"Seersucker Is Coming Back," The Trouble With Lebanon/Israel, And Other Tips From W

While everyone else is being rather serious in today's presidential press briefing, W yucks it up a bit. Even so, Helen (and I love her, in case you haven't gathered that already) whips out her cast iron skillet and hits georgie over the head with a very tough question. But let's unpack his reply and see what we think about it:

Helen. (Laughter.) What's so funny about me saying "Helen"? (Laughter.) It's the anticipation of your question, I guess.

Q Israel broke its word twice on a truce. And you mentioned Hezbollah rockets, but it's -- Israeli bombs have destroyed Lebanon. Why do you always give them a pass? And what's your view on breaking of your oath for a truce?

So, we see, the point of the question is thus: If you can't even control your allies, how can you stop millitant terrorists?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, thank you. I like to remind people about how this started, how this whole -- how the damage to innocent life, which bothers me -- but, again, what caused this.

Q Why drop bombs on --

THE PRESIDENT: Let me finish -- let -- ma'am. Ma'am, please let me finish the question. It's a great question to begin with. The follow-up was a little difficult, but anyway. (Laughter.) I know you're waiting for my answer, aren't you, with bated breath.

Ah, the President complements Helen for her question - finally, a point I can agree with him on - it is indeed a great question and one taht he will have trouble answering. So, he inserts a little "humor" to ease us into the non-answer he is about to deliver:

This never would have occurred had a terrorist organization, a state within a state, not launched attacks on a sovereign nation. From the beginning, Helen, I said that Israel, one, has a right to defend herself, but Israel ought to be cautious about how she defends herself. Israel is a democratically elected government. They make decisions on their own sovereignty. It's their decision-making that is -- what leads to the tactics they chose.

But the world must understand that now is the time to come together to address the root cause of the problem. And the problem was you have a state within a state. You have people launch attacks on a sovereign nation without the consent of the government in the country in which they are lodged.

And that's why it's very important for all of us, those of us who are involved in this process, to get an international force into Lebanon to help the Lebanese government achieve some objectives. One is their ability to exert control over the entire country; secondly is to make sure that the Hezbollah forces don't rearm, don't get arms from Syria or Iran through Syria, to be able to continue to wreak havoc in the region.

So, did he answer the question? I don't think so. What do you think?

Meanwhile, he lets loose some more presidential witicisms, which is wear we find out that seersucker is coming back in:

Let's see -- we'll finish the first line here. Everybody can be patient.

Q Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. (Laughter.) It's kind of like dancing together, isn't it? (Laughter.)

Q Yes, kind of. (Laughter.)

Q Very close quarters.

THE PRESIDENT: If I ask for any comments from the peanut gallery I'll call on you. (Laughter.) By the way, seersucker is coming back. I hope everybody -- (laughter.) Never mind.

Q Kind of the Texas county commissioner look. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, Martha. Sorry.

I see, so we get more comedy per American Taxpayer dollar spent from this President - but really, if I wanted to watch comedy, I would have turned on Jon Stewart.

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