Bush: Dem Iraq Policy Could Mean Disaster

Politico: In Interview, President Says Pulling Out Of Iraq Would "Embolden" Terrorists, Could Lead To Another Attack On U.S.

(The Politico)  This story was written by Ben Smith.

---

President Bush warned in an interview Tuesday that the Democratic presidential candidates' plans to withdraw abruptly from Iraq could "eventually lead to another attack on the United States" and would "embolden" terrorists.

In a White House interview with Politico and Yahoo News - a president's first for an online audience - Bush said his doomsday scenario for a premature withdrawal “of course is that extremists throughout the Middle East would be emboldened, which would eventually lead to another attack on the United States."

"The United States pulling out of Iraq or pulling out of the Middle East or not maintaining a forward presence would send all kinds of signals throughout the Middle East," he said in the Roosevelt Room. "And it would shake everybody's nerves, and it would embolden the very same people that we're trying to defeat.

For the first time, Bush revealed a personal way in which he has tried to acknowledge the sacrifice of soldiers and their families.

“I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf,” he said. “I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.”

Bush said he made that decision after the August 2003 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, which killed Sergio Vieira de Mello, the top U.N. official in Iraq and the organization’s high commissioner for human rights.

“I remember when de Mello, who was at the U.N., got killed in Baghdad as a result of these murderers taking this good man's life,” he said. “I was playing golf - I think I was in central Texas - and they pulled me off the golf course and I said, ‘It's just not worth it anymore to do.’"

In a reversal of the usual question that’s put to him, a query submitted online asked the president whether he felt he had been misled about Iraq as he made the decision to go to war.

“‘Misled’ is a strong word, it almost connotes some kind of intentional,” Bush said. “I don't think so. … Intelligence communities all across the world shared the same assessment. And so I was disappointed to see how flawed our intelligence was.”

Congress has since pushed, and Bush has signed, various intelligence reforms, including the creation of a director of national intelligence, whose job it is to help the various parts of the intelligence community share information.

“Do I think somebody lied to me?” he said. “No, I don't. I think it was just, you know, they analyzed the situation and came up with the wrong conclusion.”

On other topics:

- The president said global warming has “been more clearly defined as a problem” during his eight years in office, and when asked if it is real, Bush said: “Yes, it is real; sure is.”

“I could have supported a lousy [Kyoto] treaty and everybody would have went, ‘Oh, man, what a wonderful-sounding fellow he is,’” Bush said. “But it just wouldn't have worked."

“I don't think you want your president trying to be the cool guy and not end up with policies that actually make a difference. So the policies I've outlined are policies that will actually make a difference: nuclear power for generating electricity, battery driven cars, ethanol.”

- Asked a question that was submitted online about skyrocketing gas prices, Bush said the problem doesn’t have “a quick answer.”

“It took us a while to get to where we are - very dependent on oil,” he said. “So my answer ... is that the best thing we can do is to increase supply and to drill for oil and gas in environmentally friendly ways at home and build more refineries.”

Bush continued to hedge on whether he would support the federal gas tax holiday being pushed by Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) in their respective presidential campaigns. “I'll consider it,” he said. “There's all kinds of ideas. … The truth of the matter is that in order for there to be a substantial change, either consumers have to change their habits … or there has to be an increase of supply."

- As he prepared to head out Tuesday night for a trip to Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, he said Americans should be concerned about incremental progress in the Middle East, even though a grand peace between Israelis and Palestinians continues to look distant.”

“Americans at home ought to care for the advance of free societies throughout the Middle East. After all, this is the center of anti-Americanism and hatred,” he said. “The big challenge in the 21st century is to advance freedom in the Middle East for our security.”

- Congress is “stalled” after 18 months of Democratic leadership. “I've laid out a very aggressive agenda … and there hasn't been much action,” he said. “We got a housing crisis, and I proposed a reasonable set of reforms. And so I would call them stalled. I would call them, so far, good at verbiage and not so good at results.”

- He criticized former President Jimmy Carter for suggesting an approach to Middle East involvement that Bush described as “if you want to be popular in the Middle East, just go blame Israel for every problem.”

