Pres Bush explains why Democrats shouldn't be held to account for their Iraq votes

Thorgrim · 12-05-2006, 07:13 PM

Bush's explanation for why he doesn't talk policy with his Father with Brit Hume on Fox News:

"You know, I love my dad," Bush said. "But he understands what I know, that the level of information I have relative to the level of information most other people have, including himself, is significant."

Few former Presidents make use of CIA briefings, as they are entitled to, but elder Bush reads them every day.

http://www.lycos.com/info/bush-georg...rt-walker.html

So Bush the First reads CIA briefings on Iraq every day, yet Bush II thinks there is a "significant" gap between the level of information...basically he couldn't make an informed decision only the president can

Thus, when Bush II highlighted the information he wanted to, he knew more than Clinton, Bush I, or the Democrats

To challenge the president on Iraq in 2002 would require they claim they knew more than the man with access to the most information on the subject

So some people, faced with that significant gap, less than a year after 9/11, believed the president would use his power to force Iraq's hand to change (what didn't exist...and remember this was a vote for threat of force, not a vote to immediately go to war)

Bush explained why they can't be held accountable

Diesel66 · 12-05-2006, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

So Bush the First reads CIA briefings on Iraq every day, yet Bush II thinks there is a "significant" gap between the level of information...basically he couldn't make an informed decision only the president can

because a lot of the info is classified to civilians.

Congress is not made up of civilians. And it doesnt change the fact that the head of the CIA personally told many Congressmen that the intel was a "slam dunk"

Thorgrim · 12-05-2006, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by Diesel66

because a lot of the info is classified to civilians.

Congress is not made up of civilians. And it doesnt change the fact that the head of the CIA personally told many Congressmen that the intel was a "slam dunk"

Bush I gets a daily CIA briefing! There are congressmen who don't get that

JaJae · 12-05-2006, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

Bush I gets a daily CIA briefing! There are congressmen who don't get that

Are you suggesting that Bush Sr. has access to 100% of the information W does? Because I think W's entire point was that he doesn't and I think he would know better than you or I.

Diesel66 · 12-05-2006, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

Are you suggesting that Bush Sr. has access to 100% of the information W does? Because I think W's entire point was that he doesn't and I think he would know better than you or I.

He is trying to imply that Bush Sr has more info then Congress.

JaJae · 12-05-2006, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by Diesel66

He is trying to imply that Bush Sr has more info then Congress.

And is that somehow false?

RMNIXON · 12-05-2006, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by Diesel66

because a lot of the info is classified to civilians.

Congress is not made up of civilians. And it doesnt change the fact that the head of the CIA personally told many Congressmen that the intel was a "slam dunk"

They were briefed period. No evidence of "cherry picking" or "cooking" or any other clever turn of phrase to imply political manipulation. This is beating a horse so long dead it has turned to dust!

If there is evidence of something significant they were not show then display that evidence. That would be a better than to "cherry pick" everything Bush says.

SpicyMcVoodoo · 12-05-2006, 11:51 PM

I saw depositions of a few FBI counter terrorism specialists the other day. They didn't know the difference between shia and sunni. I'm convinced the people in charge don't know wtf they're talking about, and I no longer accept the explanation (on faith) that they're privy to secret info I'm not.

secret info the public was not aware of was a large part of the entire rationale behind the iraq war. i remember thinking, pre war, I couldn't have an informed opinion on whether invasion was a good idea because I didn't have all the intelligence. I assumed the people in change knew what they were doing. OHHHHH BOY, was I wrong.