Reply #40: Helen Thomas: "What are you gonna do, bomb them into democracy?"

[Say_What]

She's beautiful!! and then that f*ck'n Ari threatened her.

Here's the transcript:

" MR. FLEISCHER: I hope -- (laughter) -- at the same time. No, the President, of course, believes that democracy can spread to Iraq. Why shouldn't it? Democracy is not boxed in. Democracy doesn't live in limits. Democracy, as the President says, is God's gift to the world. Liberty does not come from America. Liberty is a naturally endowed right that comes from the Creator, according to our own Declaration of Independence. There is no reason in the world that the President does not think that democracy can spread. And the President does believe that the people of Iraq are fully capable of living under a democratic way of life. Of course, they are.

Q Then why are you going to bomb them? (Laughter.) I mean, how do you bomb people back to democracy? This is a question of conquest. They didn't ask to be liberated by the United States. This is our self-imposed political solution for them.

MR. FLEISCHER: Let me guess that you will not be at the speech tonight. Helen, the President is going to --

Q I'll be very interested in what the President has to say because I don't think -- I think if you ask five people anywhere, what's the reason the President wants to go to war, you'll get five different answers. Usually there's one defining moment and solution.

MR. FLEISCHER: Tonight, the President is going to discuss this. I think you will hear the President tonight talk about the threat of Saddam Hussein and how he poses a danger to the American --

Q In 12 years he hasn't done anything.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030226-7.html