[Q]To meet these and other important security challenges, including Iraq, I will bring to bear all the instruments of power that will keep our citizens secure and our nation strong. [/Q]
What the hell does this mean?
[Q]Empowered by the American people, I will work to restore:
The legitimacy that comes from the rule of law;[/Q]
I am confused? What exactly does this mean?
[Q]The credibility that comes from telling the truth;[/Q]
Who has lied? Are you accusing the President? If you are talking about the steps that led to war.....read below, because I believe the intelligence problem is more significant than your people have been briefing you on.
[Q]The knowledge that comes from first-rate intelligence, undiluted by ideology;[/Q]
Mr. Dean, our intelligence agencies were destroyed by EIGHT years of President Clinton's social programs in the FBI and the CIA. He moved to a program of promotion based on the color of ones skin, rather than on the merit of one's work. He pulled agents out of the field in many countries like Iraq and moved this country almost exclusively towards a program of ELECTRONIC INTEL. It has FAILED us.
The Clinton administration led to the exodous of excellent field agents into the private sector leaving this country vulnerable to numerous attacks. Even after the terrorist attacks of the past 12 years, the Democratic administration failed to do anything to correct the problems of our intelligence gathering capabilities, leaving us vulnerable to attack.
So Mr. Dean, before you attack the President and accuse him of using ideology to slant the evidence, I suggest you look at the whole picture....and tell me as a voter, what do you propose to do that President Bush has not done to FIX our intelligence gathering services. They missed 9/11 and apparently they were wrong about WMD in Iraq. I personally am more concerned that we have NOT taken steps to corect this by a third administration.
And Mr. Bush, I would suggest that you are a man of action, but what have you done? Seriously? Are we still flying blind? How am I to believe any intelligence about North Korea or Iran? Have you taken steps to get enough people who speak arabic languages into our intelligence services that we could possibly begin to get through the piles of ELECTRONIC INTEL gatheredd all the time. I want to know what you have done to fix the problems I have read about in the various books detailing the problems that led to 9/11.
[Q]The strength that comes from robust alliances and vigorous diplomacy; [/Q]
Robust alliances with who? The world is a changing place? Alliances change....politics change things....
It definitely sounds like Saddam would be in his palace nice and cozy...and we would be having tea and crumpets with the French.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
Sorry if I am being cranky here.......it is a pretty good speech....I am actually impressed.....however....these are the soundbites that will make the news...
