Bush Meets the Press: Hits MoveOn Ad, Says Saddam Killed 'Mandelas'

[antiimperialist]

Source: Editor & Publisher

AP via E & P
Published: September 20, 2007 12:30 PM ET

NEW YORK President Bush on Thursday cited ``some unsettling times'' in the U.S. housing and credit markets as he sought to assure jittery Americans that the economy basically is in good shape despite worries about a recession.

``I say that the fundamentals of our nation's economy are strong,'' Bush told a White House news conference.

He denounced as ``a sorry deal'' and ``disgusting'' a newspaper ad by MoveOn.com that mocked Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. It accused Petreus of ``cooking the books'' on Iraq and asked: ``General Petraeus or General Betray Us?''

Asked about lack of political progress in Iraq, he said, ``Part of the reason why there's not this instant democracy in Iraq is because people are still recovering from Saddam Hussein's brutal rule. Sort of an interesting comment, I heard somebody say, `Where's Mandela?' Well, Mandela's dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas.''


Read more: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003644162

[Buzz Clik]

1. Nicely played, George. Not.

Mandela didn't need US smart bombs and bayonets to assume power. That is the difference -- the will of the people he represented.

[allisonthegreat]

2. Saw his mug on tv, turned on Whoopi n/t

[Nickster]

3. Boy, he has no problem taking a stand on 527s when they say something negative about him, but

didn't have a damn thing to say when the Swift Boat Liars were around.

[mentalsolstice]

4. This is what happens when Rove's brain isn't in his head

The stupid get stupider. If Karl had been there, even he would've been scratching head at the Mandela comment.

[janetle]

5. When he talked about the MoveOn ad

....I could just see his hatred seethe out of him. He hates Democrats more than he hates supposed enemies of our country. In other words, he hates with all of whatever soul he has two thirds of the people in this country.

The president of my country hates me.

[feloneous cat]

6. Fundaments? Credit card economy is a good thing?!?!

George, people are going to lose their HOMES!

Not second home. Not beach house.

And your solution is a weak dollar?

[rodeodance]

7. His philosophical speech is still Bushspeak.

[daleo]

8. Poppy Bush (along with Reagan and Thatcher) called Mandela a terrorist

He would have been happy to kill Mandela back then.

[OnyxCollie]

15. Cheney voted against Mandela's release from prison.

http://www.commondreams.org/views/080300-102.htm

When Rep. Dick Cheney voted against a 1986 resolution calling for the release of Nelson Mandela and recognition of the African National Congress, Americans did know this man had been waiting decades for his freedom. In a larger sense, so had all black South Africans. The tenets of American democracy -- one man, one vote -- were denied to the majority of citizens, along with the most basic economic and educational needs.

Yet Republican vice presidential candidate Cheney still defends his vote, saying on ABC's ``This Week'' that ``the ANC was then viewed as a terrorist organization. . . . I don't have any problems at all with the vote I cast 20 years ago.'' What, then, does this tell us about what information Cheney considers before he takes a decision? And what the long-term consequences are likely to be, and on whom?

By no means were Mandela or the ANC universally viewed as ``terrorists,'' evidenced by the fact that the vote on the resolution was 245-177 in favor, but still shy of the two-thirds needed to override President Ronald Reagan's veto.

[shanti]

18. another good reason

to hate the dick! :grr: racist apartheid pig!

[uppityperson]

9. Saddam killed Nelson Mandela? wtf? Talk about misunderstanding something.

""No Nelson Mandela existed to emerge on the national political scene, anyone with his leadership talents would not have survived," he said."
http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=070920160319.fl1mi9mw.php

What a fool.

[truthisfreedom]

10. Anything that starts with "I say" and comes from bushco is a TOTAL LIE.

We've got proof.

[onehandle]

11. But the ads that your man Rove designed to smear Sen. Max Cleland were ok?

Cleland = Osama?

[CBHagman]

12. What an arrogant, callous and glib comment.

He's basically implying that there are no unifying and/or great leaders who could rise out of the Iraqi population. Conveniently, of course, it also permits Bush to blame his failures on events that predated his presidency.

Typical cocky, swaggering, shallow Bush.

[olddad56]

13. Never misunderestimate what our leader might say.

[xxqqqzme]

14. Okay, I know this rat bastard makes no sense but

this is even more bizarre than usual. I've been @ a Fransican retreat for 3 days - no phones, no TV, no internet....did Mandela die? Was he assassinated? Did he come out of retirement and try to become President of South Africa again?

WTF is he talking about?

[NastyRiffraff]

16. Who knows what he's talking about?

And who cares? Actually, I do, because this utter moron is, unfortuantely, residing in our WH right now.

[goclark]

17. What was he trying to say?

I stood in front of my TV is utter shock.
I walked in the room to see this clown saying something about Mandela being DEAD.

I was frozen, simple frozen!

Was he really talking about Nelson Mandela?

What did he mean to say?

I now know that Nelson "The Prince of the World" is still alive.
Why did he not clarify that remark?

[Frank Cannon]

23. Bush is saying that there's no Mandella-like figure...

to rise up and unify the country, because Saddam killed all the people who would be inclined to do that.

It's a stupid line, but it sounds particularly weird coming from Bush because he doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. A speechwriter just told him to say it.

[sutz12]

19. Well, at least he didn't blame Clinton....that's 'progress', right?

:shrug:

[Peace Patriot]

20. I wonder who made that "sort of interesting comment: Where's Mandela?"?

And "where's Mandela" here, too, Georgie-poo?

He ain't you.

Wild guess: General Betray-Us.

Cuz if there's anybody that General Betray-Us needs right now, it's a strong, visionary, peace-minded, courageous leader in the White House, to get him and all the generals, and all the cannon fodder they're fucking over, out of this godawful mess.

It is not Iraq that lacks "Mandelas." It is WE who lack "Mandelas."

And I hope Nelson Mandela says something to shut this stupid war criminal up.

Christ.

Maybe that was "Mandela" at the bottom of the pile of naked bodies at Abu Ghraib, suffocating to death! Huh, Georgie?

But Blackwater probably took care of all the "Mandelas" on day one.

[Vinca]

21. Or maybe "the Mandelas" happened to be among the million

odd civilians Georgie-boy is responsible for killing. This guy takes the prize for arrogant, dim bulbs.

[Orsino]

22. "Time for your 'medicine', Mr. President." n/t