Scott Rosenberg's Links & Comment

Scott Rosenberg's Links & Comment"
"A president who pulled family strings to get a berth in the Texas Air National Guard, and then couldn't even show up for that cushy job, sends out a vice president who won multiple draft deferments and candidly admits he had 'other priorities' more important than fighting under U.S. colors, to attack the 'judgment' of a Democratic candidate who both fought for his country and had the guts to turn against the war when its folly became evident."

The O'Franken Factor

The O'Franken Factor
WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
In his 2003 State of the Union address, President Bush made the case for invading Iraq even though we lacked specific information about the threat it posed to the United States. He said:

Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike?

Now, Bush is coming under fire for not stepping up the fight against al Qaeda after he received the August 6, 2001 Presidential Daily Brief, which was titled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US." What is his excuse? Why did he not act? In a press conference on Monday, Bush answered the question:

"There was nothing there that said, you know, 'There's an imminent attack.'"

This goes beyond self-contradiction: it's about a fundamental failure of our president to take responsibility.

The New York Times: Transcript of Bush's Press Confernece

Full transcript here. "Q. In the last campaign, you were asked a question about the biggest mistake you'd made in your life and you used to like to joke that it was trading Sammy Sosa. You've looked back before 9/11 for what mistakes might have been made. After 9/11, what would your biggest mistake be, would you say? And what lessons have you learned from it?

A. Hmmm. I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it. I'm sure historians will look back and say, Gosh, he could have done it better this way or that way. You know, I just — I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference with all the pressure of trying to come up with an answer, but it hadn't yet."