“That will make you popular,” he said. “Popularity is fleeting. … Principles are forever.”

- He’s not concerned about ugly racial debate if Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is the presidential nominee.

“I think most Americans are open-minded people, and they're going to pick the president who can keep America safe and keep taxes low,” he said. “My own judgment is … that race will only enter in if it's provoked by the press.”

- While offering earthquake aid to Hu Jintao, the president said he urged the Chinese leader to pressure the junta of cyclone-stricken Myanmar, the former Burma, to be more open to Western aid.

“I told President Hu Jintao today, of China, if you get - if you're in touch with the Burmese, tell them that we're genuine in our efforts to want to help,” Bush said. “We've been disappointed by the response. It's taken these people too long to move. It's almost as if they're in a state of denial. But we'll see. We're beginning to make some progress there in terms of getting our aid in.”

- This past weekend’s wedding of his daughter Jenna to Henry Hager at the Bush family's Crawford, Texas, ranch “went exactly the way she hoped it would go,” Bush said.

“I was thinking, 'This is one beautiful bride, and Henry is a lucky man,'” he said.

Bush said his toast “was to the families and friends that were there; the toast was to the Hagers in raising a good man in Henry; the toast was to my beautiful girl.”

Ahead of the wedding Bush watched the Steve Martin comedy “Father of the Bride.” He said the lesson he took from the movie was: “Write the check and be happy.”

- In January he plans to return to e-mail, which he gave up when he took office to avoid leaks. He said he looks forward to “e-mailing to my buddies,” and said he was a heavy e-mailer in Texas.

“I can remember, as governor, I stayed in touch with all kinds of people around the country, firing off e-mails at all times of the day to stay in touch with my pals,” he said. “One of the things that I will have ended my public service time with is a group of friends, a lot of friends. And I want to stay in touch with them, and there's no better way to communicate with them than through e-mail.”

- His Christian faith has increased in office, since “part of the faith walk is to understand your weaknesses and is to constantly try to embetter yourself and get closer to the Lord, and that's a daily occurrence.”

“Obviously, there's been some tough moments in here,” he said. “When you know that somebody lost their loved one as a result of a decision that I made, that's a tough moment. If you're a faithful person, you try to empathize with the suffering that that person is going through. On the other hand, there is a knowledge that the good Lord can comfort during these moments of grief. And that's what I ask for in my prayer.”

- Perhaps tellingly after a rough seven and a half years, the president said one of his happiest moments in the Oval Office came the day he took office.

“My dad was upstairs at the White House preparing for the inaugural balls,” he recalled. “And I said to him: 'Let's go on over to the Oval Office' - I hadn't been in the Oval Office as president yet. And so I came over here before he got here, and he walked through that door right there and it was a happy moment to see my dad come in the Oval Office. I love him dearly.”

Asked if his father is proud of him, the president said: “Oh, yes, no question he is. And I'm proud of him. … [H]e's sitting there complaining about this editorial or that - I said, man, I don't even pay attention to it, because I don't. But, yes, he's very proud of me, you can imagine - and proud of Jeb and he's proud of all his children for different reasons.”

- On who does the better impression, Will Ferrell of him or Dana Carvey of his father, he had a quick answer: “Dana Carvey.”

[briannorwood]

"Bush: Dem Iraq Policy Could Mean Disaster"

Oh yeah, like 6 years of Bush''s policy in Iraq has been such a resounding success, we should elect John McCain to continue it...NOT!

[roger_inkart]

Oh, the shamelessness of this man. There is no low he won''t stoop to, no baseless fear-mongering he won''t engage in, basically nothing he won''t do in order to try and score political points. But he''s like a broken record, and no one really takes him seriously anymore. I would imagine many people regret ever doing so.

[jjp735i]

Bush has balls calling anyones plan a disaster. After all, all his plans have been one.

As to another attack on the U.S., those open borders don''t help. If they are coming Bush left the door wide open. Anyone can walk right in even after years of Bush''s plans to close them. Another disaster of his.

[bluestardad]

THAT MEANS SO MUCH COMING FROM THIS CHIMP!

START WAR CRIMES TRIALS ON HIM AND HIS NEOCON BUDDIES FOR THE IRAQ WAR!

AMERICA STAND UP OR SHUT UP!

[jimfinster]

%u201C%u2018Misled%u2019 is a strong word, it almost connotes some kind of intentional,%u201D Bush said. %u201CI don''t think so. %u2026 Intelligence communities all across the world shared the same assessment. And so I was disappointed to see how flawed our intelligence was.%u201D



Yes George, we have all been disappointed at your flawed intelligence as well.

[briannorwood]

Let me think about this for a second. This is from the same administration who said the war would last 6 weeks, Iraqi oil would pay for the war, the insurgency was in its last throes.

Remember in 2005 when Bush said there were 18 Iraqi divisions who were fully trained. And that when "they stand up, we''ll stand down"?

Exactly how many trained Iraqi divisions are combat ready now? Never hear a peep about that now, do we!

Bush is a liar and a because of that, by extension a traitor to our country!

[roger_inkart]

''Quack-quack-quack'' says the LAME duck. Sorry, Bushie, no one is interested in your predictable dog and pony show any more.

[frankson2]

THE ONLY DISASTER FOR THIS COUNTRY IS THAT MORON IN OFFICE AND HIS WAR MONGERING CO-CONSPIRATORS.

[oscarez]

Bush, the American people don''t give a rats hairy petutty what you think. Seven months and you are gone.

[singingrick]

Translation: "Stay the Curse"

[excoachken]

Earth to Cowardly Cowboy,"The Democratic Party is not in power yet, so, even a GENIUS like you, has no way of knowing what their policy will be, except that any change from you failing effort would be a great improvement!!!"

[dinkydog1]

Bush, the walking talking disaster has predicted a disaster.

[wdrussell1]

Hey singingrick, and anybody else who actually thinks for themselves.
Remember last week with all the wingnuts calling for an attack on Iran.
I just Wonder if you saw this?
According to a report by the LA Times correspondent Tina Susman in Baghdad: %u201CA plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran. A U.S. military spokesman attributed the confusion to a misunderstanding that emerged after an Iraqi Army general in Karbala erroneously reported the items were of Iranian origin. When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.%u201D

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush has, once again, repeated the neocon Fascist Nazi line that quitting Iraq would be a "disaster" and would lead "terrrrrrorists" to attack us once again.

It is thought that the Great Emperor made those remarks because of Whimpo-cratic victories in formerly "solid" neocon Fascist Nazi Republican areas recently. Usually, when things are looking bad for the neocon Fascist Nazis, they bring out their "FEAR IS THE KEY!" agenda which states that there are "terrrrrrorists" everywhere just waiting to attack the USSA and kill everyone, and that only the neocon Fascist Nazis can save us from the blood-thirsty "terrrrrrrrrorists"!

How about "saving us" from $5/gallon gasoline???????

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!!
sig heil, DEFINITELY MORE OF THE SAME, McCain!!!!

[truthspeake2]

Does this mean that we go back to the Orange, Red, Green, and Yellow alert system that protected us all so well....LOL

[bsimon2007]

Maybe Bush should be sent to Iraq.

Seriously. Could he be traded for a couple barrels of oil or something?

[donevis-2009]

Lets see, Millions Dead, Trillions of dollars gone, wounded vets with little or no help, and no end in sight.. Would someone define disaster for me please. "God Speed USA"

[Gary Kempf]

It''s almost as if they''re in a state of denial. But we''ll see.

Isn''t this the same terminal disease of the Bush administration?

[leftyintexas]

And bush knows ''DISASTER''!

[kaxlen]

Isn''t this attitude towards "terrorists" kinda similar to the conservative mentality towards "communists" a few decades ago. . .? I feel like all we need are to bring back the McCarthy trials, just to make everything clear (maybe we could call them the McCain trials. . .?).

[kaxlen]

That''s soo touching. sniffle he gave up his golf for OUR soldiers. teary eye now there''s a real leader!

