James E. Thomas – 10/22/04

This page was last updated on October 23, 2004.

Bush got what he wanted; James E. Thomas; Beaver County Times; October 22, 2004.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Here’s a theory I’d like to share with everyone.

“Since I’ve been watching different news shows and press conferences, along with reading different newspapers and magazines after Sept.11, 2001, it all came together watching the shows that came on right after the Oct. 13 debate was over.

“At that time, something truly terrifying was aired. It was a press conference by President Bush from March 2002. The president said that he wasn’t worried about Osama bin Laden.

“Please, readers, remember this is the same man who had just attacked America, and the president of this great country isn’t worried about the person who attacked this country.

[RWC] I wish the anti-Bush crowd would display some original thought. My response is in a previous critique of a Kislock letter.

“How can he care about the American people if he doesn’t worry about our attackers? No, the president was more worried about the man (Saddam) who wanted his daddy dead. It becomes very clear now how Vice President Dick Cheney could say to the American people that a vote for Sen. Kerry could mean another attack on the United States.”

[RWC] Oh man, the “daddy” thing again. Come on guys, you can do better, can’t you?

Regarding the comment about VP Cheney, did you wonder why Mr. Thomas didn’t provide us with VP Cheney’s actual statement? Here is his full response to a question Cheney received at a town hall meeting on Labor Day.

“If we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that we’ll get hit again -- that we’ll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States. And then we’ll fall back into the pre-9/11 mindset, if you will, that in fact these terrorist attacks are just criminal acts and that we’re not really at war. I think that would be a terrible mistake for us.”

As many other folks in the anti-Bush crowd, Mr. Thomas carved out part of Cheney’s answer to make it sound like Cheney said, “Elect Kerry and we’ll be attacked.” That is clearly not what Cheney meant when you read the whole response. Here is what Cheney was trying to say. Someday, we’ll get hit again – regardless of who is in office – and it would be a terrible mistake to revert to the law enforcement approach to terrorism that was prevalent prior to 9/11. Granted, Cheney could have worded his response better, but this was an impromptu response to a question, not a prepared statement.

“It’s all falling into place how the president and vice president can continue to be so arrogant in not worrying about more attacks on the United States. There never is a reason to worry if you’re the person who gives the orders to attack.

“Congratulations, Mr. President, you’ve won. You got Saddam and his oilfields along with another term as president.”

[RWC] “War for oil?” Yet another original charge – not. Earth to Mr. Thomas, the United States doesn’t own the Iraq oilfields. All of the revenue from Iraq’s oil goes to Iraq.

“May God bless us all and now is the time to be worried and, America, I mean be very worried. The end is near!”

[RWC] Don’t you just love scare tactics?