ON THE WAR
“Looking at the high cost of occupation in Iraq and the needs we have in this country, would it not have been better to have smaller tax cuts in order to keep down the deficits.”
Joe Biden, the Democrat from Delaware, says there are about 3,000 in his estimation, 3,000, Iraqi security forces. After 28 months in the war, what is your sense? How many Iraqi troops are there, and when will there be enough Iraqi troops so Americans can come home?”
“The primary responsibility of the media is accountability of government, whether it's about lying under oath, which upset Democrats, or the mismanagement of responding to a hurricane, which happens to upset Republicans.”
“to suggest that we need several hundred thousand troops there after military operations cease, after the conflict ends, I don't think is accurate. I think that's an overstatement.”
“Are you, or anyone who reports to you, contemplating resignation?”
“If your analysis is not correct, and we're not treated as liberators but as conquerors, and the Iraqis begin to resist, particularly in Baghdad, do you think the American people are prepared for a long, costly, and bloody battle with significant American casualties?”
ON KATRINA
“bureaucracy has committed murder here in New Orleans.”
“there was a perception created of incompetence, some even said callousness and he needs to replace it with compassion.”
“Those who could not get out were the poor, who rely on public buses to get out! Your website says that your department assumes primary responsibility for a national disaster - if you knew a hurricane three storm was coming, why were buses, trains, planes ... provided on Friday, Saturday, Sunday to evacuate people before the storm?”
“There are a lot of issues in politics you can spin on. You can spin on tax cuts; and spin on Social Security; and he said-she said; this view, that view; right-left-center. You can't spin on this. People see it. They feel it. They smell it. And you can't say something that conflicts with the harsh reality of what happened there.”
with gratitude
and admiration
