Bush Hires Fortune Teller as New National Security Advisor
Bush Says He Had No Advance Warning of 9/11
By Caren Bohan, 3/25/2004
NASHUA, New Hampshire (Reuters) - President Bush insisted on Thursday he had no advance warning of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as he challenged the assertions of a former aide who accused him of not placing a high enough priority on pursuing al Qaeda prior to the tragedy.
Visiting a community college in the election swing state of New Hampshire, Bush tried to shore up his credibility on national security, which may be key to stopping Democrat John Kerry from taking the White House from him in November.
“Had I known that the enemy was going to use airplanes to strike America, to attack us, I would have used every resource, every asset, every power of the government, to protect the American people,” Bush said, appearing with Cheryl McGinnis, the wife of a pilot killed in the attacks.
“No, really,” Bush stated, “if I had known, I would have done something! But I had no idea there was even this guy out there, that Al Kayda fella. Terrorists? Who knew?”
“So from now on, I’ve ordered my intelligence team to tell me about all attacks on America at least ten months in advance. I mean, it’s no fair if it just comes as a suprise! We don’t want things to just fall out of the sky… oops, sorry.”
“So Pow-pow, Ashy, the Chenster, and Mr. Rummy are under strict orders not to allow anything to happen unless we plan for it months in advance.”
“Because, really, if I know about something, I’ll prepare for it! Who knew this would happen? Not me! Not you! Maybe that Clarke fella, but who listens to him? I thought his advice was nuts. That’s why no one told me about it.”
“In fact, Dicky-bird likes to say that it’s best if I don’t know about things, since I might talk about them.”
“So when I heard rumors about tearists, I thought to myself, ‘Dubya, what would Jesus do?’ Hell, he’d go back to Texas, just like I did!”
“That’s why I really thought the best thing to do was ignore it. Hell, I was so busy planning the invasion of Iraq, it’s amazing I knew anything else at all!”