Tony Snow: There Is A ‘Sense Of Crisis Of Confidence In Government’
Tony Snow: There Is A ‘Sense Of Crisis Of Confidence In Government’
This morning, a USA Today/Gallup poll reported that fewer than 20 percent of Americans have “a great deal” of trust in President Bush to “recommend the right thing” for the United States to do in Iraq. The poll found that confidence in congressional leaders to chart the proper course is even lower, at 14 percent. A separate CBS News poll reported a record-low 21 percent approve of Bush’s handling of the war.
At the White House press conference this afternoon, Press Secretary Tony Snow was forced to acknowledge that the administration’s handling of Iraq has caused a “crisis of confidence” in government:
Whatever the discontent may be with the president, the level of confidence in Congress is even lower. And what you have is the sense of crisis of confidence in government.
Full transcript below:
QUESTION: Does the president believe there is within the American public — that they would accept sending more troops to Iraq?
SNOW: Again, what you’re trying to do under the guise of an opinion question is to ask me a policy option.
Let me put it this way: The president believes that in putting together a way forward he will be able to address a lot of the concerns that the American public has, the most important of which is, What is your plan for winning?
The other thing is that there’s an opportunity here also for Democrats and Republicans to work together. Whatever the discontent may be with the president, the level of confidence in Congress is even lower. And what you have is the sense of crisis of confidence in government.
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Is he recieving a transmission from Beldar?
December 12th, 2006 at 3:17 pmNo, there is no confidence in Bush’s government. Next question.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:19 pmCan’t somebody frag this clown? Or at least cut out his tongue?
December 12th, 2006 at 3:19 pmHe’s just being the “Snowman”.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:20 pmIf the corporations would get out of the Government, that’s a great place to start.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:21 pmWhatever the discontent may be with the president, the level of confidence in Congress is even lower. And what you have is the sense of crisis of confidence in government.
The discontent was with the Congress that just left and will now be replaced by a vastly different one. So the only crisis of confidence left is the one with the presidency.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:21 pmCaption contest:
Wait, wait,….. it is all becoming clear to me now, there is a crisis of confidence in government ..
December 12th, 2006 at 3:22 pm…….because, because…..
I got it!! We’re all liars, and now everybody knows it!!!
Uhhhh. Yeah.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:22 pmWhen the people, in the course of exercising their right to elect leaders who will represent them, remove 41 members of one party and replace them with another, and in the process change the balance of power in the congress, just maybe there’s a crisis of confidence.
Was that sentence long enough?
Is this 14% for the 109th or the 110th congress?
December 12th, 2006 at 3:23 pm“What is your plan for winning?”
Hey, slapnuts, WE WON!! The visiting team WON!!! But like a South American soccer match gone nuclear (or Detroit winning the NBA title), the home crowd went ballistic, tore all the seats out of the stadium, tipped over all the cars in the parking lot, and burned the F-ing city down. Don’t worry about WIN, worry about FIX!!
December 12th, 2006 at 3:24 pmEven if it is true, Basically he’s saying,
“Yes, the Public has no confidance in the POTUS, but even less in Congress. So There!”
Love the photo!
December 12th, 2006 at 3:25 pm#1 yes – consume mass quantities of Bush BS…
December 12th, 2006 at 3:25 pmI quote George Orwell:
“Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hearâ€
America free or not?
December 12th, 2006 at 3:26 pmSnowjob may be gesturing like that in an attempt to highlight his brain. I prefer to think of it as a target for a 16 pound bowling ball.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:29 pm“Again, what you’re trying to do under the guise of an opinion question is to ask me a policy option.”
Um, Tony, it’s a question all the same…god forbid anyone make an outright inquiry.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:30 pmGee, you think so, Tony Blow!??!!
Too bad you’ve only got a “sense” of the lack of confidence.
I guess the polls DON’T lie, freakin’ holier than thou MORONS.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:31 pmCaption contest:
Quiet!! I’m channelling Crom, the gloomy God of Cimmeria to come wreak his vengeance on you disbelievers!
December 12th, 2006 at 3:36 pmWhatever the discontent may be with the president, the level of confidence in Congress is even lower.
Ah, the bar is never low enough for the Bush cultists.
Everytime someone points out a flaw, they have to find somebody with an ever greater one.
So what if Congress’ approval rate is lower? I bet I can find an African autocrat with an even lower approval rate, too. That hardly constitutes an endorsement for George Bush’s presidency.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:39 pm“Whatever the discontent may be with the president, the level of confidence in Congress is even lower.”
