Is This Discourse Serious?

From the Associated Press: Bush’s approval up, but disagreement why
Just the first two paragraphs, please.

WASHINGTON — In a round of speeches on Iraq, President Bush is combining fresh expressions of steely resolve with sobering acknowledgments of how unexpectedly hard the task has been.

While his detractors say the president has offered no new initiatives, his supporters say the president’s two-week speaking blitz is helping to turn public opinion in his favor and putting Democrats on the defensive.

Ugh. Pray tell, what kind of milquetoast is put on the defensive by the empty rhetoric of “fresh expressions of steely resolve” and “sobering acknowledgments of how unexpectedly hard the task has been”?!

A: “OK, so I misjudged exactly how difficult this thing was gonna be. But in my judgement we did the right thing, and darnit we’re gonna keep right on doing the right thing if it kills us.”

B: “Bravo! Horray!”

C: “But you’ve offered no new initiatives!”

B: “Ha ha! Now you nay-saying ninnies are on the defensive!”

C: “The devil you say! We are not on the defensive! In fact it’s offensive how not on the defensive we really aren’t!”

OK, so forget I asked about the milquetoasts.