Today's Bush SC speech: Turning his lies into truth..

[TruthIsAll]

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES:
Thank you all very much. Thank you all. I am glad to be back in the great state of South Carolina.I appreciate you all coming out.

I'm so honored to have been invited to one of America's great cities: Charleston, South Carolina.This is one of the busiest container ports in our country. It's an important hub of commerce.

snip

Thank you for your work. Thank you for your dedication. Thank you for what you're doing to make this part of the world as safe and secure as you can. I want to thank South Carolina's state and local first responders who are with us: the police and the firefighters and the emergency squad personnel. Ready for a ricin attack.

But most of all, thank you for coming. I've got some things I want to talk about. This country is a strong country. Strong enough to intimidate anyone we choose.

The first great challenge is to make sure people can find work. The first great challenge of this country is to have a pro-growth environment so people can find a job. Even if it’s below minimum wage.

Our economy is growing; it's getting better. But I want to remind you of where we have come from. My nose is growing, also.

See, people say, "President Bush is optimistic." You bet I'm optimistic. I know where we have been and I know where we're going. Straight to Diebold heaven.

We have -- this country went through a recession and as we were coming out of the recession we got attacked. And make no mistake about it, that attack hurt our country's economy. And also, you'll hear me talk about how it affected my view of national security as well. It hurt. But I hit the Trifecta pretty good, didn’t I?

And as we began to recover from that, we discovered that some of our fellow citizens forgot what it meant to be a responsible citizen. In other words, they didn't tell the truth. They didn't tell the truth to their employees, and they didn't tell the truth to their shareholders. And that affected the confidence of our economy. To not tell the truth is to be a liar.

By the way, we passed laws to hold those corporate criminals to account. They will understand now that there is a consequence for not telling the truth. I will make them pay.

And then, of course, there are the uncertainties of war. That affected the economy. Which was in recession before Jan. 2001.

Yet we're still strong in spite of the hurdles. And one reason we're strong is because we acted in Washington, D.C. We passed tax relief. For the top 1% of our citizens. Let’s make it permanent. You see, we understand that when somebody's got more money in their pocket, they're more likely to demand a good or a service. And when they demand that good or a service, somebody is more likely to produce the good or a service. And when somebody produces that good or service, someone is more likely to be able to find work. The current economy and unemployment proves we are right.

The tax relief we passed, the willingness to have people have more money in their pocket to spend, to save or invest, is helping this economy recover from tough times. The economy is recovering, even if the people aren’t.

We also understand that most new jobs are created by small businesses. Most new jobs in the American economy are created by the entrepreneurs and small-business owners of America. Too bad these businesses are going bankrupt.

And so the tax relief we passed not only helped individuals and helped families raise children, but it was also directed at the small- business sector of our economy. We must never forget the vital role that small businesses play in the United States economy. And we must never forget big business either.

Things are looking good across the country. New home construction in 2003 was the highest in 25 years. Home-ownership rates are the highest ever. And for the first time, most minority households own their own homes. We're closing the housing gap in America. Even as more are forced into foreclosure.

Manufacturing activity is increasing. Inflation is low. Interest rates are low. Exports are growing. Productivity is high. Jobs are on the rise. The tax relief we passed has made a difference. Our deficit is exploding.

One of the things I know about your great state -- I've spent some quality time in South Carolina in the past. One of the things I know about your great state is this is a state full of decent, hardworking, honorable people. You got a great workforce in the state of South Carolina. Many foreign companies and companies from other states move here because South Carolina workers are dependable, good people. Too bad you can’t find jobs.

Yet the state has got economic challenges. Even though the unemployment rate is down, it is still too high. Many factory workers in textiles and apparel have faced layoffs. But there are new jobs being created. And the challenge at all levels of government is to make sure that people are trained for jobs which actually exist. Like flipping hamburgers which are not Mad-cow tainted.

I laid out what's called the Jobs for the 21st Century program, which says to state and local communities, "We want to help you, we want to help you make sure the hardworking people who are looking for work have got the skills necessary to take advantage of a changing economy." So you must pack up and move to India.

The numbers aren't as good as they can be, but they will be with focused efforts. They will be so long as Washington promotes a pro- entrepreneur, pro-growth agenda. They will be if the Congress makes sure that tax cuts we passed are permanent. That’s just what the top 1% need.

