Transcript Via The White House. Video at Expose the Left.

[THE PRESIDENT:] Helen. After that brilliant performance at the Grid Iron, I am — (laughter.)

Q You’re going to be sorry. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Well, then, let me take it back. (Laughter.)

Q I’d like to ask you, Mr. President, your decision to invade Iraq has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and Iraqis, wounds of Americans and Iraqis for a lifetime. Every reason given, publicly at least, has turned out not to be true. My question is, why did you really want to go to war? From the moment you stepped into the White House, from your Cabinet — your Cabinet officers, intelligence people, and so forth — what was your real reason? You have said it wasn’t oil — quest for oil, it hasn’t been Israel, or anything else. What was it?

THE PRESIDENT: I think your premise — in all due respect to your question and to you as a lifelong journalist — is that — I didn’t want war. To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong, Helen, in all due respect —

Q Everything —

THE PRESIDENT: Hold on for a second, please.

Q — everything I’ve heard —

THE PRESIDENT: Excuse me, excuse me. No President wants war. Everything you may have heard is that, but it’s just simply not true. My attitude about the defense of this country changed on September the 11th. We — when we got attacked, I vowed then and there to use every asset at my disposal to protect the American people. Our foreign policy changed on that day, Helen. You know, we used to think we were secure because of oceans and previous diplomacy. But we realized on September the 11th, 2001, that killers could destroy innocent life. And I’m never going to forget it. And I’m never going to forget the vow I made to the American people that we will do everything in our power to protect our people.

Part of that meant to make sure that we didn’t allow people to provide safe haven to an enemy. And that’s why I went into Iraq — hold on for a second —

Q They didn’t do anything to you, or to our country.

THE PRESIDENT: Look — excuse me for a second, please. Excuse me for a second. They did. The Taliban provided safe haven for al Qaeda. That’s where al Qaeda trained —

Q I’m talking about Iraq —

THE PRESIDENT: Helen, excuse me. That’s where — Afghanistan provided safe haven for al Qaeda. That’s where they trained. That’s where they plotted. That’s where they planned the attacks that killed thousands of innocent Americans.

I also saw a threat in Iraq. I was hoping to solve this problem diplomatically. That’s why I went to the Security Council; that’s why it was important to pass 1441, which was unanimously passed. And the world said, disarm, disclose, or face serious consequences —

Q — go to war —

THE PRESIDENT: — and therefore, we worked with the world, we worked to make sure that Saddam Hussein heard the message of the world. And when he chose to deny inspectors, when he chose not to disclose, then I had the difficult decision to make to remove him. And we did, and the world is safer for it.

[tags]Helen Thomas, Press Briefing, President Bush[/tags]

Ed Driscoll‘s father died early this morning. He would have celebrated his 85^th birthday next Monday.

Ed, our prayers are with you and your family.

I was the first voter in my precinct this morning, my husband was the second. The third person in line was asked if she was a Republican or a Democrat. She said neither. They told her that she would only be able to vote on the referendum issue. Then she admitted that she was a Democrat…

I wonder if she was aware of the difference between a [tag]primary[/tag] and a general [tag]election[/tag]…

Liath hasn’t graced these pages before because it can be hard to get near her with a camera.

Liath means grey in Gaelic.

Liath has to share the house with several humans, two other cats and two dogs. She would be happiest if the other two cats and the two dogs would just disappear one day. Then she’d have the humans all to herself.

[tags]cats, catblogging, pets[/tags]

yipee!

As a fan of the original series I am looking forward to this new BBC series of [tag]Dr. Who[/tag].

It starts tonight with two episodes on the [tag]SciFi Channel[/tag] at 9 EST.

It’s been on in England for a year, and seasons two and three have been ordered.

BBC Bad Wolf Site
BBC Site
IMDb

Duncan is one year old today.

12 weeks	One Year

Poor Duncan, he had lovely long whiskers until the 5-year-old got near him with scissors…

[tags]cats, pets, catblogging[/tags]

Liam was walking in the woods one day when he happened upon a napping Leprechaun, snuck up on him, and caught him.

Liam said, “Ah, I’ve got ye! Now ye’ve got to give me tree wishes!”

The Leprechaun said, “Aye, Liam. That ye have. But I must tell ye that whatever ye wish for, I will give Tom Flannery, who I know is yer worst enemy, double what you get.”

Liam thought about this a for a few minutes and said, “Okay Leprechaun, I’ve my tree wishes ready.
“For me first wish, I wish for a lovely ten room house.”

{poof!} there was a lovely ten room house. And {poof!} right next door, a lovely twenty room house with Tom on the front porch.

Tom said, “Ah Liam, me pal. I didn’t know you loved me so well!”

The leprechaun asked Liam what his second wish would be.

Liam said, “For me second wish, I wish for one of the most beautiful women in the world.”

{poof!} One of the most beautiful women in the world shows up next to Liam. {poof!poof!} Two of the most beautiful women in the world show up next to Tom.

Tom said, “Liam, whatever did I do to earn such wonderful gifts from you?”

The leprechaun said, “Well?”

Liam said, “For me third and final wish, I wish me desire for women cut by half.”

**Updates below**

Blogger’s been having some problems and somebody named Sam has stolen Betsy’s URL. There is a page there called Betsy Page with one post that doesn’t say anything and two comments, one spam and one from Betsy herself.

There were two posts earlier, but one is now gone.

Blogger people – Bring back Betsy’s real page!

Update:
Michelle’s posted on it too.

Update:
Thanks for linking Lorie!

Update:
A very kind person named Duane has saved a google cache of Betsy’s page at http://helpingbetsy.blogspot.com/. At least she’ll have her old posts available…

Update:
More comments over at “Betsy Page” – Betsy you have a lot of people who are on your side!

Update:
Glenn’s posted an email from Betsy…

Update: VERY humorous blog post from Political Humor. Great laugh!

[tags]Betsy’s Page, blogging, Blogger[/tags]

50 aircraft, 1500 US and Iraqi military. In Samarra. 101st is involved. Largest Air Assault since the beginning of the war.

Fox News Reuters, and Stop the ACLU have more.

[tags]Iraq, military, air assault, Samarra, Operation Swarmer[/tags]