Bob Woodward

[Ravenstorm]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/15/60minutes/main612067.shtml

An excerpt or two:


Prince Bandar enjoys easy access to the Oval Office. His family and the Bush family are close. And Woodward told 60 Minutes that Bandar has promised the president that Saudi Arabia will lower oil prices in the months before the election -- to ensure the U.S. economy is strong on election day.


”The president still believes with some conviction, that this was absolutely the right thing, that he has the duty to free people, to liberate people. And this was his moment,” says Woodward.

But who gave President Bush the duty to free people around the world? “That's a really good question. The Constitution doesn't say that's part of the commander in chief's duties,” says Woodward. “That’s his stated purpose. It is far reaching, and ambitious, and I think will cause many people to tremble.”

Raven

[Hulkein]

Good.

[Celexei]

as it should be

[Ravenstorm]

Good that we all get to pay tons on gasoline until right before the election when he arranged with a foreign country to help make him look good?

Good that he's willing to spend American money and American lives on his personal crusade?

I don't think so. The people who should be trembling are the taxpayers and the parents of our soldiers.

Raven

[Hulkein]

Don't think that is saying that he has complete control over gas prices. It looks as if he is saying that he thinks gas prices will trend down at around election time.

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Ravenstorm
Good that we all get to pay tons on gasoline until right before the election when he arranged with a foreign country to help make him look good?

Good that he's willing to spend American money and American lives on his personal crusade?

I don't think so. The people who should be trembling are the taxpayers and the parents of our soldiers.

Raven

Come on Raven... do you believe everything that a liberal puts in a book? Why must his version of the story be the truth?

Why is it that people would believe Bob Woodward over anyone in the administration right now? Because he's out whoring a book to sell?
Historically... gasoline isn't the highest it's ever been. And what is the benefit of Bush getting blamed for the high prices now? So he could get them lowered right before the election and everyone will believe he was the sole cause of it?

I don't buy his story.. and certainly wouldn't go out to buy his book.

[Ravenstorm]

Why believe it? Maybe because he's been such a respected journalist for decades that even Republican politicians - including the president of the US - obviously trust him? Maybe because he had previous book published about Bush 2 years ago and Bush continued to be interviewed by him after that?

Hey, if your elected president trusts him so much, I think you should.

Raven

[Latrinsorm]

"75 of the key decision makers"

:?:

Um didnt CBS pubilsh is book as well?
Kinda like they Published Clarkes book?

[Ravenstorm]

Viacom owns CBS. Viacom owns whoever published the book. So? It doesn't change the fact that Bush gave this reporter near unprecedented access to the presidency and allowed himself to be interviewed and directly quoted extensively.

Seems Bush trusts Woodward completely. Plus every other member of the Bush administration that spoke with him.

Raven

well going over just the story there are things like...
<<And there's this low boil on Iraq until the day before Thanksgiving, Nov. 21, 2001. This is 72 days after 9/11. This is part of this secret history. President Bush, after a National Security Council meeting, takes Don Rumsfeld aside, collars him physically, and takes him into a little cubbyhole room and closes the door and says, ‘What have you got in terms of plans for Iraq? What is the status of the war plan? I want you to get on it. I want you to keep it secret.’">>

Just the visual itself makes it appear as if Bush and Rumsfeld are in the small room alone, with nobody around to hear what they said.
I doubt that Bush or Rumsfeld are such poor politicians that *if* that happened they would talk about it.

Then,
<<‘I can count the number of sources, human sources, spies we have in Iraq on one hand,’” says Woodward>>

I doubt a reporter would know anything of the like in relation to the CIA, if so there should be an investigation into the security breech.

[Ravenstorm]

Originally posted by The Edine
<<‘I can count the number of sources, human sources, spies we have in Iraq on one hand,’” says Woodward>>

I doubt a reporter would know anything of the like in relation to the CIA, if so there should be an investigation into the security breech.

You know... You really need to work on your reading comprehension. Woodward is directly quoting someone. The entire pertinent part - as opposed to the one line you picked out - is:


The president had hoped Saddam could be removed in some way short of war. But early in 2002, Woodward reports, the CIA concluded they could not overthrow Saddam. That word came from the CIA's head of Iraq operations, a man known simply as “Saul.”

"Saul gets together a briefing and who does he give it to first? Dick Cheney. He said, ‘I can count the number of sources, human sources, spies we have in Iraq on one hand,’” says Woodward. “I asked the president, ‘What was your reaction that the CIA couldn't overthrow Saddam? And the president said one word. 'Darn.'"

As is fairly clear, he is quoting the CIA's head of Iraq operations, 'Saul'. I have this small suspicion that such a person would indeed know what he's talking about. I'd suggest reading it again and paying just a bit better attention.

Raven

which in retrospect means Saul just lost his job, and all credibility he had with the CIA and the Intelligence at large.

Edit: the doubble quotes mixed me up a bit when i scaned through it.

[Edited on 4-19-2004 by The Edine]

[TheEschaton]

Seth Mason, Born in a family of vet's, And god bless'm.


The fact that God blesses everyone aside, why do you think God would bless soldiers in the stead of, say, the people they kill?


-TheE-, born in a family of pacifists, and bless everyone of 'em.

[Tendarian]

Why believe it? Maybe because he's been such a respected journalist for decades

I was watching CNN headline news and it said in Woodwards book it says Tenet told Bush the case for WMD in Iraq was a "slam dunk". Since he is such a respected journalist i hope we can put to rest the whole Bush lied about WMD so he could go to war for oil. At least switch it to Bush was misinformed so he could go to war for oil or something :)

[Tendarian]

One other thing here is an article in the NY times that gives part of the other side to this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/18/international/middleeast/18CND-TALK.html?ei=5006&en=075dc165e8ba3da6&ex=108295200 0&partner=ALTAVISTA1&pagewanted=print&position=