It still boggles my mind that a man who comes up with gems like this got elected to the office of President of the United States. Twice.
But we realized on September the 11th, 2001, that killers could destroy innocent life.
No shit, Sherlock.
The full exchange between Bush and Helen Thomas is even better…
Update: Crooks and Liars has video!
THE PRESIDENT: Helen. After that brilliant performance at the Grid Iron, I am — (laughter.)
HELEN THOMAS: You’re going to be sorry. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Well, then, let me take it back. (Laughter.)
HELEN THOMAS: I’d like to ask you, Mr. President, your decision to invade Iraq has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and Iraqis, wounds of Americans and Iraqis for a lifetime. Every reason given, publicly at least, has turned out not to be true. My question is, why did you really want to go to war? From the moment you stepped into the White House, from your Cabinet — your Cabinet officers, intelligence people, and so forth — what was your real reason? You have said it wasn’t oil — quest for oil, it hasn’t been Israel, or anything else. What was it?
THE PRESIDENT: I think your premise — in all due respect to your question and to you as a lifelong journalist — is that — I didn’t want war. To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong, Helen, in all due respect —
HELEN THOMAS: Everything —
THE PRESIDENT: Hold on for a second, please.
HELEN THOMAS: — everything I’ve heard —
THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me, excuse me. No President wants war. Everything you may have heard is that, but it’s just simply not true. My attitude about the defense of this country changed on September the 11th. We — when we got attacked, I vowed then and there to use every asset at my disposal to protect the American people. Our foreign policy changed on that day, Helen. You know, we used to think we were secure because of oceans and previous diplomacy. But we realized on September the 11th, 2001, that killers could destroy innocent life. And I’m never going to forget it. And I’m never going to forget the vow I made to the American people that we will do everything in our power to protect our people.
Part of that meant to make sure that we didn’t allow people to provide safe haven to an enemy. And that’s why I went into Iraq — hold on for a second —
HELEN THOMAS: They didn’t do anything to you, or to our country.
THE PRESIDENT: Look — excuse me for a second, please. Excuse me for a second. They did. The Taliban provided safe haven for al Qaeda. That’s where al Qaeda trained —
HELEN THOMAS: I’m talking about Iraq —
THE PRESIDENT: Helen, excuse me. That’s where — Afghanistan provided safe haven for al Qaeda. That’s where they trained. That’s where they plotted. That’s where they planned the attacks that killed thousands of innocent Americans.
I also saw a threat in Iraq. I was hoping to solve this problem diplomatically. That’s why I went to the Security Council; that’s why it was important to pass 1441, which was unanimously passed. And the world said, disarm, disclose, or face serious consequences —
HELEN THOMAS: — go to war —
THE PRESIDENT: — and therefore, we worked with the world, we worked to make sure that Saddam Hussein heard the message of the world. And when he chose to deny inspectors, when he chose not to disclose, then I had the difficult decision to make to remove him. And we did, and the world is safer for it.
Helen Thomas rocks my world. We need more people like her in the press — hell, we need squadrons of people like her in the press.
(via Slog)
British Memo — Bush, Blair Agreed to Invade In Late Jan. 2003:
A memo of a two-hour meeting between [Bush and Blair] at the White House on January 31 2003 – nearly two months before the invasion – reveals that Mr Bush made it clear the US intended to invade whether or not there was a second UN resolution and even if UN inspectors found no evidence of a banned Iraqi weapons programme. [Guardian, 2/3/06]
Helen caught him in one huge lie and I don’t think he has the mental awareness to understand that he lied. When are folks going to catch on this guy is a few marbles short. Its not just everyday incompetence, its something deeper and more disturbing then the average person really wants to think about and Cheney is no better.
His comment reminded me of a statement of Marion Barry, former mayor of Washington DC, about his city, with words to the effect that Washinton DC was a very safe place if you did not count all the murders.
I don’t know why you people keep talking about the things that President Bush says. I do not support him, I do not support his war, and I do not support his politics. But I DO SUPPORT his God-given right to speak bullshit. Because everybody speaks bullshit. I do, you do, your neighbour do. So leave him alone with his words.
And as long as he thinks that Buenos Aires is Brazil’s capital, we will be safe. (: