pan6467

Commentary to follow. Some things in the have been highlighted by me.

link: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor..._pr_wh/bush_25

By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON - In a sobering assessment of the Iraq war, President Bush acknowledged Monday that Americans' resolve has been shaken by grisly scenes of death and destruction and he pointedly criticized the performance of U.S.-trained Iraqi troops. "No question about it," he said. "The bombers are having an effect."


At a year-end news conference, the president also refused to say whether his strategy for overhauling Social Security would entail cutting benefits, raising the retirement age or limiting benefits for wealthier workers. "Don't bother to ask me," Bush said, adding that he would not tip his hand until he starts negotiating with Congress next year.


Bush declined to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin despite concerns that he has strengthened authoritarian controls and backtracked on post-Soviet democratic reforms. Bush said he has a good personal relationship with Putin and "I intend to keep it that way." The United States and Russia have disagreements, the president added, but he said the relationship is good.


The president also offered a warm testimonial for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld in the face of spreading expressions of no-confidence by GOP senators. Rumsfeld appears "rough and gruff," Bush said, but "he's a good, decent man. He's a caring fellow."


For 53 minutes, Bush fielded questions on international and domestic affairs. It was his 17th formal news conference, held one day before he flies to the presidential retreat at Camp David for a vacation that will stretch into early next year and include a stay at his Texas ranch.


Bush spoke a day after the deadliest attacks in Iraq since July — killing at least 54 people in Najaf and at least 13 in Karbala — and six weeks before Iraqis vote for a transitional assembly that will choose a president and a government and draft a permanent constitution. American newspapers showed chilling pictures of rebels in the heart of Baghdad executing election workers in cold blood.


"And so the American people are taking a look at Iraq and wondering whether the Iraqis are eventually going to be able to fight off these bombers and killers," Bush said in perhaps his clearest expression of frustration with Iraqi forces. Bush's strategy calls for American troops to protect Iraq while local police and soldiers are trained to do the job themselves, eventually allowing the United States to withdraw.


"Now I would call the results mixed in terms of standing up Iraqi units who are willing to fight," Bush said in a candid assessment. "There have been some cases where, when the heat got on, they left the battlefield. That's unacceptable. Iraq will never secure itself if they have troops that, when the heat gets on, they leave the battlefield." What is needed, he said, is a better military command structure.


Polls show an erosion in Americans' confidence that a stable, democratic government will be established in Iraq. "Polls change. Polls go up, polls go down," Bush said.


He said he understands why Americans have doubts about Iraq's ability. "They're looking on your TV screen and seeing indiscriminate bombings, where thousands of innocent — or hundreds of innocent Iraqis are getting killed ..." But Bush said those pictures do not reflect that 15 of Iraq's 18 provinces are relatively stable and that small businesses are starting up. "Life is better now than it was under Saddam Hussein."


"But no question about it. The bombers are having an effect ... They're trying to shake the will of the Iraqi people and, frankly, trying to shake the will of the American people."


Bush warned that insurgents would try to delay Iraq's elections, scheduled for Jan. 30, and intimidate the people. "I certainly don't expect the process to be trouble-free," the president said. "Yet I am confident of the result. I'm confident that terrorists will fail, the elections will go forward and Iraq will be a democracy...." He said he could not predict when American forces could come home.


He renewed his warning to Syria and Iran against "meddling" in Iraq's political process. "I meant it. And hopefully those governments heard what I said," Bush said, without threatening any consequences.


The president expressed fresh hope for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, saying "we've got a good chance to get it done." He welcomed efforts by British Prime Minister Tony Blair to go to the region this week and make plans for a conference to help develop a Palestinian state.

Bush said he favored diplomatic approaches — rather than regime changes — in Iran and North Korea, two nations that the United States have troubling nuclear programs. He said diplomacy "must be the first choice, always the first choice of an administration trying to solve an issue of ... nuclear armament."


On Capitol Hill, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., disputed Bush's assertion that Social Security is in crisis. She said the Congressional Budget Office has concluded that Social Security is secure for nearly 50 years without any changes. She challenged Bush to give Congress "a clear and honest accounting of the difficult trade-offs among benefit cuts, tax increases and a massive escalation of record deficits."

