Sunday, February 08, 2004
More Questions Than Answers...
After huge Kerry wins in MI and WA yesterday, the nation's most assuredly not focused on what happens in Maine today. But there's still some there there (to ruin Dorothy Parker's famous cliche about Oakland). Kerry will win in Maine - it borders Massachusetts and he's gotten the big endorsements from George Mitchell and the current Gov - so most people will collectively yawn through til Tuesday in Virginia and Tennessee.
Put that aside, and the real story today is the increasing scrutiny Bush is facing in conjunction with falling poll numbers. Bush did absolutely nothing to help himself on "Meet the Press" today. Sure, he kept his temper in check for the most part and didn't say anything embarrassingly wrong. Still - anyone who thinks he's the best person to defuse questions surrounding the use of loaded intellegence for the Iraqi invasion has been smoking Nader's stash. Tim Russert was measured and respectful. The line of questioning was totally expected. But Bush looked ready to blow on far too many occasions. What else could explain all of the pained smirks delivered over answers to weighty questions. The only time Bush looked sincerely serious was when he responded to the question about justifying "over 530 dead" and the later question about Democrats questioning his record in the National Guard. On the latter point, Bush did manage to open up what seems to be an even larger can of worms when he agreed that releasing records about his service might be the way to quiet this teapot's tempest. I guarantee one thing in response to that interview - many, many journalists will hammer the White House and his Campaign with requests to do just that. I've read that pay stubs may be the most sought after set of evidentiary records because they will directly reference exactly what timeframe Bush was actually in Alabama (Russert mentioned it, but I've seen it laid out better on a blog by journalist Joshua Marshall in the past). Some sources have asserted that Bush will never release those particular records. Regardless, the issues of his service and much, much more importantly how we got so deep into Iraq aren't going away. And the intensity of the debate will only get hotter as the months advance toward November.
After huge Kerry wins in MI and WA yesterday, the nation's most assuredly not focused on what happens in Maine today. But there's still some there there (to ruin Dorothy Parker's famous cliche about Oakland). Kerry will win in Maine - it borders Massachusetts and he's gotten the big endorsements from George Mitchell and the current Gov - so most people will collectively yawn through til Tuesday in Virginia and Tennessee.
Put that aside, and the real story today is the increasing scrutiny Bush is facing in conjunction with falling poll numbers. Bush did absolutely nothing to help himself on "Meet the Press" today. Sure, he kept his temper in check for the most part and didn't say anything embarrassingly wrong. Still - anyone who thinks he's the best person to defuse questions surrounding the use of loaded intellegence for the Iraqi invasion has been smoking Nader's stash. Tim Russert was measured and respectful. The line of questioning was totally expected. But Bush looked ready to blow on far too many occasions. What else could explain all of the pained smirks delivered over answers to weighty questions. The only time Bush looked sincerely serious was when he responded to the question about justifying "over 530 dead" and the later question about Democrats questioning his record in the National Guard. On the latter point, Bush did manage to open up what seems to be an even larger can of worms when he agreed that releasing records about his service might be the way to quiet this teapot's tempest. I guarantee one thing in response to that interview - many, many journalists will hammer the White House and his Campaign with requests to do just that. I've read that pay stubs may be the most sought after set of evidentiary records because they will directly reference exactly what timeframe Bush was actually in Alabama (Russert mentioned it, but I've seen it laid out better on a blog by journalist Joshua Marshall in the past). Some sources have asserted that Bush will never release those particular records. Regardless, the issues of his service and much, much more importantly how we got so deep into Iraq aren't going away. And the intensity of the debate will only get hotter as the months advance toward November.
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