[quetzalcrist]

Bush: Dem Iraq Policy Could Mean Disaster...

yeah whateve, can it get any worse than this....
Clueless Dumbyah

[ianlou]

Bush grabbed the Tiger by the Tail and he is warning us what will happen if his replacement lets go.

Bush: "We must be diligent in hanging on to this tail no matter how long it takes, eventually (many years and $Trillions$) the tiger will get tired and we can claim Victory!!"

[clestes-2009]

Another arrogant and stupid statement from shrub. Let''s just list all the results of HIS Iraq policy.

1. 4000 dead US soldiers
2. 30,000 wounded US soldiers
3. 1 million dead Iraqi civilians
4. 3 million displaced Iraqi civilians
5. Destroyed infrastructure of an entire country
6. 500 billion dollars gone
7. Training ground for new terrorists created
8. Iran now middle east power
9. Israel less safe now than anytime in the last 60 years.
10. US less safe than anytime since WWII
11. US economy sliding into deep recession
12. US international reputation in tatters.

I could list another 20 with no problem. And he thinks the dems Iraq policy will bring disaster. What the hell does he call Iraq now??

Oh, I remember. "Mission Accomplished".

If the mission he is referring to is the complete DISASTER he has created in Iraq and here at home, I agree, he has mission accomplished.

History will not be kind to shrub, nor should it be. He will be known forever as the bullheaded braggart who took 3 coountries, including his own, to ruin. The president too dam stubborn and ignorant to learn from his mistakes and trashed the name Bush so bad, he ended a political family dynasty.

Now that is the only good thing he has accomplished. It will be decades before the name Bush does anything except make Americans cringe!

[roger_inkart]

After reading these posts, No wonder the enemy is endorsing the Democrats again this year...........I wonder how many will go fight for them when McCain beats Obamma by a landslide?

Posted by hillaryin012 at 10:09 AM : May 14, 2008

Sure, keep up the fear and smear you GOP scumbags. If if didn''t work in one some of the most conservative states, why do you think it will work in a general election?

[junogoose]

The tireless propaganda mouthpiece for Exxon, KBR, and the like. Good dog.

[leftyintexas]

After reading these posts, No wonder the enemy is endorsing the Democrats again this year...........I wonder how many will go fight for them when McCain beats Obamma by a landslide?

Posted by hillaryin012 at 10:09 AM : May 14,2008

Now don''t you worry your pointy little head over it, hear?

[johnshaft4]

President Clown has disaster down to a fine art.

[blackwater66-2009]

We alone are fighting for freedom that is true
We own the right to live the fight, we''re here for all of you. Now swear the blood upon your body will never dry Stand and fight together beneath the desert sky !

STAY THE COURSE !!! VOTE McCAIN in 08 ~~

[roger_inkart]

Sounds like Osamma and Obamma talking points lib.

Posted by hillaryin012 at 10:42 AM : May 14, 2008

This is very typical of the rightwing slime machine - mistaking facts for talking points.

McCain will be this year''s Bob Dole. Viagra probably has a contract already drawn up for the geezer.

[johnshaft4]

Blackwater- You are as nuts as Bush.

[neoconrcrazy]

Now that is the only good thing he has accomplished. It will be decades before the name Bush does anything except make Americans cringe!

Posted by clestes at


great post all 12 points right-on - can anyone in his right mind imagine anything worse than the neocon repub policies of these last years -

Are you better off now than 8 years ago?

Helll no!

[roger_inkart]

America has not voted to defeat your Messiah yet lib.

Posted by hillaryin012 at 10:45 AM : May 14, 2008

Fear, smear, fear, smear....blah, blah blah. They didn''t buy this line in Mississippi or Louisana. Again, if you think this kind of disgusting smear won''t backfire you really have another thing coming in November.

Regardless, even if McCain does win the Dems will have larger majorities in both houses of Congress (in fact, they are getting close to having enough to override a veto) Whatever legislation is pushed through, it will be bi-partisan.

