Bush Has A Memory?

Bob Geldof opens a story about his travels to Africa with Bush with this story:

We sat in the large, wood-paneled conference room of Air Force One as she cruised the skies of the immense African continent below us. Gathered around the great oval table, I wondered how changed was the man who said in 2000 that Africa "doesn't fit into the national strategic interests, as far as I can see them."

"Hold on a minute. I said that in response to a military question. Condi! Canya get in here," the President shouts out the open door, leaning back in his chair. The Secretary of State, looking glamorous and fresh despite having been diverted to Kenya to articulate the U.S.'s concern over matters there before jetting back to Rwanda to join her boss, sits down. "Hi, Bob." "Hi, Condi." It's like being inside a living TV screen.

Bush asks whether she remembers the context of the 2000 question. She confirms it was regarding the U.S.'s military strategies inside Africa, but then 2000 was so long ago.

Here is the interview, and Bush was right.  This was the question broaching the topic:

JIM LEHRER: All right. Let's go through some follow-ups from some of the points that you made last night, Governor. On the important issue all the surveys show this to be underlined -- most voters -- the most important issue nationally is how to use our power in this new post-Cold War world. You said you would deploy U.S. troops only when our national  strategic interests are at stake. How are you going to go about deciding when they are?

And eventually:

JIM LEHRER: But does Africa fit in to your definition of strategic           interests?       

GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH: No. It fits into my definition of economic interest,     and that's why I try to promote free trade. But last night, when we were talking about troops in Rwanda, I would not have committed troops in Rwanda under the circumstances as I know them.

JIM LEHRER: Why not?        

GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, because it's not -- at some point in time the president has got to clearly define what the national strategic interests are, and while Africa may be important, it doesn't fit into the national strategic interests, as far as I can see them. Now, that doesn't mean that we couldn't have rallied folks such as the United Nations to go help keep warring parties apart in Rwanda, but at some point in time the president has got to clearly define what is in our interests.       

JIM LEHRER: So you would disagree with what Senator McCain said last night, that there are -- there are some times, in addition to strategic interests -- human rights or U.S. values' interests -- for introducing U.S. troops?

GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, I would never say 'never,' but I am going           to be very hesitant to deploy troops outside those areas that I've defined as our national strategic interests.

 

Comments

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Happens I submitted an article proposal just today that has this sentence:

Let's just assume for the sake of argument that the man who got a Yale BA, a Harvard MBA, beat Ann Richards in Texas and broke a bunch of historical precedents to be elected and then re-elected President is neither a fool nor of subnormal intelligence, no matter what the running joke lines are.

I think as soon as he's no longer a target for the political machinations of the legacy media, people are actually going to notice this.

[Syl]

Amen

[TexasToast]

That was a fine read. Thanks.

[Cecil Turner]

Y'know, that wasn't a very hard question. But it was nice to see that he got it exactly right. Betcha Sen Obama couldn't.

[Rick Ballard]

A good laxative would blow Geldorf's brains clean out of sight. I want the time back.

[Pofarmer]

Maybe Boris, but Sen Barack Hussein Obama would have hoped and changed a bunch.

[Ann]

Am I in OZ? Bob Geldof thinks President Bush is smart and now this:
"We can’t abandon Iraq now", says … Angelina Jolie?

Hat tip: Hotair

[Don]

No he's still an idiot and a tool.

That interview is from Feb 16, 2000 and Bush is already using the term "weapons of mass destruction"! It was all so predictable.

[Don]

Jesus-this is BEFORE he's even elected.

"GOV. GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, I think the most realistic ways to keep them isolated in the world of public opinion and to work with our alliance is to keep them isolated. I'm just as frustrated as many Americans are that Saddam Hussein still lives. I think we ought to keep the pressure on him. I will tell you this: If we catch him developing weapons of mass destruction in any way, shape or form, I'll deal with that in a way that he won't like."

Two amendments: We don't have to like, actually catch him, we'll take the limey's word for it. Two, the majority of the American public will end up not liking it as well!

[Syl]

Bush is already using the term "weapons of mass destruction"!

What rock did you crawl out from under in 2000? There was a sitting president at the time, named clinton, who was talking about, ahem, Weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein, and regime change.

Don, you're an idiot. Sorry for the ad hom, but my gosh I'm sick of the jerks who wake up each day as if the world just started.

