Bush Suggests War on Terrorism Cannot Be Won

NBC ‘Today’ interview ignites controversy; aides move to clarify president's remarks

NBC, MSNBC and news services
Updated: 9:32 p.m. ET Aug. 30, 2004

President Bush ignited a Democratic inferno of criticism on Monday by suggesting the war on terrorism could not be won, forcing his aides to scramble to defend his remarks just as he had hoped to bask in convention accolades.

Bush sought to emphasize the economy but his comments on terrorism dominated national attention.

In an interview with Matt Lauer on NBC’s “Today” show, Bush vowed to stay the course in the war on terrorism, saying perseverance in the battle would make the world safer for future generations. But he suggested an all-out victory against terrorism might not be possible.

Asked, “Can we win?” Bush said, “I don’t think you can win it. But I think you can create conditions so that the — those who use terror as a tool are less acceptable in parts of the world.”

"I have a two-pronged strategy," he said. "On the one hand is to find them before they hurt us. ... The long-term strategy is to spread freedom and liberty."

He added later, “You cannot show weakness in this world today because the enemy will exploit that weakness. It will embolden them and make the world a more dangerous place.”

Edwards on the attack
Democrats, looking for ways to deflect the spotlight from Republicans as they opened their convention in New York, pounced.

“After months of listening to the Republicans base their campaign on their singular ability to win the war on terror, the president now says we can’t win the war on terrorism,” said Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards. “This is no time to declare defeat.”

“The war on terrorism is absolutely winnable,” Edwards said later on ABC’s “Nightline.”

White House spokesman Scott McClellan sought to clarify the president’s remarks, telling reporters, “He was talking about winning it in the conventional sense, ... about how this is a different kind of war and we face an unconventional enemy.”

“To suggest that the war on terror can’t be won is absolutely unacceptable,” said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“First George W. Bush said he miscalculated the war in Iraq, then he called it a catastrophic success and blamed the military,” said Allison Dobson, a spokeswoman for Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee. “Now he says we can’t win the war on terror. Is that what (White House political adviser) Karl Rove means when he calls for steady leadership?”

Economic plan discussed
Interviewed by Lauer for the "Today" show on Saturday while on the campaign trail in Ohio, the president was also asked if he felt most Americans would say they are better off today than four years ago. "I think over 50 percent will," he said, referring to what's needed to win re-election in November.

On the federal deficit, Bush was asked if he'd consider raising taxes if it isn't halved in a second term, as he envisions.

"There's no need to answer a hypothetical," he said, "because it is going to [be halved]. That's what we've got in place, and that's what we've got in mind. And I think raising taxes now would be a disaster."

Bush said the major difference between him and Kerry came down to a philosophy of governing.

"There's a philosophical difference, which is that if you look at my policies, they're all aimed at empowering people to make their own decisions," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5865710/