Hype & Glory (MTP Review -*came across as likable and presidential)

[papau]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/shapiro/2004-02-08-hype_x.htm

Hype & Glory by Walter Shapiro

Bush knows he'll go to voters as a 'war president' …"I'm a war president. I make decisions here in the Oval Office in foreign policy matters with war on my mind."

<Snip> …Bush … trotted out a series of theories about what might have happened to Iraq's elusive arsenal: "Saddam and his henchmen could have destroyed them as we entered into Iraq. They could be hidden. They could have been transported to another country." But the president never raised the possibility that the intelligence may have been wrong and the weapons <snip>

...Bush once again exceeded the low expectations of his partisan critics. Not only did the Oval Office setting underscore the power of incumbency, but Bush, for all the obvious tension in the room, came across as likable and presidential.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/kerry/articles/2004/02/09/kerry_casts_doubt_on_bush_credibility_on_iraq/

Kerry casts doubt on Bush credibility on Iraq

Bush... "changing his story" about the rationale for the Iraq war...without a swifter investigation of prewar intelligence than Bush proposed Friday, the American people and the court of world opinion may grow skeptical of the administration. "Look, our security is at risk today -- if in one month North Korea presented a major problem, and the president went to the UN, would the UN believe what he says?"...Kerry said American credibility also could be damaged because of Vice President Dick Cheney's meetings with intelligence officials in 2002 and the evidence given to Congress that year that led Kerry and many other Democrats to vote for military action in Iraq.

"I think there's an urgency to finding out precisely what happened to that evidence. I'd like to know why the vice president was visiting CIA at Langley. What was taking place? Why was clear evidence to the contrary ignored, and they selectively put evidence in front of Congress?" <snip>

Kerry...offered nuanced criticism of Bush's record in the National Guard in the 1970s...<saying> he respected Bush's service in the Guard and noted that "a whole bunch of people" chose it "as a way of sort of serving but not necessarily going to Vietnam." But Kerry declined to take Bush's word that he fulfilled his term of service.

"The issue here is, was present and active on duty in Alabama at the times he was supposed to be?" Kerry said. "I don't have the answer to that question. And just because you get an honorable discharge does not, in fact, answer that question. When you make a choice, I think people have an obligation to at least live out the choice they make."<snip>

[Richardo]

1. The Shapiro piece is from the Onion, right?

Right? "Hype and Glory" is right. :eyes:

[aquart]

2. They lied outright to Congress.

Doesn't Congress have the right to subpoena them and ask about that?

[trumad]

3. Even Ho Peggy Noonan

dissed Dubya about MTP... Shapiro...what a fool!

[einniv]

4. War president huh?

Ummm George that would be because you started a war. Remember that little violation of international law thing? Otherwise , no "war-time-president" Get it?

[papau]

5. Shapiro saw lean forward and smile/smirk as being "likable"

Some GOP friends also read it that way -

Bush is the kid that had the room over the garage that drinks and smiles and is one of us

while Kerry is Patrician old money, obtuse, non-smiling, sullen see problem w/o solution, not common man type

But they do admit Kerry is getting better - smiles more - and has started to come across as common man who is hero vet who has adopted Dean solutions and attitude toward Bush - meaning the race in 04 will be close!

:-)

[jmags]

6. Imagine if any democratic candidates

gave a performance like that on Meet The Press. Do you think anyone would dare suggest they looked "presidential" with the bumbling, awkward pauses, rushed words, nonsensical answers that Bush gave as he stumbled through the softball interview?

[papau]

7. that was a tough Russert interview - "now let's move on"

that was a tough Russert interview - "now let's move on"


Russert: Do you go to war for phony reasons?

Bush: Saddam was a dangerous man, a madman, and you can never trust a madman.

Russert: That's good enough for me, now let's move on...

[wabeewoman]

8. "Illegal invasion president"

is more accurate. Its not exactly a war when you are fighting a third world country without even an airforce. Or maybe it just should be 'bully boy'.