THE ANCHOR DESK:
THE NUMBER ONE REASON TO LOVE HELEN THOMAS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS CORPS

I saw this exchange on... I'm not sure which show last night. President Bush, in his effort to bolster support for the War in Iraq, engaged the White House Press Corps in a rare Q and A. Helen Thomas, who is one of the most senior members of the White House Press Corps, finally asked the question I have asked since 2000 with the announcement of Bush cabinet. While you read it watch how easily he dodges the intent of the question. Also the retoric that was in every related sentence to Iraq in 2003 is now covered in umbrella phrase "a threat".

I LOVE HELEN THOMAS!

QUESTION: I'd like to ask you, Mr. President -- your decision to invade Iraq has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and Iraqis, wounds of Americans and Iraqis for a lifetime.Every reason given, publicly at least, has turned out not to be true. My question is: Why did you really want to go to war? From the moment you stepped into the White House, your Cabinet officers, former Cabinet officers, intelligence people and so forth -- but what's your real reason? You have said it wasn't oil, the quest for oil. It hasn't been Israel or anything else. What was it?

BUSH: I think your premise, in all due respect to your question and to you as a lifelong journalist -- that I didn't want war. To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong, Helen, in all due respect.

QUESTION: And...

BUSH: Hold on for a second, please. Excuse me. Excuse me.No president wants war. Everything you may have heard is that, but it's just simply not true.My attitude about the defense of this country changed on September the 11th. When we got attacked, I vowed then and there to use every asset at my disposal to protect the American people.Our foreign policy changed on that day. You know, we used to think we were secure because of oceans and previous diplomacy. But we realized on September the 11th, 2001, that killers could destroy innocent life.And I'm never going to forget it. And I'm never going to forget the vow I made to the American people, that we will do everything in our power to protect our people.Part of that meant to make sure that we didn't allow people to provide safe haven to an enemy, and that's why I went into Iraq.Afghanistan provided safe haven for Al Qaida. That's where they trained, that's where they plotted, that's where they planned the attacks that killed thousands of innocent Americans.I also saw a threat in Iraq. I was hoping to solve this problem diplomatically. That's why I went to the Security Council. That's why it was important to pass 1441, which was unanimously passed.And the world said, "Disarm, disclose or face serious consequences." And therefore, we worked with the world. We worked to make sure that Saddam Hussein heard the message of the world.And when he chose to deny the inspectors, when he chose not to disclose, then I had the difficult decision to make to remove him. And we did. And the world is safer for it.

THE X-RAY IS NOW OFF!