Bush: "they were just guessing as to what the conditions might be like"

[bigtree]

September 21, 2004 11:13 p.m. ET

http://news.lycos.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=924917

NEW YORK (Reuters) - President Bush, determined to put an optimistic face on deadly turmoil in Iraq, said on Tuesday that the CIA was just guessing when it said the country was in danger of slipping into civil war.

"The CIA laid out several scenarios. It said that life could be lousy, life could be OK, life could be better. And they were just guessing as to what the conditions might be like," Bush told reporters during a picture-taking session with Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry assailed Bush's judgment, asking a rally in Orlando: "Ladies and gentlemen, does that make you feel safer? Does that give you confidence that this president knows what he's talking about?

"This is the president of the United States today standing in New York City where he was answering questions about Iraq and his speech to the United Nations," Kerry told thousands of supporters in a basketball arena. "And this what the president of the United States of America -- in the midst of a war at a moment of danger -- said."


But on 05/17/2002 Bush sang a different tune about intelligence reports.


WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush insisted Friday he didn't ignore warning signs about the Sept. 11 attacks and said "second guessing has become second nature" to Washington Democrats. New details emerged about terrorist threats last year, putting him on the defensive. "Had I known that the enemy was going to use airplanes to kill on that fateful morning, I would have done everything in my power to protect the American people," Bush said in his first public comments on the controversy. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said the president was missing the point. "I think the question is, why didn't he know? If the information was made available, why was he kept in the dark? If the president of the United States doesn't have access to this kind of information, there's something wrong with the system."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2002/05/17/bush-defense.htm


Seems second guessing is not just for Democrats after all.

[Mz Pip]

1. Great way to plan a war

Just guess what might happen! Weee what fun! If you guess right you win the 5 piece set of Samsonite Luggage and a trip to Fantasyland!

MzPip
:dem:

[GainesT1958]

2. It really makes one wonder how Tenet could take the fall...

For this moron!:mad:

As much as he's dissed the CIA during the last four years, were I a "Company" employee, I don't believe I'd have enough respect for Dub to do that--I'd let him sink with his own anchor!

B-)

[unblock]

3. BUT when bush WAS informed the enemy was using planes, he read a goat book

or had a goat book read TO him, more precisely.

shrub can't say DICK about what he would have done, had he known, because when he WAS informed, he did NOTHING.

he knew of 4 hijacked planes and 2 crashes into towers, and he did NOTHING.

[Mr_Spock]

4. Lou Dobbs - "so it was OK to use CIA info to go into Iraq, but now they

are just guessing" he said incredulously. I wish his shock at Bush's hypocrisy could be played over and over again for all the Bush supporters to have to live with.

[aquart]

7. Wait a minute! The CIA said don't do it.

It was Rummy's secret Pentagon intelligence crew that was gung ho on order.

I am not fond of the CIA, but they told the truth about Osama. They gave Bush security memo after security memo. It ain't their fault if Bush didn't want to hear Osama, he wanted to hear "Saddam."

[MooPie]

5. Dayummm

Were they at the rally? I just got home from it a 1/2 an hour ago. Kerry/Edwards didn't even come on until almost 10 pm. These guys are fast!

[Sparkly]

6. Also read a quote from Condi today saying there was "no evidence"

that there could be a civil war" in Iraq.

She's waiting for the different factions to send her a memo with the date, time and place of the civil war's initial declaration. Otherwise, there's no evidence.

[aquart]

8. Haven't seen her much lately. She been around?

Not a lot of Rummy either. Where could they be?

[bigtree]

9. .

:kick:

[Carni]

10. This is his dumbest comment yet

If the CIA is just *guessing* then WTF ARE WE PAYING THEM FOR?

Everytime I turn on the TV lately I feel like I am stuck in some never ending SNL skit (and it isn't funny!)

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

11. It's the SNL skit thrown in at the end of the show because...

they had their best stuff on the first hour...
although, to continue the analogy...I don't know what Bush's best stuff was...it's all been second rate or worthless. MKJ