No, I'm optimistic about our economy's future, because the numbers look good. But that's not the true reason I'm optimistic. I'm optimistic because I understand the entrepreneurial spirit of America. I'm optimistic because I know the type of worker we have in this country. I'm optimistic because I trust the American people. Especially if the media keeps them ignorant of the facts.

Second great challenge is to fight and win the war on terror. We have won the war in Iraq. After we were attacked in 2001, I said time would pass and people would assume that the threats to our country had gone away. That's false comfort. The terrorists continue to plot against us. They still want to harm us. This nation will not tire, we will not rest until this threat to civilization is removed. Even if it takes an eternity.

Part of doing our duty in the war on terror is to protect the homeland. That's part of our solemn responsibility and we are taking unprecedented steps to protect the homeland. In the 2005 budget, as the secretary mentioned, we proposed increases in homeland security spending. So my cronies can grow richer.

And some of those increases are measures to protect our seaports. And that's why I've come to this vital seaport, to remind people, to remind the American people, as they pay attention to the debates in the halls of Congress, that we have a solemn duty to protect our homeland, including the seaports of America. Besides, you just had a primary.

Our National Targeting Center in Northern Virginia, where I'll be going tomorrow with the secretary, is analyzing cargo manifest information and focusing front-line inspection on high-risk shipments. Like the ricin in Washington.

We're looking at things differently now in America. We're adjusting our strategies to better protect the American people. We are protecting them from assuming power legitimately.

We've got a container security initiative, which means we're posting officers at foreign ports to identify and inspect high-risk shipments before they're loaded and shipped to America. Only those aimed at Democrats will get through.

We've extended the reach out to make sure America is more secure. We're doing things more wise in order to protect our country. We know that we were vigilant before 9/11. We will remain even more so.

We're not waiting for ships and planes to arrive. We've got what we call a Proliferation Security Initiative. It's fancy words which means America is working with other governments to track and stop the shipments of dangerous weapons and dangerous cargo. So fancy I don’t undersand them.

We're determined to keep lethal weapons and materials out of the hands of our enemies and away from our shores. We have a duty to protect the American people, a solemn duty. We would never trade with evil regimes. And there's a lot of people in this crowd who've heard that duty and I appreciate your service. I appreciate your willingness to sacrifice on behalf of the people. Especially those who come back in body bags.

Another vital tool in the homeland security is for Congress to pass laws that enable us to do our job. I'm referring to the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act gives federal law enforcement the tools they need to seize terrorist assets and disrupt their cells. We treat prtisoners humanely. They enjoy their free trip to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

It removes -- the Patriot Act removed legal barriers that prevented the FBI and the CIA from sharing information, information that is vitally needed to uncover terrorist plots before they are carried out in America. It also removes your freedoms.Imagine a system that would not allow people to collect information to share information. It makes it awfully hard to protect the homeland if the FBI and the CIA can't share data in order to protect us. That’s why we got great intel from the intelligence agencies sbout Iraq WMD. Not.

The Patriot Act made that possible. The Patriot Act imposes tougher penalties on terrorists and their supporters. We want to send a clear message to people that there will be a consequence. No truth, but lots of consequences.

For years, we've used similar provisions, provisions that are now in the act, to catch embezzlers and drug traffickers. What's in the Patriot Act today is nothing new; we've been using these provision in the past. We gave $43 million to the Taliban in 2001.

If the methods are good enough for hunting criminals, they're even more important for hunting terrorists. Like Bin Laden and his relatives. The Congress needs to extend the Patriot Act to give me complete dictatorial power.

We'll do everything in our power to defend the homeland. Yet we understand this: that the best way to defend the homeland is to stay on the offensive. The best way to protect America is to find the killers and bring them to justice before they ever harm another American. And that's exactly what this administration will continue to do. And MIHOP if necessary.

There are thousands of our troops, and troops of our friends, on an international manhunt. We're running down al Qaeda. We're finding them where they hide. For our own security, we're bringing them to justice. And we don’t need to waste taxpayer money on their defense.

Nearly two-thirds of the al Qaeda leaders have been captured or killed and we're chasing the rest of them. There is no hole deep enough to hide from America. We will get you peace-mongers.

Part of this new war, this different kind of war, is to confront regimes that harbor terrorists, that support terrorists, that could supply them with weapons of mass murder. This is an essential part of the war on terror.

