Do Not Take Bush's Statements for Face Value

Hesiod of American Street recently made this
article.

I originally saw this post of his on Eschaton.

Bush is playing the McCarthyism card. Time to fight back. Here's
my suggestion:

"Today, George W. Bush said that leaving Iraq prematurely will "weaken the
United States."

This is obviously a poll-tested and focus-grouped phrase designed to
marginalize Cindy Sheehan and his Iraq war critics.

So, here's a project for the White House press corps. Make Bush explain, in
detail and with evidence, how leaving Iraq will 'weaken the United
States.'

Saturation bomb Scott McLellan with questions demanding that President Bush
provide a detailed explanation for how that will occur because, frankly, we
aren't going to take his declarations of what is and is not in our national
security interests at face value any more.

If he or someone from his administration says that leaving early means the
'terrorists will win,' ask them to explain what that means too. Win how? Which
terrorists? The Jihadists, or the Iraqi Nationalists?

For each poll-tested, focus-grouped, soundbite Bush, or one of his minions
utters on this topic, demand a more detailed and factually supported
explanation. Simply reporting what bush says is no longer good enough. The man
cannot be trusted. He will say or do anything to protect himself and his party
politically.

In other words, do your Goddamn jobs."I haven't been bugging Duncan to link
to any of my posts lately.

I hope he seriously considers this one. The Press corps cannot simply take
Bush's word for anything involving Iraq. And Bush should not be allowed to get
away with demegoguing this and invoking neo-McCarthyism for cheap political
gain.

Please spread this around. I don't care if you attribute it to me or
not. All I care about is that the press do its job for a change.

Hesiod Email 08.23.05 - 12:32 pm #

The Bush camp has no qualms with lying. We have to take every statement they say with analysis. Please think whenever they say ANYTHING that may affect the way you think.

The way he handles Iraq, the way he treats Sheehan and the way the way he deals with any problem tends to be easy to scrutinize. Always be on alert