Reuters: Debate on Iraq healthy, Bush tells House Democrats at Williamsburg Conference

[DeepModem Mom]

Debate on Iraq healthy, Bush tells Democrats
By Richard Cowan and Caren Bohan


U.S. President George W. Bush (R) takes the stage with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (C) and Majority Leader Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) (L) at a House Democratic Issues Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, February 3, 2007. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, speaking to House of Representatives Democrats he has battled for six years, said on Saturday said he welcomed a vigorous debate on his plans to increase U.S. combat troops in Iraq and he did not question the patriotism of critics.

The remarks were in contrast to last summer, when Democrats began calling for a partial withdrawal from Iraq and many Republicans accused them of a "cut and run" strategy.

Bush spoke as the Senate prepared to start debating next week a nonbinding resolution opposing his plans to add 21,500 U.S. combat troops in Iraq in what some see as a last-ditch effort to end sectarian violence bordering on civil there.

"I welcome debate at a time of war and I hope you know that," Bush told House Democrats. "Nor do I consider a belief that if you don't happen to agree with me you don't share the same sense of patriotism I do. You can get that thought out of your mind if that's what some believe."

Stressing bipartisanship throughout a speech that focused mainly on domestic priorities, Bush also made light of a quip during his State of the Union address last month, in which he referred to the "Democrat" party instead of the "Democratic" party. Some Democrats viewed it as an intended slight meant to imply the party was not democratic.

"Now look, my diction isn't all that good. I have been accused of occasionally mangling the English language. And so I appreciate you inviting the head of the 'Republic' party," Bush said to laughter....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070203/pl_nm/bush_democrats_dc_3

[habitual]

1. Pelosi, relaxed and happy; Hoyer, same; Bush, shitting bricks

look at that photo, it says it all..!!!

[SpiralHawk]

7. Commander AWOL shits bricks. Just like he did around Vietnam

He shit bricks, whimped out, and then deserted his unit in the Texas Air National Guard.

And he shit bricks and froze on 9/11 as well -- doing Absolutely Nothing after having been told twice that America was under attack. He just sat there like a dope, wasting an hour reading "My Pet Goat."

We have an AWOL wimp pretending to be Commander in Chief of our sons and daughers in uniform.

What is wrong with the republicons that they support this chickenhawk fraud of a leader?

[rusty charly]

2. of course he didn't "welcome debate" in 2003

just ask joe wilson

[Benhurst]

3. Why in God's name did they invite HIM?

Oh, I forgot. Augusto Pinochet is no longer available.

[censorshipsux]

11. Good question. That's what I'd like to know.

[AlinPA]

17. Agree. I'm still fuming. Pelosi pisses me off. What the hell do they think

- that he is going to cooperate on anything? That slimy bastard does everything Rove tells him to do. WTF?

[PSPS]

4. He's used this empty rhetoric before

The phrase "I welcome debate" has been used by bush before. What he means is the "debate" is fine so long as he gets his way to continue to commit crimes against humanity in our name.

When are these idiots going to admit to themselves that this "velvet glove" approach they're trying won't accomplish anything the previous ones (like the Baker commission) didn't. He's an insane sociopath and none of this will accomplish anything. Only rooting out this criminal cabal will stop this nightmare.

[judy]

5. He can say that...there is no real debate on Iraq

As long as it remains focused on the troop level, and not on the intense war profiteering and thievery which is at the core of the troubles in Iraq.

He would not say that if Pelosi and Co, with all due respect were talking about giving Iraq back to the Iraqis, pulling out the contractors and profiteers, and taking steps to get Iraqi companies to handle reconstruction (if that was the case, they probably would have electricity by now and employment would mean less time to build bombs and practice mortar shots), reduce the size of the embassy, close the giant one and donate it to Iraq, close the bases, etc. and establishing a fair deal for oil for all Iraqis, something like nationalizing, except it would go to the people instead of Saddam's pockets.

I think only Kucinich, Waxman and Barbara Lee have come anywhere close to attacking the war on that level. But they are still in the minority.

[rodeodance]

6. healthy?-------tell that to the dead soldiers----and Injured

[Drum]

8. W is the very defiition of Contempt of Congress.

This makes Drum :mad:

[stubtoe]

9. This from the Great Decider??

*slaps forehead*

[censorshipsux]

10. What the hell are they doing next to this war criminal?

The action of inviting Bush to their caucus is an act of total betrayal to everyone who voted for them. They should be impeaching this guy, not breaking bread with him. They are betraying their base.

