Joe Conason on a "darn good" Bush lie

[tpub]

"We gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in, and he wouldn't let them in."

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2003/07/15/bush/index.html

[Beetwasher]

1. Wha's up wit dat?

Hello, media?!!? Here's another whopper that we jumped right on when he said it!!!

[phishhead]

Maybe you should post the article?

I can't read it since I'm not a subscriber, or something.

[tpub]

3. sorry--never can tell when it's subscriber only...

A 'darn good' quote that almost nobody quoted


"We gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in, and he wouldn't let them in."

George W. Bush uttered that amazing sentence yesterday to justify the war in Iraq, according to the Washington Post.

What? Yes, I promise that's what the man said. (And by "him," the president clearly meant Saddam Hussein -- not Kim Jong-Il, who actually has refused to let international inspectors into North Korea.)

. . .

[birdman]

2. It's incredible that this unspeakably stupid statement

isn't getting more play in the press.

This is dumber than Gerry Ford denying Soviet domination
of Eastern Europe.


}(

[damnraddem]

9. It does seem as dumb as a fall from a Segway.

And here, I thought the media was ready to go after Dubya.

[Exultant Democracy]

4. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!

When did I wake up in Bizzaro World? Maybe it is all part of a plot to make our heads explode by exposing us to toxic levels of stupidity.

edit to say: I'm waiting for Aston Kutcher to jump out and tell me that we all just got Punk'd and that this is all some bad hidden camera show.

[bpilgrim]

5. i hope more pick this up...

thanks, I added it to the feature we have of this story at GFP :hi:

peace

[nostamj]

6. it did make it into the WH press conference...

<snip>

"The president's assertion that the war began because Iraq did not admit inspectors appeared to contradict the events leading up to war this spring: Hussein had, in fact, admitted the inspectors and Bush had opposed extending their work because he did not believe them effective."

Appeared to contradict the events leading up to war? Indeed, that's an exceedingly mild description of what Bush said. There's no plausible explanation, unless the president suddenly flashed back to his Yale sophomore philosophy seminar, grappling with the argument that everything we perceive is mere illusion.

For the moment, however, let's just assume reality does exist. What possessed the president to make an assertion that everyone on the planet knows to be untrue? And who is going to take the responsibility for this one? Did George Tenet vet Bush's statement? Do the British have a secret dossier proving that Saddam never actually admitted Hans Blix and the UNMOVIC teams? Will Condi Rice or Donald Rumsfeld show up on Fox News next weekend to explain why Bush's statement is "technically accurate," even though he shouldn't have said it?

[msmcghee]

8. Excellent question.

"What possessed the president to make an assertion that everyone on the planet knows to be untrue?"

Perhaps it's because he's been told by his handlers this fanciful story about the neo-cons, led by his stalwart, God-given leadership qualities, are saving America and the world from the evil-doers.

I think he requires constant stroking in this regards. Otherwise he might doubt himself from hearing the increasingly antagonistic press reports - and his handlers and Rove know that wouild be their undoing. At this point he's having trouble keeping track of all the lies. But he still thinks he can say anything he wants anyway and the "morans" will lap it up because that's what's been happening until now.

I expect even more astonishing statements from the shrub as things get ever hotter.

[ewagner]

7. Kofi Annan..

I saw that press conference and about fell out of my chair. I only wish they had shown a pic of The Secretary General's face when the statement was made. That would have been priceless!!:think: