Bush Cries Uncle

COLUMBUS, United States (AFP) - President George W. Bush called Democratic rival John Kerry 's charges that Bush failed to catch or kill Osama bin Laden especially shameful" given a new tape by the terrorist mastermind.

The President remembers how much it stung when McCain told him he should be ashamed of his dirty campaign attacks (and Bob Dole agreed). He's been waiting ever since to stick Kerry with the same barb. The difference, of course, is that there is nothing shameful about pointing out that Osama Bin Laden is still at large. See, it's true.

"Unfortunately my opponent tonight continued to say things he knows are not true, accusing our military of passing up a chance to get Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora," an Afghan stronghold, in 2001, Bush told cheering supporters here.

Right, because Osama wasn't present during the battle for Tora Bora, right? And the failure to commit U.S. ground troops to hunt him was not a mistake, right? WRONG. This guy will really say anything to get re-elected/appointed.

"As the commander in charge of that operation, (retired general) Tommy Franks has said: It's simply not the case," Bush said. "It is especially shameful in the light of a new tape from America's enemy."

Alright, so Tommy Franks, a familiar face on the Bush campaign trail, won't admit that he made a mistake, either. The rest of the intelligence community and military officials outside the U.S. Central Command beg to differ. The common understanding is that "Franks, the war's operational commander, misjudged the interests of putative Afghan allies and let pass the best chance to capture or kill al Qaeda's leader." Also, it appears that although he won't admit error, Franks has learned his lesson: "Without professing second thoughts about Tora Bora, Franks has changed his approach fundamentally in subsequent battles, using Americans on the ground as first-line combat units."

"If we'd ever known where Bin Laden was, we would have gotten him," said the president, who told a crowd of thousands that US intelligence placed bin Laden in several countries.

Er.. wrong again, sir. "Captured al Qaeda fighters, interviewed separately, gave consistent accounts describing an address by bin Laden around Dec. 3 to mujaheddin, or holy warriors, dug into the warren of caves and tunnels built as a redoubt against Soviet invaders in the 1980s. One official said "we had a good piece of sigint," or signals intelligence, confirming those reports."

Speaking to reporters outside the campaign rally here, White House communications director Dan Bartlett said that the tape should not affect the way Bush campaigns but that Kerry should have marked a 12-hour truce.

"You would think that there would be a, maybe, 12 hours to let the American absorb what has just happened today," he said.

Hilarious. Bush's spokesman actually said that Kerry should stop criticizing Bush for 12 hours because a terrorist who escaped on Bush's watch released a videotape. It's obvious that, with the swing state polls shifting for Kerry, Bin Laden reminding us that he's still on the loose, the FBI investigating Halliburton, and gross negligence in Iraq war planning (looted explosives) dominating the media, Bush is running scared. Still, I have to admit I'm a little surprised that the self proclaimed "War President" is now crying for Kerry to leave him alone.

Yes, we know, Mr. President. It's hard work.