Bush To Ignore Voice of the People

David Floyd · February 18, 2003, 23:44

WASHINGTON - Declaring that America's security should not be dictated by protesters, President Bush (news - web sites) said Tuesday he would not be swayed from compelling Iraqi President Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) to disarm. "We will deal with him," Bush said as U.S. and British diplomats weighed another bid for U.N. backing.

"War is my last choice," Bush said at the White House as echoes of anti-war protests circled the globe. "But the risk of doing nothing is even a worse option as far as I am concerned."

Standing firmly against skeptical allies as well as the demonstrators, Bush said: I owe it to the American people to secure this country. I will do so."

Administration officials in Washington and at the United Nations (news - web sites) in New York were discussing the possible gains as well as the risk of a diplomatic defeat if the United States proposed a new resolution to the Security Council to endorse force as an option to disarm Iraq.

One U.S. official said Tuesday there was no decision on a text or even on whether to go ahead, though White House spokesman Ari Fleischer (news - web sites) said, "I think it will be a simple and rather straightforward resolution."

Bush said a second resolution "would be useful," although "we don't need a second resolution. It's clear this guy could even care less about the first resolution. He's in total defiance."

In Rome, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) said Iraq had to "move very fast" to heed the call of the international community and cooperate with U.N. inspectors or face possible war. But he said it was up to the Security Council to decide if the inspections had gone on long enough.

France, with support from Russia and China, does not accept the U.S. view that the Security Council effectively endorsed force as an option to disarm Iraq in an earlier resolution that warned of "serious consequences" if Saddam persisted in defying U.N. demands.

With some 50 countries lined up to speak to the council in a session that could go over until Wednesday, early action by the United States and its close ally, Britain, was not expected.

Diplomats at the U.N. said a draft resolution could be circulated late Wednesday.

As for the protests around the world by millions of people opposed to war with Iraq, Bush said they were irrelevant to his duty to protect America.

"Size of protest, it's like deciding, 'Well I'm going to decide policy based up on a focus group.' The role of a leader is to decide policy based upon the security — in this case — security of the people," he said.

"Democracy is a beautiful thing, and that people are allowed to express their opinion," he said.

"Some in the world don't view Saddam Hussein as a risk to peace," he added. "I respectfully disagree."

Last Friday, an overwhelming majority of the 15 council members followed France's lead and called for extending U.N. weapons searches in Iraq. Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites)'s argument that the searches were virtually useless was overridden.

On Tuesday, however, the Bush administration drew some support in Europe.

Thirteen incoming members of the European Union (news - web sites) endorsed a joint declaration in Brussels, Belgium, that warned Saddam he had one last chance to disarm.

French President Jacques Chirac scoffed that the 13 had "missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."

In a parallel action backing the United States, 10 former communist countries, seven of them EU candidates, reiterated their support for Washington's position on Saddam.

Spokesman Fleischer did not fault Chirac, saying he simply had another approach to the Iraqi threat and has always leveled with Bush privately and publicly.

Fleischer suggested the same could not be said of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, declining to say whether the German leader also told Bush the same thing in private as he said in public.

At the White House, Bush gave no ground.

"Hopefully, Saddam Hussein will disarm," he said. "If he chooses not to disarm, as I have been saying for a long time, we will lead a coalition of the willing to disarm him."

But one valued ally, Turkey, hesitated to permit thousands of U.S. soldiers on its soil.

"We are not going to the parliament tomorrow," Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said Monday, backing away from a pledge for a vote Tuesday. "We have some concerns on economic and political issues."

Turkey has been negotiating with the Bush administration for a large assistance package. Bush said Turkey had "no better friend than the American government" and he was confident details could be worked out.

According to a proposal put forward late Monday, Turkey is asking $10 billion in grants and up to $20 billion in long-term loans, diplomats said.

Turks and Americans had been negotiating on the basis of $4 billion to $6 billion in grants and $10 billion to $15 billion in loans, according to news reports and diplomats. The grants reportedly would be split between cash and military debt write-offs.

Next weekend, Bush will meet at his ranch in Texas with a European supporter, Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar of Spain. Another, Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) of Britain is under enormous pressure to back away from conflict with Iraq.

Praising both men as courageous, Bush said, "These are men of vision. They see the task at hand. And I'm proud to call them allies. And we'll work together for the sake of peace."

Nubclear · February 18, 2003, 23:46

Oh wow. A conservative ignoring the people.....THATS a first

DinoDoc · February 18, 2003, 23:46

The voice of the people is Congress. Write your Congressman to cut funding for the Iraq war.

chequita guevara · February 18, 2003, 23:47

Are you really surprised? He's been ignoring the will of the people since before he was elected. Why should he start now?

Or to put it more humorously, "Bush: Why should I listen to the American people? They didn't elect me."

Nubclear · February 18, 2003, 23:48

Quote:

Originally posted by DinoDoc
The voice of the people is Congress. Write your Congressman to cut funding for the Iraq war.

Thats just like saying that the voice of me is through my doctor or my lawyer or something stuipd like that.

No, the voice of me is through ME, and the voice of the people is through the PEOPLE. Not some beurocrat up in Washington.

chequita guevara · February 18, 2003, 23:48

Quote:

Originally posted by DinoDoc
The voice of the people is Congress. Write your Congressman to cut funding for the Iraq war.

