Here's the straight-talkin' Texan with his wiggly port talkin' point during the Vargas ABC interview:
"If there was any doubt in my mind or people in my administration's mind that our ports would be less secure and the American people endangered, this deal wouldn't go forward."
Huh? Let's parse this, in a probably futile search for sense.
"If there was any doubt in my mind. . . ." implies that "there is no doubt" in his leetle mind, although the use of the subjunctive "were" would put the seal on it.
But we won't be petty about his grammar.
Being doubtless, then, Bush is saying--oh, yes--that he is certain our "ports would be less secure and the American people endangered."
Soooo...with Bush persuaded that we are endangered, the deal will go forward.
But we won't be petty about his meaning. At any given time, it's generally safe to conclude he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.
Let us be merciful. Perhaps he has doubts after all. Or this might be one of those doubtful doubts. Perhaps an undoubted doubt. A redoubtable doubt?
Or just plain dumb. Indubitably.