Here's the transcript of today's

[alfredo]

Meet the Press: First it is Woodward, then the prince of Bushland.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4829855/

MR. RUSSERT:  In terms of oil supplies, this is the exact captions from Bob Woodward's book:  "`I'm worried about the adequacy of the oil market,' the president stated, expressing concern for the world market's ability to absorb temporary shortfalls during a war in the Middle East.  The ripple effect in the U.S. Economy could be gigantic, and he asked about the excess production capability of the" United Arab Emirates "and Saudi Arabia.  Saudi oil policy could be the saving grace.  According to Prince Bandar, the Saudis hoped to fine-tune oil prices over 10 months to prime the economy for 2004.  What was key, Bandar knew," was "the economic conditions before a presidential election, not at the moment of the election."

Senator Charles Schumer of New York has called on the president to revoke your diplomatic visa for interfering in the presidential election of 2004 by promising the president that you might lower prices before the November election to help his cause.

PRINCE BANDAR:  So what's the question, Tim?

MR. RUSSERT:  Did you, in fact, make such a promise to the president?

PRINCE BANDAR:  I did not.  The president talked with me for months about the high oil prices and how that could be damaging to the American economy and the world economy as it's recovering.  And I informed him my government's policy, which is to maintain oil prices between $22 to $28.  And we prefer $25 as sort of a medium, and that's the extent of that.  There was no deal, no election--no connection to the election.  And this is not the first time.  In 2000, President Clinton asked us to do the same thing because the prices were getting too high, above $30.

MR. RUSSERT:  But in October of 2000, crude oil was $35 a barrel, so you didn't keep your end of the deal.

PRINCE BANDAR:  Well, SPIN SPIN SPIN!!!!!!!!!!


My feeling is his visa should be pulled because of his ties to charity/terrorist organizations.

[MSgt213]

1. I wonder if the Bushes schooled him on the lies he told

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. I felt that Woodward was shilling for Bush in a very subtle manner.

[asjr]

3. You are so right!

I have felt him back-pedaling in the last few days. Really makes me sick. There are already enough apologists for this administration. We don't need more.

[bpilgrim]

4. so WHO's decision was it to NOT follow the aftermath 'PLAN' i wonder

MR. RUSSERT: Have you learned anything since the book has come out that you wish was in the book?

MR. WOODWARD: Yes, actually I have, and the whole question now in Iraq is: What about the aftermath? What was the planning? And in the book, there is a meeting, March 10, nine days before the war starts, in which the president is briefed about the aftermath and they decide they are only going to get rid of in the Ba'ath Party about 1 percent of the people. As we know, they totally disband the Army, contrary to what the plan was.

One of the things I've learned in the last week--and you may want to ask your next guest about this--is Prince Bandar and the Saudis told the administration and the president that the way to stabilize Iraq is to pay everyone in the military three months' pay and this will get them on board, that the total cost would only be $200 million, which is not much given that we're spending $5 billion a month. And I understand that was briefed to the highest level, and it might have been the thing that would have saved the tragedy that's going on now.

MR. RUSSERT: And provided security in Iraq.

MR. WOODWARD: That's right, and it would have been very inexpensive.

or why didn't the wise woodword only just last week get wind of the plan to pay off the iraqi army?

sheesh... and thats in the first para or 2 :puke:

thanks for the post, goin back for more :hi:

peace

[bpilgrim]

7. i see they are still try'n to pin it all on the CIA

MR. RUSSERT: The president telling George Tenet, "Make sure no one stretches to make our case." Did the president himself stretch?

MR. WOODWARD: Well, his argument is, and Cheney's argument is they relied on the CIA. The CIA made a mistake. Now, I track in some detail how they made that mistake and why.

no mention of rummy's OSP yet...

peace

[bpilgrim]

8. they sound like teenagers...

MR. RUSSERT: But Cheney did push hard for the war?

MR. WOODWARD: Oh, I asked George Bush about it, "You know, what did Cheney do? What did he say?" and it's, "Well, we'd meet all the time, we'd talk all the time," kind of like he's right up here, and he just says that Cheney was a persistent advocate that Saddam was a threat and we had to deal with him.

i know... they're keeping it to *'s level ;->

peace

[robbedvoter]

5. Schumer should impeach W not get Bandar on fixing the election

I know, impeachment - exercise in futility - but Bandar is the wrong target on that. Unlike W, he is fulfilling his job description.

[robbedvoter]

6. here's an outright Woodward lie to match bandar's plans (refineries)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1470540

[barbaraann]

9. I noticed something about Woodward's and Bandar's body language.

Woodward and Bandar both move their fingers around in a similar way and I have a theory about what they are doing. Unless you are a true psychpath, you cannot tell a lie without a "tell," a signal by your body like blinking or touching your nose whenever you lie. I'm wondering if they have been taught to do certain motions with their hands as "tell shock absorbers" to hide their lies.

Prince B(andar) bin S(ultan), IMHO, should be called Prince B.S. because he seemed to me to just be full of it. Even if he is using his hands as tell shock absorbers, there was plenty of other evidence of cognitive dissonance.

[alfredo]

10. The transcript does now convey the stammering and the

deer in the headlights look on the princes face.