Bush defends effort against terror before nation
In a rare news conference last night, President Bush sought to reassure Americans about the volatile mission in Iraq and the war on terror. What were your reactions to the press conference?
in today's globe: Bush vows he'll stick to Iraq plan
Complete transcript of press conference
Page 4
Speech or no speech, what bothers me is that no one is ever happy. I think it is truly sad to have our fellow americans bashing our commander in chief. This is our president! If Kerry is to win then people will bash him. Come on people, Support the President and who ever wins this coming election we need to stand behind him. President Bush has no intent on hurting this country and besides it isnt like he is the only one running it. His decisions are made up of many people. I personally thought he avoided some answers, but I support our president and I hope he wins again, cause he is down to earth and doesnt seem to talk to the BS. I trust him.. but if Kerry is to win, I will support him. We as americans need to support each other and most certainly the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!
Rob, Salem
Lame, as expected. He touted the Homeland Security Dept yet his administration opposed its creation. He spoke very highly of the 9/11 commission yet he's been stonewalling on speaking to them for months, along with Rice and Cheney. And he once again linked Iraq with the 9/11 terrorists when its been well documented that no such connection existed. Worst of all was his refusal to accept responsibility for ignoring info leading up to 9/11 which very specifically stated Bin Laden was targeting airplanes. Time to go W.
jonny, chelsea
I was embarrassed as an American that the leader of the greatest democracy, the fruit of the Enlightenment, was this bungling fool who could not remember having made a mistake. It is frightening to think this guy has the power to change the world. Woe unto us and our children and their children. John
John, Hinsdale NH
Simply embarrassing! He could think of no mistakes made, yet we have thousands of Americans dead, hundreds of American soldiers dead, thousands of Iraquis dead, a fear of terrorism we have never felt before, and the worst economy and national debt we have seen in decades! What's the biggest mistake again George?! Only 7 more months!!
John, Swampscott
I saw Bush's news conference last night, except for some of the questions at the end. My overall impression was that he continued to try to make it seem like Iraq was responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the US, when there is no connection. He does a good job at making speeches, particularly because he can lull you into agreeing with him and not thinking beyond his words. He seemed tired last night and not as arrogant as usual until he was answering some of the questions. Clearly this war has been difficult on his administration. And it is too late to back out now before the job is done. The question he did not answer was why we went there in the first place. He still seems determined to find the weapons of mass destruction, as he made reference to the 50 tons of mustard gas in Libya. Another question he wouldn't answer is why he and Vice President Cheney are testifying together before the 9/11 commission. He just didn't answer it. I wasn't convinced that he understands that maybe he could not have avoided the 9/11 attacks, but he could have done more to prevent them. This was clear from his inability to think of anything he could have changed or any mistakes he thought he made. Sure, he didn't want to admit to something or apologize for something that would jeporadize his campaign for re-election. I really think that he would be stronger for admitting his mistakes and showing how he has improved things. But it doesn't seem like things have improved. We have Ashcroft blaming Clinton for the attacks. Meanwhile he is concentrating on his war against pornography, freedom of speech, and gay rights. Bush is praising the Patriot Act, which really strips away peoples rights in ways we might not now understand. All this is submitted to the American people as a smokescreen to cover the mistakes that were made by President Bush and his cabinet and agencies. He wants to show people that he is a "moral" president. He rejects gay marriage. He praises God. I'm not sure how far that will get him if the voters care about substantive issues like gasoline prices, the economy, jobs, the environment. By making his speech last night, George Bush is showing off his strong side. He seems to be able to make good speeches and people believe him and trust in him. As we saw in the question and answer portion, he is not as good at "thinking on his feet." He repeats the same phrases, the same soundbites. Was it me, or did I see an earpiece? Was he being fed answers to the questions? We'll never know. All I know is that the sooner our troops are brought back from Iraq, the better. And when John Kerry wins the white house, we can begin to work on the international relationships that have been damaged by President Bush's agression.
Marc, Westfield
Message to George W; If you're digging a hole and want to get out, stop digging! Of course the real agenda is to establish a military presence/base in the Middle East so we'll keep that shovel busy.
Frank , Billerica
What is the point of this message board? So angry liberals can rant about Bush using the same complaints as on every message board boston.com sponsors? So far on the first page of responses, all we have are people criticizing how he speaks and that he didn't answer the questions "they" wanted to hear him answer. Have these people ever listened to Kerry speak? Has he ever answered a question directly? In 20 years as a U.S. Senator, I'm still waiting for that to happen once. Maybe people would be more likely to vote for him if they knew where he stood on issues.
Matt, Boston
It is strange that a man who ran and hid so as not to serve in Vietnam has no qualms about how many of our young people he puts in harms way when none of these young people are his own. Also, only a fool refuses to acknowledge his own mistakes and tries to put the blame elsewhere. Despite his claims otherwise he is the most selfish, arrogant and cruelest president we have ever had. He uses the word compassion all the time but does not have a clue as to its meaning.
George, Peabody
I was frightened that this man is acting as our president. Seemingly oblivious and out of touch, he stammered, lost what little train of thought he had in the middle of sentences and evaded every question with rhetoric or nonsensical answers. At the end, he started to read aloud instructions that were printed for him by his aides. He caught himself, stumbled a bit and moved on. Scary!
Rich, Boston
His speech was strong, his Q&A was what people should have expected. His policies are strong, but his articulation was not. However, it is the policies that are important. It's refreshing that we have a President with a vision for the Middle East - not another President that turns their back on that entire critical piece of the world (RE: Bill Clinton). We've been kicked in the knees too many times - Lockerbie, USS Cole, African Embassies, World Trade Center (twice), Lebanon, etc - and have never demonstrated any significant and sustained response. The ulitmate response is to set up the Freedom providing Democracy that those nations' leaders fear most and that their citizens deserve.
Brendan, Waltham
