Presidential Credibilty
Verifiable List of Flip Flaps by Bush
Ken <Ken> wrote:
From: "Ken Ahonen"
To:
Subject: Presidential Credibilty
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2004 15:15:09 -0400
George W. Bush is right about one thing, the credibility of the president is a very important issue.
On 10/11/00, then-Gov. Bush said: "I think credibility is important. It is going to be important for the president to be credible with Congress, important for the president to be credible with foreign nations."
Let's examine how credible Bush is on the issues....
1. Social Security Surplus
BUSH PLEDGES NOT TO TOUCH SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS.
"We're going to keep the promise of Social Security and keep the government from raiding the Social Security surplus." [President Bush, 3/3/01
…less than one year later…
BUSH SPENDS SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS.
The NY Times reported that "the president's new budget uses Social Security surpluses to pay for other programs every year through 2013, ultimately diverting more than $1.4 trillion in Social Security funds to other purposes." [The New York Times, 2/6/02]
2. Patient's Right to Sue
GOVERNOR BUSH VETOES PATIENTS' RIGHT TO SUE.
"Despite his campaign rhetoric in favor of a patients' bill of rights, Bush fought such a bill tooth and nail as Texas governor, vetoing a bill coauthored by Republican state Rep. John Smithee in 1995." [Salon, 2/7/01]
…about 5 years later…
CANDIDATE BUSH PRAISES TEXAS PATIENTS' RIGHT TO SUE.
"We're one of the first states that said you can sue an HMO for denying you proper coverage... It's time for our nation to come together and do what's right for the people. And I think this is right for the people. You know, I support a national patients' bill of rights, Mr. Vice President." [Candidate Bush, during a debate with Vice President Gore 10/17/00]
…less than 4 years later…
PRESIDENT BUSH'S ADMINISTRATION ARGUES AGAINST RIGHT TO SUE.
"To let two Texas consumers, Juan Davila and Ruby R. Calad, sue their managed-care companies for wrongful denials of medical benefits ‘would be to completely undermine' federal law regulating employee benefits, Assistant Solicitor General James A. Feldman said at oral argument March 23. Moreover, the administration's brief attacked the policy rationale for Texas's law, which is similar to statutes on the books in nine other states." [Washington Post, 4/5/04]
3. Medical Records
Bush says medical records must remain private.
"I believe that we must protect…the right of every American to have confidence that his or her personal medical records will remain private." [President Bush, 4/12/01]
…3 years later….
Bush Administration says patients' histories are not confidential.
The Justice Department asserts that patients "no longer possess a reasonable expectation that their histories will remain completely confidential." [BusinessWeek, 4/30/04]
4. Department of Homeland Security
BUSH OPPOSES CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELANDSECURITY.
"So, creating a Cabinet office doesn't solve the problem. You still will have agencies within the federal government that have to be coordinated. So the answer is that creating a Cabinet post doesn't solve anything." [White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, 3/19/02]
…less than 3 months later…
BUSH SUPPORTS CREATING A DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
"So tonight, I ask the Congress to join me in creating a single, permanent department with an overriding and urgent mission: securing the homeland of America and protecting the American people." [President Bush, Address to the Nation, 6/6/02]
5. Weapons of Mass Destruction
BUSH DECLARES WE FOUND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
"We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories...for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, WE FOUND THEM." [President Bush, Interview in Poland, 5/29/03]
…8 months later…
BUSH SAYS WE HAVEN'T FOUND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
"David Kay has found the capacity to produce weapons. And when David Kay goes in and says we haven't found stockpiles yet, and there's theories as to where the weapons went. They could have been destroyed during the war. Saddam and his henchmen could have destroyed them as we entered into Iraq. They could be hidden. They could have been transported to another country, and we'll find out." [President Bush, Meet the Press, 2/7/04]
6. Saddam / al Qaeda Link
BUSH SAYS YOU CAN’T DISTINGUISH BETWEEEN AL QAEDA AND SADDAM.
"You can't distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror." [President Bush, 9/25/02]
…one year later…
BUSH SAYS SADDAM HAD NO ROLE IN AL QAEDA PLOT.
