The decider, not the opiner

Posted: Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:08 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: White House, 2008

From NBC's Carrie Dann
We found the only person in Washington who DOESN'T want to talk about the 2008 presidential race. And it's the guy whose contract is running out.

Asked at this morning's press conference to comment on the flak Barack Obama has caught in the wake of his threats towards Al Qaeda cells in Pakistan, President Bush repeated, as he's said before, that he's not going to play pundit while he still lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. "I suspect that over the course of the next months when I hold a press conference you'll be trying to get me to engage in presidential politics, trying to get me to opine about what candidates are saying," he said. "And hopefully I'll be disciplined enough not to fall prey to your questions, not to fall into that trap."

The tie to the 2008 race -- the questioner referenced Romney's "Dr. Strangelove" zinger about Obama -- might have allowed Bush the wiggle room to appear to stay above the fray, frustrating efforts to get a clearer answer on his approach to terror within Pakistan's borders. Bush reiterated that he's "confident" that the two governments will reach "a plan based upon actionable intelligence that will bring the top Al Qaeda targets to justice."

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Comments

Almost 6 years.I am still waiting.

Desmond (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:12 PM)

Bush's contract is running out...sweet words.

Amy B Portland, ME (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:13 PM)

Have past presidents given their endorsement to candidates within their party for their successor? Who would Bush pick seems like a very important question? Are any candidates seeking his endorsement?

nuanced (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:15 PM)

I've said a couple times here that the media would start a war with China just to have a headline. Stir up some crap. Get their names attached to the "zinger" of the day story. Wonder if that's what really happened leading up to Iraq?

Dave, Tn (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:23 PM)

I think Obama, would like to take back his statement and answer it a "little" more carefully. He's a possible good choice for V.P., he just needs more experience.That is why I choose Hillary Clinton. hillaryclinton.com

Bill Bradley, Boston, Ma. (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:27 PM)

Tick brain is spinning round the drain hole.
Turn on the garbage disposal.

H P Boston (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:36 PM)

I am sure none of the Presidential hopefuls want any comments from the Bush/Chenny camp. Would you? I agree with Amy B. "Sweet words"

Teri B (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:39 PM)

Mr. Bush may refuse to discuss the campaign with the press but he is certainly, IMO, willing to do things to beef up the Rs via legislation.

My first thought when I read the article in the link below was "Why didn't he do this when he had a rubber-stamp Congress?" My answer to myself was that this wasn't really important to him but that, even though I doubt it will go forward, this gives the R candidates a way into the big money guys that currently seem to be headed toward Sen. Clinton.

I happen to agree with some of this proposal but the timing of it stinks. Again - IMHO.

Bush May Try to Cut Corporate Tax Rates
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/08/AR2007080802468.html?wpisrc=newsletter

Independent, Texas (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:39 PM)

Its not what he said but how the media misrepresented. They are the ones who need to be careful...its this type of reckless reporting for sensationalism that is dangerous. Washington Post editorial today: Chasing Terrorist

Mr. Obama recently has taken a number of foreign policy positions with which we disagree, but on this it strikes us that he has the better of the argument -- both on substance and on the importance of debate. Faced with such "actionable intelligence," of course any president will weigh risks against potential benefits, and it's impossible to predict that calculus. The costs of action -- in civilian lives, reputation or an ally's stability -- may be too great. It's crucial, as the Sept. 11 commission went on to say, to "reach out, listen to, and work with other countries that can help." But the principle that the United States will defend itself by going after terrorist enemies in foreign countries, even without those nations' permission if necessary, is, as Joseph R. Biden Jr. pointed out later in the Democratic debate, already U.S. policy. Does Mr. Romney really want to equate such self-defense with "unilateral attack" on an allied nation and repudiate it as U.S. policy?

