Bush's Mission Accomplished Speech Was Originally MORE Triumphant

[kpete]

October 29, 2003

Six months after he spoke on an aircraft carrier deck under a banner proclaiming "Mission Accomplished," President Bush disavowed any connection with the war message. Later, the White House changed its story and said there was a link.

Mr. Bush said, "The 'Mission Accomplished' sign, of course, was put up by the members of the USS Abraham Lincoln, saying that their mission was accomplished."

"I know it was attributed somehow to some ingenious advance man from my staff — they weren't that ingenious, by the way."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/29/iraq/main580661.shtml

Today...October 2, 2006 (according to Woodward's book)

Bush's now-infamous 2003 speech aboard the aircraft carrier was originally even more triumphant. Bush was going to declare "mission accomplished," not just stand in front of a banner saying so - but Rumsfeld said he toned it down.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/15646419.htm

http://www.first-draft.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7348&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0&PHPSESSID=fa701c30952ce83b6716b20a377385d3#home