[momster]

12. Caption?

"Dick said they'd have pitchforks and torches...."

[DeepModem Mom]

14. The look on W's face does, indeed, invite a caption -- good one! nt

[truthisfreedom]

13. Well, as we've learned from his actions in the past, he means the opposite of everything he says.

And he's still revising history.

[confludemocrat]

15. "Democrat" pols grateful for not being called traitors-gag-gag-gag-gag-gag

OK you have to appear to be gracious that's your politics thing, but this man is himself a real traitor and a criminal and don't forget that, as you do your photo ops with the guy.
Anyway, his assurance that Dems dont NOT share in HIS patriotism is so sickenly patronizing I wanna puke, especially since he sends proxies out there to say this very group are dupes and traitors in so many words.

[brentspeak]

16. It would be healthier to get our troops the heck out of there

[ima_sinnic]

18. F**K THE DEBATE, JUST CUT OFF THE GODDAM MONEY

sheesh -- yeah, let's "debate" for another few years, another several thousand lives lost, more enemies around the world, more al Qaeda recruits.
That f**king imposter couldn't give a rat's ass less about any "debate"--in fact, he'd love it if people would just "debate" for years while he goes his merry way transferring our tax dollars to his wealthy corporate base and wrecking the planet.

The time for "debate" is over. We The People have given this goddam Congress a mandate: CUT OFF THE WAR FUNDS.

[951-Riverside]

19. Bush woos House Democrats at retreat

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Relying on self-deprecating jokes, unusual candor and outright flattery,
President Bush on Saturday wooed lawmakers he not only needs but will have to answer to in the final two years of his presidency.

Bush had not seen fit to attend a Democratic congressional retreat since 2001, his first year in office. But the new political reality that has Democrats in charge of Capitol Hill for the first time in a dozen years changed his mind. When he appeared before House Democrats at a Virginia resort, he seemed to be trying to make up for lost time.

With his first words, he sought to put to rest one bone of contention between the White House and the new congressional majority: The dropped "ic."

Democrats found it demeaning when the president, in his State of the Union address last month, referred to the "Democrat majority," as opposed to the "Democratic majority."

"Now look, my diction isn't all that good," Bush told the 200 lawmakers who wrapped up two days away from Washington with family and aides. "I have been accused of occasionally mangling the English language. And so I appreciate you inviting the head of the Republic Party."

He got hearty laughs. And he was careful to keep the "ic" firmly tacked on for the rest of his remarks.

Bush's address was followed by a private session. With the media ushered out of the room, lawmakers were allowed to ask the president a half-dozen questions that covered
Iraq, immigration, education and other topics.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070203/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_democrats

:puke: :puke: :puke: *wipes mouth*

"We were honored by your presence," Pelosi told Bush. "We're also encouraged by your remarks."

:puke: :mad: :puke:

[Olney Blue]

20. He is indeed "ic"y.

[oldtime dfl_er]

21. ugh!!!

"Now look, my diction isn't all that good," Bush told the 200 lawmakers who wrapped up two days away from Washington with family and aides. "I have been accused of occasionally mangling the English language. And so I appreciate you inviting the head of the Republic Party."

Oh man if they fall for that crap they're stupider than he is.

[In Truth We Trust]

22. He "allowed 5 questions" how fucking white of him!

[lostnotforgotten]

23. I Sure Hope They Don't Fall For His Boheme

eom

[Joanne98]

24. My blood pressure just went thru the roof!

[IronScorpio5]

25. Bush "WOO - ING" anything is a freightening thought.

yeeeesh

[Lisa]

29. no kidding -- the very thought is creeping me out ... a smirkfest with candy and flowers, ick

Just in time for Valentine's Day, too.

Please, someone tell me that he is only the head of the "Republic Party" in his own mind. I wouldn't even wish that on them (Lincoln and Eisenhower must be spinning in their graves).

[AlinPA]

26. Did they invite that slimy bastard to come there? WTF? Pelosi pisses

me off.

[The Count]

27. So, he can say the "ic" if he tries. It's all we got for the November voting, it seems

After some wrangling in the media too.

