Failing to Reassure

Despite President Bush's attempt yesterday to win back support for the war in Iraq by reminding people of the dangers posed by al-Qaeda, today's coverage is full of skepticism and distrust. And given the chance to address his lack of credibility at a hastily scheduled press conference this morning, Bush was unable to reassure the doubters.

Here's the question from NBC's David Gregory: "Mr. President, after the mistakes that have been made in this war, when you do as you did yesterday, where you raised two-year-old intelligence talking about the threat posed by al-Qaeda, it's met with increasing skepticism. A majority in the public, growing number of Republicans appear not to trust you any longer to be able to carry out this policy successfully. Can you explain why you believe you're still a credible messenger on the war?"

Bush's reply: "I'm credible because I read the intelligence, David, and make it abundantly clear in plain terms that if we let up, we'll be attacked, and I firmly believe that. You know, I -- look, this has been a long, difficult experience for the American people. I can assure you al-Qaeda, who would like to attack us again, have got plenty of patience and persistence, and the question is, will we.

"I believe I have an obligation to tell the truth to the American people as to the nature of the enemy, and it's unpleasant for some. I fully recognize that after 9/11, in the calm here at home, relatively speaking -- you know, caused some to say, well, maybe we're not at war. I know that's a comfortable position to be in, but that's not the truth.

"Failure in Iraq will cause generations to suffer, in my judgment. Al-Qaeda will be emboldened. They will say, 'Yeah, once again, we've driven the great soft America out of a part of the region.' It will cause them to be able to recruit more. It will give them safe haven.

"They are a direct threat to the United States, and I'm going to keep talking about it. That's my job as the president, is to tell people the threats we face and what we're doing about it. And what we've done about it is, we've strengthened our homeland defenses. We've got new techniques that we use that enable us to better determine their -- you know, their motives and their plans and plots.

"And we're working with nations around the world to deal with these radicals and extremists. But they're dangerous, and I can't put it any more plainly. They're dangerous. And we -- and I can't put it any more plainly to the American people and to them. We will stay on the offense. It's better to fight them there than here.

"And this concept about, well, maybe, you know, let us kind of just leave them alone and maybe they'll be all right, is naive. These people attacked us before we were in Iraq. They viciously attacked us before we were in Iraq, and they have been attacking every since. They are a threat to your children, David. And whoever's in that Oval Office, better understand it and take measures necessary to protect the American people."

None of which, of course, answers the question. Offered a chance to address the seminal challenge facing his presidency, Bush chose stock phrases, straw-man arguments and an appeal to fear. And then he got personal.

"They are a threat to your children, David," Bush said.

Over the past six years, the intelligence has been wrong or twisted or both, while Bush's predictions about the Middle East have been almost uniformly wrong. But we're just supposed to trust him again because he says so?

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Talk about last-minute press conferences. The e-mail announcing Bush would take questions went out at 9:24 a.m., telling reporters they had 19 minutes to sign up. The conference began at 11.