Despite the outrage over Rumsfeld's remarks earlier this week, I don't rate them at the top of my personal Bushism Outrage Scale (patent pending). Rumsfeld comes in at number two, and I don't need to comment on it, Keith Olbermann did such an excellent job of it on television the other night. For those of you who missed it, or missed Kos's quotes from it, a transcript is available (
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...).
The number one, all time hit on my outrage scale: "Bring it on." It was said in 2003, by our president, to Iraqi insurgents attacking American troops. It was irresponsible, it was stupid, and it was cowardly.
No surprise that I used to hang out in bars. It's one thing to say those words when a guy comes up to you and says "That's my seat, jerk, move or I'll punch you in the face." I'd say: "Bring it on, asshole." It's one thing for Han Solo, trapped in an Imperial Star Destroyer, to say: "Bring 'em on, I'd prefer a straight-up fight to all this sneaking around." When I said it, I was the one about to get punched. When Han said it, he was the one about to be shot at. When Bush said it, our soldiers were the ones being shot at. Get the difference?
When someone thousands of miles from combat, protected by secret service agents, makes an inflammatory statement that just might get someone else killed, knowing he personally will pay no price for it, that's cowardice. When a senile old man makes a fool of himself in a rambling speech full of inaccuracies, that's sad and stupid; it deserves reproach. But they aren't equal. Terrorist and insurgent videos showing assaults on American troops have quoted Mr. Bush's little bon mot. So who's worse, the gunsel or the boss?