I thought it was obscene when Hillary Clinton cited Bush as a model for how to talk about the fight

[totodeinhere]

against terrorism. Bush deserves zero credit for any aspect of the fight against terrorism. Her comment almost made me vomit.

[MohRokTah]

1. But she was right, Bush was right.

This is not a war against Islam.

That is an absolutely correct statement and it came out of George W. Bush's mouth.

[PowerToThePeople]

3. You've been on quite the roll recently.

eom

[MohRokTah]

5. ountering the BS from the BS supporters. eom

[totodeinhere]

6. of course it's not a war against Islam but citing that mealy-mouthed Bush as an example

was uncalled for and counter productive. Bush may have said that but he and his neocon friends are responsible for much of the problem.

[MohRokTah]

11. She cited the person who was the leader of the free world at the time.

I don't get your reluctance to admit, in that instant, George W. Bush was 100% right.

[totodeinhere]

17. Bush was the fucking leader of nothing. He was Cheney's water boy.

n/t

[MohRokTah]

18. Bush was president. The President of the US is the leader of the free world. End of discussion.

[sadoldgirl]

22. Correction, please,

Bush was the president of the US!

Please, don't make him out to have been more than that.

[MohRokTah]

24. ALL US PResidents from Truman on were considered to be the leader of the free world.

ALL of them, not just the ones we like.

[Fawke Em]

29. Keep on rockin' in the free world.

[mmonk]

48. +1

[tammywammy]

30. Holy crap, have you never heard the phrase "leader of the free world" before?

It's a very common colloquiuism referring to the US president. So as much as I didn't like him, Bush was president and leader of the free world.

[polly7]

40. Your President is not my leader and I live in the 'free world' (- whatever that's supposed

to mean).

I have a PM, we're quite free.

[tammywammy]

41. Sigh

It's a common colloquiuism that's been around for decades in the United States. I think it's an outdated phrase born during the Cold War.

I know the president isn't actually the leader of other countries.

[polly7]

42. I know what it is. I've always hated it. nt.

[Live and Learn]

45. Hey, you are lucky then because I don't know anyone that lives here that would consider

the US even a 'free' country anymore (hmmm, some recent posters excluded).

[riderinthestorm]

33. Bush wasn't elected. He was selected by SCOTUS nt

[cheapdate]

37. I'm on your side on this.

Bush was obviously a disaster of historic proportion for the country. His mischief ran the gamut from the inane to the horrendous. But credit where it's due. He spoke magnanimously about Islam and he created 3 new protected marine sanctuaries in the Northern Pacific ocean.

[reddread]

7. how does it taste?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

8. Bush certainly turned Americans against Islam

in fact Indians in the US who are not Muslims were being attacked after 9/11

[Fawke Em]

31. I was divorcing and my then estranged husband called me

to tell me to take our name off the mailbox so some rednecks wouldn't come into the house and bludgeon my baby son and me.

Sad.

It's actually worse now.

[morningfog]

12. Out of all the people who have said that, fucking bush?

[MohRokTah]

13. The president at the time. eom

[morningfog]

19. Goddamn. Bush said so many wrong things when talking about

terrorism. He is the LAST person anyone should use as an example.

[MohRokTah]

21. In this instance, he said the RIGHT thing

That he said it doesn't make it any less right just like it being George W. Bush who pushed Congress to increase funding to fight the AIDS crisis in Africa was any less the right thing to do because it was Bush.

[morningfog]

28. But what he said was not right. A small portion

Touted by Hillary and out of context.

You sure have a lot of praise for bush.

