Stump Speech Retooled -- Having gotten his ass kicked in the debate, President Punk goes on the attack -- when it's safe

It's "coulda woulda shoulda" time as Bush, with the aid of several speech writers, demonstrates his Esprit de l'escalier*

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Oct. 6 - President Bush delivered a scathing, point-by-point critique on Wednesday of Senator John Kerry's stands on national security and the economy, giving no ground on either his decision to go to war or growing questions about mistakes in the occupation of Iraq.

In a retooled and highly combative stump speech delivered on the day when a new report raised questions about his rationale for going to war, Mr. Bush seemed to be trying to make up ground that polls show he lost during last week's debate. He accused Mr. Kerry of 'proposing policies and doctrines that would weaken America and make the world more dangerous' and of pursuing a 'strategy of retreat' in Iraq."

I can only ask the succinct and direct question we'd all love to see Senator Kerry ask of him in the second debate, but I'm pretty sure he won't:

"Hey Dubya -- how come you didn't have the balls to say that to my face?"

* Esprit de l'escalier literally means that situation in which you are halfway down the stairs before you suddenly think of that devastatingly witty comment you could have made. More generally, it’s any sparkling remark you wish you had thought of at the time but were too slow-witted to produce.

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