WP: pResident bush* sent "The Wrong Message"......

The Wrong Message

Monday, October 13, 2003; Page A18

-snips-

PRESIDENT BUSH SENT the wrong message when he announced, in response to a reporter's question last week, that he has "no idea whether we'll find out" who disclosed the identity of CIA undercover operative Valerie Plame to columnist Robert D. Novak. Washington, the president said, "is a town full of people who like to leak information. And I don't know if we're going to find out the senior administration official." The president insisted that he'd "like to" know. But, alas, "this is a large administration, and there's a lot of senior officials." And with "all due respect to , you do a very good job of protecting the leakers."

If the chief of a company like Enron said something similar to Mr. Bush's remarks about a Justice Department investigation, his words would be taken as a wink to those responsible that they won't be caught if they keep quiet. That, we trust, was not what Mr. Bush meant to convey. But the tone of his lament could well have that effect. The problem is not that reporters protect their sources, which they are honor-bound to do. It is that the president has not consistently and unequivocally sent the message that he means to find out what happened and who was responsible, that those who know must tell the Justice Department and that responsible parties should 'fess up.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17923-2003Oct12.html

Bush* has repeatedly been absent when real leadership is called for. If he had even a smidgen of his acclaimed "honesty and integrity" he would demand the leakers be ferreted out.

He has committed our nation to a costly, protreacted, and controversial occupation in Iraq, yet the best he can do is the occasional scripted speech with the usual propaganda that Iraq is the "central front in the war on terror" and that we won't withdraw until "total victory".

He lacks the character and capacity to really stand before the American people and explain his policies in open and honest terms. Part of this is due to his limited intellect and inarticulateness, but much of it has to do with the insupportale nature of his policies.

The fact is, he's a lousy leader, even if you're a cheerleader for his policies.

I really couldn't believe the republicans nominated Bush in the first place. He clearly has little leadership ability.

...whose father is the original secret agent man. Oh, he sent a message, all right. He knows exactly who exposed Valerie Plame.