The media is still ruminating about what they viewed as the major admission from Bush this week that he shouldn't have said "bring it on" and "dead or alive." Russert actually called that "remarkable." Just because he apologized for saying a couple things, doesn't mean he's changed any policy. He's spinning the press again. Reuters seems to understand the difference:
President George W. Bush, beset by public doubts about his leadership, has opted for a more humble tone in discussing the Iraq war, including admitting mistakes, as a way to rebuild his credibility, analysts said on Friday.Somewhat different tone to appease the media. No change in policy. And most of the press fell for it.
Bush's shift in attitude during a Thursday news conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair was an indication he understands the depth of public discontent with the war and the criticism that he is too stubborn to adjust his policies, they said.
Bush's change in tone did not signal a change in policies, however. He and Blair refused to set a timetable for withdrawing troops and Bush said conditions on the ground would dictate future decisions about troop levels and commitments in Iraq.
Maureen Dowd understood this in her column yesterday (yes, it's hidden from the public at Times Select:
While it was nice to hear President Bush admit he had made mistakes, he was talking mostly about mistakes of tone. Saying he wanted Osama bin Laden "dead or alive" would have been O.K. if he had acted on it, rather than letting Osama go at Tora Bora and diverting the Army to Iraq.Tone is not policy.
At his news conference with a tired-looking Tony Blair, Mr. Bush seemed chastened by Iraq, at least. But he continued to have the same hallucination about how to get out: turning things over to the Iraqi security forces after achieving total victory over insurgents and terrorists.
