Bush, Cheney Denounce Democratic Senators Critical of Iraq War
Bush and Cheney hit back at criticism over Iraq
The president and I cannot prevent certain politicians from losing their memory, or their backbone. But we’re not going to sit back and let them rewrite history. There was broad-based bipartisan agreement that Saddam Hussein was a threat…that he violated U.N. Security Council resolutions, and that, in a post-9/11 world, we couldn’t afford to take the word of a dictator who had a history of WMD programs, who had excluded weapons inspectors…who had committed mass murder. Those are the facts.
- Dick Cheney
Interesting, isn’t it? Our Glorious Leader and his Administration have (not surprisingly) decided that the best defense is a good offense. Having decided that the Prevaricator in Chief’s polls numbers are headed into the proverbial toilet, these folks are doing what desperate men do in these situations- they resort to propaganda- LOUD, forceful, aggressive, in-your-face propaganda.
Yes, indeed, the Bushies are unleashing the political equivalent of a human-wave assault:
President Bush and Vice President Cheney lashed out again against Democratic senators who have questioned the handling of prewar intelligence on Iraq, with the vice president accusing critics of engaging in “one of the most dishonest and reprehensible charges ever aired in this city.”
Speaking before a Washington dinner of the Frontiers of Freedom Institute, a conservative research organization, Cheney said last night that Democrats who say they were misled by the administration are “making a play for political advantage in the middle of a war.” The criticism, Cheney said, threatens to undermine the morale of U.S. troops while “a few opportunists are suggesting they were sent into battle for a lie.”
Uh…hello? Our troops WERE sent into battle for a lie…two, as a matter of fact:
Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. Despite all of the cooked, fabricated intelligence trotted out for the world and the American public, NOT A SINGLE WMD HAS EVER BEEN FOUND. No nukes, no NBCs, no mobile labs. N-O-T-H-I-N-G.
Iraq is a hotbed of terrorist activity. Well, it may be now, but it certainly wasn’t prior to the war. Yes, Viriginia, we have created the very terrorist threat that Our Glorious Leader is now using as justification to continue the pointless, wasteful, war-without-end in Iraq.
Bush added his voice hours later during a news conference Thursday afternoon in South Korea, where he is meeting with Asian leaders. Asked if he agreed with the vice president or with Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) who said this week that it was patriotic to question the government during a war, Bush’s face tightened and he answered sharply, “The vice president.”
Pressed to elaborate, Bush said: “I expect there to be criticism. But when Democrats say that I deliberately misled the Congress and the people, that’s irresponsible.” Bush seemed personally irritated. He said it is “patriotic as heck to disagree with the president. It doesn’t bother me. What bothers me is when people are irresponsibly using their positions and playing politics. That’s exactly what is taking place in America.”
This propaganda campaign is just about the single most reprehensible example of leadership gone awry that I have ever seen emanate from any White House. Yep, it ranks right up there with “I am not a crook!”
The Cheney speech and Bush’s remarks were part of a concerted White House effort to rebut critics who are becoming increasingly vocal as U.S. public opinion has turned against the war. The growing public skepticism over the conflict has contributed to the decline in Bush’s approval ratings, which have fallen to record lows. Bush has given two speeches in recent days accusing Democratic critics of rewriting the history of the run-up to the war and “sending mixed signals to our troops and the enemy.”
Ah, so now we’re also going to employ the “LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS” GAMBIT. Hey, it worked in dubyadubyatwo, didn’t it?
Is it just me, or does this all smack of a large degree of desperation? Our Glorious Leader seems to be feeling the political walls closing in around him, and feeling cornered, it’s time to lash out. THIS is leadership?
To the 51% of y’all who voted to put the Prevaricator in Chief back in the White House for four more years, congratulations. Apparently, y’all are getting exactly the quality of leadership you deserve. Nice going….
