Bush Fights Back by William Kristol

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Utilities/printer_preview.asp?idArticle=6342&R=C7A934227

Bush Fights Back
With his Veteran's Day speech the president and his team seem committed to going on the offensive.
by William Kristol


Bush's counterpunch hit home. Ted Kennedy was upset. He found the speech "deeply regrettable." How dare the president try "to rebuild his own credibility?" How dare the president defend his honor--and the country's? For the nation's honor is at stake, too. If we went to war based on lies told by our president, then it is a disgrace to us all. It is a further disgrace that we reelected him. It is yet a further disgrace that Congress continues to support this war, by appropriating funds for it. It is a disgrace that Senator Kennedy has not moved to have the president impeached.



And the attacks have been working. In last week's Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey, 57 percent of Americans endorsed that proposition that the president "deliberately misled people to make the case for war with Iraq," compared to 35 percent who thought he "gave the most accurate information he had." Five months ago, those numbers were 44 percent "misled" versus 47 percent "accurate information." Eight months ago, shortly after Bush's second term began, there were only 41 percent who thought Bush had "misled" them, while 53 percent credited the president with being "accurate." No new information has appeared in those eight months. All that has happened is an unanswered assault by Bush's enemies. The White House figured the election was over and didn't recognize that the anti-Bush campaign would continue.

Now the president and his team seem committed to fighting back. They have the advantage that the facts are on their side. As several commentators have pointed out in this magazine and elsewhere--most recently Norman Podhoretz in the December Commentary--the Democratic charge that Bush lied us into war is itself a lie. Lies can work when unrefuted. In a healthy democracy, they tend to boomerang when confronted and exposed. Now Bush has begun to refute the lie. He needs to keep doing so, and also to continue making the positive case for why the war was right and necessary.

If the American people really come to a settled belief that Bush lied us into war, his presidency will be over. He won't have the basic level of trust needed to govern. His initiatives, domestic and foreign, will founder. Support for the war on terror will wane. The lie that Bush lied us into war threatens the Bush presidency in a way no ordinary political charge does. Bush needs to refute it--and to keep on refuting it--for his sake, for the nation's, and for the sake of the truth.

and I make no bones about it.

.... on. I hate to see him sit and smile as he explains "the facts" behind Iraq.

http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm

look at the names on the bottom of that letter ..... after Clinton turned
them down then came Monica ...... these guys are nazis.

Enough already.

Peace.

But what a pitiful defense of a criminal.

"They have the advantage that the facts are on their side. As several commentators have pointed out in this magazine and elsewhere--most recently Norman Podhoretz in the December Commentary--the Democratic charge that Bush lied us into war is itself a lie."

LOL...too stupid to deserve comment.

he LIED! LIED! Jeezus effing christ you didn't have any trouble saying Clinton lied when he got a BJ from Monica Lewinski why is it so hard to apply the term to the bush baby?

He wants to discard everything that happened before, only current slogans matter. As for dems, he wants them in the dumpster - well except maybe for good old Clintons.

guilty for the crimes he and his administration have committed. I hope bush keeps up the self destruct mode as it will lead to his own total demise.

NO, the damn truth is starting to come out you ass!

are well known--leaving you in a credibility hole along with GWB.

intelligence briefings and WHIG? That would go a long way towards refuting.. ya think?

However, once refuted, like a big ass rock pushed to the crest of the hill, it then rolls down on you, crushing your lying ass under its weight.

Don't believe me, you PNAC bastard? Just look at your drunken puppet, he looks like he didn't just fall off the wagon, he got rolled over by it.

come now Bill,you know as well as the rest of americans that can think for themselves,Bush is without honor.

He's been advocating Bush going on the attack. If you notice, they're all dancing in unison.

See, the game plan is to get Bush to lay down that speech, then leave town and let smarter, better people try to explain what he did, what it meant, and how successful it was.

Bush is like some little kid who can't do anything right, but his family cheers him like he's the best kid out there. That is great for kids, but not presidents, who shouldn't need that. Bush badly needs that.

Kristol is desperate to spin it as Bush is going on the attack! More posing by a poseur.

Not only was Bush a bust on SS reform (he actually lost support the more he spoke) but he did not make it to 60 cities in 60 days. More baloney.

Willy boy. Now this you did get right:

"If the American people really come to a settled belief that Bush lied us into war, his presidency will be over."


Except I don't think there is any "if" about it. The majority are there now.

Can Kristol spell K-A-T-T-R-I-N-A?