President Bush has finally uttered the words that he should have said weeks ago:
President Bush on Wednesday accepted personal responsibility for a discredited portion of last winter’s State of the Union address that suggested Saddam Hussein was shopping for nuclear material in Africa.
“I take personal responsibility for everything I say, absolutely,” the president said during an hour-long White House news conference where he sought to quell a controversy that has dogged his administration for weeks.
It was the first time he had specifically taken responsibility for the words. In the past, he sidestepped the question, taking responsibility only for his decisions.
The remarks came in a rare news conference:
The appearance before reporters marked the eighth time since taking office that Bush has fielded questions at a formal news conference, and the first time since American and British forces invaded Iraq last March.
By comparison, Bill Clinton had held 33 formal news conferences at a comparable point in his administration; Bush’s father, former President George H.W. Bush, had 61.
Also:
On one simmering domestic issue, the president said he opposes gay marriage, and suggested his administration might propose legislation on the subject.
“I believe a marriage is between a man and a woman. And I think we ought to codify that one way or the other. And we’ve got lawyers looking at the best way to do that,” he said.
Remember, he’s a compassionate conservative. That means, “we’re going to screw you, but we’ll pretend to feel sheepish about it.”
