Wife-beater-in-chief

At his news conference today, the president was asked: "Do you have to support the war to support the troops here? I mean, if you're one of those Americans that thinks you've made a terrible mistake, that it's destined to end badly, what do you do? If they speak out, are they by definition undermining the troops?"

The president replied, in part: "I think you can be against my decision and support the troops, absolutely. But the proof will be whether or not you provide them the money necessary to do the mission."

Let's get this straight.

It is possible to be against the escalation and to support the troops.

But to prove that you support the troops, you have to pay for the escalation.

The president added: "Your question is valid. Can somebody say, we disagree with your tactics or strategy, but we support the military -- absolutely, sure. But what's going to be interesting is if they don't provide the flexibility and support for our troops that are there to enforce the strategy that David Petraeus, the general on the ground, thinks is necessary to accomplish the mission."

It's certainly comforting to know that the president considers the reporter's question valid. What will happen to the reporter who asks an invalid question?

Then the president says it's possible to disagree with his tactics and support the military. On the other hand, he says, if you don't support those tactics, you don't support the military.

This is the rhetoric of the wife beater, of the child abuser: "If you don't do as I say, I will hurt you, because I love you." Bush is pushing a cruel form of cognitive dissonance that is designed to force listeners to give up thinking for themselves, and surrender to his will.

"Daddy loves you and that's why he rapes you."

"I'm sorry I hit you, honey. You know I love you."

He's a mean, dry drunk who learned during his drinking days how to manipulate people cruelly. The press and the people let him get away with it.