lots more hot air from bush

from Cox News :

Bush Calls on Iraqis to Vote, Urges Americans to Be Patient As U.S. Toll Tops 1,400

WASHINGTON -- President Bush urged Iraqis to defy terrorists and vote in Sunday's election, and sought patience from anxious Americans as a Marine helicopter crash Wednesday pushed the U.S. death toll above 1,400.
"The story today is going to be very discouraging to the American people," Bush said on the deadliest day for U.S. forces since the Iraq war began. "I understand that. It
is the long-term objective that is vital _ that is to spread freedom."
He lashed out at critics who say Iraq has become too costly and deadly, suggesting that such second-guessing could hurt the U.S. mission. The administration plans to seek $80 billion to pay for war costs, bringing the total since the Sept. 11 attacks to more than $300 billion.
"I think the Iraqi people are wondering whether or not this nation has the will necessary to stand with them as democracy evolves," Bush said. "The enemy would like nothing more than the United States to precipitously pull out and withdraw before the Iraqis are prepared to defend themselves."
More than half of Americans think it's unlikely that Iraq will become stable and democratic, according to an Associated Press poll. Undeterred, Bush said he is leading the nation toward an honorable goal _ in Iraq and across the world. "I firmly planted the flag of liberty," he said.
To the Iraqis who face daily attacks from insurgents, he said: "Clearly, there are some who are intimidated. I urge people to vote. I urge people to defy these terrorists."

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Wow! He thinks that stating the fact that this war is costly and deadly will hurt our mission?!?! How much worse can our "mission" be "hurt"?!?! I hardly think that stating a well known fact - especially well known to the people of Iraq - will affect anyone's opinion!
And he believes that he has "planted the flag of liberty"?!?! Double wow!
Also seems kinda easy for him to urge people to vote and defy the terrorists. Wonder what this draft-dodger would do in their place?
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Bush spoke as the Senate prepared to confirm his nomination of Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice, one of the architects of Bush's Iraq policy. "She is going to make a wonderful secretary of state," he said.
It was the deadliest day for U.S. forces since March 2003, when Bush led a fragile coalition against Saddam Hussein in search of weapons of mass destruction. No weapons were found, and now Bush is making the spread of freedom the cause of U.S. troops.

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Nice flip-flop there!
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Bush was asked if he would condemn human rights abuse by the Jordanian government, a U.S. ally, which arrested a man and charged him with slander after he delivered a lecture called "Why We Boycott America." Bush said he was unaware of the case, but urged King Abdullah II to "make sure that democracy continues to advance in Jordan."
"As I said in my speech, not every nation is going to immediately adopt America's vision of democracy and I fully understand that," Bush said. "But we expect nations to adopt the values inherent in a democracy, which is human rights and human dignity, that every person ought to have a voice. And his majesty is making progress toward that goal."
Bush mixed up the budget and deficit numbers when asked about money requests he would make in his budget proposal Feb. 7. "It turned out that the budget was $412 billion for last year," he said. That's the figure the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office cited for the deficit last year.
"Now, the budget is projected to be at $427 billion," he added. Again, that's the figure the White House projects for this year's deficit.

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Kind of funny that he mixes up those numbers. Do you think that he is actually not aware of how badly he has put this country in debt? Just how sheltered is he?!