Ms. Clinton's advocacy of greater discretion may make sense for a president -- but not for a presidential candidate. These are the issues candidates should be debating: Is the United States in a generational conflict with Islamic fundamentalist terrorists? Is the appropriate response primarily military or law enforcement? What's permissible, or wise, in the realm of capture, rendition and detention of terrorism suspects? And, if Mr. Obama is wrong, what would they do about the terrorist training camps in Waziristan

Lyn, MD (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:39 PM)

Bill - I disagree. What Obama said is nothing more than re-iterate already open U.S. policy. In fact, according to Biden, its not just policy but a law. The difference is that Obama says he'd actually pursue that policy.

The criticism of his words by Clinton and other candidates, and the soundbite reporting of that criticism by the media, reflects an ignorance of U.S. policy - especially if what Biden said is true.

Clinton seemingly isn't ready on foreign policy and national security issues. Neither are the Republicans who echoed her criticism. Obama is.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:42 PM)

Bill Bradley: And what type of experience does HRC have? She did not even know that it is policy to go after Al-Qaieda in the hills of Pakistan...even if Musharraf is unwilling to or unable to. Pres. Bush confirmed this with the Afghan President Karzai last week. So, Sen. Obama was en pointe with his comment and once again has shown good judgment. Meanwhile, HRC engages in meaningless soundbites.

Ashe, SF CA (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:43 PM)

nuanced, they will seek his endorsement if democracy takes hold in Iraq and the terrorist leaders are caught.

This guy can't wait to go back to his normal life after being used by the big corporation and Washington establishment.

The same big corporation and Washington establishment are seriously shopping for the "best" person for their job.....

Omoboy (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 2:49 PM)

what kind of experience does Mrs. Clinton have?
THen I can say my wife can claim to have experience being an Engineer since I am one. I don't think she has the leadership or managerial skills to lead a nation.. she might bully and order others to do what she wants - that won't work.
It's just Hillary, I would've readily support any other female who has significant experience, for example like a Governor.

JT, OKC, Ok (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:01 PM)

Hey Bill, he said it very carefully in 5000+ words had you taken the time to read the full script. He was able to have the foresight that Bush was screwing up....What was Hillary's excuse again? Or has she "carefully" said it fully yet? In that regard what are her positions by the way? I keep asking, but none of the regular Hillary bloggers seem to know or unable to "carefully" tell me. Maybe that's her appeal to you guys.

Steven, KDH. N.C. (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:09 PM)

Bush isn't answering because he knows that it is US policy, as Biden said.
Obama was stating standard policy so what would the othees DO?

Lyn (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:11 PM)

I understand Dubya was treated for Lyme Disease last year but didn't disclose it. A couple of symptoms are problems with concentration and short-term memory. I wonder how they were able to tell the difference.

Olivia (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:15 PM)

Dave,TN - I don't think the Media had to stir up any crap to lead up to the war in Iraq, shrub and company did that all by themselves.

Union Baby,Tennessee (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:18 PM)

Who it the hell would want Bush's endorsement? Our they nuts, just like him ?

Barbara Faust, ElPaso, Tx. (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:39 PM)

It would be helpful if Bush would volunteer his opinion on this matter. The candidates who end up with his lowest opinion would be the ones most capable of running the country, in light of the fact that he is a born loser and everything he touches turns to crap. As it stands, we will have to go with the ones Dave and Jerry hate the most, which is not a bad indicater itself. Illiminate the moron vote and you won't have this problem, but the corporate elite will make sure that doesn't happen.

JIrby, Colorado (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:43 PM)

I wish it was over for him, because the damage he has done will take years to fix. We don't have a president we have a Dictator.

Carmen Colorado (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:53 PM)

You can bash hillary all you want folks, shes our next president.

G (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:54 PM)

Bush's endorsement would be a kiss of death to any candidate it's better that he just keeps his edorsements to himself by using made up words.
HRC is a senator (who voted for the war) and former first-lady. She is NOT a foreign policy guru, lets not mistake arrogrance for experience here.

Jennie Denver,CO (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 3:56 PM)

Union Baby All day all the time FOX NOISE chanted for the WAR. I know they can hardly be called media but they hyped the war. They stired the pot along with shrub and co.