Another part of the war is to expose the lies which our enemies tell about us. When America speaks, we better mean what we say. And I said, right after September the 11th, "If you harbor a terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the terrorists." Hear that, Kerry?

And the Taliban found out exactly what we meant. We gave them $43 million.

It wasn't all that long ago that Afghanistan was a haven for terrorists. This is where many terrorists learned to kill; there were training camps, places for them to hide. Like Bin Laden is hiding. But we will smoke him out.

Thanks to the United States and our friends, thanks to the bravery of many of our fellow citizens, Afghanistan is no longer a haven for terror. Afghanistan is a free country. Chaotic, but free.

America also confronted a gathering threat in Iraq. The dictatorship of Saddam Hussein was one of the most brutal, corrupt and dangerous regimes in the world. Next to mine.

For years the dictator funded terrorists and gave reward money for suicide bombings. For years he threatened and he invaded his neighbors. For years he murdered innocent Iraqis by the hundreds of thousands. For years he made a mockery of United Nations' demands that he account for his weapons. For years Saddam Hussein did all these things, but he won't be doing any of them this year. And for years we supported him.

Instead, he's sitting in prison cell and he will be sitting in a courtroom to answer for his crimes. In secret. Without a lawyer.

The liberation of Iraq was an act of justice: delivering an oppressed people from an evil regime. Now the grownups are in charge.

The liberation of Iraq removed a source of violence and instability from the Middle East. And the liberation of Iraq removed an enemy of this country and made America more secure. Even if we have gutted the Constitution in the process.

America and our friends have shown the world that we are serious about removing the threats of weapons of mass destruction. See what we found in Iraq?

And the facts are becoming clearer. In Iraq, our survey group is on the ground looking for the truth. We will compare what the intelligence indicated before the war with what we have learned afterward. Wait until we plant, I mean find, the WMD.

As the chief weapons inspector said, we have not yet found the stockpiles of weapons that we thought were there. Yet the survey group has uncovered some of what the dictator was up to. We know that he had WMD on his mind.

We know Saddam Hussein had the capability to produce weapons of mass destruction. He had the scientists and technology in place to make those weapons. We know he had the necessary infrastructure to produce weapons of mass destruction, because we found the labs and dual-use facilities that could be used to produce chemical and biological weapons. We had to rid Iraq from these thoughts.

We know he was developing the delivery systems: ballistic missiles that the United Nations had prohibited. We know Saddam Hussein had the intent to arm his regime with weapons of mass destruction because he hid all those activities from the world until the last day of his regime. This intent was a direct, imminent threat.

And Saddam Hussein had something else: He had a record of using weapons of mass destruction against his enemies and against innocent Iraqi citizens. We sold him those weapons.

Knowing what I knew then and knowing what I know today, America did the right thing in Iraq. Especially for Halliburton. We had a choice: either take the word of a mad man or take action to defend the American people. Faced with that choice, I will defend America every time. Even if it means unilateral war.

September the 11th, 2001, was a lesson for America, a lesson I will never forget, and a lesson this nation must never forget. We cannot wait to confront the threats of the world, the threats of terror networks and terror states, until those threats arrive in our own cities. If Martial law is necessary, I will so order it.

I made a pledge to this country: I will not stand by and hope for the best while dangers gather. I will not take risks with the lives and security of the American people. I will protect and defend this country by taking the fight to the enemy. We must not go AWOL in shirking our duty.

If you're the commander in chief, you have to be willing to make the tough calls and to see your decisions through. America is safer when our commitments are clear, our word is good and our will is strong. And that is the only way I know how to lead. By evaluating all the options. And going with my gut in the end.

If some politicians in Washington had their way, Saddam Hussein would still be in power. All of the Security Council resolutions and condemnations would still be issued, and still be ignored; scraps of paper, amounting to nothing. Other regimes and terror networks, had we not acted, would have concluded that America backs down when things get tough. But we know that only the Democrats back down.

Saddam would still have his weapons capabilities. And life would sure be different for the Iraqi people. The secret police would still be making arrests in the middle of the night. Prisons and torture chambers would still be filled with victims. More innocent Iraqis would have been sent to mass graves. And those rape rooms would be running over with semen and blood.

Because we acted, Iraq's nightmare is over. And we can all sleep better here at home.Their country, our country and the entire world are better off because the regime of Saddam Hussein is gone and gone forever. Now I am the most hated world leader. Can you believe it? After all I have done.

