A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Philip Revard

1. Bush said we were winning the war on terror; then he flip-flopped and said we couldn't win the war on terror; then, a day later, he flip-flopped again and said we were and could win the war on terror. [NBC Today Show, 8/30/04; Rush Limbaugh interview, 8/31/04]

2. Bush repeatedly refused to admit he made mistakes with the Iraq war; then he flip-flopped and said he "miscalculated" and; then, flip-flopped again with the mother of all oxymorons and said the war was a "catastrophic success." [NYT interview, 8/26/04; AP,
8/29/04]

3. Bush said catching Osama bin Laden was his "#1 priority" and "we will not rest until we have found him."; then, a year later, he flip-flopped and said he didn't know where Osama was, didn't care, and that catching Osama was not a priority. [speech, 9/13/01; White House press conference, 3/13/02]

4. Bush opposed creation of the Dept. of Homeland Security; then he flip-flopped and supported it. [White House Press Briefing, 10/24/01; New York Times, 2/28/03]

5. Bush opposed creation of the 9/11 commission; then he flip-flopped and supported it. [Statement of Administration Policy, Executive Office of the President, 7/24/02; LA Times, 11/28/02]

6. Bush opposed giving the 9/11 commission more time to complete its work; then he flip-flopped and supported giving it more time. [Wash. Post, 1/19/04; CNN, 2/5/04]

7. Bush said he'd cooperate with the 9/11 Commission; then flip-flopped and withheld documents from the Commission. [AP, 10/27/03]

8. Bush opposed having Condoleeza Rice publicly testify before the 9/11 commission; then he flip-flopped and let her publicly testify. [USA Today, 3/30/04]

9. Bush opposed creation of a panel to investigate Iraq's failure to have weapons of mass destruction; then he flip-flopped and supported it. [NY Times, 2/7/04; LA Times, 2/1/04; AP, 2/6/04]

10. Bush vowed to never reward North Korea's nuclear blackmail; then he flip-flopped and offered them aid in exchange for a promise not to build nuclear weapons. Bush is also rewarding North Korea by pulling out thousands of U.S. troops from South Korea. [Time
magazine, 8/23/04]

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MEDIA EUPHEMISMS FOR BUSH'S FLIP-FLOP

AP (MLive): Bush Recants, Says Terror War Will Be Won

Reuters: Changing Tack, Bush Says Terror War Winnable

NYT: In Retreat, Bush Says U.S. Will Win War on Terrorism

NYT: After Citing Doubt, Bush Declares 'We Will Win' Terror War

NPR: Bush Revises Remarks, Vows to 'Win' Terror War

ABC News: Bush Now Saying 'We Will Win' Terror War

LA Times: Bush Clarifies War Remark

Dallas Morning News: Bush clarifies statement: 'We will win' terror war

Fort Worth Star Telegram: Bush backtracks, says US will win war on terror

People's Daily Online (China): Bush revises remarks over victory on anti-terror war

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel editorial: Bush's nuances on war It is tempting to label as flip-flop the president's dueling assertions about the winnability of the war on terror. Bush told a television interviewer in a segment aired Monday that, "I don't think you can win" this war. On Tuesday, he told the American Legion, " make no mistake about it, we are winning and we will win." Flip-flop? No need to go there.

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION

Philip Revard has a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from Central Michigan University, a Masters degree in Public Policy Administration from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. (all but dissertation) in Public Policy Research and Analysis of the University of Pittsburgh.