Record shows Bush shifting on Iraq war

[Khephra]

Washington -- President Bush portrays his position on Iraq as steady and unwavering as he represents Sen. John Kerry's stance as ambiguous and vacillating.

"Mixed signals are the wrong signals,'' Bush said last week during a campaign stop in Bangor, Maine. "I will continue to lead with clarity, and when I say something, I'll mean what I say.''

Yet, heading into the first presidential debate Thursday, which will focus on foreign affairs, there is much in the public record to suggest that Bush's words on Iraq have evolved -- or, in the parlance his campaign often uses to describe Kerry, flip-flopped.

An examination of more than 150 of Bush's speeches, radio addresses and responses to reporters' questions reveal a steady progression of language, mostly to reflect changing circumstances such as the failure to discover weapons of mass destruction, the lack of ties between Iraq and the al Qaeda terrorist network and the growing violence of Iraqi insurgents.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/09/29/BUSH.TMP

[Sannum]

1. "continue to lead?"

When the hell did he *start* leading?

[Demit]

2. or "I'll mean what I say". Another howler.

[Pert_UK]

3. I misread that as "Bush shitting on Iraq war"....seems more accurate

somehow.

He's been shitting on the American people and the rest of the world for years now....

P.

[CookieD]

4. Oooh, this gives me an idea for an ad!

The title of the article above says Bush's rationale for invasion "continuing to evolve."

MoveOn or some other group should produce a commercial spot that shows an intelligent human being de-evolving into ... an ape. :) A voiceover could talk about how Bush's rationale for the Iraq War continues to evolve. In the end, after the de-evolution is complete, the commercial could show a chimpanzee banging a club against a rock or something. (Puns definitely intended.)

Would the Republicans complain about an ad comparing Bush's policies to a monkey? Lol. :)

[Eye and Monkey]

8. Here's your punchline image

2001: A Space Oddyssey (kind ironic, the year and all)

[Supersedeas]

5. examination of * speech?? Totally unfair--more innane polls for you

[gratuitous]

6. Yeah, how dare they remember stuff?

And compare what Bush said yesterday or last week or last month or last year with what he says today? That's below the belt partisanship, that is!

[mac56]

7. LOL!

Yeah! The nerve! How dare they expect him to be consistent?! Let Bush be Bush, for chrissake!

[struggle4progress]

9. kick

:kick:

[underpants]

10. "shifting"? Lauer said it was "evolving" how about "lying" and dare I say,

"flip flopping"

[JoFerret]

11. Does W =wobbly?

.