The Comma Comment

President Bush, in an interview on CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer on 2006-09-20, suggested that, from the perspective of history, the current bloody violence in Iraq will "look like just a comma." I've heard a fair bit of chatter about the comment, but Thursday night's Daily Show with Jon Stewart was the first time I've seen the actual video clip. I noticed something that I haven't heard commented on in the press, that Jon Stewart let slide by, and that's missing from the rush transcript posted on CNN's web site. Here is Bush's actual quote:

Yes, you see it on TV. And that's the — that's the power of an enemy that is willing to kill innocent people. But there is also an unbelievable will and resiliency by the Iraqi people.

Twelve million people voted last December. Admittedly, it seems like a decade ago. I like to tell people when the final history is written on Iran, Iraq, it will look like just a comma, because there is — my point is, there is a strong will for democracy.

Sounds like a Freudian slip to me, given the reports that Bush has asked for action plans for a ground invasion of Iran in the quite likely event that a massive aerial bombardment is inadequate to destroy their nuclear programs (nuclear weapons, nuclear power, or both). I don't by any means want to detract from the inhuman insensitivity of what Bush meant to say, but it's worth noting what he actually did say.

Technorati tags: Bush, CNN, Wolf Blitzer, Situation Room, Iraq War, Iran, History, Comma Comment, Politics