It's too late, funding has been granted. It would take an act of Congress to cut it off, and that would meet a Presidential veto. The only way to stop this war is to raise the stakes.

orange · February 18, 2003, 23:51

DinoDoc · February 18, 2003, 23:52

Quote:

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
It would take an act of Congress to cut it off,

I believe that's the reason I told you to write your Congressman. If the anti-war movement is really as massive as people claim, it shouldn't be too hard to manage.

Incidentally, I was under the impression that the funding for the Iraq War wasn't in the budget. How could it be greanted already?

DanS · February 18, 2003, 23:52

66% support among the American people, the people to whom he is answerable.

Nubclear · February 18, 2003, 23:53

Quote:

Originally posted by DanS
66% support among the American people, the people to whom he is answerable.

I'm still hearing that the polls say support is incredibly low without UN backing....

David Floyd · February 18, 2003, 23:56

Not only that, US support is based upon incorrect propaganda.

Ned · February 18, 2003, 23:57

I agree with DanS. The American people are largely behind Bush. Even the Democrat party is split on this issue.

Capt Dizle · February 18, 2003, 23:57

Bush's stock is dropping rapidly in my book for this dilly dallying. He is making us look weak by spending too much time with the UN. Now, as I feared, Iranian troops have entered Irag and that bodes ill.

We need to withdraw our UN delegation and remove our diplomats from France and Germany and hit Saddam hard, now.

DanS · February 19, 2003, 00:00

I'm still hearing that the polls say support is incredibly low without UN backing...

Without UN backing, but with a limited number of allies, removing Hussein through war has 57% support.

Capt Dizle · February 19, 2003, 00:00

Quote:

Originally posted by David Floyd
Not only that, US support is based upon incorrect propaganda.

Jon Shafer · February 19, 2003, 00:00

Quote:

Originally posted by Tassadar5000
I'm still hearing that the polls say support is incredibly low without UN backing....

"Slightly more than half (52 percent) say they would still support U.S. military action if the U.N. weapons inspectors do not find evidence that Iraq has chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons but President George W. Bush’s administration says intelligence reports indicate Iraq does possess the weapons. Forty-one percent would oppose action under those circumstances."

"... 60 percent of respondents say they would support the use of military force against Iraq in general (35 percent do not) ... Eight-one percent say they would support such action if the United States joined together with its major allies to attack Iraq and had the full support of the United Nations Security Council (15 percent would not)."

Newsweek.

Shi Huangdi · February 19, 2003, 00:05

I think Bush makes the cases to American people that disarming Hussein is nessecary(which he has pretty much already done), and that our allies simply are not cooperating, I think Bush will get substantial support.

David Floyd · February 19, 2003, 00:06

The thing is, though, what Bush is saying is that he will ignore public opinion on the matter no matter what the polls say.

Shi Huangdi · February 19, 2003, 00:09

Quote:

Originally posted by David Floyd
The thing is, though, what Bush is saying is that he will ignore public opinion on the matter no matter what the polls say.

So are you saying poltiicians should always keep a finger in the wind and do what the polls say? If 60% of the people wanted to ban all guns, would you want Bush to support that?

Capt Dizle · February 19, 2003, 00:11

Quote:

Originally posted by David Floyd
The thing is, though, what Bush is saying is that he will ignore public opinion on the matter no matter what the polls say.

Its called leadership David.

David Floyd · February 19, 2003, 00:12

Quote:

So are you saying poltiicians should always keep a finger in the wind and do what the polls say? If 60% of the people wanted to ban all guns, would you want Bush to support that?

Not at all. The will of the people should be irrelevant when it comes to morality.
But if Bush wants to claim that he has some sort of popular mandate, or that he represents the will of the people, then he shouldn't make statements like the one he made.

Ramo · February 19, 2003, 00:13

Of course he will. How else could he maintain his grip on power?

David Floyd · February 19, 2003, 00:13

Quote:

Its called leadership David.

Actually it's called murder and stealing.

Six Thousand Year Old Man · February 19, 2003, 00:15

Quote:

Bush To Ignore Voice of the People

Usually a good call, but probably for the wrong purpose in this case... the people are usually wrong.

I mean, almost half of them who voted, voted for him, what does that tell you?

ranskaldan · February 19, 2003, 00:19

He's supposed to listen to the Voice of the People?

He just needs to listen to the 51 per-cent. That 51 per-cent can contain whichever groups are most convenient at the time. And these groups currently do not include anti-war protestors.

Jon Shafer · February 19, 2003, 00:22

Quote:

Originally posted by David Floyd
The thing is, though, what Bush is saying is that he will ignore public opinion on the matter no matter what the polls say.

He said he's going to ignore the hippies who need hobbies. You have to give him credit.

David Floyd · February 19, 2003, 00:24

Quote:

He said he's going to ignore the hippies who need hobbies.

No, he's saying he's going to ignore war protests, period.

Ramo · February 19, 2003, 00:29

Even Nixon listened to the "voice of the people" (documents declassified since then show that the massive protests during the Viet Nam War had curbed his actions). What does this say about Shrub?

Shi Huangdi · February 19, 2003, 00:31

Just because a certain segment of population is loudest doesn't mean we should follow their whims.

Bereta_Eder · February 19, 2003, 00:32

Bush is a moron. So he has proven it again. So what?