Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Alfred E. Neuman is Alive and Well and Living in Washington
Last night Diane Sawyer interviewed George W. Bush at the White House. The transcript contains some fascinating bits. Asking Bush about his unequivocal statements that there were actual WMDs in Iraq (and which, we learned this week, his administration was claiming could hit the East Coast), as opposed to some of his later equivocations about "a weapons program":
DIANE: But stated as a hard fact, that there were weapons of mass destruction as opposed to the possibility that [Saddam] could move to acquire those weapons still--
DUBYA: So what's the difference?
What, me worry? Hell, it don't matter. (And the fact is, to him it didn't.)
And later:
DIANE: What would it take to convince you he didn't have weapons of mass destruction?
DUBYA: Saddam Hussein was a threat and the fact that he is gone means America is a safer country.
DIANE: And if he doesn't have weapons of mass destruction [inaudible]--
DUBYA: Diane, you can keep asking the question. I'm telling you--I made the right decision for America--
DIANE: But--
DUBYA: --because Saddam Hussein used weapons of mass destruction, invaded Kuwait. ... But the fact that he is not there is, means America's a more secure country.
Thought experiment: See if Bush's answers make any less sense when they come in response to different questions.
DIANE: So, got your Christmas shopping done yet?
DUBYA: Saddam Hussein was a threat and the fact that he is gone means America is a safer country.
DIANE: How about those Redskins?
DUBYA: I'm telling you--I made the right decision for America.
DIANE: Boxers or briefs?
DUBYA: Saddam Hussein used weapons of mass destruction, invaded Kuwait. ... But the fact that he is not there is, means America's a more secure country.
So you really don't need the questions at all. The man's going to say what he's going to say--just wind him up in the morning and away he goes. (Although I think he stole the last bit from Lieberman.)
Last night Diane Sawyer interviewed George W. Bush at the White House. The transcript contains some fascinating bits. Asking Bush about his unequivocal statements that there were actual WMDs in Iraq (and which, we learned this week, his administration was claiming could hit the East Coast), as opposed to some of his later equivocations about "a weapons program":
DIANE: But stated as a hard fact, that there were weapons of mass destruction as opposed to the possibility that [Saddam] could move to acquire those weapons still--
DUBYA: So what's the difference?
What, me worry? Hell, it don't matter. (And the fact is, to him it didn't.)
And later:
DIANE: What would it take to convince you he didn't have weapons of mass destruction?
DUBYA: Saddam Hussein was a threat and the fact that he is gone means America is a safer country.
DIANE: And if he doesn't have weapons of mass destruction [inaudible]--
DUBYA: Diane, you can keep asking the question. I'm telling you--I made the right decision for America--
DIANE: But--
DUBYA: --because Saddam Hussein used weapons of mass destruction, invaded Kuwait. ... But the fact that he is not there is, means America's a more secure country.
Thought experiment: See if Bush's answers make any less sense when they come in response to different questions.
DIANE: So, got your Christmas shopping done yet?
DUBYA: Saddam Hussein was a threat and the fact that he is gone means America is a safer country.
DIANE: How about those Redskins?
DUBYA: I'm telling you--I made the right decision for America.
DIANE: Boxers or briefs?
DUBYA: Saddam Hussein used weapons of mass destruction, invaded Kuwait. ... But the fact that he is not there is, means America's a more secure country.
So you really don't need the questions at all. The man's going to say what he's going to say--just wind him up in the morning and away he goes. (Although I think he stole the last bit from Lieberman.)
