End the Bushisms…

I called for Jacob Weisberg to stop publishing Bushisms on Slate. I’ve now decided to counter them as he publishes them (for all the good it’ll do). Weisberg takes these statements out of context, so I will do the same–meaning, I will consider each Bushism as a separate speech act just as Weisberg does. Today’s entry is certainly an example of Bush’s clumsy speaking (wow, that’s a tough target to hit), but let’s consider the content. He is taking responsibility for consoling the relatives of those who may be killed in battle by his orders. Another president took the same responsibility on 21 November 1864. One is certainly more eloquently stated than the other. The sentiment deserves praise. End the Bushisms!