Wow! That makes me feel better about the president!
December 12th, 2006 at 3:40 pmI wonder why we don’t have confidence in our government?
Could it be because people like Snow keep LYING TO US??
Or could it be that our government leaders have shown us how INCOMPETENT THEY ARE??
NNNAAAAHHHHH!!!
December 12th, 2006 at 3:42 pmBeep, beeeep, beep ,beep, beeeeeeeep, beep , blip , beep, beep beep beep……..
December 12th, 2006 at 3:43 pmHe should change his name to Captain Obvious.
Tomorrows Headlines
Bush’s approval ratings low
Republicans no longer have majority in the House and Senate
The US has invaded Iraq
9/11 linked to Al-Queda
I quote George Orwell:
“Freedom is the right to tell people what they do not want to hearâ€
America free or not?
Comment by Xenon — December 12, 2006 @ 3:26 pm
I prefer: “Freedom is the responsibility to allow people to say things you don’t like”
December 12th, 2006 at 3:44 pm#18 – What was Idi Amin’s approval rating right before his ouster? Probably higher than Chimperor’s.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:45 pm“The other thing is that there’s an opportunity here also for Democrats and Republicans to work together.”
And this “opportunity” never existed before? Makes you want to bang his head against a concrete wall repeatedly.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:45 pmWhat is up with this American flag lapel pin? When you get right down to it, I’d be hard-put to dredge up a cheesier image device than that. Yeah right, so Tony and G.Dumya are such great Murracuns cuz they wear little tiny flags? Kiss my ass.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:45 pmI like Snow. He reminds me of the good-for-nothing male ape who was friend of the female ape doctor that helps Charlton Heston in the Planet of the Apes.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:47 pmCaption:
Place tin foil hat here.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:52 pmWhere’s his bejeweled turban – is he trying to resurrect Karnac from the old Johnny Carson show – or is he simply attempting to communicate to the “other side” for predictions of what the future holds? Whatever – they sure don’t have a clue in the White House.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:52 pmWell, the Repugs have done it! They don’t trust government to help people, and now, through their stewardship, they’ve convinced most Americans too.
Mission Accomplished!
December 12th, 2006 at 3:55 pmAnd this “opportunity†never existed before?
Comment by Yikes — December 12, 2006 @ 3:45 pm
Well, no.
See, the Republicans were in the majority then. So there was no opportunity, i.e., they didn’t have to.
Now that they are in the minority, there is an opportunity, i.e., they have to learn to like boiled crow.
Simple, really.
December 12th, 2006 at 3:55 pmraise you hands to your temple if you have given bush a b j
December 12th, 2006 at 3:56 pmSomeone needs to slap Snow upside his head.
December 12th, 2006 at 4:06 pm“Look at my new hair gel”
December 12th, 2006 at 4:07 pmDon’t believe ANYTHING this thug job says. The people voted for a Democratic congress…..he’s trying to taint them before they start………..ANYTHING ANYTHING ANYTHING to divert attention from the debacle of the chimp. I don’t know why we listen to the WH at all. We are a beaten down people to put up with this CRAP day after day.
December 12th, 2006 at 4:07 pmIt is for the 109th, especially considering there ISN’T a 110th yet.
December 12th, 2006 at 4:09 pmI wish that he could effectively squeeze that carbuncle on his neck and make it squirt for the benefit of, and directly on, the “whitehouse press corpse, inc” so that they can bathe after being raped, and he will certainly feel a lot better about lying with his head not so apt to suddenly explode
December 12th, 2006 at 4:14 pmSo he blames congress? The same congress that will go down in history as the “do nothing” and “rubber stamp” congress?
And here I thought Bush was the decider.
December 12th, 2006 at 4:16 pmConfidence in the Bush-Cheney government?
December 12th, 2006 at 4:21 pmNo, not really, Tony.
Baker-Hamilton has taken foreign policy.
American voters, with the new Congress, have taken domestic policy.
Bush-Cheney is the lamest of ducks this country has ever seen.
Now, we will see if ANYONE can fix the mess that Bush-Cheney has wrought.
Caption:
December 12th, 2006 at 4:23 pm“…and I’m holding george’s cheeks like that, and suck it like this….”
They fired the inept congressfools, that’s why the number is so low. Wait till the NEW Congress or better yet 2008- when we fire more comunitarian conservatives and put in a few guys who think with their brains and not their guts.
December 12th, 2006 at 4:23 pmDouchbag Snow is just realizing this? Hell, he’s in the middle of it and complicit…give me a break. Wake up Snowjob…you’ve been “had”.
