Posted on 04/28/2004 6:05:27 PM PDT by CrazyRightwinger
WASHINGTON- A noticeably tired President Bush declared late last night that he would not seek a second term, and would decline the nomination if offered to him. When asked the reason why he curtly replied, "I have lost the confidence and trust of the American people," before leaving to his Texas ranch. The major reason cited for his rapid fall from public grace was the administration's policy towards Iraq and the April 10, 2004, attack. After 9/11 Bush invaded Afghanistan and overthrew the taliban, and then stopped; despite US, British, and UN intelligence pointing to Iraq's involvement in both international terror and WMDs. The 4/10 nuclear attack in New York City was blamed primarily on Saddam Hussein. He obtained the nuclear device from North Korea, then shipped it to Hamas, who promptly sent it on to Al-Qaida. Mr. Bush's approval rating has dropped 47% to a historic low of 24% since the bipartisan Terrorist Attack Prevention (TAP) Commission; formally the 9/11 commission, found that Mr. Bush, "ignored, trivialized, and stalled" on the Iraq issue. Former Senator Kerrey, a member of the commission went further, saying, "The president owes the American people an apology. To be surprised once is forgivable, even understandable. But twice is a truly monumental failure." Resignations promptly followed, further discrediting the beleaguered administration. Richard Clarke, former counter terrorism czar, gave especially damaging testimony to the committee including, "...three days after 9/11, I went to the President and brought up Iraq, and Mr. Bush, before I had even finished, replied that Osama, and not Saddam killed all those poor people." Mr. Bush rejected his advisor's call for war, saying neither the EU nor the UN would approve, and that Mr. Hussein was not an imminent threat to the United States. "That's thin logic at best, Mr. President," Clarke replied, visibly upset. He continued on, "both us and the previous administrations knew that Mr. Hussein had WMDs. Not only that, but to know about his ties to international terrorism and ignore it approaches criminal. As onlookers gave him a standing ovation, Mr. Clarke tearfully apologized for the decision to not attack Iraq. Politicians on Capitol Hill were quick to speak out, but Republicans made themselves scarce. Senator Edward Kennedy had some of the harsher words, "Republicans just don't seem to get it. The Bush administration is all about politics. He didn't have the guts to uphold his vow to protect the American people. Karl Rove saw the political risk involved and placed that above 20,000 men, women, and children." Senator Joseph Lieberman took a milder tone, saying simply, "It is unfortunate that he (President Bush) did not have a plan for the three rogue states of Iraq, Iran and North Korea." One of Bush's few public defender's, congressional candidate John Armor, gave a speech an hour later attacking Bush's critics, "I find it ironic that had Mr. Bush gone to war, his same critics would have been attacking that decision. We would have heard nonstop about the cost, and upset Muslims, and God forbid; if soldiers died." Presumptive presidential candidate John Kerry countered in a rousing speech in Boston, saying, Mr. Armor's remarks are both inappropriate and incorrect. No one has any idea what I, and my fellow Democrats would have done had the president done the right thing and gone into Iraq. They falsely assume we would have raised the whit flag, talked appeasement and withdrawal, and turned the protection of America into a petty, partisan issue." The crowd of several thousand roared in approval.
HINT: Paragraphs are your friend.
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