Bush says regrets talking tough

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Interesting words...signalling a new attitude to be projected?????

Bush says regrets talking tough

Mr Bush said Laura gave him a hard time over one famous phrase
US President George W Bush has pledged to be more diplomatic in future, saying he realises that talking tough can sometimes send "wrong impressions".
Mr Bush, whose turns of phrase have become famous, said he regretted using phrases like "bring 'em on" and "dead or alive".

Speaking to a group of journalists, he said he had learnt his lesson and planned to be more cautious:

"I speak plainly sometimes, but you've got to be mindful of the consequences."

In what has become a notorious occasion, Mr Bush words sparked outrage in July 2003 when he appeared to directly challenge insurgents fighting in Iraq.

Dangerous defiance

"'Bring 'em on' is a classic example, when I was really trying to rally the troops and make it clear to them that I fully understood... what a great job they were doing. And those words had an unintended consequence," the president said.

"Some interpreted it to be defiance in the face of danger. That certainly wasn't the case."

He admitted that his wife, Laura, had given him a hard time when, days after 11 September 2001, he replied to a question about Osama Bin Laden by saying, "I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, that I recall, that said, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive".

A disapproving Laura "chewed me out right after that," he said.

A reflective Mr Bush said he would be more careful in future.

"So I do have to be cautious about, you know, conveying thoughts in a way that maybe doesn't send wrong impressions about our country," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4175823.stm

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You just want to give him a giant hug now, don't you? :razz:

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Bush is incapable of change. I sincerely believe that if he started drinking again and gave up that crazy religion of his he might stand of chance of being an incompent president rather than the worst president in the history of the country.

Start drinking, Dubya, and you might crawl up the ladder to "3rd worst".

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OCCOM BILL wrote:

You just want to give him a giant hug now, don't you? :razz:

No.

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gustavratzenhofer wrote:

Bush is incapable of change. I sincerely believe that if he started drinking again and gave up that crazy religion of his he might stand of chance of being an incompent president rather than the worst president in the history of the country.

Start drinking, Dubya, and you might crawl up the ladder to "3rd worst".

I don't think HE will change - but I think it interesting that the administration may be changing the way it projects itself.

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It's all public relations - No substance.

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Hmmmmmmmmmm-.........

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Seems like one of his notorious empty promises to me. But, I agree, the timing is interesting. I guess once he got reelected he could start publically facing up to the mess in Iraq. Which he has been doing.

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It isn't about what Dubya says. I can easily forgive an unfortunate phrase, even in the mouth of a president. (Been known to say some things msyelf that I regretted afterwards). It's what he does that has me considering repatriation.

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I don't believe a word that comes out of that a-hole's mouth. That whole story about his wife chewing him out? I wonder which little Rove-in-training wrote that for him. It's nicely done though. Using the first lady to make her seem strong and compassionate, while making him seem like a loving caring family man, who can look back and learn from mistakes that he's made. I'm sure a lot of dumbasses will eat that up like candy.

PR masquerading as truth. This is one of the biggest problems in our society today. If Bush were so concerned about evil, like he says, he'd kill all the marketing people. :wink:

P.T. Barnum would be proud.

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Lol - ok, Bush bad, never change mind - I KNOW! But - do you think this PR exercise betokens anything re policy etc?

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dlowan wrote:

Lol - ok, Bush bad, never change mind - I KNOW! But - do you think this PR exercise betokens anything re policy etc?

I doubt it very much, D. It betokens an image makeover, as Kicky already implied, that's all. Wouldn't surprise me if, in the near future, someone trotted out the old Teddy Roosevelt quote -- "walk softly but carry a big stick" -- dusted it off, rephrased it, and put it into Junior's mouth.

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Amateurs.

Bush doesn't require a make-over NOW.

The second term is when you see what you've got. Either they push crap they could have never gotten away with in a first term--or they tell the moneychangers that put them there to kiss off. Either way--in the second term--what you see is closer to what you've got.

It still surprises me that people who seem to be comparatively advanced in their thinking can be so retarded in their views on Bush. No one is as one-dimensional as he is portrayed here.

You can't imagine he may regret some of his wordage? You don't think he may cop to some of his multitudinous, voluminous misspeaks?

As long as you imagine Bush is a stick figure, you'll never have a legitimate understanding of American politics.

He obviously (and finally) admits a few of his phrases (accidentally, but assuredly) made some problems worse.

Why is that so hard to believe (or admit)?

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Lash wrote:

Amateurs.
It still surprises me that people who seem to be comparatively advanced in their thinking can be so retarded in their views on Bush.

No one on this forum can insult more people with less prose than Lash :wink:

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Lash wrote:

You can't imagine he may regret some of his wordage? You don't think he may cop to some of his multitudinous, voluminous misspeaks?

As long as you imagine Bush is a stick figure, you'll never have a legitimate understanding of American politics.

He obviously (and finally) admits a few of his phrases (accidentally, but assuredly) made some problems worse.

Why is that so hard to believe (or admit)?

Did you see the phrase, "speaking to a bunch of journalists" in the original post? Now why would he say something like that to a bunch of journalists? Hmmm...Cynicism always takes a back seat to partisanship, I guess. We all see what we want to see. I wonder what you'd be saying if the guy in the article's name were Clinton, instead of Bush.

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So bush admits he may be a dickhead? Why attach anything to it? It's a well known fact he's behind the curve...it just took him longer to catch on to what the rest of the class already knew.....Lash...we're putting you in a self contained class...we'll write it into your I.E.P. you'll catch up....

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Dammit. I was so hoping this wouldn't degenerate into this trade in insults!

nemmind.

I don't give a rat's arse about whether Bush is changing/not changing - what I was wondering is if this betokens any kind of change in how the administration presents itself - which could be quite significant, if so. You might note I never asked about Bush, but about how the administration might be projecting itself.

Of course,this is a question requiring a crystal ball to answer - but I thought you guys, most of you being in the US and all - might have seen if there were other straws in the wind.

Whatever the motives, this seems like an interesting thing for the man to have said - NOT because it might betoken some change in him or not - but because it was a damned different rhetoric coming from this administration.

Somebody said something about them facing up to the mistakes in Iraq - I was interested in any evidence for that.

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If they are changing the way they present themselves..it is an end run around something that will beneift them at the expense of others eventually...IMO

better?

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Bush says regrets talking tough

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