December 12th, 2006 at 4:33 pmTo be honest, I thought Ari Fleischer was as bad as it could get. But I am convinced now that Tonie Foxxx is the greatest insult to the American people right after his master. We need to restore our honor by incarcerating those ‘patridiots’, there are enough camps available. And then somebody needs to find out who the main advertisers on Fux news network are. I don’t watch that sh!†, but I am sure if there is a widespread boycott of Tonie’s TV, the corporate advertisers will leave and there will be less brain manipollution in the air…
December 12th, 2006 at 4:37 pmYou know I think I prefer Scott McClellan’s “We aren’t going to comment on an ongoing investigation” better than Tony Snow’s “I am going to tell you a lie with a straight face”
December 12th, 2006 at 4:42 pmCaption:
Tony Snow attempts Vulcan mind meld on self not realizing:
1.) It requires at least one brain and preferably two.
December 12th, 2006 at 4:43 pm2.) It’s not normally used on aliens.
3.) An improperly trained melder who initiates a mind meld can transmit a Vulcan disease known as Pa’nar Syndrome, which can be fatal. Unfortunately only the good die young. Snow may live forever…
It “Just Tony”. In his new Broadway musical.
December 12th, 2006 at 4:44 pmTo think Tony Snowjob gets paid for being stupid. Bush as lied from day one and continues to lie so why would anyone trust him. The thinking and talking is to stall the public. The plan will continue as it was laid out in the 80’s . Don’t think Iran/Syria don’t know what’s going on. Now we even learned that Israel has nukes given by the US. So all that talk about Iran wanting nukes was a smoke screen. Yes now Israel can blow Iran/Syria off the map thanks to the Nukes that the US gave them. Oh the United Nations got an ear full as Bush and other Presidents have gone behind the UN’s back to supply nukes without world approval. Let’s see what North Korea thinks of this news. I remember the only tape Bush allowed Americans to hear from Bin Liden. He said Americans would find out what all this was about meaning the attacks, as he never admitted to be part of it but he praised it. Little by little it’s beginning to make since the Middle East knew of the plan back in the 80’s with the Big Oil companies. No wonder the GOP pushed to impeach Bill Clinton. All this happen as Americans believed and trusted the elected officials. Even overseas they were laughing are the US impeaching a President for having an affair. When we look back in the History of America most of the Presidents had affairs even Bush is continuing that policy yet no word from the religious right.
December 12th, 2006 at 4:44 pmCaption:
Is your card the Saddam Hussein Ace of Spades? Mission Accomplished! Well, what’s the problem?
December 12th, 2006 at 4:44 pmIs it just me, or is Tony looking really haggard and tired lately? Think it’s taking its toll being a F**%&) LIAR all the time?
December 12th, 2006 at 4:49 pmQuestions for Cheney/Bush and Snow:
What is the operational definition of the following:
Success in Iraq?
Victory in Iraq?
Victory in Afghanistan?
Victory in the “Global War on Terror” TM?
The Way Forward?
By what metrics will these have been achieved?
Bush can consult with all the people he wants – he’s doing nothing different than unprepared students who try to buy time and then request a grade of incomplete. In this case, while Bush fiddles, our troops die, Iraq falls deeper into war, and Iran and Saudi Arabia are ramping up their war machines.
The American citizenry already gave Bush a failing grade in the November elections. Now it’s time to expel him.
As fast as they can, Congress must investigate, illuminate, impeach and convict.
Keep Air Force One fueled and Marine One at the ready for Bush and Cheney’s departure.
December 12th, 2006 at 4:57 pmBTW, I’m waiting to see the little ‘TM’ next to “a way forward.” It’s got to be the new White House mantra!
December 12th, 2006 at 5:26 pmWheeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Spin us faster, Uncle Phoney. Faster!
Whatever the discontent may be with the president, the level of confidence in Congress is even lower.
What are you suggesting, Phoney? We kick all the Republicans out of Congress who are pulling the average down? Sounds like a winner to me.
December 12th, 2006 at 5:32 pmRe: “The president believes that in putting together a way forward he will be able to address a lot of the concerns that the American public has, the most important of which is, What is your plan for winning?”
December 12th, 2006 at 5:57 pmWrong. That’s what W thinks he can pretend is the most important concern of the American public. The “war” in Iraq ended a long time ago. There is no “winning” to be had here. Remember “mission accomplished?” What exists now is an occupation, and it has dragged on much too long.
May be that is why Bush likes presidents of Iraq. He can beat them in this category…he has more approval rating than Al-Maliki of Iraq.
