Friday, December 16, 2005
Brit Hume Lobs Softballs To Dubya
He Still Strikes Out
Fox News prefaces its transcript of the Brit Hume interview of President Bush with this statement,”This is a partial transcript of ‘Special Report With Brit Hume’ from Dec. 14, 2005, that has been edited for clarity.” It shows a remarkable albeit unexpected degree of candor. First it tells us that it is a manufactured piece since it is not given in its entirety. Second it reinforces the fact that it is manufactured by saying it has been edited. Next it tells us that it doesn’t make sense without being doctored. Unfortunately it doesn’t tell us who wasn’t making sense President Bush, Hume, or both. But after reading it, it is fairly easy to make that determination for ourselves.
At the beginning the interview Bush gives faint support to Donald Rumsfeld when he answers a question about Rumsfeld staying in the Administration to the end. Bush says, “Yes. Well, the end of my term is a long time.” It sounds like Donald ought to be updating his resume.
Hume then shows either an unbelievable degree of ignorance or an improper amount of prejudice when he says this about Karl Rove, “He went through some trials and tribulations — and they appear largely to be over now.” Bush wouldn’t touch that with a 10 foot pole. He only admits the obvious and says they are friends and that Karl was responsible for his being President. He says not a word about Karl’s troubles being over and he gives no defense of him at all. This becomes all the more noticeable when Bush later does comment about another on going criminal investigation, that of Tom DeLay. When Brit asks, “Do you just — do you believe he's innocent?” Bush answers, “Yes, I do.” But Bush also says this when asked if he expects DeLay to return as Majority Leader, “I don't know whether I'm expecting it. “ It sounds like Bush’s faith in DeLay’s innocence is nothing more than a goodbye kiss. Hume also sets up Bush with opportunities to mutter the standard Bush and GOP inanities about how they are on a higher plane than their opponents, and how the Democrats are as responsible for the mess in Iraq as his administration and party are, since they (Democrats) had the same information he did. He says the Abramoff scandal is tied to the Democrats as much as the Republicans.
There was one hard question Hume asked Bush. He asked him about the number of Iraqi deaths in his war, “Where'd you get the number 30,000?” That was a mistake for Bush answered, “That was a number that's been floating around the public. You know, it was a number that was in the press. The 30,000 Iraqis, I must tell you, it's speculative. I don't think anybody knows the exact number.” Realizing his mistake Hume moved on to other things rather than challenging Bush further.
Hume closed the interview by asking Bush, “Let me get your thoughts, Mr. President, on — on how you think or hope you'll be remembered.” Bush replied, “I hope that first, as a person, I'll be remembered as a fellow who had his priorities straight: his faith, his family and his friends are a central part of his life.” Not a mention at all of the how he treated the American people or the condition of the country. I don’t know how his faith will be judged, but I do know that he favored his family and friends at the expense of the rest of us. And you know what they say, two out of three ain’t bad.
The Bush Credo - No Sacrifice Is Too Great For Others To
Make.
He Still Strikes Out
Fox News prefaces its transcript of the Brit Hume interview of President Bush with this statement,”This is a partial transcript of ‘Special Report With Brit Hume’ from Dec. 14, 2005, that has been edited for clarity.” It shows a remarkable albeit unexpected degree of candor. First it tells us that it is a manufactured piece since it is not given in its entirety. Second it reinforces the fact that it is manufactured by saying it has been edited. Next it tells us that it doesn’t make sense without being doctored. Unfortunately it doesn’t tell us who wasn’t making sense President Bush, Hume, or both. But after reading it, it is fairly easy to make that determination for ourselves.
At the beginning the interview Bush gives faint support to Donald Rumsfeld when he answers a question about Rumsfeld staying in the Administration to the end. Bush says, “Yes. Well, the end of my term is a long time.” It sounds like Donald ought to be updating his resume.
Hume then shows either an unbelievable degree of ignorance or an improper amount of prejudice when he says this about Karl Rove, “He went through some trials and tribulations — and they appear largely to be over now.” Bush wouldn’t touch that with a 10 foot pole. He only admits the obvious and says they are friends and that Karl was responsible for his being President. He says not a word about Karl’s troubles being over and he gives no defense of him at all. This becomes all the more noticeable when Bush later does comment about another on going criminal investigation, that of Tom DeLay. When Brit asks, “Do you just — do you believe he's innocent?” Bush answers, “Yes, I do.” But Bush also says this when asked if he expects DeLay to return as Majority Leader, “I don't know whether I'm expecting it. “ It sounds like Bush’s faith in DeLay’s innocence is nothing more than a goodbye kiss. Hume also sets up Bush with opportunities to mutter the standard Bush and GOP inanities about how they are on a higher plane than their opponents, and how the Democrats are as responsible for the mess in Iraq as his administration and party are, since they (Democrats) had the same information he did. He says the Abramoff scandal is tied to the Democrats as much as the Republicans.
There was one hard question Hume asked Bush. He asked him about the number of Iraqi deaths in his war, “Where'd you get the number 30,000?” That was a mistake for Bush answered, “That was a number that's been floating around the public. You know, it was a number that was in the press. The 30,000 Iraqis, I must tell you, it's speculative. I don't think anybody knows the exact number.” Realizing his mistake Hume moved on to other things rather than challenging Bush further.
Hume closed the interview by asking Bush, “Let me get your thoughts, Mr. President, on — on how you think or hope you'll be remembered.” Bush replied, “I hope that first, as a person, I'll be remembered as a fellow who had his priorities straight: his faith, his family and his friends are a central part of his life.” Not a mention at all of the how he treated the American people or the condition of the country. I don’t know how his faith will be judged, but I do know that he favored his family and friends at the expense of the rest of us. And you know what they say, two out of three ain’t bad.
The Bush Credo - No Sacrifice Is Too Great For Others To
Make.
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