Today President Bush went to the Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina, where he faced a room full of press people. After a brief introductory speech, he fielded questions. Here are some of his actual responses:
Question: Hi, Mr. President. Thank you. Did Karl Rove tell you the truth about his role in the CIA leak case? And do you owe the American people an apology for your administration’s assertations that Karl Rove and Scooter Libby weren’t involved?
Bush: We’re going through a very serious investigation. And I will — have told you before that I’m not going to discuss the investigation until it’s completed. And we have got a — my obligation is to set an agenda, and I’ve done that. And the agenda is fighting and winning the war on terror, and keeping the economic vitality and growth alive, dealing with the energy problem, nominating people to the Supreme Court that adhere to the philosophy that I can depend on — Judge Alito being such a person. I noticed today that they’ve got a date. I’m disappointed in the date, but happy they do have a firm date for his confirmation hearing. We’ve got to recover from the hurricanes. So I’ve got a lot to do, and will continue to focus on the people’s business.
This is funny. He didn’t answer the question, which I think is perfectly okay. It’s true that an ongoing investigation doesn’t warrant commentary from someone at his level. But then he launches into some kind of weird rhetoric: war on terror… Supreme Court… hurricane.
Let’s see how he answers the very next question:
Question: You’ve taken a beating in recent weeks, sir. What are you going to do for a fresh start? Are there going to be any staff changes? Would it help if the special prosecutor would wrap up his probe quickly?
Bush: Well, again, you’re trying to get me to comment on the investigation, which I’m not going to do. And I hope you understand that. It’s a serious investigation, and it’s an important investigation. But it’s not yet over. I think it’s important for the American people to know that I understand my job is to set clear goals and deal with the problems we face. Now, look, we’ve got an ongoing war on terror. And my administration is working with friends and allies to find these terrorists and bring them to justice before they strike us again. We’re fighting the terrorists in Iraq. And, as you know, we’ve got a two-pronged strategy, an important strategy, that one — on the one hand, has a political solution to it, on the other hand has a security solution to it. And we’re working hard to achieve those objectives. We’re laying what I have called the foundation for peace, because democratic nations don’t war; democratic nations will be allies with each other in fighting off an ideology that is dark and grim in its vision, and is willing to use murder as its tool.
Wow. Once again he doesn’t comment (still okay), and once again he fires off the catch phrases: war on terror… terrorists… terrorists in Iraq.
A few questions later:
Question: The American people are beginning to question your honesty, according to the polls, 58 percent. And your approval rating is at an all-time low, primarily because, it seems, of this investigation. They are wondering whether you can keep on track and whether to believe you, sir.
Bush: Well, no, I understand there is a preoccupation by polls and by some. I think this may be — I think we’ve got — this is maybe the fourth or fifth consecutive semi-press conference — press conference or semi-press conference that I’ve been asked about polls. The way you earn credibility with the American people is to declare an agenda that everybody can understand, an agenda that relates to their lives, and get the job done. And the agenda that I’m working on now is one that is important to the American people. First of all, it’s to protect our country; it’s to understand that we’re at war with a radical ideology that wants to inflict harm on America and, at the same time, use that harm they inflict to achieve territorial ambition. I’ve talked a lot recently about the Zawahiri letter to Zarqawi, which is a clear statement of purpose by these terrorists. It should be viewed for what it is: an open warning to the free world that this is a very vital war and we need to win it. So I spend a lot of time talking about that — and more than talking about it, acting on it. Secondly, you know, our economy has shown amazing resilience in the face of natural disaster, as well as rising energy prices. But we’ve got to have policies in place that make it possible for the economy to continue to grow.
Surprise! A little side-stepping, and then we see those key words… protect our country… terrorists… vital war… natural disaster.
Clearly this is a guy with a very small bag of tricks, and people are getting tired of him pulling them out one after another, completely ignoring the whirlwind around him. Not only are his answers completely meaningless and vacuous, but this word-for-word transcript shows that he’s a terrible speaker when he’s not being teleprompted. He stumbles over words, stammers through sentences, and says things that are simply non-sensical. What, for example, is a “semi press conference”?
To all those people who voted for this man and think he’s qualified to lead our country, I point to this as one more piece of evidence that we’ve got someone at the helm who looks like a moron and avoids the real issues by falling back on material he’s been using for over four years.
Time for some new tricks, Mr. President.
