The President builds straw men out of elaborate lies...

[kentuck]

that are at first difficult to assimilate and understand. I think this may explain the problems a lot of reporters are having finding the appropriate questions for his responses. Only in hindsight do we see the straw men and the outright lies. When he makes comments such as, "the young men in our military and intelligence need to know they are not breaking the law" and then goes on a bullshit spree about terrorists, civilizations, Saddam, etc, many reporters are dumbfounded by his responses.

In afterthoughts, we understand that these "young men in our military" are well-trained about the Geneva Convention and the UCMJ and what to do or say if they are captured. So the president builds a strawman argument that does not really exist. If any laws are being broken, it is because the "young men" are being given orders from higher ups - perhaps from the White House itself?

Only when you look back do you see just how deliberately deceptive his responses truly are - he is an exceptionally good liar. We like to think we would ask the right questions if we were there in the Rose Garden, but he may not even call your name. You get short notice and you must come up with a question that is appropriate for the viewing audience, no name-calling or disrespect, in a minimal amount of time. It sounds easy but I'm sure it is more difficult than we imagine under the circumstances. I'm not trying to defend the WH press corps - only trying to figure out how Bush gets away with all his lies and straw man arguments...

[unblock]

1. i also like his claim that we can't ask them to interrogate w/o clarity

oh, my, we can't ask those young men in our military to interrorgate if there's no legal clarity.

really??? who the hell has been doing the interrogation and the waterboarding and the torture up until this point???

[madrchsod]

2. what i find totally shocking about this

is that some how people believe that he can "clarify" the third article. he can not do so legally under the provision of this treaty.the congress can not clarify because they also do not have the power to change the wording. only a convening of nations and the red cross/crescent can change the wording of the convention.

http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/iwpList319/B0350845CF24B6F6C1256B66005C1A60
The four-yearly International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent

[Nite Owl]

3. And it looks like it will be a while

until the next conference:

The 29th International Conference - grouping the National Societies, their International Federation, the ICRC and the States party to the Geneva Conventions - was held in Geneva, 20-21 June 2006

[leftofthedial]

4. he's a sociopath

he's been perfecting the art of deception since before he could "talk."

[ninkasi]

5. I completely agree, leftofthedial

He is a sociopath. He is the least qualified man not only to be the president of the United States, but also to be in any position of power over others. The rabid right-wingers must come to accept the following truth...they can not be both followers of Jesus, and followers of Bush. Bush does things, and orders things done, that Jesus would have preached against.

The bible claims that Jesus drove the money-lenders from the Temple. I find it impossible to believe that he would have approved of torture, and the other vile things Bush has ordered done. There is no way people can be followers of both, and if they truly follow Jesus, then they need to repudiate Bush, immediately. If they don't, then they repudiate everything Jesus ever preached.

I use Jesus as an example, because a huge number of Bush's base, besides the haves and have mores, are fundamentalist Christians. Not all, of course, but a large number of them. It's time for them to choose.

[leftofthedial]

6. they can't love America and support king george

Anyone who still supports the degenerate is an accomplice in crimes against humanity, war crimes, treason, murder and theft.