Bush Flip Flops

From dKosopedia

Category: Bush rants

Related Memes: Bush is Phony | Kerry Flip Flops

The Republicans have taken to accusing Kerry of flip-flopping. However, Bush is living in the frailest of glass houses on this topic:

Energy Independence

• Jan. 31, 2006 - In his SOTU speech, President Bush says "...new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025."
• Feb. 1, 2006 - "One day after President Bush vowed to reduce America's dependence on Middle East oil by cutting imports from there 75 percent by 2025, his energy secretary and national economic adviser said Wednesday that the president didn't mean it literally... 'This was purely an example,' Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said." Source: Knight-Ridder Washington bureau

Campaign finance reform

1. [http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0212-03.htm

Other issues

1. Bush is against a 9/11 commission; then he's for it.
2. Bush is against an Iraq WMD investigation; then he's for it.
3. Bush is against nation building; then he's for it.
4. Bush is for free trade; then he's for tariffs on steel; then he's against them again.
5. Bush is against the U.S. taking a role in the Israeli Palestinian conflict; then he pushes for a "road map" and a Palestinian State.
6. Bush is for states right to decide on gay marriage, then he is for changing the constitution.
7. Bush first says he'll provide money for first responders (fire, police, emergency), then he doesn't.
8. Bush first says that 'help is on the way' to the military, then he cuts benefits.

Osama bin Laden

• "The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
  • September 13, 2001 (Sources: Tallahassee Democrat, PBS, The Age)
• "I want justice...There's an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive'"
  • Remarks at the Pentagon, September 17, 2001 (Transcript)
• "...Secondly, he is not escaping us. This is a guy, who, three months ago, was in control of a county [sic]. Now he's maybe in control of a cave. He's on the run. Listen, a while ago I said to the American people, our objective is more than bin Laden. But one of the things for certain is we're going to get him running and keep him running, and bring him to justice. And that's what's happening. He's on the run, if he's running at all. So we don't know whether he's in cave with the door shut, or a cave with the door open -- we just don't know...."
  • Remarks at ranch in Crawford, Texas, December 28, 2001 (Transcript)
• "I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."
  • White House Press Conference, March 13, 2002 (Transcript)
• "I am truly not that concerned about him."
  • Remarks to the Media from the White House, March 13, 2002 (Transcript)

Bush claims to be in favor of the environment and then secretly starts drilling on Padre Island

http://www.texas.sierraclub.org/press/newsreleases/022604.html

1. Bush talks about helping education and increases mandates while cutting funding.
2. Bush first says the U.S. won't negotiate with North Korea; then he says it will.
3. Bush goes to Bob Jones University; then he says he shouldn't have.
4. Bush said he would demand a U.N. Security Council vote on whether to sanction military action against Iraq. Later Bush announced he would not call for a vote.
5. Bush said the "mission accomplished" banner was put up by the sailors. Bush later admits it was his advance team.
6. Bush was for fingerprinting and photographing Mexicans who enter the US. After meeting with Pres. Fox, he's against it.