H P Boston (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 4:02 PM)

Olivia- I believe problems with short term memory and concentration are also results of THC intake.

Buzz (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 4:19 PM)

Dateline Washington D.C., Jan 2008

President Bush:
"While I respect the judgement of the American people like I respect the decisions of judges and juries, I find the choice of the Electorial College to elect a Democrat to the Oval Office, to which I brought back dignity, for four years to be excessive, and declare myself Master of Time and Space, Lord of All I Survey, Bringer of Armaggedon and Fiery Slayer of the Unholy and Profit-draining, Pee-er - On-er of the Constitution and Omnipotent God and President of the United States. Forever.

"Thank you, and don't forget to register for the draft."

Unaligned News Service (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 4:23 PM)

Olivia - That's very interesting. I wonder if he made any major decisions during this timeframe. Maybe he has been suffering from it all along and we just didn't know it...

Carrie, Eastern Iowa (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 4:30 PM)

"Dave,TN - I don't think the Media had to stir up any crap to lead up to the war in Iraq, shrub and company did that all by themselves. " The so-called "liberal media" fell all over itself singing the chorus for BushCo. It was a pathetic failure of teh media's possibly outdated obligation to inform. They're still a bunch of cowards, or someone would mention the fact that when BushCo says 3,xxx have died in Iraq, they mean INSIDE THE BORDER. A soldier who dies 10 or 20 hours later on a flight to Germany ISN'T COUNTED. Once they leave Iraq, they DID NOT DIE IN IRAQ. A media that doesn't point that out in 4 years and counting makes me sick.

Lee in CA (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 4:35 PM)

GWB is the ultimate soap opera actor. It should not suprise anybody in what he says or does. He is all powerful. The conservatives and the liberals both mumble how bad he is and what he does is wrong, but nobody has the stones to deal with him. Quit whineing and wait for your turn to pick-up the soap. Plenty of room for all.

Pacheck,Huntington Beach, Ca. (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 4:39 PM)

Lee in Cal. The closest thing to liberal media in this country is PBS, but since oil companies, brokerage companies and other corporations help finance the content, it must tow the line on going after big biz. If you are talking about ABC and CBS, they are owned by Disney and, I think, Sumner Redstone. You must watch so much FOX and Limbaugh that you have been irretrievably brainwashed like most Americans to a greater or lesser degree. There's a cure for it, but you are so far gone, it may not be worth the effort, and we don't need you. In fact, you may enjoy your life a little better if you continue to spew drivel and live under the false impression that you know what you're talking about.

JIrby, Colorado (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 5:35 PM)

nuanced, all the Republican candidates currently support Bush on every topic. There is no need for him to endorse anyone as they all endorse him. Vote for any one of them and it is a continuation of the same policies. The only exception to this is Ron Paul, who has no chance of getting the nomination.
Dave, Tn., the media sang the tune of the Bush administration and their agenda leading up to the war. Everyone in this country followed the same tune, except for a few of us, who were labelled unpatriotic.
Olivia, just wanted to say hi!

Desmond (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 6:14 PM)

Hey ! George we are going to forclose on the white house, because you have put the U.S. in $300 trillion dollars in debt.

Alan Greenspan, Pedee, S.C. (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 7:26 PM)

JIrby, Colorado: please read it again, but what part of your post is anything but a personal attack? Where's the spew? Where's ANYTHING you'd hear on FOX?

Lee in CA (Sent Thursday, August 09, 2007 10:38 PM)

Boy, I sure miss Bill Clinton. This Geo. W. President is such a buffoon. Clinton would talk intelligently at press conferences, come prepared by doing his homework to stay informed on the issues, and kept a professional demeanor. Bush, on the other hand, makes up words that don't exist, giggles, guffaws, and shrugs his shoulders, can't string together more than two coherent sentences, and never comes prepared. You'd think by now, after being in the office for nearly 7 years, he would have managed to learn how to present himself with some sense of decorum. He's an embarassment.

