NYT: Bush's bin Laden speech, classic Rove, planned since July

[DeepModem Mom]

"Osama bin Forgotten" rediscovered!

Looking to Elections, Bush and Democrats Spar on National Security
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: September 6, 2006

....At the White House, where aides have been planning the terrorism speeches since July, strategists are seizing the (9/11) anniversary to present Mr. Bush as a strong commander in chief. In addition to the military officers who served as the backdrop for Tuesday’s speech, the audience included wounded soldiers and prominent Republican senators who are veterans, including Senator John W. Warner of Virginia, chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

The speech employed some of Mr. Bush’s sharpest rhetoric to date. He compared Osama bin Laden to Lenin and Hitler, saying, “Bin Laden and his terrorist allies have made their intentions as clear as Lenin and Hitler before them.”

The president also quoted liberally from Mr. bin Laden, warning that the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks is still pursuing his vision of “a unified totalitarian Islamic state that can confront and eventually destroy the free world.”

The speech used a classic strategy of Karl Rove, Mr. Bush’s chief political adviser, who specializes in turning a candidate’s weakness into a strength. In this case, Mr. Bush’s weakness is that Mr. bin Laden has not been captured — a point that was quickly picked up by Democrats. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts said that if Mr. Bush had “unleashed the American military to do the job at Tora Bora four years ago and killed Osama bin Laden, he wouldn’t have to quote this barbarian’s words today.”

That did not stop Mr. Bush from mentioning Mr. bin Laden 17 times in the 44-minute speech, a tactic that seemed intended to emphasize the Republican argument that the nation can trust the president and his party more than Democrats to protect it from attacks....

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/06/washington/06bush.html

[CJCRANE]

1. So B*sh is Bin Laden's publicist now?

Seems like it.

[Mabus]

3. It's a variation of the old saying "My enemy’s enemy is my friend."

and since most Americans are the enemies of bin Laden/terrorists it only makes sense that Dubya will ally with bin Laden to subdue us.

[TayTay]

2. That signed agreement with Pakistan to leave bin laden alone

has probably been planned since July too. Unfortunately for Bush, it wasn't supposed to leak out to the press until Nov. 8th. That could be a problem. Hard to prove you are 'tough on terorists' when you allow your allies to let them 'live in peace.'

I wonder what Rove's strategy is to deal with this. He goes after the strongest point of the opponent and bolsters the weakest points of his friends, so it will probably be "Bush wanted to kill bin Laden but the Democrats made him agree to that peace thing. It's all their fault."

[Supersedeas]

4. a thriving OBL is key to *'s political survival--why doesn't the Media get

this???

[eccles12]

5. These latest moves by Bush and Republicans is so "political" as to be

really a slap in the face to American voters. If only the american voters had enough sense to know when they are being slapped in the face. Judging from Limbaugh's audience, they do not.