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Let's see, we are at WAR and troops have not been rotated and have been over there with bad armor, a Sec. of Def. who seems to care less, and our economy in the shitter. Yet, Mr. Bush feels he deserves a vacation? What running for president tired you out?

Let's see 17 press conferences in 4 years..... that's about 4 a year. We're in war and he can only give 17 press conferences in 4 years? But he can vacation for weeks on end?

Can see him now thanking God that Blair is going to Isreal and not him. Hell, it may disturb his vacation, to go over and try to get some peace over there.

Ahhhh, diplomatic relations? This from the man who called them the "Triangle of Terror" and vowed "if you aren't with us, you are against us"?

Don't remember, maybe someone can help. Did we actually try to have diplomacy with Saddam, or did we show vials and claim he was loaded down with WMD's and we needed to invade? Was "diplomacy" our first course of action with Saddam?

Overall the article, like Bush, doesn't say much, doesn't address any real issues and basically demonstrates how little Bush truly regards us.Vacationing while troops are lied to about when they come home. Must be nice to be king.

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I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

alansmithee

I seriously doubt that his vacation is what most people feel is one. You make it sound like he's going on a cruise or safari, out of touch with the world for months. All presidents take periodic vacations.

As for press conferences, I don't see where the big deal is with that. Why feed the spin machine more than it needs? Personally, I think the media is too involved with public policy. They don't try to report facts so the public can make decisions, they try to report their view so the public will fall in line.

And I also find it humourous that after all the outcry of Bush going needlessly to war, when he says he is trying a diplomatic approach he's ripped into. Honestly, is there anything that he could resonably do to please some people? Would it be better if we invaded Iran and N. Korea?

It seems like Bush could pass out bags of gold to people, and liberals would complain it's not platinum. Do liberals even pay attention to what Bush says anymore before condemning him?

Mephisto2

I'm no fan of Bush, but why is this any different from "more of the same"?

Also, everyone is entitled to a vacation. Let's just hope it's not an extended one!

Then why post it?

I don't like Bush myself, but I don't really think it's fair to say (or imply) Bush cares little about Americans. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Bush is obviously doing what he thinks is best. I just don't happen to agree with him on the "big issues". And a lot of people support him (over 50% of those that voted, unfortunately), so there's not much you can do about it.

Well, I can see why some military families may be annoyed at Bush kicking back his heels on the ranch whilst their kids are being killed in Iraq.


Mr Mephisto

Mephisto2

No, I doubt it. To be honest, hearing him praise diplomacy is just a little bit... wry, don't you think?

I do listen to what he says.

The simple fact that this is only his 17th press conference in over 4 years alos means people don't really get that much of a chance to listen to what he says; simply for the fact that he says so little that is not preplanned.

Anyway, as I said in my post, I think he's entitled to a vacation.

Do conservatives even pay attention to what Bush says anymore before automatically defending him? Bush supporters love their man (as expected), but Bush "opponents" (for want of another term) like myself can praise him when it's appropriate. And I'm the only member of this board that I can remember being singled out as being consistently anti-Bush! By Republican/B ush supporters that is.

It's a funny old world we live in, eh?


Mr Mephisto

Kadath

I was also not particularly angered by this article. I don't think any more or less of President Bush based on what he said here. He said the war isn't going as smoothly as he'd like, big surprise. He's going on vacation, it's Christmas. He wants to not invade North Korea and Iran, great, let's hope we don't. He hasn't given many press conferences during his Presidency, well, that's because he's inarticulate and easily rattled. I've known that for years. What does sadden me is this is his last press conference before he begins his second term, but hey, I'll cope. Have a good holiday, Mr. President. Try to think about Christ's compassion for his fellow man and apply that to homosexuals. Try to remember the wonder of God's creation of this Earth and be kinder to the environment. Try to remember Acts 4:32-35:
And finally, try to remember that you may not be totally right all the time; that your administration could benefit from more thorough analysis of policies; and that the point of government and public service is not to "win" but to better the lives of all the people whom you govern.

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