How to counter a freeper acquaintance who suggested I read Bush's book to

[woodsprite]

get an accurate perspective on the quote "I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."

I'd like to answer him in an intelligent way, but I have paid no attention when people have been discussing Bush's book or had the desire to read it on my own. Any hints as to what he's talking about when he says it will give me a different perspective?

My gut instinct is to just say "What book? Bush's? I don't think so." But I thought I should say something more intelligent than that and not as snarky. He is a friend from high school that must have gone through some radical changes in the years since graduating college.

[leftstreet]

1. Make him explain it to you. Never do their work for them

:-)

[baldguy]

8. +1000

[DenverDad]

15. I agree with that one.

:dem:

[TransitJohn]

2. Read the book

and destroy the argument.

[brooklynite]

3. How about the following reply...

"Why is that, when it was Bush's priority, he screwed it up...like everything else"

[lob1]

4. Bush had to downplay the importance of Bin Laden because

he wanted to invade Iraq, and everyone knew Osama wasn't in Iraq.

[handmade34]

16. +1

[blondeatlast]

5. Bush pulled the CIA team that was focusing on bin Laden in 2006.

NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/04/washington/04intel.html

[chollybocker]

6. Bush never wrote his own book.

Start there.

[ThatPoetGuy]

7. Has Bush read the book?

Is he referring to _My Pet Goat_ or _The Very Hungry Caterpillar_?

[Renew Deal]

9. Send him this story

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1019914

[rucky]

10. I think you gave the best response in your OP...

"I have paid no attention when people have been discussing Bush's book or had the desire to read it on my own. Any hints as to what he's talking about when he says it will give me a different perspective?"

[Mister Ed]

11. Give him the benefit of the doubt.

Maybe Bush's foot-in-mouth quotation wasn't meant the way it sounded. Who knows? Maybe, despite that offhand comment, the Bush administration was really, really busy behind the scenes, pulling out all the stops to nab bin Laden.

Ask you friend how that worked out for them.

[Johonny]

12. Hey you can read Nixon's book where he explains away Watergate

L O L. Presidents are known for rewriting their history to make themselves look better. Nixon spent years explaining away all the crap he did.

[woodsprite]

13. OK, I countered with a combo of #1, #4, #5, #12 and my OP.

I didn't have time to read the book since I'd have to buy it first or go to the library. That's not happening any time soon. If I'm really bored when I do the beach this summer, I may try it. I'm sure he'll start the convo again so I'll get another chance. He seems to have turned into a fundy who walks a line between making some sense and then going off the deep end. Can't quite figure him out. May have to stop trying and just run the other way when he brings up religion or politics.

[bhikkhu]

14. If you want to be informed, read the book

everything else is hearsay, which is a lousy tool for the job.

[pacalo]

17. Cliffs notes version: "Often wrong, never in doubt".

(found on the intertubes)