MORE READING BETWEEN THE LINES

The United States remains committed to diplomacy.
[Just look at what remains from my commitment in Iraq.]

We're on the move. We're taking action. We're helping this young democracy succeed. [In increasing its death count.]

It's in our interests that Iraq succeed.
[Our interests are, of course, oil and hegemony in the greater Middle East.]

The stakes are high. As a matter of fact, they couldn't be higher.
[And the stakes are getting longer, and the vampires are getting bigger. The steaks are getting more expensive, too.]

Steve, we're constantly changing tactics to achieve a strategic goal.
[And we’re constantly changing rhetoric to achieve a strategic goal.]

Our policy is to help this country succeed, because I understand the stakes. I'm going to repeat them one more time.
[I’m going to repeat the mistakes one more time. Iran, can you hear me now?]

My vow to the American people is I understand the stakes, and I understand what it would mean for us to leave before the job is done.
[Honey, are those steaks done yet?]

I like to tell people we're in an ideological struggle.
[I like to tell myself that I’m an idiot in a struggle.]

But the United States' message to North Korea and Iran and the people in both countries is that we have -- we want to solve issues peacefully.
[As we did in Iraq…Afghanistan…Vietnam…]

If North Korea decides that they don't like what's being said, they're not just stiffing the United States -- I don't know if that's a diplomatic word, or not –
[No, it isn’t a diplomatic word. Stiff means corpse or to cheat.]

If I might say, that is a beautiful suit.
[And what’s under it suits me.]

No, I don't consider it a credible report.
I do know that a lot of innocent people have died, and that troubles me and it grieves me.
[But that’s the price of Victory and staying the course. More stakes through the hearts of Iraqis pains me, but I will stay the course.]

I stand by the figure of 30,000. A lot of innocent people have lost their life -- 600,000, or whatever they guessed at, is just -- it's not credible.
[But neither am I.]

I believe that the situation in Iraq is, no question, tough on the American psyche, like I said I think at this very spot last time I faced the press corps. And it's serious business.
[…for Halliburton…Bechtel…Corporate cronies.]

One has a stronger hand when there's more people playing your same cards.
[Boy, everyone must know by now that I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.]

I'll ask myself a follow-up.
[This might be the first time that a president has ever asked himself a follow-up question at his own press conference. Is this schizophrenic megalomania or what?]