December 12th, 2006 at 6:09 pmCaption contest- The answer is “Clinton”- Now what is the question?
(from Johnny Carsons-Carnack.)
December 12th, 2006 at 6:16 pmIf I read that right, Tony Snow just blamed Congress for Iraq. I guess that will teach them for being a rubber stamp for the Bush administration.
December 12th, 2006 at 6:31 pm“And what you have is the sense of crisis of confidence in government.”
Gee, Tony…YA THINK?!?!
For the love of all that’s sacred…I figured out long before this that Snowjob ain’t exactly the brightest crayon in the box, but this latest comment makes him look as dense as a white dwarf star.
December 12th, 2006 at 7:14 pmThere is a SOLID AS IRAQ reason for the “crisis in confidence” that permeates the American people’s attitudes towards the Bush administration and the congress.
If our representatives continue to sing different versions of the recently released bipartisan theme song “Let’s Move Forward Together” or “This is not a blame game” or ” We need to come together” or “MOve ON” or from my own recently elected Senator Sherrod Brown said “This is not about retribution”.
Even though most Americans would prefer going back to sleep now that the gas prices are low again. Many want to witness ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE IN REGARD TO THE “HOW AND WHY” WE INVADED IRAQ.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed that they have the balls to come back and demand ACCOUNTABILITY IN REGARD TO THE INTELLIGENCE SNOWJOB that was conducted on the American people and the world Let’s hope that the Democrats do not need to “investigate a Blow job” like the moral Republican controlled congress.
If the Democrats do not accept their responsibility for congressional over sight the American people who voted them in based on a desire to witness Justice and Accountabilty should blow the Democrats away in 2008!
THIS IS THE VERY LEAST OUR REPRESENTATIVES CAN DO FOR THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEEDLESSLY LOST THEIR LIVES IN THIS WAR OF CHOICE.
DEMAND THAT PHASE II OF THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE IS COMPLETED. DEMAND THAT THE OFFICE OF NET ASSESSMENT, WHITE HOUSE IRAQ GROUP AND THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL PLANS ARE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED AND THOSE WHO CREATED AND DESSIMINATED THE FALSE PRE-WAR INTELLIGENCE ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE
December 12th, 2006 at 7:24 pmIt looks like Tony’s receiver is on the fritz.
December 12th, 2006 at 8:09 pmIs that anything like the malaise 30 years ago.
December 12th, 2006 at 8:15 pmThe wheels are coming off, the wheels are coming off! Sounds like the boy who cried, the sky is falling with one notable exception. The wheels are really coming off the administration and it’s Iraq policy. They are the gang the not only can’t shoot straight, but the ones that can’t talk straight either. At first it was weapons of mass destruction, then regime change, then nation building, now no clue. That pretty much sums up the changing positions this President has taken since this fiasco began and he appears to have run out of ideas. Oh, I forget, now it’s, “The Way Forward”. I suppose the enemy will stop fighting now that Bush’s Iraq strategy is “The Way Forward”. After all it’s not like they have out maneuered him at every turn.
They aren’t real General’s in the sense that former General H. Norman Swartzkaft meant when he said that Sadam wasn’t a military man or strategist. I mean who could lose to a few dead enders, Sadam loyalists or former bathist members. Our Commander In Chief is smarter than that right? I mean he wouldn’t risk his legacy by being dumb enough to be defeat by a group of morons, would he? Of course not, that’s why he has the new strategy, “The way forward”. The way forward is the greatest phrase ever used since, “All we have to fear is fear itself”. This phrase will not only end the war, but go down in history as the most defining statement of our time.
December 12th, 2006 at 8:34 pmFrench Stewart, that isn’t really the Big Giant Head, is it???
December 12th, 2006 at 8:55 pmHe looks like he’s pretending to be Carnac the Magnificent.
December 12th, 2006 at 8:59 pmDefinitely a chuckle-head.
December 12th, 2006 at 11:06 pmFor their follow-up, the White House will be announcing confirmation of their exhaustive research proving that water does indeed quench thirst.
December 12th, 2006 at 11:58 pmGood old Tony Snow.The manager of the auto sales dept. trying to tell you why your brand new car warranty which is good for five years has run out after only two.
His picture says it all.
December 13th, 2006 at 12:52 amI am sorry. I must have missed the discussion about Ahmadinejad and his Holocaust forum. Is that not a “Progressive†topic? Or do you all still have you heads up you’re a$$ when is come to the middle east?
