On the other hand, the maniacs at democratic underground think you didn't go far enough. If you anger both the extreme right and the extreme left, you're doing a pretty good job, Brian. So cheers.

Wonderful Job! Bush is getting battered over katrina for one reason, HE is the elected leader, therefore his job is to lead. As America saw the images of what was going on, many of us, myself included got off the couch and did something. This man was on vacation, totally out of touch with what was going on. WE all wanted our leader to do his job, lead. What a shame. He gets the blame because he is was not able to do his job. The buck has to stop somewhere.

I did not watch the interview but reading the comments from viewers it shows how divided this nation is. I do find the media extremely biased and newsreporting has become more like an academy award performance... and the Oscar goes to the highest rating reporter! Is this what's it all about?

Brian -
We need more fax not more fixion.

W ain't nothin but a cowboy wannabe whose hat is too big for his head. He can roll up his sleeves, look John Wayne tough and do some earnest straight faced lyin and decievin. But he ain't foolin me podna.

He just 'sume let a woman walk thru a mud puddle rather than dirty his coat and it's been proven he hasn't rounded up the wagons to fight off the indians. Naw, we'll ride right out inta Indian Territory and have a wholesale slaughter (Custer Style).

My closing note: I'm truly sickntired of HMG People tagging everyone either a Liberal or Conservative, blah blah blah blah. That is SOOOO old and SOOOO Limbaughish, it gags me. That is truly a skipping record.

Why can't somebody just do what's right for once and quit dividing up America and loosing our worldwide credibility. Will somebody please stand up and do the right thing and W can go back to riding his stick horse named Shakespeares.

I have read peoples opinions of who is right, wrong, illiterate and idiotic until I am sick to death of BOTH parties. The one thing I have not read is a viable idea on what to do about ANYTHING! No one is perfect. Not George Bush, Brian Williams, Bill Clinton or even George Washington.

President Bush, put more troops in Afghanistan and go after Bin Laden full bore even if it means ground assaults into Pakistan. Mr. Williams, if it is true the Federal Government has intentionally turned its back on the people of New Orleans, show us by an honest contrasting story on rebuilding the coast of Mississippi. By the way, I have seen numerous stories this week on the anniversary of Katrina in New Orleans, but not one single thing on Mississippi. They suffered far more damage. Ex-President Clinton, remember how along you must have felt when the country was at your throat? Do something big like throw politics to the side and stand beside the current president and give some old fashioned American Support.

To the rest of you hurricane, terrorist and political experts use the energy you exert on complaining and do something for your country and fellow Americans. You are the ones that are making me sick and embarrassed to be a member of the finest country in the world.

I was amazed by your interview with the President. It seemed more like a supervisor talking to a worker about errors that the supervisor thought were wrong, and no explanation will satisfy the supervisor, especially when the supervisor would only accept a "I was wrong and you must be right" answer.

The President continued last night to refer to the invasion of Iraq and the removal of Saddam’s regime as part of the “War on Terror.” What did Saddam have to do with terrorism? There was never any evidence (other than the evidence reported by the New York Times as “quoted from an anonymous source”) that Iraq had anything to do with any terrorist action. In fact, Saddam and his Shiite supporters feared Sunni fundamentalism far more than we do. It is a civil war between these two populations that grips Iraq today. The Invasion of Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 and everything to do with protecting our access to Middle Eastern oil.
Further, the President’s responses regarding the “War on Terror” underline his complete lack of understanding of the situation and the terrorist mindset. It is, unfortunately, a lack of understanding that most Americans share. It is a great error to believe that force can successfully combat ideology. Although this notion seems counterintuitive and goes against our “good common sense,” history has proven it to be true over and over. You cannot fight terrorism by killing terrorists. Killing a terrorist only creates more terrorists. Where a person who may at first be only vaguely sympathetic to the terrorist’s cause becomes willing to deliver a suicide bomb after his brother or cousin has been killed by the Israeli secret police or jailed without charge or trial or conviction by the American government. Guns and power cannot fight ideas, only better ideas can.
Please Mr. President, do not make the same knee jerk reaction mistakes the Israeli government did thirty years ago that has robbed their people of peace for all this time or the Radical Republican’s punishment of the Southern States during reconstruction that fueled hatred and led to the creation of the KKK and other terrorist organizations.
I fear it may already be too late.