[moneymcbush]

Alternate Headline:

"Lame Duck Quacks, No One Cares"

[talkingham]

Ferrell definetely does the better impression. We will probably never see again the Sat night live segment with Ferrel under the desk in the oval office as DC is under attack. It was 6 months before 9111, and it was incredibly accurate in how it desscribed Bush.

The Dem plan might be a disaster for Halliburton but for no one else. As if Iraq isn''t a disaster of huge proportions already for everyone except the neocons.

Lil Bush is the worst Pres in US history by design. He''s not stupid he''s had a lot of help from neocons who profit so greatly from instability in the Middle East.

[newz4i]

Bush, %u201CDo I think somebody lied to me?%u201D he said. %u201CNo, I don''t. I think it was just, you know, they analyzed the situation and came up with the wrong conclusion. The buck stops here, Bush - your legacy: the Commander in Chief came up with the wrong conclusion.

[jumkey]

After reading these posts, No wonder the enemy is endorsing the Democrats again this year.....

Posted by hillaryin012

The CIA says al-Quaeda released statements and videos specifically to influence the 2004 election in Bush''s favor.

A Democratic presidency would be a disaster for al-Quada as they would no longer have an evil enemy to demonize and motivate their followers (and vice-versa). Republicans and al-Quada have formed a symbiotic relationship where neither can survive without the other and so they only "struggle" to stalemate.

Clearly an endorsement by al-Quada would only benefit the *other* side, so a vote for McCain is in fact a direct vote for the terrorists.

[newz4i]

Bush, "Congress is ''stalled'' after 18 months of Democratic leadership."

Bush, your vetoes ''stalled'' Congress.

Voters, vote out more Republicans, as was done in the 2006 election, and this country will become ''un-stalled."

[jerr11]

935 Lies.

4072 Dead Americans because of those lies.

As Harry Powell said, "A liar is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord."

George W Bush is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord!

G W Bush - Son of Satan

Damned for all time!

[irliberal]

Bush says WHAT?!? Oh please. The only words I want to hear him say are "I''m sorry", right as the door closes on his jail cell.

[macusweil]

"Bush: Dem Iraq Policy Could Mean Disaster"

Only for the criminals and thugs like Black Water, KBR & Halliburton. No war means the end of the GOP insider gravey train, gee, too bad. Maybe we can waste some tax payer dollars in this country for a change.

[notblue]

Can anyone tell me what the Democrats policy is? All I have heard, and this was a year ago, "the war is over we have lost" Harry Reid. It''s time to leave and the extremists backed by Iran take over?????? How will leaving and letting iraq fall into chaos and enemy hands make America and the middle east safer?

[starleo146]

Bush: Dem Iraq Policy Could Mean Disaster
Politico: In Interview, President Says Pulling Out Of Iraq Would "Embolden" Terrorists, Could Lead To Another Attack On U.S.

Here we go again good old fear tactic, How can he say what is in this headline, can it honestly get any worse than it has been since 2000- 2008

[ioweign]

How will leaving and letting iraq fall into chaos and enemy hands make America and the middle east safer?

Posted by notblue at 11:15 AM : May 14, 2008

How is being in Iraq making the US safer ?

Even Petraeus did not know...

[macusweil]

"Even Petraeus did not know... "

You mean "betray us"!! Bush and his brass are complete failures.

[lvdragonlady-2009]

Looks like shrubie is using fearmongering again, just to keep a bunch of neo-con cluster ****s in office. Pay attention folks, vote for Mac and you will get more of the last 7+ years. The question you need to ask is - Can America survive more of the same???

[oscarez]

Bush is refusing to to stop filling the strategic petroleum reserve temporarily in an effort to alleviate increasing gas prices. Bush opposes the reserve measure because, he said, limiting supplies to the reserve could have national security consequences in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack. Bush is going to invade Iran, very soon.

[notblue]

iowegian, if what you say is true how is leaving the better alternative?

[wdrussell1]

Blackwater is busy at the moment, playing one of his video battle games.

[gracchus1]

The situation in Iraq cannot get any worse. It was a calamity before it started. Under Johnny Bomb Bomb McCain 4 more years of the same.