I wear this badge proudly.Because of American leadership, the world is changing for the better. Other dictators have seen and noted our resolve. Colonel Gadhafi in Libya got the message and is now voluntarily disclosing and eliminating his weapons of mass destruction programs. Clinton had nothing to do with it.

These are historic times, times of change. And future historians will write about how we acted in a time of peril.

In Afghanistan and Iraq, more than 50 million people once lived under tyranny, and now they live in free societies, societies that are moving toward democracy, societies that will set an example for all of the Middle East. And that's important. That's important for our own security. And for the drug kingmakers.

Free societies do not attack their neighbors. Free societies do not develop weapons of mass terror. Freedom and peace go hand in hand. War brought us peace. More war willl bring more peace.

These are great and hopeful events and they came about because America and our allies acted bravely in the cause of freedom. And in the cause of PNAC.

We know there are challenges ahead. We know freedom still has enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan: surviving Baathists, the Taliban, suicide bombers and foreign terrorists. All those we have supported in the past.All these enemies have one goal: They want to stop the advance of freedom and to shake the will of the United States of America. They hate us for our freedoms.But they don't understand us. They don't understand the nature of the American people. We will never be intimidated by thugs or assassins. But I do not rule out assassination attempts on those who would oppose us. Like today in Iraq.

The killers will fail, and the people of Iraq and Afghanistan will live in freedom. And they will be an important addition to our world markets.

And that's important to us in America because we understand freedom is not America's gift to the world. We understand freedom is the almighty God's gift to each man or woman in this world. And God created me to do this task.

South Carolina is a state that is really proud of the people who wear the uniform. Over 5,000 reservists and National Guardsmen are currently deploying in Iraq and Afghanistan and Kosovo and for defense of the homeland. Hundreds of officers from the Citadel are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere in the war on terror. If any of you go AWOL, we will track you down and get you a free trip to Camp X-Ray.

Like everyone who serves in uniform today, these fine citizens of your state are protecting this nation from danger and they're making us proud Just like I made my folks proud when I served in the Viet Nam war.

I've made a commitment to the men and women of our military. America's asking a lot of you and you deserve a lot in return. You deserve our praise and our thanks and we will give you the resources you need to fight and win the war on terror. But you will have to pay for your own airfare to come home on leave.

As we depend on our military, our people in uniform depend on their families. These are challenging times for military families. Some of them have experienced great loss. We ask for God's blessings. We ask God to give them strength in their time of grief. I will one day attend a funeral for a brave soldier who paid the ultimate price.

Our nation will never take their sacrifice for granted. All of us are grateful to the families of the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States. But don’t expect me to meet with those who say: Bring our troops home.

By the unselfish dedication of Americans in uniform, people in our own country and in lands far away can live in freedom and know the peace that freedom brings. But a dictatorship is better. I have proved that.

America has been given great responsibilities and those responsibilities have come to the right country. By our actions, we have shown what kind of nation we are: good and just and generous people. We don't shrink from any challenge. We're rising to the call of history. Now and in the future, this great land will lead the cause of freedom and peace. And the opinion polls will prove it. After Rove makes his next move.

May God bless you all.
And I shall.

Thank you for coming.
Jerk offs.

[Doctor_J]

1. And the reviews are in

Russert: Genuine leadership
Matthews: Was this his best speech yet, Peggy?
Noonan: Oh, George, oh George, God! George! GEORGE!
Hannity: How could anyone vote for Clinton?
Colmes: I think you're right, Sean.
Malloy: God, I hate that man.

[Corgigal]

2. I know someone who met him today

they had to arrive at the air force base around 7:30 am. Then they were taken into a room where they were briefed on what they could or could not do. The briefing was intensive. All she did was shake the mans hand.

I met Clinton years ago and had Secret Service do a check but I never had to do a stupid briefing before he came out. Just shows how scared Bush is of the average American. Of course some will still vote for him because they are idiots.

[DieboldMustDie]

3. Shook his hand!?

Yuck!   I'd be worried about all the blood on it. :evilgrin:

[Serenity-NOW]

4. The POTUS said this?

"This country is a strong country. Strong enough to intimidate anyone we choose."

I dunno, that sounds more Banana Republic than US of A to me.

on edit:
Doh! Fooled me! Fool me once shame on you fool me twice.. erp glerp won't get fooled again.

[TruthIsAll]

5. Reading this speech should make anyone who has a clue

....puke.