Did I Say That?

Perhaps Bob Shieffer should have given the president a moment to pull his foot out of his mouth last night when Bush made one gaffe after another especially like claiming he never said he was not concerned about bin Laden anymore:

Kerry: Six months after he said Osama bin Laden must be caught dead or alive, this president was asked, "Where is Osama bin Laden?" He said, "I don't know. I don't really think about him very much. I'm not that concerned.

BUSH: Gosh, I just don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those exaggerations.

But in a news conference on March 13, 2002, as reported by the official White House transcripts, "So I don't know where he [bin Laden] is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you... Well, as I say, we haven't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don't know where he is. I -- I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him."

BUSH: Well, his rhetoric doesn't match his record. He been a senator for 20 years. He voted to increase taxes 98 times.

Of the 98 votes cited by Bush, 43 were on budget resolutions that are not made in to laws. Of the remaining 55 votes, 16 were on President Bill Clinton's 1993 deficit-reduction package, six were on a 1998 proposal by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to raise taxes on cigarettes by $1.10 a pack, seven were on a 1996 budget resolution, and another six were on the 1997 budget resolution. - Wahington Post Fact Checker

BUSH: In all due respect, I'm not so sure it's credible to quote leading news organizations about -- oh, nevermind.

Wah?... Is it better to quote underground news sources? Tabloids like Fox? What the hell are you talking about? Is it the voices again?... just take a deep breath.

BUSH: Well, to say that the borders are not as protected as they were prior to September the 11th shows he doesn't know the borders. They're much better protected today than they were when I was the governor of Texas.

This is something to be proud of?

BUSH: Actually, Mitch McConnell had a minimum-wage plan that I supported that would have increased the minimum wage.

Unlike 1996, a GOP president resides in the White House, and he is not calling for a minimum-wage increase. Scared by the hot button topic of minimum wage and the proposed $1.85 increase by Ted Kennedy, Mitch McConnell proposed an alternitive minimum wage hike of $1.10 per hour in combination with the so-called “comp-time bill,” which would allow private-sector employees to choose paid time off instead of overtime pay. It would also include provisions which would diminish workers’ rights, such as safety, health standards. Mitch McConnell aslo voted YES on killing an increase in the minimum wage in Nov 1999.

http://www.hillnews.com/news/041404/wage.aspx

BUSH: And therefore just kids were being shuffled through the school. And guess who would get shuffled through? Children whose parents wouldn't speak English as a first language just move through.

Does that include Barbara and Jenna? There father doesn't speak English as a first language.

SCHIEFFER: He said -- and this will be a new question to you -- he said that you had never said whether you would like to overturn Roe v. Wade. So I'd ask you directly, would you like to?

BUSH: What he's asking me is, will I have a litmus test for my judges?

NO! NO! NO! He didn't ask you about a litmus test! He never said "litmus" in the entire question. He asked you "would you like to overturn Roe v. Wade." I heard it. Everyone else in the room heard it. How could you not hear it? I guess you were as focused on the questions as you were on bin Laden.

BUSH: That's the access I believe is necessary, is to make sure every child learns to read, write, add and subtract early. I wished I would have learned that stuff, too... Because it sad when, I, the leader of the free world never learned to read.