WH Culture of Lying

STORM: So, Mr. Bartlett, staying the course is no longer the operative strategy?

BARTLETT: Well, Hannah, it’s never been a stay-the-course strategy.

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Now for the truth. *S*

BUSH: We will stay the course, we will complete the job in Iraq. [8/4/05]

SNOW: The second thing you do is you stay the course. [7/10/06]

SNOW: But on the other hand, you also cannot be a President in a wartime and not realize that you’ve got to stay the course. [8/17/06]

BUSH: We will stay the course. [8/30/06]

BUSH: We will stay the course until the job is done, Steve. And the temptation is to try to get the President or somebody to put a timetable on the definition of getting the job done. We’re just going to stay the course. [12/15/03]

BUSH: And my message today to those in Iraq is: We’ll stay the course. [4/13/04]

SNOW: People are going to want more of it, and that’s why the President is determined to stay the course. April. [8/16/06]

BUSH: And that’s why we’re going to stay the course in Iraq. And that’s why when we say something in Iraq, we’re going to do it. [4/16/04]

BUSH: And so we’ve got tough action in Iraq. But we will stay the course. [4/5/04]

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General Blasts Bush's Veto

Retired Major General Paul D. Eaton gave Bush a piece of his mind on Bush's refusal to sign the bi-partisan legislation funding our troops.

"Today, in your veto message regarding the bipartisan legislation just passed on Operation Iraqi Freedom, you asserted that you so decided because you listen to your commanders on the ground.

Respectfully, as your former commander on the ground, your administration did not listen to our best advice. In fact, a number of my fellow Generals were forced out of their jobs, because they did not tell you what you wanted to hear -- most notably General Eric Shinseki, whose foresight regarding troop levels was advice you rejected, at our troops' peril."

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Bush Turns His Back on Troops

Democrats offered our troops $100 billion in funding to get them the body armor, ammunition, jet fuel and spare parts they need.

Bush said, "No."

He's turned his back on our troops.

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He Favored It before He Opposed It

The Democrats gave Bush a bill to fund our troops.

He says he opposes it.

He favored funding our troops before he opposed it.

There is no denying it.

It's driving the wingers completely nuts that we're using the "he-favored-funding-them-before-he-opposed-funding-them" ploy on Bush.

Payback is hell, eh?

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Bush Derelict in His Responsibilities

Today's must read from Townhall.com. This same report also appeared in the New York Daily News but without the damning last paragraph about Bush being "derelict in his responsibilities."

"President Bush should sign legislation starting the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq on Oct. 1, retired Army Lt. Gen. William Odom said Saturday.

"I hope the president seizes this moment for a basic change in course and signs the bill Congress has sent him," Odom said, delivering the Democrats' weekly radio address.

Odom, an outspoken critic of the war who served as the Army's top intelligence officer and headed the National Security Agency during the Reagan administration, delivered the address at the request of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. He said he has never been a Democrat or a Republican.

The general accused Bush of squandering U.S. lives and helping Iran and al-Qaida when he invaded Iraq.

"The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place," he said. "The president has let (the Iraq war) proceed on automatic pilot, making no corrections in the face of accumulating evidence that his strategy is failing and cannot be rescued. He lets the United States fly further and further into trouble, squandering its influence, money and blood, facilitating the gains of our enemies."

Odom said he doesn't favor congressional involvement in the execution of foreign and military policy, but argued that Bush had been derelict in his responsibilities. This week Congress passed an Iraq war spending bill that would require Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq on Oct. 1."

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Rightwinger Hypocrisy

The Bushies are arguing that Libby shouldn't have been investigated because it boils down to a "he-said-she-said" situation - exactly like the Lewinsky matter - oh wait. In the Lewinsky case, it was a GOOD thing to go after a reluctant witness despite the fact that it TOO was a matter of "he-said-she-said." Because - well, because that was Clinton, and they were willing to do ANYTHING to destroy him.

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Double Standards at Work

It is simply amazing watching rightwingers now argue that LIbby shouldn't have been prosecuted for perjury because ''there was no underlying crime.''

They don't like to be reminded that Starr was never able to find any ''underlying crime'' in the Whitewater matter. You all remember, of course, how rightwingers screamed that it was wrong for Starr to "badger" President Clinton; right?

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Who's Flip-flopping?

As the 2008 campaign warms up, we're going to see lots of accusations of candidates having shifted their positions on this matter or that. It might be helpful to remember how the great "Decider in Chief" has taken different sides on the same issues.

Here, thanks to Jackson Thoreau, is a fairly comprehensive listing of some famous Bush flip-flops. See also here and here, or even here.

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Search for bin Laden

1) Bush declared that bin Laden was 'wanted: dead or alive'.

''I want justice,'' Bush said. ''And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.' If he thinks he can hide and run from the USA he will be sorely mistaken.'' - Dubya Bush, September 2001 - - -

2) Bush changes his mind...

''I truly am not that concerned about him.'' - George W. Bush, March 13, 2002 - -

3) And of course, bin Laden was NEVER the goal...

“The goal has never been to get bin Laden.” - - General Richard Myers, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, on 6 April 2002. - -

Bush Flip Flops Again

Looks like Bush has flip-flopped again. The New York Times explains:

(9/9/04): President Bush said on Wednesday that he wanted to give a new national intelligence director “full budgetary authority,” a sharp shift from an earlier position and an acquiescence to a major recommendation of the Sept. 11 commission.

I wonder why it's Kerry and not Bush who's being cast by the media as the flipper?

Miller Flip-flops

At last night's hate fest, Miller had this to say about Senator John Kerry:

As a Senator, he voted to weaken our military.

But just three years ago, he had this to say about Kerry's record on strengthening the military.

John has worked to strengthen our military, reform public education, boost the economy and protect the environment.

Is this why he's known as "Zig-zag Miller"?

Bush's Hyprocrisy

In a speech before veterans, Bush criticized Kerry for allegedly reversing himself.

"Well, it takes a lot of imagination to come out against a position you took just 17 days earlier."

Interesting. It only took Bush one day to change his mind about the war on terror being winnable.

Bush Flip-flops Again

''We have a clear vision on how to win the war on terror and bring peace to the world.'' Bush in Springfield, MO - JULY 2004

'When asked “Can we win?” the war on terror, Bush said, “I don’t think you can win it.''' - Bush in August, 2004 on NBC-TV