"Bring it on" puts Bush in trouble

Holy shit -- Bush says something incredibly stupid, and the media isn't ignoring it?

President Bush has used colorful language before to great effect, but he is taking some heat for his "Bring them on" challenge to Iraqi militants attacking U.S. forces, who he said were tough enough to take it.

Even some aides winced at Bush's words, which Democrats pounced on as an invitation to Iraqi militants to fire on U.S. troops already the subject of hit-and-run attacks by Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) loyalists and others.

Driving the criticism, of course, are the Dems candidate -- all who saw a no-brainer avenue of attack and pounced.

University of Texas political scientist Bruce Buchanan, a longtime Bush watcher, said Bush uses such language when under strain, and that he is likely feeling the heat of criticism about the lagging post-war effort in Iraq.

He called the remark an unfortunate choice of words because it sounded belligerent.

"I think that when he feels up against it, as he did at the time of the 9/11 attacks, or when he does when coming under criticism now, he has a tendency to strike back verbally, and I think that's what you're seeing there. He's not choosing his words diplomatically at those moments because he's not feeling particularly diplomatic," Buchanan said.

In other words, Bush can't handle criticism without getting cranky. At this rate, he may self-destruct from the pressure of the Iraq debacle.

In any case, Bush might be pleased to note that the Iraqis are heeding his words:

Nine U.S. Soldiers Injured, Two Iraqis Killed in Iraq Attacks

Later Thursday morning, an ambusher fired a grenade at a U.S. Army convoy in downtown Baghdad, wounding two soldiers; troops who returned fire killed an Iraqi bystander and injured others, witnesses said.

As the convoy moved along Baghdad’s Haifa Street, a man fired a rocket-propelled grenade while standing in a car’s sunroof; the grenade exploded beneath an Army Humvee, said Saddam Juwad, 22, a bystander. Most of the soldiers jumped from the Humvee before the explosion, Juwad said. One soldier who appeared to be injured was evacuated, Juwad and other witnesses said.

Another limping U.S. soldier sobbed and shook as a comrade helped him into a car.

As the attackers sped away, U.S. soldiers began firing wildly, Juwad and other witnesses said, killing the driver of another car. As a Humvee sat burning in the street an hour after the attack, witnesses pointed to a pool of blood on the street where the victim had fallen.

Ari's been babbling about how the president's words were just meant to "offer support" to the troops or whatever. But until Bush walks in their boots (something his AWOL chickenshit self has never done), he needs to show some sensitivity.

Our troops are dying in Iraq in a war spurred by Bush's LIES. Bush lied, people died. And now he dares the enemy to continue their attacks.

In the meantime, the troops and their families go through hell.

It's just not right.

Posted July 03, 2003 12:01 PM