BLAME AMERICA FIRST

Bush Utters Taunt About Militants: 'Bring 'Em On' (Dana Milbank and Vernon Loeb, July 3, 2003, Washington Post)

"There are some who feel that the conditions are such that they can attack us there," Bush said. Extending his right hand for emphasis, he added: "My answer is: Bring 'em on. We've got the force necessary to deal with the security situation." He promised to "deal with them harshly" if attacks continue. [...]

Though Congress is in recess, some Democrats criticized Bush's "bring 'em on" statement. "I am shaking my head in disbelief," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.). "When I served in the Army in Europe during World War II, I never heard any military commander -- let alone the
commander in chief -- invite enemies to attack U.S. troops." Lautenberg's statement said Bush's words were "tantamount to inciting and inviting more attacks against U.S. forces."

In addition, Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.), a presidential candidate, said he had heard "enough of the phony, macho rhetoric" from Bush. Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor also mounting a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, said Bush "showed tremendous insensitivity to the dangers" troops face.

Bush's spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said Bush was not inviting attacks. "I think what the president was expressing there is his confidence in the men and women of the military to handle the military mission that they still remain in the middle of," he said.

Read about this in the morning and found it amusing, but saw no reason to comment on it, until a spin around the web this afternoon showed that the Left is apoplectic over the President's statement. Do they still labor under the delusion that it's our fault that terrorists attack us? Do they really think that by speaking respectfully about al Qaeda or the Ba'ath Party they'd be able to ward off violence?

As for Mr. Lautenberg and his fellow Democrats' assertions about the inappropriateness of macho rhetoric by military commanders in wartime, do they not recall the case of General McAuliffe? His rejoinder to a German surrender ultimatum is also an apt description of their criticisms. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 3, 2003 6:00 PM