Dave M., Miamisburg, OH (Sent Friday, August 10, 2007 8:42 AM)

JIrby, Colorado - the closest thing to liberal media in this country is PBS.

Well. sure, but CBS had Dan Rather for all those years, and he sure looked biased to the Left for many years. He even tried to throw an election with that phony National Guard story. Katie Coric has stepped right in and hasn't missed any leftward beats.

ABC and Peter Jennings talked about "angry white men" voting in a Republican congress in 1994. Not a very nice characterization of the Right. It is interesting to see the rise of former White House liar, ehh, spokesman George Stephanopolus from an occasional commentator on ABC This Week, to a regular commentator, to host, and now is ABC's News Chief. How does one so biased move up so fast?

NBC and MSNBC have become the voice of the Democrats. It seems to be an active choice on their part. Olbermann and Matthews are maniacal in their partisanship to the Left. Olbermann is still fighting the vote counts in Florida (2000) and Ohio (2004). Matthews has been taped cursing the Right on the air (Imus show). These two are off the rails.

It is joked that CNN is the Clinton News Network. Lots of examples to prove it over the years. Web sites are devoted to showing this slant.

And, as you mentioned, PBS. PBS poster boy Bill Moyer is just slightly left of Lenin.

And this is just the TV media.

The reason FOX looks to the Right to so many people is because for many years people thought the media was in the Center.

A. Roger Brwon, Memphis TN (Sent Friday, August 10, 2007 9:05 AM)

he wants congress to check its priority in spending but the waste of money spent or stolen in iraq is so staggering americans have never seen this kind of theft before,he just stammers his way through the press confrence imploring people to listen when most have stopped.

Kenn"HAS anyone hear seen my old friend"O (Sent Friday, August 10, 2007 9:36 AM)

Remember these"DEAD OR ALIVE"or how about this one"BRING EM ON""YOU SUPPORT US OR YOU ARE AGAINST US" and who can forget "THEY WILL THROW FLOWERS"THEY ARE IN THE LAST THROES OF THE INSURGANCY"WE ARE WINNING"these are the quotes of people who are incompetent and offer simple words where only deeds have meaning.The republicans share the blame off 911 with the prior administration but takes credit for the last 6 years by themselves,as if there are no democrats in the army or homeland security or border control so on and so on ,americans are in this together not divided like the great divider would have you belive.

Kenn"I BEATING ONE LEG AS KICK WITH THE OTER"O (Sent Friday, August 10, 2007 9:46 AM)

JErky, colorado - read my post, then shut up.

Lee in CA (Sent Friday, August 10, 2007 10:23 AM)

I like so many others turned the tv off when the jerk came on----can't take anymore.Decided to enjoy my day----and Bush is just too damned stressful---he is no longer a must see

HMT-MI (Sent Friday, August 10, 2007 11:17 AM)

I saw Bush the other day at the press conference and he could barely put two words together and didn't make sense(worse than usual) and his eyes were dark and he looked quite disurbed in the head. Like depression or some kind of mental disorder.

bb (Sent Friday, August 10, 2007 12:43 PM)

HMT.. He has never been anything to look at or listen to, a stupid man and a waste of time.
I agree with KENN, shrub opens his mouth and lies and
more lies are drooled out.
We need more than Obama lite now!

H P Boston (Sent Friday, August 10, 2007 12:58 PM)

H P Boston (Sent Friday, August 10, 2007 12:59 PM)

Every day of the campaign, Hillary has gotten stronger. Folks are looking for something to undermine her enormous abilities but the more they throw at her the more she looks presidential. She has brains, common sense, education and experience. She knows her way around D.C but she retains contact with non-D.C. types...so she can retain perspective. No other candidate on either side brings as many qualifications to the table....and of course, the current occupier of the White House can't hold a candle to her. Go Hillary!

Lady J (Sent Friday, August 10, 2007 1:44 PM)

Lady J spoken like a true Lady. Welcome to insanity.:)
Be prepared for the backstabbing or front and side stabbing..they get riled here.

H P Boston (Sent Friday, August 10, 2007 2:10 PM)

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