Wednesday, April 14, 2004

I've been having a lot of questions lately about politics and life in general. Luckily, it appears I can find most of the answers to my questions in the transcript to President Bush's press conference last night:

I'm confused by what the you meant when he told journalist Bob Woodward "I didn't feel that sense of urgency" before September 11th. Could you clarify that for me, Mr. President?

Let me put that quote to Woodward in context. He had asked me if I was -- something about killing bin Laden. That's what the question was. And I said, compared to how I felt at the time, after the attack, I didn't have that -- I also went on to say, my blood wasn't boiling, I think is what the quote said. I didn't see -- I mean, I didn't have that great sense of outrage that I felt on September the 11th. I was -- on that day I was angry and sad: angry that al Qaeda had -- well, at the time, thought al Qaeda, found out shortly thereafter it was al Qaeda -- had unleashed this attack; sad for those who lost their life.

I heard there's something going on in Iraq with the army or something. Can someone explain it to me?

We're at war. Iraq is a part of the war on terror. It is not the war on terror; it is a theater in the war on terror. And it's essential we win this battle in the war on terror. By winning this battle, it will make other victories more certain in the war against the terrorists.

What's a noun for people who kill themselves in an attempt to kill others?

Saddam Hussein was a threat. He was a threat because he had used weapons of mass destruction on his own people. He was a threat because he coddled terrorists. He was a threat because he funded suiciders.

What's that saying about hindsight?

There are some things I wish we'd have done when I look back. I mean, hindsight is easy.

President Addresses the Nation in Prime Time Press Conference [White House Transcript]