Permission slips

Today:

Q: Thank you, Mr. President. Earlier this week, you told a group of journalists that you thought the idea of sending special forces to Pakistan to hunt down bin Laden was a strategy that would not work…recently you’ve also described bin Laden as a sort of modern day Hitler or Mussolini. And I’m wondering why, if you can explain why you think it’s a bad idea to send more resources to hunt down bin Laden, wherever he is?

THE PRESIDENT: Pakistan is a sovereign nation. In order for us to send thousands of troops into a sovereign nation, we’ve got to be invited by the government of Pakistan.

Man, I hope no one tells President Bush or Vice President Cheney about this! They’d be really mad!

2004 State of the Union Address:

BUSH: America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country.

Two months later:

CHENEY: The United States will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country.