[ClintonTyree]

28. After being totally ignored.......

and shit on by Bush for the past 6 years now he wants to make nice, tell stupid self-deprecating jokes (hint to Bush: you really ARE too stupid to be President and it's NOT a joke!) and cozy up to the new DemocratIC majority?

Any Democrat who takes Bush seriously or thinks he's being honest should be lobotomized and run out of Washington on a rail. :mad:

[ima_sinnic]

30. Nancy Pelosi is REALLY starting to PISS ME OFF

--Impeachment is "off the table"
--"We're honored by your presence" :wtf:

Time to write a testy letter to Madame Speaker.

:mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: :nuke: :nuke:

[brentspeak]

35. She already said BEFORE THE ELECTION that there would be no impeachment hearings

WHY are people NOW acting all outraged and surprised when she is merely keeping her to earlier word???

[ima_sinnic]

37. I was POed then, but waited to see ...

I bought into the dumb argument that she was going to put it back on the table after the election. There are some foolish enough to believe that still ...

[YDogg]

31. I wish I could have heard the private conversations ...

... after that asshole left.

[PATRICK]

32. Successful play for time

in all likelihood. Bush IS the central problem in everything. This puts the Dems smiling in the headlights- again with people dying every day and a new war(shooting stage that is, it is already in motion) weeks away at most..

Why can't we have leaders that a) see this b) know how to challenge it? Sort of beyond the positioning and cleverness stage. How can one smile into the certain acres of gravestones for the innocent?

[cosmicdot]

33. the White House press release

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 3, 2007

President Bush Meets with House Democratic Members in Williamsburg
Kingsmill Resort and Spa
Williamsburg, Virginia

11:47 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Speaker, thank you. First of all, thanks for the invitation, Madam Speaker and Rahm, thank you very much. I enjoyed sharing ideas with members of Congress.

One of the things I wanted to tell the members very clearly was, one, I appreciate their service to the country. Oftentimes, their service and the service that their families provide is taken for granted, and I want them to know how much I appreciate a willingness to be in politics. Politics is hard. It's hard because of the campaign; it's hard, in many cases, because of the travel. These are hard times because of the big issues we face. And so thank you for giving me a chance to come and share in a recognition that a lot of folks appreciate them, including the President.

Secondly, I enjoyed sharing some priorities. My message really was that these are big goals that Democrats care about and Republicans care about, and we've got to work hard to find ways to achieve big goals. And I also was pleased to take questions, and I thought the questions were very good and gave me a chance to share philosophy, as well as how I think we can advance some very important issues.

I met with the Speaker and Congressman Hoyer -- Steny -- quite a few times since I have been President. We're going to -- hopefully we will -- not hopefully -- we will continue to meet. In my meetings I -- look, we don't always agree -- and that's why we're in different parties. (Laughter.) But we do agree about our country, and we do agree about the desire to work together.

And so I really appreciate you letting me come by. I really do. I felt welcomed. I felt like people understood that I've got pressures on me, like I understand they have pressures on them. And I really hope that the members out there get a sense that I bear no ill will, I bring no animosity about the fact that we may not agree on every position, and that I am appreciative of the contributions they make.

And so thanks a lot for letting me come. I answered five or six questions. I was able to shake hands with a lot of members. I got to hug a few babies. (Laughter.) I kind of remembered -- help me remember the good old days. (Laughter.)

SPEAKER PELOSI: Still has the touch.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I don't know. (Laughter.) One of the babies I got to hug was the Speaker's grandchild. But it was a -- I would define the moment for me as relaxed, informative, and enjoyable.

So thank you very much for having me. I appreciate it. Thank you very much.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/02/20070203-3.html

[fooj]

34. F*cking liar. Just ask Joe and Valerie Wilson.

"I welcome debate at a time of war and I hope you know that," Bush told House Democrats. "Nor do I consider a belief that if you don't happen to agree with me you don't share the same sense of patriotism I do. You can get that thought out of your mind if that's what some believe."

Hey Little Lord Pissypants...I think you have your words mixed up again. TRAITOR and patriot are NOT one in the same.:grr:

[Cha]

36. Is that like a snake "wooing"

baby wabbits?

[HuffleClaw]

38. MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

oh good lord. my dad has a suit that looks just like that. ouch.