Friday, August 06, 2004

Gaffes: Bush is getting slammed by the media for making another Bushism.

Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.

Funny stuff -- better than the garbage Slate keeps running. But aside from a few conspiracy theorists, I'm sure most people realize this was a slip of the tongue and not a revelation that Bush is out to harm the American people.

Then Kerry said something in an interview with George Stephanopoulos that's not getting much attention at all.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: But I'm trying to get here at what happens if circumstances change, if the economy slows down, if your plans end up being more expensive than you think. Are you saying no matter what, the middle class isn't going to get a tax increase?

SENATOR JOHN F. KERRY: That's what I'm saying.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: No matter what. Okay, well, then I want to bring back a conversation I had with the mayor of Scranton yesterday. He thought your crowd was terrific. He thought it was just great. He said this is what he's afraid of.

SENATOR JOHN F. KERRY: Let me make one caveat.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay.

SENATOR JOHN F. KERRY: War, obvious national emergency.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, we're at war now.

SENATOR JOHN F. KERRY: Well, it is possible obviously if the war, we've said that our plan is going to reduce the burden in this war, I have no doubt on that, none whatsoever. We're going to reduce the burden in this war, and if we do what we need to do for our economy, we're going to grow the tax base of our country.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: That's a pretty big caveat.

I can't help but get the feeling that Kerry didn't misspeak, but that he was saying what he really felt -- that he doesn't believe we're at war, except for the conflict in Iraq, and that his main goal is for us to get out of the battles as soon as possible, not necessarily to win.

That scares me.