Tony Snow on 2500 dead U.S. soldiers: "It's a number."

[Human Torch]

Press Briefing by Tony Snow
James S. Brady Briefing Room

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 15, 2006

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/20060615-4.html

Q Tony, American deaths in Iraq have reached 2,500. Is there any response or reaction from the President on that?

MR. SNOW: It's a number, and every time there's one of these 500 benchmarks people want something. The President would like the war to be over now. Everybody would like the war to be over now. And the one thing that we saw in Iraq this week is further testimony to the quality of the men and the women who are doing that, and the dedication and determination to try to ensure that the people of Iraq really do live in a free, effective democracy of their own creation and design.

Any President who goes through a time of war feels very deeply the responsibility for sending men and women into harm's way, and feels very deeply the pain that the families feel. And this President is no different. You've seen it many times. You saw it, you saw it when he was in that ballroom, Terry, and you had this crowd of servicemen and women who were cheering loudly for the President, and he got choked up. So it's always a sad benchmark, and one of the things the President has said is that these people will not die in vain.

And part of what happened this very week when the President went to Baghdad, and he sat down with the Prime Minister and he sat down with the cabinet, and he sat down with the President and Vice President, he sat down with the national security team, and he sat down with the leaders of all the major political parties, what he saw now is that after all of this, what you have in Iraq is a freestanding government that has been elected by the Iraqi people. It has a Prime Minister who is going to be there for four years, who is determined to act as a Prime Minister, who is determined to lead, who is setting priorities, and he's somebody we can work with. You have a Minister of Defense who has significant experience and is already working with his colleagues, not only here at the Pentagon, but also General Casey and others in the field. The President understands that those deaths cannot be in vain, and you've got a government now that can help ensure that that is not the case.

Q Was he told about the benchmark, the President?

MR. SNOW: I don't know. I'm sure he will hear about it.

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Too bad the Minister of Defense didn't shoot down the plane that

violated Iraqi airspace.....oh, I guess the US hasn't given the Iraq government the OK to defend themselves yet.

[gratuitous]

2. And that's all it is to these guys: A number

They're just pieces on a real-life Risk board, to be moved around at a whim and put back in the box when they're eliminated. There's no consciousness in the White House that every one of these numbers (not just every 500th one, as Snow would have it) represents a person, and that the survivors (friends, family members, co-workers, etc.) have sustained a grievous loss.

Snow's lying when he says that Bush "feels very deeply the pain that the families feel." Bush doesn't give a happy rat's ass about the dead, their families or anyone else, and I can prove it: Ask Bush to name one KIA from Iraq. Just one. He won't be able to do it.

[LuckyLib]

4. Nor has he showed any respect or reverence for the dead by

making an appearance at even one funeral for a dead American soldier. Can't guarantee that someone in the family won't stand up screaming insults during the service. I would.

edited for spelling

[SCDem]

3. I would love to hear from the parent of #2500

I would love a blog or a real journalist to interview the parents of soldier #2500 to hear how they feel about their child being "just a number?"

[shain from kane]

5. Snow just crossed into Joseph Stalin territory.

"The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic." Joseph Stalin

The death of 2,500 men is a tragedy.

Just as no 2 snowflakes are the same, no 2 human beings are the same. They are unique unto themselves, and when each one dies, he is gone forever.

You are the snowflake, and I'm glad that I will only have to deal with one of you.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. I wonder how the families of those who have lost their lives in Iraq

feel about having these deaths reduced to "a number". I hope this callous remark comes back to bite them in the ass.

[MethuenProgressive]

7. Official FOX News Editorial Policy - they NEVER mention the "count"...

Q Was he told about the benchmark, the President?

MR. SNOW: I don't know. I'm sure he will hear about it.
-----------------

But will he give a shit? No.

[Human Torch]

8. I'm sure the official White House response to Snow's remarks is...

..."screw 'em, they'll get over it."

Virtually every key player...every one...that's had a hand in orchestrating, approving and perpetuating this war never spent ONE DAY in combat themselves.

They're all neocon chickenhawks. So yeah, somebody else's death is easy to dismiss as long as the no-bid contracts keep lining up.

I hope Hell keeps the "Vacancy" sign on. They're going to need a lot of room.

:patriot:

[unhappycamper]

9. Just a number?

http://morethananumber.org/