BUSH STILL APOLOGISING FOR BRAIN-MOUTH DISCONNECTS

"BRING THEM ON" CALL TO IRAQI INSURGENTS HAUNTS BUSH 2400 DEAD AMERICANS LATER

President Bush still finds himself having to apologise for his 2003 challenge to Iraqi insurgents to attack American forces. That and saying he wanted to catch Osama Bin Laden "Dead Or Alive". And, of course, the whole the dark-reality sexual torture hell of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

In a prime-time TV interview last night, Bush was asked if there was anything he would do differently during his presidency, given the chance to go back and change history :

Q : When you look back on the last five years, President Bush, is there anything that you wish you had done differently?

Bush : Yeah. I mean, I wish, for example, Abu Ghraib didn't happen. That was a stain on our nation's character and it sent a signal about who we're not to a lot of people around the world. I probably could have watched my language a little better, you know.

Q: And in terms of saying --

Bush : "Bring it on," for example...Sometimes I try to explain myself in plain terms and sometimes the terms are too plain."

But this wasn't what Bush said, and the difference of one word makes all the difference to the challenge he laid down to Iraqi insurgents.

"There are some who feel like that, you know, the conditions are such that there. My answer is they can attack usbring them on. We got the force necessary to deal with the security situation."

President Bush at a press conference, July, 2003.

There's a good and simple reason why Bush repeatedly misquoted himself.

He wants people, and the historical record, to forget what he actually said and what the challenge truly meant.

Bush specifically refers to insurgent attacks on American forces in Iraq and then says, "Bring THEM On", meaning bring on more attacks, not simply bring on more Iraqi insurgents.

Since that challenge to the insurgents was issued by Bush In July, 2003, thousands of Americans have died in insurgent attacks in Iraq, with the maimed and disabled toll stretches somewhere between 15,000 and 30,000.

This most famous Bush-Iraq quote is usually misquoted as "Bring It On", and the masters of the right wing media message-massage, Fox News for example, were the amongst the first to misquote him, and continue to do so to this day.

But Bush also, purposely, misquoted himself within days of an eruption of anger from the families of soldiers who clearly understood what Bush was saying and what it could mean for their sons and daughters in Iraq. Bush moved fast, and so did his masters of spin.

The key word was no longer "Them", it quickly became "It", and the focus of the media controversy in the next few days was about whether Bush had gone too far in saying "Bring It On". In other words, the spin worked.

He also misquoted himself during his first major apology session for "Bring Them On" and Abu Ghraib during this press conference with Tony Blair :

Q Mr. President, you spoke about missteps and mistakes in Iraq. Could I ask both of you which missteps and mistakes of your own you most regret?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Sounds like kind of a familiar refrain here -- saying "bring it on," kind of tough talk, you know, that sent the wrong signal to people. I learned some lessons about expressing myself maybe in a little more sophisticated manner -- you know, "wanted dead or alive," that kind of talk. I think in certain parts of the world it was misinterpreted, and so I learned from that. And I think the biggest mistake that's happened so far, at least from our country's involvement in Iraq is Abu Ghraib. We've been paying for that for a long period of time.

President Bush has always refused to apologise or even show regret for misleading the American public, and in turn the world, over the necessity for the Iraq War.

The lack of WMD evidence doesn't concern him, because he knew from the beginning it was simply a cover story to convince the world that invading and conquering Iraq was necessary "to spread of freedom and liberty" across the Middle East.

The Iraq War was a goer from Day Three of the Bush White House in the first weeks of 2000. The 9/11 attacks simply moved the War On Iraq plans to the top of the pile.

"Bring Them On" and "Osama : Wanted Dead Or Alive" are not the stupidest things Bush has ever said. He has laid down a strong challenge over his decades in the media glare for anyone to pick his most absurd, vacuous or most offensive quote.

Here's a few more charmers he has probably never considered apologising for :

"Boy, they were big on crematoriums, weren't they?"

- after touring the Auschwitz death camp, Chicago Sun-Times, 29th January 1992


"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."

- September. 29, 2000


"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator."

- CNN, 18th December 2000


"This crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while."

- White House press conference, September 16, 2001


"First, let me make it very clear, poor people aren't necessarily killers. Just because you happen to be not rich doesn't mean you're willing to kill."

- Washington, D.C., May 19, 2003


"You're free. And freedom is beautiful. And, you know, it'll take time to restore chaos and order - order out of chaos. But we will."

- Message to Iraqi people, Washington, April 2003


"The vast majority of Iraqis want to live in a peaceful, free world. And we will find these people and we will bring them to justice."

- 28th October, 2003


"The world is more peaceful and more free under my leadership." George W Bush,

- October 28, 2003


"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."

- Pentagon meeting, August 2004


You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that."

- Bush talking to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005

Sources for qotes : Bushquotes, Bushisms,