walking it back, there goes my theory. Why walk it back if you're trying to attract Democrat crossover votes tomorrow in the South Carolina primary? Maybe you think you've already done it and you've succeeded. You got your message out. You can make a show and play at walking it back here to maintain your Republican vote. I still could be right about this, is the bottom line. Now, they think they have caught Trump in another... I don't know what you'd call it. Flip-flop?

Because apparently Mr. Trump is saying (and you probably heard it) that he opposed the war in Iraq always forever, and people in the media said, "That's great, but we can't find any quotes. We can't find any evidence of you saying that." Trump said, "That's okay, you shouldn't. I wasn't in politics back then. I was in business. I'm a businessman back then. I wasn't being quoted for things I said as a businessman. Of course you wouldn't. But I just want to tell you: I opposed the Iraq war." But somebody found a tape of Trump on Howard Stern back in 2002.

Stern said to Trump, "Are you in favor of invading Iraq?" and Trump said, "Yeah, I guess so. I wish the first time it was done correctly." Which is an excellent point, by the way. If... do you heard what happened in Gulf War One? We won that war in 2-1/2 days. That was the Arnold Schwarzenegger -- I'm sorry, the Norman Schwarzkopf victory. You remember what happened with that? We had the Iraqi Army on the run. They were in full retreat. The Republican Guard and the "elite" troops, they were on their way back to Baghdad.

Schwarzkopf wanted to wipe them out. He just wanted to end it. Go all the way back to Baghdad, get Saddam, and be done with Iraq. Colin Powell said, "No. No, no, Mr. President, Mr. Bush. Don't do it! You will look like you are using excessive force, unnecessary force. The war is over.

The war is won and besides," said General Powell, "Look, the UN mandate authorizing the use of force does not include getting Saddam. It just says get Iraq out of Kuwait and recapture the oil wells for Kuwait that Saddam took," and eventually set on fire.

That happened to be true.

The United Nations resolution that George H.W. Bush put together did not include regime change in Iraq, did not include taking Saddam out. But Schwarzkopf said, a la Patton, "What the hell are we stopping for? Let's just keep going! Rroot the guy out and let's be done with this forever." Colin Powell said, 'Nope, nope. The optics won't look good." And they weren't. The optics were the Iraqi Army were on the run, surrendering every day on TV, weaving white flags. They were shoeless, they were shirtless and they were on the road back to Baghdad and Colin Powell said, "You can't continue this!

"You have to just end this and let them get back home," and that's what we did. And Saddam survived to once again start threatening and bellowing about weapons of mass destruction and gave us reason to go back in. Ancient history. But nevertheless, Trump is right when he says, "I wish the first time it was done correctly." What he means by that is that we'd just kept going and taken Saddam out. But the point is that in 2002 he did say he was for invading Iraq. So there's... I don't know if it's a flip-flop, but people found evidence contrary to what he's been saying.

END TRANSCRIPT


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2016issues; bush43; bushlied; nevermind; rush; rushtranscript; trump
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To: Lakeshark

You can get it at the marina. My boat prefers it.


101 posted on 02/20/2016 10:20:03 AM PST by xzins (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: C. Edmund Wright

You haven’t even commented, bonehead. A stupid footballer celebrating before the end zone. They must teach that, too, in the UPC church.

Fake it til you make it. Nafta cause you hafta.


102 posted on 02/20/2016 10:24:27 AM PST by xzins (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: xzins
Yes, but I want to get it at the pump, and because of the law, I can't.

Marina gas is incredibly expensive, my understanding is what we call regular (the stuff with some mandated ethanol), without ethanol would cost the same.

I just want that choice, for my tools, and my boat.

My small engine repair shop loves the ethanol mandate.....I may want to open a new business if ethanol stays mandatory.

103 posted on 02/20/2016 10:28:49 AM PST by Lakeshark
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To: C. Edmund Wright
I think you are not gauging Trumps' skills, or strengths well enough.

I get it, he's not nearly the conservative that Cruz is. I understand we aren't going to get all we want. I am certain we will get bitten in the butt with some things we don't like. My eyes are wide open.

I also understand that he's selected THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES OF OUR TIME TO ACCENTUATE, and he's the one who has made those issues front and center. He formed the narrative right in front and in spite of the media. These happen to be the most important issues to most conservatives right now, it's why he's winning.

Another thing, that I hope you of all people might understand. You've owned your own business and so have I. You and I both understand what it means to be an executive, to have to make decisions and live with them on a daily basis. Say what you will, but Christie was right when he said senators don't often understand the difference. It's why senators used to be considered bad candidates because of their lack of executive experience.

Last: The strength thing. Being able to take the heat of the rat/media complex, and being able to turn the narrative on them. Trump does it best. Tried by fire, he's demonstrated since he announced he can win his arguments, winning them against the most PC media and opposition party (heck a lot of R's too) ever. Nobody else comes close.

Those things count a lot, and they aren't sugar coatings, they're real.

