Bush's Good-natured riposte wins applause [Aussies]

The Age (Australia) ^ | October 24, 2003 | Michael Gordon

[nwrep]

By Michael Gordon
October 24, 2003

The best line by George Bush was not in the prepared text for his historic address to Federal Parliament yesterday. It came when the high jinks of Green senators threatened to poison the atmosphere and demean the occasion.

"I love free speech," said the good-humoured President, breaking the tension, transforming the mood and winning applause from both sides of the chamber.

From a leader so often accused of wooden and unconvincing delivery, it was a PR master stroke, one that defused a potentially embarrassing, even nasty, situation.

The President had been warned to expect a cool reception from those who opposed the Iraq war. He responded by tackling their concerns and criticisms head-on - though not to their satisfaction.

On the missing weapons of mass destruction, for instance, he said: "Since the liberation of Iraq, we have discovered Saddam's clandestine network of biological laboratories, his design work on prohibited long-range missiles, his elaborate campaign to hide illegal weapons programs."

His speech was overwhelmingly, almost exclusively, about the war on terrorism: a defence of what America has done and a solemn promise that it could not, and would not, let up, not "even a bit". It was also an emphatic declaration of the strength of the US-Australian relationship and its capacity to meet "the challenges and the perils of our time".

This was the third address to the Australian Parliament by a US president in little more than a decade, but it was the most pointed and the most partisan. And deliberately so. It was also the first when the President and the Prime Minister were of the same political colour.

While his father went out of his way to praise those on both sides of politics in 1992 (when Paul Keating was prime minister), Bush was unabashed and unrestrained in his praise of Howard, the man he met face-to-face on the eve of September 11, 2001. He called him "a leader of exceptional courage", and a leader "who exemplifies the finest qualities of one of the world's great democracies".

And while Bill Clinton won over the sceptics in 1996 with an impassioned and optimistic vision for the future, Bush devoted most of his time to defending his conduct of the war in Iraq. This involved two costs.

First, by concentrating on the most contemporary and divisive issue affecting the the alliance, Bush failed to connect with a large slab of Labor MPs - and presumably a significant number of voters - who remain unconvinced by his arguments.

This no doubt suits the Coalition, but it represents a lost opportunity. Simon Crean had earlier reaffirmed Labor's support for the alliance, but said that on occasions friends disagreed and had to be honest.

Second, the focus on the war on terrorism meant very little was said about other important issues, particularly the potential of China to shape the region's strategic and economic environment. Just three sentences were devoted to this issue, which will come into sharp focus today when President Hu Jintao addresses Parliament.

The proposed free trade agreement with the US rated only a cursory mention. The task of re-energising the Doha round of multilateral talks on trade liberalisation went unremarked.

And there was this: "Security in the Asia-Pacific region will always depend on the willingness of nations to take responsibility for their neighbourhood, as Australia is doing."

Sounds like the job of a sheriff, doesn't it?

[Jeff Chandler]

From a leader so often accused of wooden and unconvincing delivery

LOL! The libs are like the coyote vis-a-vis the roadrunner. They keep lowering the bar for Bush, who then exceeds their hatefully low expectations.

[Paul Atreides]

Dream on, Troll!

[CWOJackson]

Todd? Is that you Todd?

[MamaB]

Hey, We do get them, don't we? He should go back to DU.

[Paul Atreides]

The poor things just cannot stand it that the person, whom they consider the dumbest individual in existence, is outsmarting them at every turn.

[MamaB]

How are you doing? Jan is having a lot of trouble with dehydration and cellulitis.

[Paul Atreides]

I have a horrible cold.

[SevenDaysInMay]

I would have preferred that GW announce his initiative to bring Australia in as our 51st state. Mega Sound byte.

His speech then could have focused on offering the treasure of our Bill of Rights to those loving not only free speech but human dignity with the exercise of the God-given right of self defense, RTKABA, because of our ratified Constitution.

How do the Aussies think that they can defend themselves against jihadies when they can't even defend against muslim gangs' gang rapes. Oops, is that "hate speech"?

Bali must be considered a wakeup call, evan for N.Z. Christchurch seems as logical target as Corpus Christi.

Islamofascism has declared global war on Western Civilization, in 1979. This war shall get thermonuclear because Israeli "spawn of pigs and monkeys" (See islamic holy scripture.) sit on once islamic land to be reclaimed and our USA is so far able to defend our way of life.

[alloysteel]

Those two Australian "Greens" made the same mistake as so many before: They simply misunderestimated George W. Bush. Considering him to be "stupid", they thought heckling would so discombobulate the President, that he would have to leave the podium in disgrace. Dubya has stood up to Texas Democrat legislators, and had them eating out of his hand afterwards.

[CWOJackson]

Ah, Australian politics. Where their meetings can look like a DEA raid on the Osborne home, where members refer to each other by the vilest names and where England can simply dissolve the democratically elected government because they don't like it.

[WaterDragon]

The salvation of America, and the free world, is that Bush does not compromise on our security. He devoted the speech to just that, and any thinking person in Australia knows the focus of this speech addressed the most vital of their concerns.

[CyberAnt]

I picked up on that statement too .. "wooden" indeed; the guy must have our President confused with Gore.

But .. Bush was there to talk about the WOT .. not China or world trade. The whole trip was a "thank you" to those who had supported the WOT.

[armed_in_sydney]

and where England can simply dissolve the democratically elected government because they don't like it.

Haha,England and whose army?

[desertcry]

W's great response to the hateful Australian GREENs was not so much due to President GWB's quick wittedness, but more due to his well controlled ego and real humble nature.

[driftless]

You know it's just about impossible for me to get my many Dem friends and family members to discuss issues without them launching into their tiresome "Bush is an idiot" tirades. It's all I can do to refrain from calling them ignorant, gullible, Dem-robots which they are. On a recent visit, my old man was going on about how dumb Bush was (this from a man who hasn't read a book in fifty years or more). I then asked him (quite unfairly) where his college degree was from. That shut him up for a while.

[Paul Atreides]

Also, the next time they say he is an idiot, ask them how such a so-called idiot is managing, as they claim, to take over the world.

[headsonpikes]

...and where England can simply dissolve the democratically elected government...

I see that you bring the same depth of knowledge and wisdom to this subject as you do to others.

None.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

and where England can simply dissolve the democratically elected government because they don't like it.

Haha,England and whose army?

Um, Australia is under Queen Elizabeth. Her representative has, under Australian form of government, the authority to reject a Prime Minister and call for new elections. This actually happened within the last 20 years.

[headsonpikes]

Her representative as you call the Governor-General, is an Australian selected by Australians, and appointed formally by the Queen.

Just as in Canada.

It is laughable to suggest that this arrangement gives 'England' and/or the Queen effective sovereignty over the Dominions.

God save the Queen!

[VOA]

On the missing weapons of mass destruction, for instance, he said: "Since the
liberation of Iraq, we have discovered Saddam's clandestine network of biological
laboratories, his design work on prohibited long-range missiles, his elaborate campaign
to hide illegal weapons programs."

Clandestine means hidden, covert, or secret.

Just thought that the lurkers from DU might need a little assist.

And guidance to the opinions of a former CLINTON Administration official,
Kenneth Pollock who predicted that this is what we'd find: that Saddam's regime
was setting up a quickly-reconfigured system to produce chem/bio weapons as soon as needed or
the world community was distracted by other conflicts.