Please discuss it and tell your true feeling about how you don’t care about Israel getting exterminated by these lunatics. You discuss Dancing with the Stars
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/09/06/delay-dancing/
And think that is worthy news. Let’s discuss Iran. Oh, I forget, a “Progressive†idea is that America is bad, Israel should be wiped out and that terrorists have more rights than anybody else.
I know the responses to this posting will be about anything but the main topic. But I am hopeful. Let us see a topic about this Holocaust form and not how much you dislike Republicans, Bush, me, my spelling…
December 13th, 2006 at 7:45 am[...] Bedauerlicherweise wird es immer unklarer, was die Demokraten wollen. Gut, anfängliche Schwierigkeiten nach der Machtergreifung sind schwierig. Das Bushs Umfragewerte derzeit ein Rekordtief nach dem anderen erreichen, hilft natürlich einigen Egomanen ebenfalls nicht sonderlich sich auf die wirklich wichtigen Punkte zu verlagern. [...]
December 13th, 2006 at 8:03 am#69 Happy Guy
I am sorry. I must have missed the discussion about Ahmadinejad and his Holocaust forum. Is that not a “Progressive†topic? Or do you all still have you heads up you’re a$$ when is come to the middle east?
Oh, I’m sorry, did someone tell you that you were a special little boy and could have the topics changed any time you wanted just by whining? I hate to discourage you, knowing how much you love a good whine, but we’re going to ignore your request.
You could hold your breath until you turn blue, though. Maybe that would work.
December 13th, 2006 at 11:55 amDid anyone above read Sen. McCain’s new attempt to censor all entries into blogs and diaries?
Didn’t? Should! We’re all in the eye of the Censors of Written Freedom.
KOS was mentioned specifically – the fine for non-compliance? $300,000!
December 13th, 2006 at 11:56 amPHOTO: tells all, doesn’t it? Captures Snow trying in vain to hold in the truth.
December 13th, 2006 at 11:58 amYou’ve got to give these dopes credit… lying, being caught at it, changing the story, then acting like they never said any of it has worked for them so far. In the polls that say “8% of Americans think Bush is doing a fine job,” you’ve got to wonder who these people are and where they get their information from. There are a lot of people in this country who just don’t have a clue and the Repugs have exploited their ignorance to their advantage. The fact that they’re still trying to do it shows just how ignorant they are themselves — they can’t see the fire for the smoke. That could be a good thing… let them burn and stop defacing this country.
December 13th, 2006 at 1:18 pmIt will end badly for Mr. Snow. Pity him.
December 13th, 2006 at 7:15 pmIsrael is not getting exterminated, Palestine is…………but really, it goes both ways in that they’re both using violence to solve this problem and look how far it’s gotten them………
December 13th, 2006 at 7:54 pmDouble military salute from Tony Snowjob.The ultimate neocon.
December 13th, 2006 at 8:03 pmReally, Tony??? How do you suppose that ever came about?? What a sad, sick joke.
Oh gosh! (to borrow a phrase from that silver-tongued devil Donny Rumsfeld) HAPPY GUY IS BACK!!!!! Yea for Happy Guy!!! – he’s so much more in the know than the rest of us, we’d better just shut up or get our heads chopped off by turrissts, right Happy??? Now you tell us Happy, how do we fix the whole world, you prophetic genius, you.
December 13th, 2006 at 8:45 pm[...] By MediaChannel. Will Bunch decries the “press corpse” by quoting White House Press Secrectary and former talk show host Tony Snow, who seems to be harder on the government than the people who are supposed to be asking him tough questions: Listen to what Snow told Howie Kurtz in a sit-down interview on CNN this weekend: You’ve got to keep in mind that what we do have is a political season where there are a lot of highly contentious issues. And you also have a time now where you’re having a debate about Iraq, where passions run high. So, you’ve got to expect from time to time people are going to push, and sometimes I’ll push back. But I don’t — I actually don’t see it as that contentious. [...]
December 14th, 2006 at 10:32 am“The president believes that in putting together a way forward he will be able to address a lot of the concerns that the American public has.” – What a smart idea! Coming up with a PLAN! And only THREE YEARS after the first one fell apart!
Why is he coming up with a plan? Because he’s been completely isolated. Because he’s against the wall. Because he’s rejected every outside plan he’s been presented with. “There’s an opportunity here also for Democrats and Republicans to work together.” Like they did in the ISG report- which Bush rejected.
So now- don’t worry people- now he’s going to think of something good.
Sorry, Tony. The crisis of confidence continues.
December 14th, 2006 at 12:00 pm