President Bush and Vice President Cheney launched a vigorous, coordinated defense of administration policies Thursday, with Bush calling Democrats beholden to liberal activists.
In a speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, the president excoriated Congress for failing to pass an appropriations bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“When it comes to funding our troops, some in Washington should spend more time responding to the warnings of terrorists like Osama bin Laden and the requests of our commanders on the ground and less time responding to the demands of MoveOn.org bloggers and Code Pink protesters,” said Bush, drawing strong applause.
Bush was referring to the Democrats’ reluctance to criticize MoveOn.org for mocking Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, as “General Betray Us.” He was also taking a shot at Code Pink protesters, including one who recently thrust her hands, painted red, in the face of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Bush also hammered Democratic lawmakers for demanding that his nominee for attorney general, Michael Mukasey, answer specific questions about whether “waterboarding” constitutes torture. The interrogation technique, which simulates drowning, has elicited valuable information from terrorists, according to the administration.
“It’s wrong for congressional leaders to make Judge Mukasey’s confirmation dependent on his willingness to go on the record about the details of a classified program he has not been briefed on,” Bush said.
“He [Mukasey] does not want any statement of his to give the terrorists a window into which techniques we may use and which ones we may not use,” the president added. “That could help them train their operatives to resist questioning and withhold vital information we need to stop attacks and save lives.”
Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Senate would not “rubberstamp” Bush’s choice for attorney general.
“The Senate fully intends to fulfill its constitutional duty and demand clarity from this nominee on the illegality of a technique the United States has previously
prosecuted as torture.” the Nevada Democrat said.
Shortly before Bush spoke, Cheney appeared in Indianapolis and delivered a full-throated defense of the administration’s handling of terrorists to the American Legion.
“There’s been a good deal of misinformation about the CIA detainee program, and unfair comments have been made about America’s intentions and the conduct of American intelligence officers,” he said. “This is different from Guantanamo Bay.”
He added: “Guantanamo Bay’s select captured terrorists are sent and interrogated by the Department of Defense according to the Army Field Manual. The CIA program is different. It involves tougher customers — men like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11 — and it involves tougher interrogation.”
Cheney insisted such procedures are safe and legal.
