The Punxsutawney Press Conference

Press conference, October 11, 2006:

Q Senator Warner says Iraq appears to be drifting sideways, and James Baker says a change in strategy may be needed. Are you willing to acknowledge that a change may be needed?

THE PRESIDENT: Steve, we're constantly changing tactics to achieve a strategic goal. Our strategic goal is a country which can defend itself, sustain itself, and govern itself. The strategic goal is to help this young democracy succeed in a world in which extremists are trying to intimidate rational people in order to topple moderate governments and to extend a caliphate.

The stakes couldn't be any higher, as I said earlier, in the world in which we live. There are extreme elements that use religion to achieve objectives. And they want us to leave, and they want us to -- and they want to topple government. They want to extend an ideological caliphate that is -- has no concept of liberty inherent in their beliefs. They want to control oil resources, and they want to plot and plan and attack us again. That's their objectives. And so -- and our strategic objective is to prevent them from doing that. And we're constantly changing tactics to achieve that objective.

Press conference, August 21, 2006:

Q Mr. President, I'd like to go back to Iraq. You've continually cited the elections, the new government, its progress in Iraq, and yet the violence has gotten worse in certain areas. You've had to go to Baghdad again. Is it not time for a new strategy? And if not, why not?

THE PRESIDENT: The Pentagon is constantly adjusting tactics because they have the flexibility from the White House to do so....The strategy is to help the Iraqi people achieve their objectives and their dreams, which is a democratic society. That's the strategy....We're not leaving, so long as I'm the President....The strategic objective is to help this government succeed....The tactics are which change....Now, if you say, are you going to change your strategic objective, it means you're leaving before the mission is complete....And so we have changed tactics. Our commanders have got the flexibility necessary to change tactics on the ground, starting with Plan Baghdad.

Do you suppose the tactics change as much as the canned responses?

Hat tip: Norbizness, whose version of yesterday's press conference is more coherent than the real thing. More on the August 21 press conference here.

[That's all, folks]