'œWhat happened to the Texas swagger?' asked Elisabeth Bumiller in The New York Times. Throughout the five years of his presidency, President Bush has consistently spoken with a directness worthy of John Wayne, shooting from the hip without hedging or regret. But last week, in a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a 'œsubdued, almost chastened' Bush surprised the nation by admitting to some big mistakes in Iraq. Bush acknowledged that the U.S. underestimated the strength of the Iraqi insurgency, and he lamented the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison. Most of all, he regretted challenging Iraqi insurgents, declaring, 'œBring 'em on' in 2003, and promising to get Osama bin Laden 'œdead or alive.' Conceding that his 'œtough talk' sent 'œthe wrong signal to people,' Bush said, 'œI learned some more about expressing myself maybe in a little more sophisticated manner.'
Pundits are treating Bush's remarks as if he has undergone a major change of heart, said Dan Froomkin in Thewashingtonpost.com. If only that were true. If you examine his words carefully, Bush did not express regret over his policies or his views—just over 'œthe cowboy rhetoric' he used to express them. And when he acknowledged the horror of Abu Ghraib, he spoke only of how it harmed America's reputation. He didn't own up to 'œany role he might have had in creating the conditions in which such atrocities could take place.' Nor did he admit his biggest mistake of all, said the Chattanooga, Tenn., Times Free Press in an editorial—namely, invading Iraq on the basis of 'œflimsy' and now discredited intelligence. Those who want 'œunvarnished candor' from Bush are still waiting.
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