Words get in the way for Bush in Iraq debate

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Words have never been a strong point for President Bush, who has even joked about his habit of mangling the English language.

But two weeks before elections likely to hinge on growing public frustration over Iraq, Bush and his top aides are scrambling to redefine the terms of the wartime debate, hoping it will help stave off a Democratic takeover of Congress.

Critics dismiss the shift in rhetoric as a smokescreen to hide a failed Iraq policy from voters, but analysts say it could be more than just semantics if it leads to a significant change of course.

"It shows political desperation," said Martin Medhurst, professor of rhetoric at Baylor University in Waco. "The question is whether Bush's rhetoric will come into alignment with reality in Iraq, which has not been the case before."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/iraq_bush_words_dc