Same old same old

As you all know by now, the president who doesn't make policies based on polls was trotted out in primetime to make his believers feel better and to stanch the plummeting approval and opinion ratings. Of course, I could not bear to watch or listen to him, so I read the transcript (thus missing out on the fake applause that even Fox noticed). It sounded, I don't know, vaguely familiar? The NYT found the nerve to be less than effusive for a change:

The speech offered no new policies or course corrections, and for the most part was a restatement of the ideas and language that he has been employing for two and a half years to explain the war and assert that it is an integral part of a broader struggle to protect the United States from terrorism.

Using language that infuriates his opponents who say there is no link between the Iraq war and Al Qaeda, he specifically cast the battle in Iraq as part of the bigger conflict that began with the Sept. 11 attacks, which he mentioned explicitly five times and alluded to at others, and invoked the specter of Osama bin Laden.

"We fight today, because Iraq now carries the hope of freedom in a vital region of the world, and the rise of democracy will be the ultimate triumph over radicalism and terror," he said. "And we fight today because terrorists want to attack our
country and kill our citizens, and Iraq is where they are making their stand."

It was, in essence, a repeat of a speech he delivered 13 months ago, when he assured the nation during an appearance at the Army War College that while the job of achieving stability in Iraq would be hard, he had a plan - and the United States had
the will - to see it through.

So he certainly didn't give the speech John Kerry said he should give. And his repeated opposition to setting a time table for withdrawal is amusing, given his conviction while running for president. The five references to 9/11 are desperate and shameful, but RoboScottie McClellan - ever on message - began warming up the audience at his Monday press briefing. So we knew it was coming. In fact, the minions are all over it, everyone apparently forgetting that their boss already admitted there was no connection between Hussein and 9/11 (via Buzzflash). Even John McCain, a Republican I've actually been able to respect from time to time, stuck to the playbook:

Republican Sen. John McCain defended Bush's call to stop terrorism abroad before it reaches the US shore in an appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live" program. He said those spreading violence in Iraq "are the same guys who would be in New York if we don't win in Iraq."

More to come, in bits and pieces. My stored up notes and links are starting to overwhelm me, but I injured my "mousing" hand during the move, which makes internet perusing a little unpleasant. (A friend wrote to say he was glad to see the blog "humming" again; not sure I would call this "humming," but we're at least lurching along.)