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BUSH ANSWERS

If the president thinks he's not mistaken, he is sadly mistaken

Editor, The Times:

What would have really been refreshing and meaningful for me during President Bush's press conference Tuesday would have been to hear him say that he was doing the very best he could and would continue to learn from the failures of the past ("Bush acknowledges tough week, vows to 'finish work of the fallen,' " Times page one, April 14).

What I would have liked to hear him say in response to the reporter's question about it having been worth it, even if he loses the election, was that he wasn't focusing on the election, that he was focusing on the conflict in Iraq, and how best to deal with it; that he was not worrying about the election and he trusted that American voters would select the best candidate for the job.

What I heard was that he does not make mistakes, that he is going to win the election, and that he feels it is his ordained destiny to be our leader and do things his way.

The arrogance of this administration and its failures to communicate a rational and outlined plan of exactly how we are going to solve this and any future conflicts stuns and saddens me.
Mary West, Seattle

Long way to go

After watching President Bush's performance at the fourth news conference of his presidency, I've come to the conclusion that — regardless of whether you support his long-term goals — he simply does not possess the imagination that is necessary to lead the country.

His long-winded, repetitious and evasive responses to direct questions make me wonder whether he truly understands the breadth and consequences of his decisions. Perhaps the most telling moment was his confused look and stumbling non-answer when asked whether he has made any mistakes as president.

Someone who cannot admit to mistakes — or, more tellingly, apparently has not even thought about the matter before — surely is not someone who can learn and grow from them.
Bill Glewicz, Woodinville

Spontaneous compunction

One of the quotes that came out of President Bush's news conference last night was: "I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it."

Perhaps al-Qaida should have submitted its plans in writing before Sept. 11 so that Bush could have been prepared for that.
Allan Crouch, Kenmore

Course correction

George Bush's performance last night was embarrassing and his hard-line rhetoric alarming. "America must stay the course." "If more troops are needed, (Bush) will send them." "Any concession or retreat will embolden the enemy." (See "Staying the course," Close-up, April 14.)

What do these statements actually mean? It means we are not going to get out of Iraq any time soon, the draft is likely around the corner, more of our sons and daughters will die, and our already humongous deficit will only grow larger ("Military families not surprised that more troops may go to Iraq," page one, April 14).

Bush simply promised more of the same "no-end-in-sight" vision that has marked this unjustified war from the beginning. Bush wants America to "stay the course." Well, I've got news for him: We can't afford to stay the course.

We need a new course — a reasoned and responsible way out, not a political rationalization for keeping our troops at risk indefinitely and sending even more troops over there to die simply to feed the demands of a thoroughly flawed and totally failed foreign policy.

Enough is enough, Mr. President, and it's time you answered the No. 1 question on the minds of most Americans: When are our sons and daughters coming home?
Patty Kuderer, Bellevue

It's you they're after

I'm sure the letters from the liberal left will be pouring in spouting off about George Bush's lack of remorse and apology during Tuesday's press conference. They will mention his stubbornness in a commitment to send more troops. They will bash him for not answering questions directly and denying personal responsibility.

But let's get one thing straight: Those people over in Iraq whom Bush has chosen to fight — they want to kill you. They want to burn your bodies and hang them from bridges. They want to mutilate your children and bury them in shallow graves. They want to explode bombs in your cities and run airplanes into buildings. They've been trying to kill you for decades!

Bush knows this, he understands that it takes resolve and true leadership to beat these monsters who want to destroy the U.S.

The battle is there, not here, and if I were you, I would be thanking my lucky stars that he is valiantly fighting this fight so that 20 9-11s haven't occurred since that fateful day.
Kathlyn Mickel, Burlington

Dispense with reality

George Bush seems incapable of speaking in any way other than comic-book terms. Endless references to "evil" people vs. "Good, freedom-loving" ones, etc., etc.

His administration should go down as the "PEZ Presidency." Whenever senior adviser Karl Rove, et al., feel some more lip service is in order, they just seem to trot out the old Bush-headed dispenser, snap the head back a few times and lob out some more sugar pills to pacify the hoi polloi.

When will the non-ideologue members of the GOP stand up and demand some sort of pragmatic policy, based in reality, rather than (what) is being served up?
Patrick DeBurgh, Yelm

Pre-emptive success

It appears that the fans of "American Idol," whose show was postponed for the presidential news conference, got an even better show, a song and a dance!
Greg Salwitz, Seattle

Ducking the issue

George Bush mentioned at his press conference that Libya was hiding mustard gas on a turkey farm to dress his argument that WMD may still be uncovered in Iraq. But like the plastic turkey he proudly held last Thanksgiving, there's no bite to this bird.

George, let's talk turkey. There are no WMD in Iraq. The stuffing has been thoroughly knocked out of this argument. It's time for you to eat some crow and level with the American people. We went to war for the wrong reason. And what's left over in Iraq is, sadly, more violence and turmoil.

The words "mission accomplished" are but a flight of fancy the Iraqi people are finding impossible to swallow.
Mark Gillis, Issaquah

FILING EXTENSION

We'll give them 90 days

On the IRS tax filing deadline, here's what the Bush big government gave us for our money: a $120-billion-plus war in Iraq based on false information, a $500-billion-plus federal deficit, projected cuts in Social Security when we retire, 2.5 million lost American jobs and huge tax cuts for the rich that don't help the economy!

We shouldn't have to file a tax return, they should return our taxes!
John and Lyn Wright, Sequim

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