104 posted on 02/20/2016 10:47:04 AM PST by Lakeshark
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To: Lakeshark

Change the plastics and the problem goes away. If ethanol has been in gasoline for a while, and it has, then small engine companies are not changing their plastics on purpose. Wonder why that would be? Self interest?


105 posted on 02/20/2016 10:48:02 AM PST by xzins (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: xzins
You are posting with someone who has made a strong study of alternative fuels as part of his business.

I'm all for them. Just don't make me pay the Iowa farmers if I don't want to, nor pay for my neighbors solar collectors with higher electrical prices made so by mandates.

I'm an all of the above guy, but in the all I want something that is economically justifiable, something that the market supports, something that works fully.

I just don't see ethanol being in that category.

106 posted on 02/20/2016 10:53:24 AM PST by Lakeshark
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To: xzins

Also, I don’t want to buy all new tools to accomodate that mandate.


107 posted on 02/20/2016 10:53:57 AM PST by Lakeshark
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To: Lakeshark

How long we had ethanol in our gasoline. ..20 years?


108 posted on 02/20/2016 11:34:54 AM PST by xzins (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: Lakeshark

IMO you have way over estimated how much the experience of Trump’s business career indicates what he can do to the economy. He started very wealthy, has had a lot of failures, and used bankruptcy four times to escape damages...and his biggest business of all was a reality TV show. Not exactly Apple or GM is it.


109 posted on 02/20/2016 12:16:41 PM PST by C. Edmund Wright (WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again (Amazon Best Seller))
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To: xzins

that’s just idiotic...I wasn’t celebrating anything....just telling you that you’ll be sorry and embarrassed one day. That’s called a prediction, and my track record is well north of 95%.


110 posted on 02/20/2016 12:17:24 PM PST by C. Edmund Wright (WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again (Amazon Best Seller))
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To: C. Edmund Wright

Trump wins


111 posted on 02/20/2016 4:47:35 PM PST by xzins (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: xzins

Nothing says taking a wrecking ball to the Uni-party like supporting TARP, Stimulus, Obama Care mandate, the union bail outs, supporting Cindy Sheehan and code pink, doing deals with Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, supporting Mitch McConnell over Matt Bevin and doing so because Mitch brings the bacon back to his state, and supporting the ethanol scam, funding of Planned Parenthood.

Yeah that Trumpster, he’s a real wrecking ball that one! /s


112 posted on 02/20/2016 4:49:00 PM PST by C. Edmund Wright (WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again (Amazon Best Seller))
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To: xzins

Nothing says taking a wrecking ball to the Uni-party like supporting TARP, Stimulus, Obama Care mandate, the union bail outs, supporting Cindy Sheehan and code pink, doing deals with Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, supporting Mitch McConnell over Matt Bevin and doing so because Mitch brings the bacon back to his state, and supporting the ethanol scam, funding of Planned Parenthood.

Yeah that Trumpster, he’s a real wrecking ball that one! /s


113 posted on 02/20/2016 4:51:14 PM PST by C. Edmund Wright (WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again (Amazon Best Seller))
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To: C. Edmund Wright

Throw out the incompetents who got us to this point


114 posted on 02/20/2016 4:51:21 PM PST by xzins (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: C. Edmund Wright
Yeah that Trumpster, he's a real wrecking ball that one!


115 posted on 02/20/2016 4:53:09 PM PST by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera)
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To: C. Edmund Wright

He’s winning conservatives
He’s winning moderates
He’s winning my military
He’s winning EVANGELICALS

In South Carolina


116 posted on 02/20/2016 5:03:11 PM PST by xzins (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: xzins

Nothing says taking a wrecking ball to the Uni-party like supporting TARP, Stimulus, Obama Care mandate, the union bail outs, supporting Cindy Sheehan and code pink, doing deals with Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, supporting Mitch McConnell over Matt Bevin and doing so because Mitch brings the bacon back to his state, and supporting the ethanol scam, funding of Planned Parenthood.

Yeah that Trumpster, he’s a real wrecking ball that one! /s


117 posted on 02/20/2016 5:05:53 PM PST by C. Edmund Wright (WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again (Amazon Best Seller))
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To: mac_truck

you use photo shop.
I use your man’s words.

i win. You didn’t even show up.


118 posted on 02/20/2016 5:08:05 PM PST by C. Edmund Wright (WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again (Amazon Best Seller))
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To: C. Edmund Wright

Lots of topics on your list. But they’re not unknown. When you win every group it says that cew’s issues are not their concerns. They know about them. They just don’t motivate them. Across the board those are not the motivating issues.


119 posted on 02/20/2016 5:24:49 PM PST by xzins (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: xzins

But none of that means CEW is wrong and they are right. American voters have demonstrated abject idiocy most of the time.

Your using this as some kind of substitution for the fact that he’s not a limited government Constitutionalist just shows the abject intellectual vacancy of your case.


120 posted on 02/20/2016 5:28:53 PM PST by C. Edmund Wright (WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again (Amazon Best Seller))
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