Flap Over Iraq Charge Shows Bush Vulnerability (Washington Post)

[LauraK]

With surprising swiftness, an esoteric debate over 16 words in this year's State of the Union address has changed the national political scene in recent days.

Once-lifeless Democratic presidential candidates, buoyed by declining support for President Bush and his Iraq policy, talk of a full-blown scandal. They say the sentence in Bush's speech declaring Saddam Hussein sought nuclear material in Africa -- a charge the White House now admits was wrong or insufficiently documented -- is symbolic of a president who misled a nation into a costlier-than-expected war by distorting intelligence.

The White House has been uncharacteristically flat-footed, responding with defensive and often contradictory explanations. "It is 16 words, and it has become an enormously overblown issue," national security adviser Condoleezza Rice said on CNN on Sunday.

Political strategists say the controversy ultimately depends on events far away -- in the streets and fields of Iraq. If Hussein is killed or captured, illegal weapons are found in Iraq and the near-daily attacks on U.S. soldiers subside, Democrats and Republicans agree the intelligence flap will be largely forgotten. If, however, Congress returns from its summer break in September with Hussein still at large, no discovery of weapons of mass destruction and continued attacks on U.S. troops, the issue will almost surely become the subject of congressional hearings and fodder for the presidential campaign.
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[revcarol]

1. Pap! or Crap!

We're only objecting because the war was 'COSTLIER THAN EXPECTED?????'

Damn librul media!!

[Arcturus]

5. In what sense?

"Costly" does not necessarily refer just to money. True, the war has cost us money, but it's also cost us other resources, our credibility, and human lives.

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. Here's a pic to go along with the story

http://bushfordummies.com





http://kucinichforpresident.com - Kucinich Is The One
http://cronus.com/prayer - One of Kucinich's speeches

http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13 - cute little buttons
http://bushspeaks.com - sardonic political toons
http://cronus.com - enlightening and educational liberal fun

Conceptual Guerilla

[grasswire]

3. write the reporter

....but be nice to him, because he's the most critical of Bush. Let him know that this breach of the public trust isn't a political issue. This is about the most fundamental bedrock principles of our democracy. [e-mail]

"Fueling the controversy is the awakening of Democrats, who have a lot of pent-up frustration because they have not believed they could challenge Bush on foreign affairs since the Sept. 11 attacks."

Wrong. We always knew that if the lap dogs of the press would fulfill their public trust, Bush would be challenged on a dozen different fronts.

[caledesi]

4. Cronus - that says it all. Excellent

[Arcturus]

6. Two words

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Clinton's testimony that got him into trouble a mere two words?

He was asked if he had had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky, to which he responded, "No, never."

If two words can get you impeached, what can sixteen words do?