A blast from the past: 2nd Presidential debate, Oct. 11, 2000

[scottcsmith]

I've been reading through the debate transcripts, and it's very interesting to see where candidate Bush stood on the issues back then. Of note is the second debate. Moderator Jim Lehrer had asked the candidates about peace in the middle east, and what the United State's role should be. Here's Bush's response:

BUSH: Well, I think during the campaign, particularly now during this difficult period, we ought to be speaking with one voice, and I appreciate the way the administration has worked hard to calm the tensions. Like the vice president, I call on Chairman Arafat to have his people pull back to make the peace. I think credibility is going to be very important in the future in the Middle East. I want everybody to know should I be the president Israel's going to be our friend. I'm going to stand by Israel. Secondly, that I think it's important to reach out to moderate Arab nations, like Jordan and Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It's important to be friends with people when you don't need each other so that when you do there's a strong bond of friendship. And that's going to be particularly important in dealing not only with situations such as now occurring in Israel, but with Saddam Hussein. The coalition against Saddam has fallen apart or it's unraveling, let's put it that way. The sanctions are being violated. We don't know whether he's developing weapons of mass destruction. He better not be or there's going to be a consequence should I be the president. But it's important to have credibility and credibility is formed by being strong with your friends and resoluting your determination. One of the reasons why I think it's important for this nation to develop an anti-ballistic missile system that we can share with our allies in the Middle East if need be to keep the peace is to be able to say to the Saddam Husseins of the world or the Iranians, don't dare threaten our friends. It's also important to keep strong ties in the Middle East, credible ties, because of the energy crisis we're now in. After all, a lot of the energy is produced from the Middle East, and so I appreciate what the administration is doing. I hope to get a sense of should I be fortunate to be the president how my administration will react to the Middle East.

What's remarkable about Bush's response is that it completely supports the theory that Bush was planning on dealing with Saddam Hussein pre-9/11. Note Bush's statement: "We don't know whether he's developing weapons of mass destruction. He better not be or there's going to be a consequence should I be the president."

EDIT: One last bit just caught my eye, so I'm updating the post. Here's another exchange between Bush and Lehrer:

MODERATOR: People watching here tonight are very interested in Middle East policy, and they are so interested they want to base their vote on differences between the two of you as president how you would handle Middle East policy. Is there any difference?

GORE: I haven't heard a big difference in the last few exchanges.

BUSH: That's hard to tell. I think that, you know, I would hope to be able to convince people I could handle the Iraqi situation better.

MODERATOR: Saddam Hussein, you mean, get him out of there?

BUSH: I would like to, of course, and I presume this administration would as well. We don't know -- there are no inspectors now in Iraq, the coalition that was in place isn't as strong as it used to be. He is a danger. We don't want him fishing in troubled waters in the Middle East. And it's going to be hard, it's going to be important to rebuild that coalition to keep the pressure on him.


Right-wingers have dismissed the idea of Bush planning to attack Saddam Hussein from the moment he took office as liberal conspiracy theories. Doesn't sound much like a conspiracy theory now, does it?

[tmac2104]

1. cool

right...

[newyawker99]

5. Hi tmac2104!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[punpirate]

2. As with the recent FTN appearance of Rumsfeld...

... this administration seems to continually forget that others don't forget, and with the web and videotape, there's always a record.

What strikes me about this exchange is how inarticulate Bush is about a specific problem--peace in the middle East--and yet the electorate didn't throw up their hands in consternation at his inability to say anything directly and straightforwardly--and this was a nationally-televised debate, not some off-the-cuff comments.

[ComerPerro]

3. lucky thing for Bush 9/11 happened, eh?

Because, I don't see how he would have gotten his war otherwise.

Quite frankly, he would have been impeached by now if it weren't for 9/11...

But I don't want to get into the basic idea that most of us have come to accept.

[coda]

4. LOL , "moderate Arab nations, like...."

* never was one to miss a chance to shill for his oldest and dearest friends.


" Secondly, that I think it's important to reach out to

moderate Arab nations,

like Jordan and Egypt,

Saudi Arabia

and Kuwait. It's important to be friends with people

when you don't need each other

so that when you do there's a strong bond of friendship. "


Two enormous lies in a row. :eyes: