Bush Upbeat Over Bloodiest Day In Iraq

WASHINGTON , Jan. 26 - President Bush's opening statement at his news conference on Wednesday was striking for what it left out: any mention of the 31 Americans who died overnight in the crash of a Marine helicopter in Iraq, the largest number of American deaths in a single incident since the war began…

Though the tone of the news conference was at times light and bantering, in response to a question later Mr. Bush did address the helicopter crash: "Obviously any time we lose life it is a sad moment," he said.

In between light bantering, Bush felt sad.

:(

Mr. Bush's decision not to mention the helicopter crash in his opening statement, the Bush adviser said, was part of a longstanding White House practice to avoid having the president mention some American deaths in Iraq but not others.

"It's almost a policy," said the adviser, who asked not to be named because the president does not want aides talking about the inner workings of the White House, "because if you mention one, you have to mention them all."

And that would suck, wouldn’t it? It would be a big pain in the presidential dick to have to mention all the 1300 Americans who have died for his decision. If he had known he might have to do that, shit, he wouldn’t have invaded that stupid country in the first place!

So, the hell with that. Bush isn’t going to acknowledge any of the Americans killed in Iraq.

Light banter. Upbeat. Try it at Arlington, folks. Try it at Walter Reed.

War's all about perception. Everybody knows that.

Comments

[Crankydragon]

I was scouring news sites yesterday to find the names, until I found out they weren't released yet. A friend of mine's husband is in Fallujah to "help out" with the elections. I hate to think it, but ... I don't like his odds.