I got my wife a copy of People's year-end issue for some trashy vacation reading, and it turned out to contain an interesting interview with President Bush.
For one thing, Bush strangely segues to praising the debate over the war in Iraq:
PEOPLE: Mr. President, when historians look back at 2005, how do you want them to remember you?
BUSH: Well, I really want them to be writing about the compassion and courage of the American people. I think about Katrina and Rita, devastating storms that obliterated a significant part of our country. People had to leave their homes, leave their possessions, leave their pets behind. And in their trauma and personal tragedy, they found a compassionate America with open arms. The country understands we're at war [in Iraq], and there's a debate, which is good. It's what we stand for, the ability of people to express their opinions.
Debate about the war is good, Mr. President? Let me refresh your memory with a brief timeline of your administration's attacks on dissent since 9/11:
December 2001: In response to Democratic plans to question parts of the USA Patriot Act during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, John Ashcroft suggests that people who disagree with the administration's anti-terrorism policies are on the side of the terrorists. "To those who pit Americans against immigrants, and citizens against non-citizens; to those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this: Your tactics only aid terrorists, for they erode our national unity and diminish our resolve. They give ammunition to America's enemies, and pause to America's friends. They encourage people of good will to remain silent in the face of evil."
May 2002: After the disclosure that President Bush received a general warning about possible Al Qaeda hijackings prior to 9/11, Democrats demand to know what other information the administration had before the attacks. In response, White House communications director Dan Bartlett says that the Democratic statements "are exactly what our opponents, our enemies, want us to do."
September 2004: As John Kerry steps up his criticism of the Bush administration's handling of Iraq and the war on terror, Republicans repeatedly suggest that he is emboldening the enemy... President Bush says, "You can embolden an enemy by sending a mixed message. You can dispirit the Iraqi people by sending mixed messages. You send the wrong message to our troops by sending mixed messages..."
November 2005: With Democratic critics of the war in Iraq growing increasingly vocal, President Bush lashes out, claiming that "These baseless attacks send the wrong signal to our troops and to an enemy that is questioning America's will. As our troops fight a ruthless enemy determined to destroy our way of life, they deserve to know that their elected leaders who voted to send them to war continue to stand behind them."
So other than repeatedly suggesting that dissent aids the enemy, the President thinks political debate during wartime is great!
Bush also says something strange about Katrina:
PEOPLE: Do you wish you could have a do-over?
BUSH: Look, obviously there are areas where we can improve. Hurricane Katrina is one. The important thing is to learn from mistakes and not only prepare this presidency, but future presidencies, for how to deal with a category five storm.
The wording is ambiguous, but I have to ask: Does Bush know that Katrina was a category three storm when it hit New Orleans? It's not clear.
Finally, Bush denies that he "felt let down by Karl Rove and Scooter Libby":
PEOPLE: Mr. President, back to the White House. There have been reports that you've felt let down by Karl Rove and Scooter Libby for their role in the leak controversy. Is that true?
BUSH: No. I expect a high standard of ethics, I expect there to be a full disclosure, and I expect people to be judged innocent until proven guilty. I am a person who gives everybody the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.
No disapproval whatsoever. Pathetic.
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