[Don]

I didn't say he invented the term , you sorry ass shrew.

It was quite clear that invading Iraq was his goal going in. That's why I just threw that second quote up there.

[centralcal]

From Jonathan Martin's blog at Politico:

"A tee-shirt worn by a Baylor student in the back of a Huckabee rally:

"Loved By Few

Feared By Many

Respected By All

W"

All, I can say is Amen to that.

[Don]

Look, most people hate George Bush's guts. It's just a simple fact.

[centralcal]

Don, you are an immature little jerk and should apologize to Syl.

[Don]

I might apologize to shrews.

[Don]

Ah, ok...sorry Syl.

[bgates]

Don, which would you say bothers you more - fighting poverty in Africa, or fighting totalitarianism in Asia?

[SteveMG]

It's interesting listening to those who lecture us on their sophisticated view of the world describe Bush in such a cartoonish and one-dimensional way. To them, no nuance, no shades of grey.

These were the same people, to connect it to recent events, who were Buckley's chief concern. He would gently mock and ridicule liberals. But the left, those who deny truth except for their own, are the real dangers.

Will be interesting to see what happens to Geldoff.

[Ann]

GO, Centralcal!!

What a great t-shirt, too :)

[Bill in AZ]

Wonder if Bush is planning to start playing poker soon...

From Politico:

Bush has said he will avoid getting enmeshed in the presidential race during the primaries, but he made it clear that he’ll eventually speak up. In a prelude to question, John McKinnon of The Wall Street Journal noted, “It doesn’t seem that you want to discuss the prospects of Republican candidates on the campaign trail this year.”

“Not yet,” Bush replied mischievously, to laughter.

[PeterUK]

"Will be interesting to see what happens to Geldoff."

Geld and off.

[Ann]

PUK, you make me smile or laugh everyday, thanks.

[Bill in AZ]

Heh heh - seeBS RatherGate II, this is getting good.

GatewayPundit has a lot of new info, and a link to MacsMind for this newsclip of Rove.

Karl Rove: "seeBS... the National Enquirer of network news"

[Cecil Turner]

That interview is from Feb 16, 2000 and Bush is already using the term "weapons of mass destruction"!

Ohmigod. Here's one from 1998:

Earlier today, I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.

We don't have to like, actually catch him, we'll take the limey's word for it.

Yeah, cuz Joe Wilson said the CIA was telling the straight skinny:

We judge that Iraq has continued its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs in defiance of UN resolutions and restrictions. Baghdad has chemical and biological weapons as well as missiles with ranges in excess of UN restrictions; if left unchecked, it probably will have a nuclear weapon during this decade.

I didn't say he invented the term , you sorry ass shrew.

Classy. And just as persuasive as the unlettered silliness above.

Look, most people hate George Bush's guts. It's just a simple fact.

And, when pressed, spout some variant of the counterfactual stupidity you just provided. Don't know whether to blame the education system or the press.

[JM Hanes]

Don:

"It was all so predictable."

LOL! Next week you'll be predicting that Bush was born wanting to take out Saddam.

"Look, most people hate George Bush's guts. It's just a simple fact."

Hope you're young enough to be around when the verdict of history rolls in, because it's going to drive you off what's left of your conformist little rocker.

[PeterUK]

"LOL! Next week you'll be predicting that Bush was born wanting to take out Saddam."

Yes,that's George W, Bush,born under a good sign.

[Jane]

Be nice to Don, he's frustrated because we have not yet recognized the Messiah. He is trying to bring us the word. Apparently in Obamaland the word is "sorry ass shrew".

Feel the conversion!

[JM Hanes]

What Don and other beneficiaries of received wisdom will never understand about folks who think for themselves is this: If I know why I think invading Iraq was the right thing to do, it doesn't matter why or when George Bush came to that conclusion.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

No he's still an idiot and a tool.

So you're falling back on "similarity breeds contempt"?

[PeterUK]

"Be nice to Don,"

Sorry that is a politically incorrect address,it is wrong to use the middle letter in case it gives offence.
The correct form is D*N

[GMax]

Takes one to know one, Donny boy?

[SteveMG]

OT: Eddie Curran was the Mobile Press-Register reporter who broke the stories on Don Siegelman's corruption.

He just wrote a blistering letter to "60 Minutes" over their piece on the Rove allegations. Blistering.

