How We Should Be Feeling Today According to Tony Snow

Scared of dying at the hands of terrorists: “Last week America and the world received a stark reminder that terrorists are still plotting to attack our country and kill innocent people.”

Angry that a judge would undercut an important tool in combating terrorism: “Today a federal judge in Michigan has ruled that the Terrorist Surveillance Program ordered by the President to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against the American people is unconstitutional and otherwise illegal. …The whole point is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks before they can be carried out. That’s what the American people expect from their government, and it is the President’s most solemn duty to ensure their protection.”

Grateful that the Bush administration has a way to ignore the ruling and keep on protecting us from terrorists and activist judges: “We couldn’t disagree more with this ruling, and the Justice Department will seek an immediate stay of the opinion and appeal. Until the Court has the opportunity to rule on a stay of the Court's ruling in a hearing now set for September 7, 2006, the parties have agreed that enforcement of the ruling will be stayed.”

Sympathetic for our president who has to look at the ugly results of the war he launched: “’The president thinks about these things every day,’ Snow said. ‘Look… he sees stuff far more horrifying than you and I see, because he gets the briefings every day. And it is impossible to be a president in a time of war without being reminded of the nature of the threat and also the costs of fighting it.’”

Awed by our president’s soul-searching: “’Without having cleared this with the president, I think it's safe to say that any president in a time of war does constant soul-searching,’ said Tony Snow, the White House press secretary, in response to a query about Bush’s soul-searching, ‘because he understands the human toll of sending people into harm's way. And any president who has held the office will tell you the same thing. It is a deeply personal and very difficult thing to do.’”

Impressed by the burden the president has to carry, like his administration being called crap: “’So the president's been called a lot worse, and I suspect will be,' he added. ‘There will be piquant names sort of hurled his way from time to time, but, you know, that's part of the burden of leadership.’”

Amused by the thought of anyone deigning to question the administration’s unyielding resolve against terrorists: “The president will not ‘walk away’ from Iraq, Snow insisted. So, he was asked, when will the mission in Iraq be accomplished. ‘You tell me,’ he replied. ‘You don't do this by a clock. The president has to practice strategic patience. The term, ‘the long war,’ has been used. If you can tell me when terrorists are suddenly going to turn their swords into plowshares, we will settle upon that as the date.’”

Quite the emotional roller coaster, feeling what the Bush administration wants us to feel at any given moment. I’m scared! I’m proud! I’m pissed! I’m patriotic! The terrorists will kill us! Bush will save us! I’m awed! I’m amused! I’m pissing my pants! I’m waving a flag!

It’s no wonder conservatives are crackpots.

(Thanks to The Swamp, here and here.)

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