<a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=536&e=1&cid=536&u=/ap/20020419/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_mideast_muddle_1" target="_blank">WASHINGTON (AP) - One day, President Bush (news - web sites) says he understands why Israel cracks down on Palestinians. Then he tells Israel to stop. Later still, he appears to give Israel the green light again.</a>
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The swings in Bush's Middle East rhetoric reflect the blunt-speaking style that served him well in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. "Dead or alive" is how he wanted Osama bin Laden (news - web sites). World leaders were "with us or against us." Americans liked what they heard; Bush's approval ratings climbed.

But the black-and-white language of the war against terrorism has not transferred well to the murky grays of Middle East policy. Once again this week, the administration's message was muddied by the president's own words.

In an Oval Office appearance Thursday, Bush defended the slow pace of Israel's withdrawal from Palestinian cities and said he understood why Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) had laid siege to Yasser Arafat (news - web sites)'s headquarters.

"I do believe Ariel Sharon is a man of peace," Bush said.

The remarks were widely viewed as a sign that he was endorsing Israel's military action and backing off demands for an Israeli withdrawal. White House aides scoffed at those interpretations.

"I think things can be over-nuanced," press secretary Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) said Friday.

But nuance is the lifeblood of diplomacy, particularly in a hotbed like the Middle East. Bush has had a difficult time since the crisis began trying to evenly measure his rhetoric without seeming to favor one side over the other or signaling a shift in policy.

The most jarring example came March 30, when Israel stormed Arafat's compound in Ramallah and Bush said, "I can understand why the Israeli government takes the actions they take." Hours later, his administration joined a U.N. resolution denouncing the Israeli action.

[b]"He has an amazing ability to marry himself to his audience and he's a splendid user of simple words," said Henry Graff, a presidential historian at Columbia University. "But it may be that his

He's starting to remind me of his old man. Has anyone here ever read the now defunct Satire magazine Spy? Any fans of "Seperated at Birth" should know that Spy magazine started the craze. Anyway, they had 1 issue before the '92 election titled "1001 Reasons not to vote for George Bush". In it they cited 1001 incidents of George Senior directly contradicting himself. All statements were timestamped and put into context. Some of his contradictions were 1 day after the original statement. It was brilliant!

El pretzeldente senior was a pice of work.

I expected more from the lovechild of that traitor Ollie North than a simple thumbs down. Can't you launch into some sort of anti-Clinton tirade for us?

Hey, it seems dubya hsa himself into a little mess with this Israel stuff. How much you wanna bet we see a story released about Clinton soon in an attempt to deflect attention from our current president's sh*tty performance on foreign affairs?

Or we could go bomb a infant formula factory!

Or speckel a blue dress!!!

Or accost another woman trying to play hide the weenie!!!

<small>[ April 22, 2002, 12:28 PM: Message edited by: rickheel ]</small>

Most folks cant stand the bastard!! Bring on Al!!!!! There is a man who could talk the pants off a nun. But would you want him as pres?

His old man also had some pretty impressive favorability numbers early on if I remember correctly. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="tongue.gif" />

Who is the liberal & who is in Maryland? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="rolleyes.gif" />

OK, so he is not an extemporaneous speaker. Reagan was great at it and you folks could not stand him either. Which way do you want it???

<small>[ April 22, 2002, 12:42 PM: Message edited by: rickheel ]</small>

I would prefer my pretzeldente not put his foot in his mouth whenever he tries to extemporize.

I would also prefer he not make up stories about choking on a pretzel. I don't care if he drinks. He doesn't need to lie about it.

I'm not in Maryland. I did go to school there, but I don't live there now. I don't think of myself as a liberal. If you label everyone who doesn't like George Bush a liberal, then maybe I am.

Nope.

For the record, I would not feel any shame if anyone thought I was a liberal. Thats just not how I see myself. I wouldn't give a liberal a hard time for being a liberal for instance.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Liquid Karma:
I expected more from the lovechild of that traitor Ollie North than a simple thumbs down. Can't you launch into some sort of anti-Clinton tirade for us?

Hey, it seems dubya hsa himself into a little mess with this Israel stuff. How much you wanna bet we see a story released about Clinton soon in an attempt to deflect attention from our current president's sh*tty performance on foreign affairs?</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">And isn't it time for you to go on one of your defend Clinton tirades and tell us all how your I.Q. is higher the W's? By the way, Ollie North could kick Clinton's ass.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Liquid Karma:
I would prefer my pretzeldente not put his foot in his mouth whenever he tries to extemporize.

I would also prefer he not make up stories about choking on a pretzel. I don't care if he drinks. He doesn't need to lie about it.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I already told you, he wasn't drinking. It was a heroin overdose.

I think he would use a much more upscale drug than heroin.

Dude, you and I both know I am so much smarter than W. Hell, I bet even mike is smarter than W.

I'm a liberal and in MD --- but I also think the Democratic party should not be put into office. If you just go with "the least of the worst" they're still in the category of the worst, and you don't get much accomplished. Vote green. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="tongue.gif" />

I think the green party has some really good ideas. I like their stances on the environment, decriminilization and Election/representation the most. The gentleman who sits 3 feet away from me at work does the brooklyn greens web programming. My only problem with some of their ideas is that they don't take into account the power of the market...and the price you pay when you try to deny market forces.