I don't think he is ignorant or a liar. He's certainly not the most intellectual or well read president we've ever had, I'm sure most would agree with that. But ignorant is a bit much. I do think he is a bit confused, though. For a "limited government" "Republican," he has an unusual view of the role the Federal government should play in the daily lives of the citizenry.

But, I think Bush is actually a good man, and his presidency would have turned out ok, EXCEPT he was talked into making the biggest mistake that any president has made in the 20th or 21st century.

And, c'mon folks, let's be a little objective here. It turned out to be a huge mistake. You know Bush thinks that every night when he turns the lights out to go to sleep. Knowing what he knows now, would Bush invade Iraq again? Of course not. Because it was a bad move.

I personally think that GW is at heart a good person. He just has some pretty evil friends who influence his decisions. He isn't stupid, but he does seem to be fairly ignorant in a number of areas (there is a difference). And liar? Geez, let me alert the media...we have found a politician who's a liar.

No one likes to admit that they made a mistake, especially when the stakes are so high. And the problems he faces are *extraoridnarily* complicated. My only hope is that his group can learn from their mistakes. On the outside they do not seem to be doing this, but maybe they are just posturing for politcal/strategic reasons. Time will tell...

I think Tech was refering to W being ignorant in his knowledge of these guys to be able to make those statements, of if he did know, he's a liar.

I don't think W is ignorant, just in WAY over his head, because he IS not intellectual or well read.

Ignorant or liar?
Do you still beat your wife?

Bush's broadest mistake was giving the Iraqi people too much credit, thinking they'd be able to cease the opportunity presented to them. Bush, like the rest of us, has never lived under the boot of a police state -- so it's difficult to imagine the psyche of the beaten-down Iraqi people.

That certainly seems to be part of what lead to the mistake.

But, I've always wondered this: Wouldn't you have as part of your consultation team some experts on the region, to give you some advice as to how the Iraqi people will react, the implications of Iraq being 3 distinct regions, and other such matters? And by expert, I mean someone like real Iraqi scholars, real life Muslim scholars, not some white guy who has read about Iraq in a book.

Who were Bush's Iraqi cultural and historical experts?

Hey, I'm darned near a socialist commie pinko and I'll agree that the press and the citizenry crucifies Dubya. But I will also point out that this treatment goes with the territory. And may be deserved. In Clinton's case, virtually no criticism of his official behavior and decision-making as President was at issue. At issue was a blue dress. It's different with Dubya. A blue dress incident with him would be dismissed. There are far more significant indictments to level toward that guy.

But again, as I said years ago, welcome to the Big Leagues. The guy in the White House takes his licks. It comes with the territory.

that doesn't really jibe with the "bring it on" mentality...

So true! :)

Probably very educated Iraqi expats living in London and Washington -- who also didn't really know the psyche of the common Iraqi.

I read an article in the Atlantic before the Invasion that pretty much predicted all of this, so the opinions were out there.

Ignorant? Liar? Naw, just a spoiled brat with big tough friends. Woodwards new book gives some interesting insight as covered by the NYT today:

Book Says Bush Ignored Urgent Warning on Iraq
As late as November 2003, Mr. Bush is quoted as saying of the situation in Iraq: “I don’t want anyone in the cabinet to say it is an insurgency. I don’t think we are there yet.”

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld is described as disengaged from the nuts-and-bolts of occupying and reconstructing Iraq — a task that was initially supposed to be under the direction of the Pentagon — and so hostile toward Condoleezza Rice, then the national security adviser, that President Bush had to tell him to return her phone calls. The American commander for the Middle East, Gen. John P. Abizaid, is reported to have told visitors to his headquarters in Qatar in the fall of 2005 that “Rumsfeld doesn’t have any credibility anymore” to make a public case for the American strategy for victory in Iraq.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/29/washington/29account.html?hp&ex=1159588800&en=3862efd9e06a71e 9&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Who knows how much of it is true, but it sounds like GW was the head of quite the disfunctional group of leaders. The whole bunch needs to be sacked, clowns one and all.

Compared to some on this board, he's an honest genious.

It is so funny to read the Bush is stupid/ignorant from many that cannot compose a complete sentence. Not only does he have a better education than most that post here, he has world renowned experts at his disposal and more information available to him than any man on earth. I cannot understand why it has never occurred to you that the stupid/ignorant ones....are you.

BWAHHHHAA!!!! LOL! Dude, you slay me!

ignofant. No doubt about it. I don't see Dubya as a liar. maybe, but that's not my impression. But there is no question he is WAY over his head.

That's right, Mr. Bush is the President so we need to relearn English to match his. I'm not the Decider, he is. LOL

Who were his "world renowned" Iraqi historical and cultural experts prior to the invasion?

Bill Clinton did us all favor when he said, so simply, "I tried ... I tried and I failed."

How refreshing. You will never hear those words from GWB's mouth.

So either he knows that his policies and decisions have hurt America, yet continues with them, or he really, truly does not know that Iraq is tragic mistake.

Either way, he is not fit to lead our nation.

Took some digging, but found them:

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/07...1.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

C'mon, I'm being serious!

I'd really like to learn.

1. Who were his "world renowned" Iraqi historical and cultural experts prior to the invasion?

2. Who was the expert who advised the "Mission Accomplished" thing?

3. Who were the experts who believed "We'd be greeted as liberators?" What was their basis for that belief?

4. Who were the experts that believed this would be a relatively limited engagement?

5. Who were the experts who believed there were WMD?

6. What are all these experts doing today?

These are serious questions, so I assume they won't be answered, but will instead be met with only things like "It is so funny to read the Bush is stupid/ignorant from many that cannot compose a complete sentence" and "I cannot understand why it has never occurred to you that the stupid/ignorant ones....are you."