A jaw-dropping moment occurred in Bush and Blair's presser: Bush said he regretted saying "bring it on" and "wanted dead or alive." He admitted he should have been more sophisticated in his use of language.
The significance of this shouldn't go unnoticed. Bush has now admitted what the progressive blog community has said all along: Bush's tough talk was wrongheaded and cost lives.
While contrition may be a media policy that works with our lapdog press (and judging from CNN's first blush of commentary, it seems to be getting the desired result), America must now ask what this admission means. Does Bush take responsibility for the deaths generated by his admitted mistake? Does he accept the logical conclusion that his bluster resulted in the killing and maiming of hundreds if not thousands of US troops?
Don't wait for the media to acknowledge the gravity of this admission. Watch it slip by. It's too frightening a thought for them that Bush was dead wrong and the netroots right. It will be spun as a positive for Bush - as a CNN reporter just said, "a Texan regretting his swagger."
Yet again, it's up to the bloggers to bring the truth to light.
UPDATE: Initial wire stories make no mention of Bush's shocker: AP, Reuters.
http://daoureportgrit.blogspot.com/2006/05/in-stunning-admission-bush-regrets.html