At media black-out event Bush says he would torture again

Former President George W. Bush was is Grand Rapids yesterday to speak at the annual dinner of the Economics Club of Grand Rapids. Bush requested no media at the event, no pictures and no videotaping.

The three local TV stations did stories from the lobby of the downtown convention center site, where Bush spoke to a sold out audience. Channel 13 mentioned that some area politicians were present and did a short interview with State Senator Bill Hardiman.

WXMI 17 talked with Pete Seechia, Congressman Vern Ehlers, State Representative Roy Schmidt and an area student, all of which talked about the event but said nothing about what Bush talked about in his speech. At the end of the story, the channel 17 reporter said that one person they talked to said that Bush, “was very interesting and very funny.”

WOOD TV 8 did not speak with anyone who attended the event, but they did make mention that they were the only TV station to film the former President’s motorcade as it arrived, which of course has nothing to do with journalism.

Unlike the TV stations the Grand Rapids Press paid the $175 per person fee to get into the event. The article by Press reporter Ted Roelofs was not very long.

The reporter identified four things that Bush addressed. First, Bush confessed that he tortured (water-boarded) Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, whom Bush claimed was the “master-mind” behind the 9/11 attacks. Bush said, “I’d do it again to save lives.” However, Bush is not cited as provided any evidence that his administration’s use of torture saved any lives or prevented further attacks against the US and the Press reporter doesn’t question the former President’s assertion.

Second, Bush states, “Getting rid of Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do and the world is a better place without him.” Getting rid of Saddam, however, was not the reason the Bush administration gave for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, rather it was to find and destroy Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). Again the reporter accepts the claim without question or verification. Numerous political analysts, such as Patrick Cockburn, have pointed out that the standard of living for most Iraqis is worse now than under Saddam Hussein and that the US invasion/occupation has resulted in over 1 million dead Iraqis.

The only other points that Bush made was that he prayed a lot and has decided not to publicly criticize President Obama.

How unfortunate for people who read the Grand Rapids Press that for $175 all we got was a weak report on what a former President said, especially since Bush is considered by many to have been a war criminal.