What They're Saying About The President's News Conference: Part II

RNC.org ^ | Wednesday, March 22, 2006 | RNC Research Dept

[CyberAnt]

The Washington Post: "President Bush should hold more news conferences. ... In his sometimes blunt, sometimes joking and sometimes unpolished way, he sounded authentic ..." (Editorial, "Mr. Bush Unvarnished," The Washington Post, 3/22/06)

The Washington Post: "[T]he president clearly has not lost sight of the enormous importance of the Iraqi mission ..." (Editorial, "Mr. Bush Unvarnished," The Washington Post, 3/22/06)

The Washington Post: "Mr. Bush ... hasn't lost sight of the stakes." (Editorial, "Mr. Bush Unvarnished," The Washington Post, 3/22/06)

ABC's Elizabeth Vargas: "The President, really striking, though George, a balancing act in this news conference today. Realism on the one hand about the challenges ahead, and yet - optimism about the outcome." (ABC's "World News Tonight," 3/21/06)

CNN's Heidi Collins: "[Tuesday's] news conference was just as remarkable for its style as for its substance." (CNN's "Paula Zahn Now," 3/21/06)

[New York] Daily News: "A rock on Iraq." ("A Rock On Iraq," [New York] Daily News, 3/22/06)

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough: "Today [President Bush] faced a hostile press corps, held his own." (MSNBC's "Scarborough Country," 3/21/06)

MSNBC's Pat Buchanan: "[President Bush] came out confident and ... I think he enjoyed sparring with the press, Joe. I thought he came off excellent today. I think it was a first-rate press conference, and with regard to Iraq, we all -- we don't know what the outcome is, you, I, nobody. I don't even think the president knows, but I think he feels comfortable with the decision he made, and he knows the opposition doesn't have any answers." (MSNBC's "Scarborough Country," 3/21/06)

CBS' Bob Schieffer: "President Bush laid out the most impassioned defense yet of his war policy during a White House news conference ..." (CBS' "Evening News," 3/21/06)

CBS' Jim Axelrod: "It was a passionate and feisty George Bush." (CBS' "Evening News," 3/21/06)

The Washington Post's Jim VandeHei: "[The President] clearly believes in the Iraqi mission. He's shown no signs whatsoever of caving in or giving in ..." (MSNBC's "Countdown," 3/21/06)

"With The Public In Cleveland And With Reporters Tuesday, An Energetic And Confident Bush Bantered With His Questioners, Using Humor -- He Accused A Reporter Tuesday Of Falling 'Half-Asleep' During His Lengthy Remarks The Day Before In Cleveland. In Each Case, He Also Took Tough Questions For About An Hour, Indicating That He's Aware Of Public Criticism And Wants To Respond." (David Jackson, "Bush: U.S. Troops May Stay In Iraq For Years," USA Today, 3/22/06)

"Passionate And Often Aggressive ... Bush Declared That If He Did Not Believe The United States Could Prevail In Iraq, He Would Pull The Troops Out Now." (Carolyn Lochhead, "Bush Says War Could Outlast His Presidency," The San Francisco Chronicle, 3/22/06)

Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria: "The old order in Iraq was built on fear and terror. One group dominated the land, oppressing the others. Now representatives of all three communities -- Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds -- are sitting down at the table, trying to construct a workable bargain they can all live with. ... Iraq may be stumbling toward nation-building by consent, not brutality. And that is a model for the Middle East." (Fareed Zakaria, Op-Ed, "Why Iraq Is Still Worth the Effort," The Washington Post, 3/22/06)

"[M]r. Bush Didn't Back Down As He Defended The Decision To Go To War And The Current U.S. Policy." (Stephen Dinan, "Bush Commits Until 2009," The Washington Times, 3/22/06)

"[President Bush Is] Making An Aggressive Case." (Tom Raum, "Analysis: Bush Throws Weight Behind Iraq," The Associated Press, 3/21/06)

Political Strategist Karen Hanretty: "I think actually what the president did today was very good." (MSNBC's "Scarborough Country," 3/21/06)

Hanretty: "The first word that came to my mind after watching the press conference was solid." (MSNBC's "Scarborough Country," 3/21/06)

"Speaking Energetically, Bush On Tuesday Turned Nearly Every Question On Iraq Into A Megaphone For His Latest Message On The War: That He Understands Americans' Concerns About Its Progress And Cost, But That It Must Be Fought To Deny Terrorists An Iraqi Base From Which They Could Attack The United States." (James Gerstenzang, "Bush Says U.S. in Iraq for Long Haul," Los Angeles Times, 3/22/06)

[hinckley buzzard]

But it is rather rude - "blunt", "unpolished" - in other words .. a dumb cowboy!

That probably is what WaPo meant to convey-- but I don't read it that way. I think "blunt" and "unpolished" is what most of America is. I think GW sounds like America when he speaks, and I think he sounds that way to most Americans--even though the eastern effete elite would prefer someone who sounded more like a French sociopath.

[hinckley buzzard]

Fat Teddy has been reduced to merely blowing smoke out his ample a&&. Nobody cares what he says anymore.

[loveliberty2]

". . ., he sounded authentic ..."

So says the Washington Post!

"Authentic," according to dictionary.com, is said to mean: "Conforming to fact and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief. . . ."

That does seem to be an apt description of the current President, despite what the MSM and Democrats would have us believe.

[pollyannaish]

Yes.

Because in their world polite, decent, humane, respectful....all inauthentic and fake.

Combative, blunt, pushy, uncaring, forceful....authentic behavior.

The President just showed them that he can beat them at their own game...and suddenly they are scared!

[Balata]

W also told the MSM they were 'usefull idiots' for the terrorists. LOL! It was great.

[CyberAnt]

Thanks for posting this Christian4Bush.

I'm repeating this for every body in case people didn't get to see or hear exactly what the President said about the NSA program:

THE PRESIDENT: I think during these difficult times -- and they are difficult when we're at war -- the American people expect there to be a honest and open debate without needless partisanship. And that's how I view it. I did notice that nobody from the Democrat Party has actually stood up and called for getting rid of the terrorist surveillance program. You know, if that's what they believe, if people in the party believe that, then they ought to stand up and say it. They ought to stand up and say the tools we're using to protect the American people shouldn't be used. They ought to take their message to the people and say, vote for me, I promise we're not going to have a terrorist surveillance program. That's what they ought to be doing. That's part of what is an open and honest debate.

The key: "... vote for me, I promise we're not going to have a terrorist surveillance program."

Wow! That one may have left a mark!

[harpo11]

This is the only American flag that was flying at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001.
It was buried for three days before being rescued.
This is why and what for President Bush is fighting for.
This is why and what for my family and I proudly stand with him.