[cheapdate]

39. Not a "small portion." Bush spoke often and consistently about the positive side of Islam.

Last edited Sun Nov 15, 2015, 02:49 AM - Edit history (1)

"We come to express our appreciation for a faith that has enriched civilization for centuries. [...] In the Middle East, we have seen ...the rise of a group of extremists who seek to use religion as a path to power and a means of domination.These self-appointed vanguard -- this self-appointed vanguard presumes to speak for Muslims. They do not. They call all Muslims who do not believe in their harsh and hateful ideology "infidels" and "betrayers" of the true Muslim faith."
Remarks by President George W. Bush at the 50th Anniversary and Rededication Ceremony of the Islamic Center of Washington DC, June 28, 2007

"All Americans must recognize that the face of terror is not the true faith -- face of Islam. Islam is a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. It's a faith that has made brothers and sisters of every race. It's a faith based upon love, not hate."
President George W. Bush. Roundtable with Arab and Muslim-American Leaders. Afghanistan Embassy. Washington, D.C., September 10, 2002

"The Islam that we know is a faith devoted to the worship of one God, as revealed through The Holy Qur'an. It teaches the value and the importance of charity, mercy, and peace."
President George W. Bush's Message for Ramadan. November 15, 2001

Credit where it's due.

[morningfog]

43. In the context of declaring a global "war on terror."

And pushing to invade a country uninvolved. His cowboy recklessness, "with us or against us," smoking them out, and the lies to get his war.... No credit for him.

[Live and Learn]

46. Broken clock.... And then he proceeded to make it just that! nt

[72DejaVu]

2. Bush said that the war on terror was not a war against Islam

That statement makes you vomit?

[totodeinhere]

9. Any complimentary comment about Bush makes me vomit. I make no apologies for that.

n/t

[MohRokTah]

16. Bus was 100% right in increasing foreign aid to deal with the AIDS crisis in Africa.

I am not afraid to give somebody credit when they deserve it regardless of whom they may be.

[totodeinhere]

20. Are you trying to turn this thread into a GWB appreciation thread?

n/t

[MohRokTah]

23. No, I am pointing out the absurdity of determining that George W. Bush was EVIL

just because he made the wrong decisions on multiple occasions.

The man was not evil, he was just wrong much of the time.

[PowerToThePeople]

26. He is an international war criminal

And a murderer and torturer/human rights violator on a grand scale.

Never should he be held in esteem by anyone with any morality.

[MohRokTah]

27. I disagree. Eom

[morningfog]

44. Which part? That he was a torturer?

[Bluenorthwest]

52. AIDS in Africa he did both good and bad, the money he sent was tied to bad policy.

In Africa this month, over 100,000 people will die of HIV/AIDS. They keys to reducing that harm are education and access to means of protection, ie condoms. Like the RCC, Bush made a big show about 'caring' but he also wanted to promote prudish values, no sex ed, no contraception.
Let's look at Uganda. 1/10th the population of the US. 10 times the number of AIDS deaths. Over 650,000 orphans currently left by the 60,000 annual deaths. 7.2% of the adults have HIV. Just 13% say they have ever used a condom.

It's all about the outcomes. His choices there were very much mixed.

[shraby]

35. At the same time, he put a "rider" on the money that birth control

wasn't to be taught, which also meant using condoms to prevent aids.

[deutsey]

47. That was after he called it a "crusade", right?

[reformist2]

4. It was revealing. I think it shows more than anything her connections to the neocons.

[reddread]

10. difficult contest

not seeing a sliver of daylight.
anywhere.

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. The Bushco family and Clinton family are best buds now! Bush said Hillary is like a SISTER-IN-LAW!

They LOVE each other now!

How sick is that?! She's best buds with a WAR CRIMINAL.

[reddread]

25. and post democracy uprising putdown China

dont get me started.

[reformist2]

49. Yep. This is what cronyism is all about. Overlooking each other's failings to help each other out!

[morningfog]

14. To be fair, she also supported his invasion of the wrong country.

[Robbins]

32. This is democratic primary

many of us hate Bush.what a stupid thing for her to say.

[Doctor_J]

34. she and Bill are honorary Bush family members now

And yes, it's obscene

[dsc]

36. Bush wasn't right about much

but he was right about that and deserves credit for being so.

[Beausoir]

38. You know perfectly well that is not what she said. LOL.

But, whatever makes you feel better about that doddering old fool's chances....swing away.
We can take any punch you want to throw.

[Scuba]

50. Giving credit to W for anything is anethema to Democratic voters.

[reformist2]

51. I was surprised she said it, because we know it doesn't poll-test well!

So how to understand it? I think it shows that loyalty to the war crowd trumps all else, even winning elections...