Just a highlight regarding Jill Simpson who accused Rove of asking her take photos of Siegelman in a compromising (read = sex) position.

Curran: "I assume you [60 Minutes] are aware of her constantly expanding and evolving stories. That you even put her on television after reviewing these ever-evolving tales is incredible. Furthermore, you absolutely had to know of her association with the Siegelman and Scrushy legal teams that began, at the latest, in February of last year."

Further down he says:

"After Simpson delivered these explosive and entirely uncorroborated accusations (again, all of her stories are uncorroborated) did 60 Minutes ask Simpson where she followed Siegelman, as in what cities and on what dates?

"Having done so, did 60 Minutes conduct a simple Nexis search of stories during that period? After all, Siegelman’s trips and actions were covered almost daily by the press, especially the AP. "

And also ask her:

"Who funded this top-secret mission? She does not live anywhere near Montgomery and one assumes that while carrying out this top-secret assignment she incurred hotel, travel, and meal bills. Did you ask her if she had any records of these bills? Is there anyone alive who can corroborate this?"

"Did you ask her: How was a big redhead like you able to follow Alabama’s governor for months without being seen by the governor or his security?"
Did you follow him by car? Hide in the bushes? Hover above in a helicopter?
You claim that this was not the first "intelligence" assignment given you by Rove. What were the others?
You said you met him working on past campaigns. Which campaigns and can you provide us with a single person who also worked on these campaigns who can confirm that you worked on them and that, furthermore, you met Rove while doing so?"

As Curran points out, basic investigative standards would require Simpson answering these questions.

Wouldn't you think, among other questions, that the security detail for Siegelman might notice some strange woman showing up at all these events?

[Peter]

Sure is too bad that a Democrat President, William Jefferson Blythe Clinton and the United States Congress all agreed that it is United States policy for regime change in Iraq.
That evil George Bush, following US policy!

[kim]

Whoa, Harry on the prowl in Helmand.
=======================

[pouncer]

"basic investigative standards would require Simpson answering these questions"

That sort of assumes that _60 Minutes_ is an investigative news show instead of entertainment. Would anyone hold Rush Limbaugh, just for example, to these hypothetical "basic investigative standards"? Or can we agree that partisan propaganda is built to a different code?

[Bill in AZ]

I posted this over at Macsmind where Mac has made the big time and is getting picked on by Larisa - can Scary Larry be far behind?

Jill Simpsons House Judiciary testimony is easy to find by google search - and she basically says nothing.

“Karl” is all she has - looks to me from reading her testimony that Canary and Riley namedropped “Karl” and led her to believe that “Karl Rove” was doing all kinds of things behind the scenes. She admittedly makes an assumption that the “Karl” they mention is “Karl Rove”, but has no evidence whatsoever that Karl Rove was even involved other than their namedropping. Looks to me like they namedropped to get her to do stupid things, and she seemed willing to do stupid things.

And seeBS 60 minutes went with this? Did they even read her testimony?

[GMax]

That sort of assumes that _60 Minutes_ is an investigative news show instead of entertainment. Would anyone hold Rush Limbaugh, just for example, to these hypothetical "basic investigative standards"?

Wow pouncer thats inciteful.

Lets start with 60 minutes being staffed with CBS journalists and billing itself as an "invetigative news show".

Dont believe me though just go to their website and see "CBS NEWS as the masthead of the page. And calling itself news all over the page, repeatedly.

Now I am sure you hate Rush, but he does not call himself a reporter. He is a talk radio host and is an entertainer but is in the business of expressing his opinions, hearing callers opinions and reacting to them.

Sentient beings will immediately recognize the difference, but thanks for playing.

[clarice]

NYT v Sullivan is a most unfortunate ruling--but given what we know of CBS' vetting of this story, I think Rove could meet those standards and win a lawsuit against CBS.
One of the best things he's done for himself is to take the consulting job with FNC.It allows the public to see a perfectly decent, smart and civilized man--a striking contrast to Begala et al.

[Sue]

Bill in AZ,

I can't get to Mac's site. It is www.macsmind.com, right?

[Sue]

Nevermind. I don't know what was going on, but I'm there now.

[Bill in AZ]

macs site was down briefly...

[invernessie]

Don says:

"Look, most people hate George Bush's guts. It's just a simple fact."

I'd like to see the stats backing up the "most" claim, but given that "some" may apply to Don's paradigm, the question is, are they rational?