Bob Cesca: During War Speech, Bush Slammed... Himself

Some things are just worth repeating in their entirety. Here Bob Cesca looks at Bush's 'War on Terror' speech today and finds lots of spots where the president seems to be speaking of himself:

Bush on his six week vacation: "There's always a temptation in the middle of a long struggle to seek the quiet life, to escape the duties and problems of the world and to hope the enemy grows weary of fanaticism..." He's referring to opponents of the war, but he's actually talking about his own desire to escape from the day-to-day onslaught of bad news.

Bush on his domestic and international policy: "...a radical ideology with immeasurable objectives to enslave whole nations and intimidate the world." Bush knows a lot about intimidating the world. And his single-minded re-alignment of international policy and diplomacy can very easily be defined as radical and ideological -- if not downright insane.

Bush on his exploitation of Christianity to suit his party's political goals: "The time has come for all responsible [Christian] leaders to join in denouncing an ideology that exploits [Christianity] for political ends, and defiles a noble faith."

Bush discussing more of his own penchant for exploitation -- but also, his inability to accept blame and his policy of war over diplomacy: "The radicals exploit local conflicts to build a culture of victimization, in which someone else is always to blame and violence is always the solution."

Bush discussing what he doesn't like about democracy: "But that's the essence of democracy: making your case, debating with those who you disagree -- who disagree, building consensus by persuasion, and answering to the will of the people." Bush likes to make his own case, but tends to fail even with favorable audiences. Bush NEVER debates those who disagree and hates hearing bad news and dissent from his own staff. His town hall meetings are stacked with ringers and the presidential debates last year underscored his disgust with the process. And the "will of the people?" This after yesterday's press conference in which he pissed* all over a reporter who asked him about a new poll -- which measures the will of the people.

Bush on the immoral killing of civilians, including Western journalists and children, in his war: "When 25 Iraqi children are killed in a bombing, or Iraqi teachers are executed at their school, or hospital workers are killed caring for the wounded, this is murder, pure and simple -- the total rejection of justice and honor and morality and religion." Emphasis mine.

Bush on his "unspoken" policy of torturing prisoners: "[We're] unconstrained by any notion of our common humanity, or by the rules of warfare."

And finally, Bush defining himself as a tyrant: "Throughout history, tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that murder is justified to serve their grand vision..." The war on terror's murder of thousands of civilians has served Bush and the right's grand vision. ",,,and they end up alienating decent people across the globe." Bush's war in Iraq has alienated us from many peaceful nations. "Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that regimented societies are strong and pure..." Regimented societies? Like those that desire the regimented laws of the Bible to infiltrate secular democracy? "...until those societies collapse in corruption and decay." Corruption is the GOP's middle name right now. "Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that free men and women are weak and decadent..." Bush has used the phrase "if it feels good, do it" to blast his political opponents and the Clinton administration.

I'd like to end with a startling admission by the president regarding the war. He admitted today that his folly in Iraq has resulted in Bin Laden taking control of that nation. In other words, he liberated Iraq from Saddam and handed it over to Bin Laden. Winston Churchill once chastised Roosevelt for liberating eastern Europe from the Nazis and handing it over to the communists. You tell me, is this president creating more problems than he's solving? Your president: "Would the United States and other free nations be more safe, or less safe, with Zarqawi and bin Laden in control of Iraq, its people, and its resources? Having removed a dictator who hated free peoples, we will not stand by as a new set of killers, dedicated to the destruction of our own country, seizes control of Iraq by violence."

full text here if you have a strong stomach.