Regarding questions faced by Donald Rumsfeld yesterday from US troops in Kuwait about the lack of armor and other supplies, this New York Times article gives us the following gem from President Bush:
“The concerns expressed are being addressed, and that is, we expect our troops to have the best possible equipment,” Mr. Bush told reporters in the Oval Office. “And if I were a soldier overseas, wanting to defend my country, I’d want to ask the secretary of defense the same question.” He added that military families should be assured that “we’re doing everything we possibly can to protect your loved ones in a mission which is vital and important.”
I go to my mechanic and I say “Kenny, the brakes on my car don’t work. This is bad and needs to be fixed, on account of my non-working brakes could kill me.”
“You’re right, Pete,” replies Kenny. “Your concerns are being addressed. All cars should have working brakes. The policy of this garage is that all cars should have working brakes.”
I pick up my car two days later, write Kenny a check for $227.89, and discover (to my dismay) on the drive home that the brakes still don’t work. Risking death, I drive back to the garage and ask Kenny why the hell my brakes still don’t work.
“As I said before, these concerns have been addressed. Our policy is that all cars should have working brakes.”
Obviously ridiculous, this answer, and there’s no way anyone would accept it from their mechanic. However, we’re expected to take it on faith when the White House says it.