Bush's limited-liability admission -- check his exact wording!

[highplainsdem]

The exact quote, from CNN's home page:

"To the extent the federal government didn't fully do its job right, I take responsibility."

When you have an "acceptance of responsibility" that starts with the words "to the extent," watch for what follows. I can almost guarantee you it'll be renewed emphasis on what state and local officials supposedly did wrong, and a demand for them to "take responsibiltiy" -- and by the time the Repukes get through shifting responsibility, "the extent" Bush has accepted will be very little.

Freepers are already baying about this; see http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1483578/posts . You can expect GOP politicians to join the chorus soon.

[CottonBear]

1. Since the feds weren't involved, he's not resposible.

Yesterday, he blamed everything on the state and local governments.

Nothing has changed. I doubt he thinks any of this wording and strategy. He just says what he's told to say.
:grr: :scared: :grr: :scared: :grr: :scared: :grr: :scared:

[Arkansas Granny]

2. This is so lame.

Since he is going to lead the investigation, I'm sure that he will find that the federal government fully did it's job right.

[highplainsdem]

3. Or the failures were all Brown's, and since Brown has resigned...

[Arkansas Granny]

27. Right. Problem solved. No need to look any further.

[Nikki Stone 1]

4. Good catch

:kick:

[highplainsdem]

5. Thanks!

[Nikki Stone 1]

8. :)

:)

[Nikki Stone 1]

6. Can you post some of those freeper responses?

:kick:

[highplainsdem]

9. Sure. Here are a few

from that topic at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1483578/posts :

I wish he hadn't said that...evn though the guy at the top always has to accept that the buck stops there. That doesn't mean he should roll over, either. There's a chain of command for disaster response and it would be absolutely criminal if he takes all the heat for the feckless LA officials who should have done more...in fact, they should be indicted.

24 posted on 09/13/2005 9:14:22 AM PDT by SueRae


No surprise there. The Federal Government failures (if any) should properly be laid at the feet of George Bush. Lets see if Nagin and Blanco own up to the failures at the state and local level. Somehow I doubt it .

42 posted on 09/13/2005 9:16:05 AM PDT by P-Marlowe


I really, really like GWB. I think he has a good heart. My husband just met him on the Iwo Jima, yesterday or the day before and he says he is a great guy. He is being the stand up person that he is. Now lets see if Nagin and Blanco will accept responsibility for their failures....

78 posted on 09/13/2005 9:21:31 AM PDT by brwnsuga (Proud, Black, Conservative!)

[Nikki Stone 1]

15. The freepers look like they want to force the innocent to apologize

For real

[highplainsdem]

28. True. Some more Freeper reactions (the first one's hilarious):

Just call him George "Harry Truman" Bush.

102 posted on 09/13/2005 9:26:14 AM PDT by RightWhale (We in heep dip trubble)


Bush taking responsibility for inadequate performance of FEMA or other government agencies or operations is fine...its the mark of a leader to do so.

Brown has been replaced...and we move on.

141 posted on 09/13/2005 9:45:03 AM PDT by Dat Mon (still lookin for a good one....tagline)


good point. I think Bush getting his blame me part out first makes the state govt of LA look really bad!

151 posted on 09/13/2005 9:55:40 AM PDT by Halls (Terri Schindler Schiavo was murdered legally in our country, NEVER FORGET!!!)


I think Bush getting his blame me part out first makes the state govt of LA look really bad!
They couldn't look any worse if they discovered a photo of them smoking opium with Osama.

155 posted on 09/13/2005 9:58:13 AM PDT by Black Tooth (The more people I meet, the more I like my dog.)




Whew! Always feel as though I've waded through sewage after reading Free Republic, but it can be useful to watch how their twisted little minds (?) work. And they're often inadvertently funny. Not just the comparisons of GWB to Truman, but Black Tooth's sig, "The more people I meet, the more I like my dog." I think that's how most people hanging out with Freepers would feel...

[Nikki Stone 1]

29. Interesting that they think it makes Blanco and Nagin look bad

These are two people who have BEEN taking responsibility for real

[Nikki Stone 1]

7. kick

:kick:

[alfredo]

10. He then gets to define what's the federal government's job.

[Nikki Stone 1]

12. Aha

!

[alfredo]

25. He will minimize the governments' responsibility and shift

blame on Blanco, Nagin, and Brown.

[Nikki Stone 1]

11. Is anyone experiencing DU getting buggy?

?

[Solly Mack]

13. Ah...now that explains it

whew...

[Vickers]

14. "Mr. President, to what extent is the NOLA disaster the federal..."

"...government's fault?"

Jeezus, I'm not even a reporter and I know what to ask the dumbass. :eyes:

[Nikki Stone 1]

16. Did anyone ask this question?

"

[Vickers]

23. Nikki, I think me and you both know the answer to that question

:P

[JHB]

17. Jeez. He didn't even go for "Reaganesque"

Reagan's few apologies were more expansive than that, even when the main consequence was to short-circuit a proper investigation. * wants the same thing, but can't even go that far!

[ComerPerro]

18. Well, thats it right there

To paraphrase our glorious leader: I take responsibility for everything the Federal Government did wrong, and I contend that the federal government did nothing wrong.

[opihimoimoi]

19. The EXCUSE Prez Strikes once more....His peeps thought of this Phrase

After a week mulling over it.

[Nikki Stone 1]

20. Recommended

:kick:

[jane_pippin]

21. In the world of spin, every word counts.

Even if the spinners want you to only focus on the fun ones like "I" and "Take" and "Responsibility."

"To the extent that" means that when he actually doesn't take responsibility,(through actions/inaction down the road, for instance), he can say he didn't technically lie in today's remarks when he said he takes responsibility.

[gkhouston]

22. a lot of weasel words in the initial statement

and you can bet that many more will follow.

Recommended.

[ComerPerro]

24. Like a prescription drug commercial

LOL.

[highplainsdem]

26. LOL - like the comparison.

[highplainsdem]

30. Finally saw video of this on CNN Headline news, & *'s body language

reinforced the impression I got from the wording, that he doesn't in any way feel he's responsible.