"We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in Sept. 11." [President Bush, 9/17/03]
7. Osama Bin Laden
BUSH WANTS OSAMA DEAD OR ALIVE.
"I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.'" [President Bush, on Osama Bin Laden, 09/17/01]
…6 months later…
BUSH SAYS HE IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT OSAMA.
"I don't know where he is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him. I truly am not that concerned about him."[President Bush, Press Conference, 3/13/02]
8. Timelines For Dictators
Bush sets timeline for Saddam.
"If Iraq does not accept the terms within a week of passage or fails to disclose required information within 30 days, the resolution authorizes 'all necessary means' to force compliance--in other words, a military attack." [LA Times, 10/3/02]
…less than 2 years later…
Bush says he's against timelines.
"I don't think you give timelines to dictators." [President Bush, 8/27/04]
9. WMD Commission and the Intelligence Failure of the CIA
BUSH RESISTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE.
"The White House immediately turned aside the calls from Kay and many Democrats for an immediate outside investigation, seeking to head off any new wide-ranging election-year inquiry that might go beyond reports already being assembled by congressional committees and the Central Intelligence Agency." [NY Times, 1/29/04]
…8 days later…
BUSH SUPPORTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE.
"Today, by executive order, I am creating an independent commission, chaired by Governor and former Senator Chuck Robb, Judge Laurence Silberman, to look at American intelligence capabilities, especially our intelligence about weapons of mass destruction." [President Bush, 2/6/04]
10. Creation of the 9/11 Commission
BUSH OPPOSES CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION.
"President Bush took a few minutes during his trip to Europe Thursday to voice his opposition to establishing a special commission to probe how the government dealt with terror warnings before Sept. 11." [CBS News, 5/23/02]
…4 months later…
BUSH SUPPORTS CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION. "President Bush said today he now supports establishing an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." [ABC News, 09/20/02]
11. Time Extension for 9/11 Commission
BUSH OPPOSES TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION.
"President Bush and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) have decided to oppose granting more time to an independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks." [Washington Post, 1/19/04]
…2 weeks later…
BUSH SUPPORTS TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION.
"The White House announced Wednesday its support for a request from the commission investigating the September 11, 2001 attacks for more time to complete its work." [CNN, 2/4/04]
12. Bush’s 9/11 Commission Testimony
BUSH LIMITS TESTIMONY IN FRONT OF 9/11 COMMISSION TO ONE HOUR.
"President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have placed strict limits on the private interviews they will grant to the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that they will meet only with the panel's top two officials and that Mr. Bush will submit to only a single hour of questioning, commission members said Wednesday." [NY Times, 2/26/04]
…2 weeks later…
BUSH SETS NO TIMELIMIT FOR TESTIMONY.
"The president's going to answer all of the questions they want to raise. Nobody's watching the clock." [White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 3/10/04]
13. Condoleeza Rice Testimony
BUSH SPOKESMAN SAYS RICE WON'T TESTIFY AS 'A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE'.
"Again, this is not her personal preference; this goes back to a matter of principle. There is a separation of powers issue involved here. Historically, White House staffers do not testify before legislative bodies. So it's a matter of principle, not a matter of preference." [White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, 3/9/04]
…just 3 weeks later…
BUSH ORDERS RICE TO TESTIFY.
"Today I have informed the Commission on Terrorist Attacks Against the United States that my National Security Advisor, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, will provide public testimony." [President Bush, 3/30/04]
14. Nation Building
CANDIDATE BUSH OPPOSES NATION BUILDING.
"If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in nation building missions, then we're going to have a serious problem coming down the road." [Gov. George W. Bush, 10/3/00]
…3 years later as president…
BUSH SUPPORTS NATION BUILDING.
"We will be changing the regime of Iraq, for the good of the Iraqi people." [President Bush, 3/6/03]
15. Iraq Funding
BUSH SPOKESMAN DENIES NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE REST OF 2004.
"We do not anticipate requesting supplemental funding for 04" [White House Budget Director Joshua Bolton, 2/2/04]
…3 months later…
BUSH REQUESTS ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR IRAQ FOR 2004.
"I am requesting that Congress establish a $25 billion contingency reserve fund for the coming fiscal year to meet all commitments to our troops." [President Bush’s Statement, 5/5/04]
16. U.N. Resolution
BUSH VOWS TO HAVE A U.N. VOTE NO MATTER WHAT.
"No matter what the whip count is, we're calling for the vote. We want to see people stand up and say what their opinion is about Saddam Hussein and the utility of the United Nations Security Council. And so, you bet. It's time for people to show their cards, to let the world know where they stand when it comes to Saddam." [President Bush 3/6/03]
…only 12 days later…
BUSH WITHDRAWS REQUEST FOR U.N. VOTE.
"At a National Security Council meeting convened at the White House at 8:55 a.m., Bush finalized the decision to withdraw the resolution from consideration and prepared to deliver an address to the nation." [Washington Post, 3/18/03]
17. North Korea
BUSH WILL NOT OFFER NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM.
"We developed a bold approach under which, if the North addressed our long-standing concerns, the United States was prepared to take important steps that would have significantly improved the lives of the North Korean people. Now that North Korea's covert nuclear weapons program has come to light, we are unable to pursue this approach." [President's Statement, 11/15/02]
…a year and a half later…
BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFERS NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM.
"Well, we will work to take steps to ease their political and economic isolation. So there would be -- what you would see would be some provisional or temporary proposals that would only lead to lasting benefit after North Korea dismantles its nuclear programs. So there would be some provisional or temporary efforts of that nature." [White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, 6/23/04]
18. OPEC
CANDIDATE BUSH WANTS TO FORCE OPEC TO LOWER PRICES.
"What I think the president ought to do [when gas prices spike] is he ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your spigots...and the President of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price." [Governor Bush, 1/26/00]
…4 years later as president…
PRESIDENT BUSH REFUSES TO LOBBY OPEC LEADERS.
With gas prices soaring in the United States at the beginning of 2004, the Miami Herald reported the president refused to "personally lobby oil cartel leaders to change their minds." [Miami Herald, 4/1/04]
19. Involvement in the Palestinian Conflict
BUSH OPPOSES SUMMITS.
"Well, we've tried summits in the past, as you may remember. It wasn't all that long ago where a summit was called and nothing happened, and as a result we had significant intifada in the area." [President Bush, 04/05/02]
…about a year later…
BUSH SUPPORTS SUMMITS.
"If a meeting advances progress toward two states living side by side in peace, I will strongly consider such a meeting. I'm committed to working toward peace in the Middle East." [President Bush, 5/23/03]
20. Gay Marriage
CANDIDATE BUSH SAYS GAY MARRIAGE IS A STATE ISSUE.
"The state can do what they want to do. Don't try to trap me in this state's issue like you're trying to get me into." [Gov. George W. Bush on Gay Marriage, Larry King Live, 2/15/00]
…4 years later as president…
BUSH SUPPORTS A FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE.
"Today I call upon the Congress to promptly pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of man and woman as husband and wife." [President Bush, 2/24/04]
21. Science
CANDIDATE BUSH ADVOCATES FOR STANDARDS BASED ON SCIENCE.
"I think we ought to have high standards set by agencies that rely upon science, not by what may feel good or what sounds good." [Governor George W. Bush, 1/15/00]
…4 years later as president…
BUSH ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS IGNORE SCIENCE.
"60 leading scientists—including Nobel laureates, leading medical experts, former federal agency directors and university chairs and presidents—issued a statement calling for regulatory and legislative action to restore scientific integrity to federal policy making. According to the scientists, the Bush administration has, among other abuses, suppressed and distorted scientific analysis from federal agencies, and taken actions that have undermined the quality of scientific advisory panels." [Union of Concerned Scientists, 2/18/04]
22. The Environment
CANDIDATE BUSH SUPPORTS REDUCING CARBON DIOXIDE.
"[If elected], Governor Bush will work to establish mandatory reduction targets for emissions of four main pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and carbon dioxide." [Bush Environmental Plan, 9/29/00]
…2 ? years later as president…
BUSH OPPOSES MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE.
"I do not believe, however, that the government should impose on power plants mandatory emissions reductions for carbon dioxide, which is not a 'pollutant' under the Clean Air Act." [President Bush, Letter to Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), 3/13/03]
23. Tobacco Buyout
BUSH SUPPORTS CURRENT TOBACCO FARMERS' QUOTA SYSTEM.
"They've got the quota system in place, the allotment system, and I don't think that needs to be changed." [President Bush, 5/04]
…one month later…
BUSH ADMINISTRATION SUPPORTS FEDERAL BUYOUT OF TOBACCO QUOTAS.
"The administration is open to a buyout." [White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo, 6/18/04]
24. Abortion
CITIZEN BUSH SUPPORTS A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
"Bush said he favors leaving up to a woman and her doctor the abortion question." [The Nation, 6/15/00, quoting the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 5/78]
…more than 20 years later…
CANDIDATE BUSH OPPOSES A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
"I am pro-life." [Governor Bush, 10/3/00]
25. Campaign Finance
CANDIDATE BUSH OPPOSES MCCAIN-FEINGOLD.
"George W. Bush opposes McCain-Feingold...as an infringement on free expression." [Washington Post, 3/28/2000]
…2 years later as president…
BUSH SIGNS MCCAIN-FEINGOLD INTO LAW.
"[T]his bill improves the current system of financing for Federal campaigns, and therefore I have signed it into law." [President Bush, at the McCain-Feingold signing ceremony, 03/27/02]
26. 527s
BUSH OPPOSES RESTRICTIONS ON 527s."I also have reservations about the constitutionality of the broad ban on issue advertising, which restrains the speech of a wide variety of groups on issues of public import." [President Bush, 3/27/02]
…2 years later…
BUSH SAYS 527s ARE BAD FOR THE SYSTEM.
"I don't think we ought to have 527s. I can't be more plain about it…I think they're bad for the system. That's why I signed the bill, McCain-Feingold." [President Bush, 8/23/04]
27. Free Trade
BUSH SUPPORTS FREE TRADE.
"I believe strongly that if we promote trade, and when we promote trade, it will help workers on both sides of this issue." [President Bush in Peru, 3/23/02]
…a year and a half later…
BUSH SUPPORTS RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE.
"In a decision largely driven by his political advisers, President Bush set aside his free-trade principles last year and imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel to help out struggling mills in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, two states crucial for his re-election.” (sic) [Washington Post, 9/19/03]
28. The Great Lakes
Bush wants to divert great lakes.
"Even though experts say 'diverting any water from the Great Lakes region sets a bad precedent,' Bush said he wants ‘to talk to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien about piping water to parched states in the west and southwest.” [AP, 7/19/01]
…3 years later…
Bush says he'll never divert Great Lakes.
"We've got to use our resources wisely, like water. It starts with keeping the Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes Basin...My position is clear: We're never going to allow diversion of Great Lakes water." [President Bush, 8/16/04]
29. Winning The War On Terror
Bush claims he can win the war on terror.
"One of the interesting things people ask me, now that we're asking questions, is, can you ever win the war on terror? Of course, you can." [President Bush, 4/13/04]
…just 4 months later…
Bush says war on terror is unwinnable.
"I don't think you can win [the war on terror]." [President Bush, 8/30/04]
…the very next day…
Bush says he will win the war on terror.
"Make no mistake about it, we are winning and we will win [the war on terror]." [President Bush, 8/31/04]
Is that a Flip, a Flop, or a Flip-Flop?
Don’t worry, there are two more months before the election, which gives Bush a chance to change his mind again!
Informant: JackTopel
Ken <Ken> wrote:
From: "Ken Ahonen"
To:
Subject: Presidential Credibilty
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2004 15:15:09 -0400
George W. Bush is right about one thing, the credibility of the president is a very important issue.
On 10/11/00, then-Gov. Bush said: "I think credibility is important. It is going to be important for the president to be credible with Congress, important for the president to be credible with foreign nations."
Let's examine how credible Bush is on the issues....
1. Social Security Surplus
BUSH PLEDGES NOT TO TOUCH SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS.
"We're going to keep the promise of Social Security and keep the government from raiding the Social Security surplus." [President Bush, 3/3/01
…less than one year later…
BUSH SPENDS SOCIAL SECURITY SURPLUS.
The NY Times reported that "the president's new budget uses Social Security surpluses to pay for other programs every year through 2013, ultimately diverting more than $1.4 trillion in Social Security funds to other purposes." [The New York Times, 2/6/02]
2. Patient's Right to Sue
GOVERNOR BUSH VETOES PATIENTS' RIGHT TO SUE.
"Despite his campaign rhetoric in favor of a patients' bill of rights, Bush fought such a bill tooth and nail as Texas governor, vetoing a bill coauthored by Republican state Rep. John Smithee in 1995." [Salon, 2/7/01]
…about 5 years later…
CANDIDATE BUSH PRAISES TEXAS PATIENTS' RIGHT TO SUE.
"We're one of the first states that said you can sue an HMO for denying you proper coverage... It's time for our nation to come together and do what's right for the people. And I think this is right for the people. You know, I support a national patients' bill of rights, Mr. Vice President." [Candidate Bush, during a debate with Vice President Gore 10/17/00]
…less than 4 years later…
PRESIDENT BUSH'S ADMINISTRATION ARGUES AGAINST RIGHT TO SUE.
"To let two Texas consumers, Juan Davila and Ruby R. Calad, sue their managed-care companies for wrongful denials of medical benefits ‘would be to completely undermine' federal law regulating employee benefits, Assistant Solicitor General James A. Feldman said at oral argument March 23. Moreover, the administration's brief attacked the policy rationale for Texas's law, which is similar to statutes on the books in nine other states." [Washington Post, 4/5/04]
3. Medical Records
Bush says medical records must remain private.
"I believe that we must protect…the right of every American to have confidence that his or her personal medical records will remain private." [President Bush, 4/12/01]
…3 years later….
Bush Administration says patients' histories are not confidential.
The Justice Department asserts that patients "no longer possess a reasonable expectation that their histories will remain completely confidential." [BusinessWeek, 4/30/04]
4. Department of Homeland Security
BUSH OPPOSES CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELANDSECURITY.
"So, creating a Cabinet office doesn't solve the problem. You still will have agencies within the federal government that have to be coordinated. So the answer is that creating a Cabinet post doesn't solve anything." [White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, 3/19/02]
…less than 3 months later…
BUSH SUPPORTS CREATING A DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.
"So tonight, I ask the Congress to join me in creating a single, permanent department with an overriding and urgent mission: securing the homeland of America and protecting the American people." [President Bush, Address to the Nation, 6/6/02]
5. Weapons of Mass Destruction
BUSH DECLARES WE FOUND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
"We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories...for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, WE FOUND THEM." [President Bush, Interview in Poland, 5/29/03]
…8 months later…
BUSH SAYS WE HAVEN'T FOUND WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.
"David Kay has found the capacity to produce weapons. And when David Kay goes in and says we haven't found stockpiles yet, and there's theories as to where the weapons went. They could have been destroyed during the war. Saddam and his henchmen could have destroyed them as we entered into Iraq. They could be hidden. They could have been transported to another country, and we'll find out." [President Bush, Meet the Press, 2/7/04]
6. Saddam / al Qaeda Link
BUSH SAYS YOU CAN’T DISTINGUISH BETWEEEN AL QAEDA AND SADDAM.
"You can't distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror." [President Bush, 9/25/02]
…one year later…
BUSH SAYS SADDAM HAD NO ROLE IN AL QAEDA PLOT.
"We've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in Sept. 11." [President Bush, 9/17/03]
7. Osama Bin Laden
BUSH WANTS OSAMA DEAD OR ALIVE.
"I want justice. And there's an old poster out West, I recall, that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.'" [President Bush, on Osama Bin Laden, 09/17/01]
…6 months later…
BUSH SAYS HE IS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT OSAMA.
"I don't know where he is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him. I truly am not that concerned about him."[President Bush, Press Conference, 3/13/02]
8. Timelines For Dictators
Bush sets timeline for Saddam.
"If Iraq does not accept the terms within a week of passage or fails to disclose required information within 30 days, the resolution authorizes 'all necessary means' to force compliance--in other words, a military attack." [LA Times, 10/3/02]
…less than 2 years later…
Bush says he's against timelines.
"I don't think you give timelines to dictators." [President Bush, 8/27/04]
9. WMD Commission and the Intelligence Failure of the CIA
BUSH RESISTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE.
"The White House immediately turned aside the calls from Kay and many Democrats for an immediate outside investigation, seeking to head off any new wide-ranging election-year inquiry that might go beyond reports already being assembled by congressional committees and the Central Intelligence Agency." [NY Times, 1/29/04]
…8 days later…
BUSH SUPPORTS AN OUTSIDE INVESTIGATION ON WMD INTELLIGENCE FAILURE.
"Today, by executive order, I am creating an independent commission, chaired by Governor and former Senator Chuck Robb, Judge Laurence Silberman, to look at American intelligence capabilities, especially our intelligence about weapons of mass destruction." [President Bush, 2/6/04]
10. Creation of the 9/11 Commission
BUSH OPPOSES CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION.
"President Bush took a few minutes during his trip to Europe Thursday to voice his opposition to establishing a special commission to probe how the government dealt with terror warnings before Sept. 11." [CBS News, 5/23/02]
…4 months later…
BUSH SUPPORTS CREATION OF INDEPENDENT 9/11 COMMISSION. "President Bush said today he now supports establishing an independent commission to investigate the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks." [ABC News, 09/20/02]
11. Time Extension for 9/11 Commission
BUSH OPPOSES TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION.
"President Bush and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) have decided to oppose granting more time to an independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks." [Washington Post, 1/19/04]
…2 weeks later…
BUSH SUPPORTS TIME EXTENSION FOR 9/11 COMMISSION.
"The White House announced Wednesday its support for a request from the commission investigating the September 11, 2001 attacks for more time to complete its work." [CNN, 2/4/04]
12. Bush’s 9/11 Commission Testimony
BUSH LIMITS TESTIMONY IN FRONT OF 9/11 COMMISSION TO ONE HOUR.
"President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have placed strict limits on the private interviews they will grant to the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that they will meet only with the panel's top two officials and that Mr. Bush will submit to only a single hour of questioning, commission members said Wednesday." [NY Times, 2/26/04]
…2 weeks later…
BUSH SETS NO TIMELIMIT FOR TESTIMONY.
"The president's going to answer all of the questions they want to raise. Nobody's watching the clock." [White House spokesman Scott McClellan, 3/10/04]
13. Condoleeza Rice Testimony
BUSH SPOKESMAN SAYS RICE WON'T TESTIFY AS 'A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE'.
"Again, this is not her personal preference; this goes back to a matter of principle. There is a separation of powers issue involved here. Historically, White House staffers do not testify before legislative bodies. So it's a matter of principle, not a matter of preference." [White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, 3/9/04]
…just 3 weeks later…
BUSH ORDERS RICE TO TESTIFY.
"Today I have informed the Commission on Terrorist Attacks Against the United States that my National Security Advisor, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, will provide public testimony." [President Bush, 3/30/04]
14. Nation Building
CANDIDATE BUSH OPPOSES NATION BUILDING.
"If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in nation building missions, then we're going to have a serious problem coming down the road." [Gov. George W. Bush, 10/3/00]
…3 years later as president…
BUSH SUPPORTS NATION BUILDING.
"We will be changing the regime of Iraq, for the good of the Iraqi people." [President Bush, 3/6/03]
15. Iraq Funding
BUSH SPOKESMAN DENIES NEED FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE REST OF 2004.
"We do not anticipate requesting supplemental funding for 04" [White House Budget Director Joshua Bolton, 2/2/04]
…3 months later…
BUSH REQUESTS ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR IRAQ FOR 2004.
"I am requesting that Congress establish a $25 billion contingency reserve fund for the coming fiscal year to meet all commitments to our troops." [President Bush’s Statement, 5/5/04]
16. U.N. Resolution
BUSH VOWS TO HAVE A U.N. VOTE NO MATTER WHAT.
"No matter what the whip count is, we're calling for the vote. We want to see people stand up and say what their opinion is about Saddam Hussein and the utility of the United Nations Security Council. And so, you bet. It's time for people to show their cards, to let the world know where they stand when it comes to Saddam." [President Bush 3/6/03]
…only 12 days later…
BUSH WITHDRAWS REQUEST FOR U.N. VOTE.
"At a National Security Council meeting convened at the White House at 8:55 a.m., Bush finalized the decision to withdraw the resolution from consideration and prepared to deliver an address to the nation." [Washington Post, 3/18/03]
17. North Korea
BUSH WILL NOT OFFER NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM.
"We developed a bold approach under which, if the North addressed our long-standing concerns, the United States was prepared to take important steps that would have significantly improved the lives of the North Korean people. Now that North Korea's covert nuclear weapons program has come to light, we are unable to pursue this approach." [President's Statement, 11/15/02]
…a year and a half later…
BUSH ADMINISTRATION OFFERS NORTH KOREA INCENTIVES TO DISARM.
"Well, we will work to take steps to ease their political and economic isolation. So there would be -- what you would see would be some provisional or temporary proposals that would only lead to lasting benefit after North Korea dismantles its nuclear programs. So there would be some provisional or temporary efforts of that nature." [White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, 6/23/04]
18. OPEC
CANDIDATE BUSH WANTS TO FORCE OPEC TO LOWER PRICES.
"What I think the president ought to do [when gas prices spike] is he ought to get on the phone with the OPEC cartel and say we expect you to open your spigots...and the President of the United States must jawbone OPEC members to lower the price." [Governor Bush, 1/26/00]
…4 years later as president…
PRESIDENT BUSH REFUSES TO LOBBY OPEC LEADERS.
With gas prices soaring in the United States at the beginning of 2004, the Miami Herald reported the president refused to "personally lobby oil cartel leaders to change their minds." [Miami Herald, 4/1/04]
19. Involvement in the Palestinian Conflict
BUSH OPPOSES SUMMITS.
"Well, we've tried summits in the past, as you may remember. It wasn't all that long ago where a summit was called and nothing happened, and as a result we had significant intifada in the area." [President Bush, 04/05/02]
…about a year later…
BUSH SUPPORTS SUMMITS.
"If a meeting advances progress toward two states living side by side in peace, I will strongly consider such a meeting. I'm committed to working toward peace in the Middle East." [President Bush, 5/23/03]
20. Gay Marriage
CANDIDATE BUSH SAYS GAY MARRIAGE IS A STATE ISSUE.
"The state can do what they want to do. Don't try to trap me in this state's issue like you're trying to get me into." [Gov. George W. Bush on Gay Marriage, Larry King Live, 2/15/00]
…4 years later as president…
BUSH SUPPORTS A FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT BANNING GAY MARRIAGE.
"Today I call upon the Congress to promptly pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of man and woman as husband and wife." [President Bush, 2/24/04]
21. Science
CANDIDATE BUSH ADVOCATES FOR STANDARDS BASED ON SCIENCE.
"I think we ought to have high standards set by agencies that rely upon science, not by what may feel good or what sounds good." [Governor George W. Bush, 1/15/00]
…4 years later as president…
BUSH ADMINISTRATION REGULATIONS IGNORE SCIENCE.
"60 leading scientists—including Nobel laureates, leading medical experts, former federal agency directors and university chairs and presidents—issued a statement calling for regulatory and legislative action to restore scientific integrity to federal policy making. According to the scientists, the Bush administration has, among other abuses, suppressed and distorted scientific analysis from federal agencies, and taken actions that have undermined the quality of scientific advisory panels." [Union of Concerned Scientists, 2/18/04]
22. The Environment
CANDIDATE BUSH SUPPORTS REDUCING CARBON DIOXIDE.
"[If elected], Governor Bush will work to establish mandatory reduction targets for emissions of four main pollutants: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and carbon dioxide." [Bush Environmental Plan, 9/29/00]
…2 ? years later as president…
BUSH OPPOSES MANDATORY CAPS ON CARBON DIOXIDE.
"I do not believe, however, that the government should impose on power plants mandatory emissions reductions for carbon dioxide, which is not a 'pollutant' under the Clean Air Act." [President Bush, Letter to Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE), 3/13/03]
23. Tobacco Buyout
BUSH SUPPORTS CURRENT TOBACCO FARMERS' QUOTA SYSTEM.
"They've got the quota system in place, the allotment system, and I don't think that needs to be changed." [President Bush, 5/04]
…one month later…
BUSH ADMINISTRATION SUPPORTS FEDERAL BUYOUT OF TOBACCO QUOTAS.
"The administration is open to a buyout." [White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo, 6/18/04]
24. Abortion
CITIZEN BUSH SUPPORTS A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
"Bush said he favors leaving up to a woman and her doctor the abortion question." [The Nation, 6/15/00, quoting the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 5/78]
…more than 20 years later…
CANDIDATE BUSH OPPOSES A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
"I am pro-life." [Governor Bush, 10/3/00]
25. Campaign Finance
CANDIDATE BUSH OPPOSES MCCAIN-FEINGOLD.
"George W. Bush opposes McCain-Feingold...as an infringement on free expression." [Washington Post, 3/28/2000]
…2 years later as president…
BUSH SIGNS MCCAIN-FEINGOLD INTO LAW.
"[T]his bill improves the current system of financing for Federal campaigns, and therefore I have signed it into law." [President Bush, at the McCain-Feingold signing ceremony, 03/27/02]
26. 527s
BUSH OPPOSES RESTRICTIONS ON 527s."I also have reservations about the constitutionality of the broad ban on issue advertising, which restrains the speech of a wide variety of groups on issues of public import." [President Bush, 3/27/02]
…2 years later…
BUSH SAYS 527s ARE BAD FOR THE SYSTEM.
"I don't think we ought to have 527s. I can't be more plain about it…I think they're bad for the system. That's why I signed the bill, McCain-Feingold." [President Bush, 8/23/04]
27. Free Trade
BUSH SUPPORTS FREE TRADE.
"I believe strongly that if we promote trade, and when we promote trade, it will help workers on both sides of this issue." [President Bush in Peru, 3/23/02]
…a year and a half later…
BUSH SUPPORTS RESTRICTIONS ON TRADE.
"In a decision largely driven by his political advisers, President Bush set aside his free-trade principles last year and imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel to help out struggling mills in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, two states crucial for his re-election.” (sic) [Washington Post, 9/19/03]
28. The Great Lakes
Bush wants to divert great lakes.
"Even though experts say 'diverting any water from the Great Lakes region sets a bad precedent,' Bush said he wants ‘to talk to Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien about piping water to parched states in the west and southwest.” [AP, 7/19/01]
…3 years later…
Bush says he'll never divert Great Lakes.
"We've got to use our resources wisely, like water. It starts with keeping the Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes Basin...My position is clear: We're never going to allow diversion of Great Lakes water." [President Bush, 8/16/04]
29. Winning The War On Terror
Bush claims he can win the war on terror.
"One of the interesting things people ask me, now that we're asking questions, is, can you ever win the war on terror? Of course, you can." [President Bush, 4/13/04]
…just 4 months later…
Bush says war on terror is unwinnable.
"I don't think you can win [the war on terror]." [President Bush, 8/30/04]
…the very next day…
Bush says he will win the war on terror.
"Make no mistake about it, we are winning and we will win [the war on terror]." [President Bush, 8/31/04]
Is that a Flip, a Flop, or a Flip-Flop?
Don’t worry, there are two more months before the election, which gives Bush a chance to change his mind again!
Informant: JackTopel
Starmail - 7. Sep, 18:57