I have read within these submissions that Bush is the most underrated President of all times and I wonder what it will take for some Americans to open their eyes and minds. Many still evoke the hatred of Bill Clinton and claim that Bush is still cleaning up his mess. Yet, we are 6 years beyond Clinton's presidency. If another democrat is voted into office, can we then use the excuse that he/she is cleaning up Bush's mess. Because we sure as hell will need it. It will take decades for America to overcome the damage of this presidency -- both here and abroad. If you pray and are a Bush Republican, you should pray for forgiveness and hope that humility can become part of your psyche one day.

I am beginning to believe that people are so rooted in their faith that so long as any politician comes to the podium with a "born again" pledge of God and country, that it will not matter if our infrastructure collapses, our pocketbooks become empty, our gasoline doubles in price or that we wage war upon third-world countries and so on. We have spent billions on waging war, yet the bastards are still going after our planes. Why haven't we just made air travel foolproof. If you answer that we can't, then what the hell are we doing on foreign soil, having our young soldiers die each day? And for God's sake, where is Osama Bin Laden. Are we that completely inept at finding him and Omar, the leader of the Taliban? Bush definitely brought his Texas style with him. I can say that because I am a native Texan. Let's draw our guns first and think about it later -- as evidenced by our Vice President's hunting techniques. We are hated throughout the world now and for good reason, but because Bush tells us that he talks to God each night on these things, we are comforted and let the rest of the world be damned! We have lost the capacity to feel for people living in the Middle East who aren't friends of the United States because they dare to see us as interventionists. Yet, how would we feel if our homes were bombed and our loved ones were killed. Such blind faith as the Republicans are showing with Bush has only lead to very dark paths in the history of the world.

What I expect from my President is leadership and consensus building. Mr. President, make me feel like I am an American even though I don't agree with you. The office is bigger than you are -- remember? I heard Limbaugh say the interview was unfair and disrespectful. When I heard Limbaugh rail against Clinton years ago, I thought to myself, he is helping to destroy the office because of his lack of respect to the office. If we can't walk the walk or talk the talk, then we should just shut up and maybe take some more Valiums or Viagra to clear our heads. Instead of bringing America together as Bush promised, it is the most divisive and troubled period in modern American history. We're a free country? But, watch out if you are not a white, christian conservative and be on extra alert if you are a gay, non-white, atheist. You may just win a trip to Gitmo someday with the approval of an overly fearful American population.

Much like the 60's, we are in a cultural revolution -- yet the pendulum has swung so far that the press who normally act as a protector of civil rights and privacies has been muted for fear of being called anti-American. Thus, we are being run into the ground by ultra conservatives who beleive that prayer and the Ten Commandments posted in our courts and schools is more important than having equality, real freedoms and a President who can at least name the leaders of the countries he visits. Instead of President Bush acting like a President to all, he has made it clear that he is presiding over a minority of neo-conservatives. Yes, you get what you see with Bush, but that's just it -- he is one of the least educated and least worldly presidents in our time. Had he ever been outside the U.S. before becoming President? I would expect him to act like a patriarch and bring American citizens together, much like you would in a squabbling family in such troubled times. But in every speech, every act, there is a clear line he has drawn in the sand. Eitehr you're with us or against us. Well said by Bush himself, yet I didn't know at the time he was also speaking to a growing number of Americans, including myself.

So, where are we headed as Americans? What happens in a national disaster again? Much like Iraq or New Orleans, for that matter, we are perilously close to anarchy in these times. Yet, now we are so divided within our own borders that we are full of venom and anger and bigotry and yet we want to believe that we are a Christian nation. I heard a talk show host today say that political correctness has brought down America. Please let me know when anyone comes across any act of political correctness. We hide our bigotry by using border control. We want to legislate laws of bigotry that deny rights to gay Americans because God would want it that way. Hogwash! Will we carry our guns and NRA cards into the street to first steal food from the non-whites, nonbelievers, --- hell, even come after all the democrats first? If all we can do is draw a line deeper into the sand, then we are destined for the same hatreds that run amok in Middle Eastern countries. We might as well draw imaginary lines denoting liberal and conservative tribes, but I guess we already do that with Red and Blue states. We are in dire straits here in the U.S. Instead of protecting our freedoms as Bush says, we are quickly becoming as ugly and bigoted as those we are fighting.

Perhaps the reason the President is so criticized is that he is not an eloquent, smooth talker like Bill Clinton, John Kennedy, etc. Unfortunately in our time of instant media, soundbites, and "I want to be satisfied now" mentality of our society, someone such as George W. Bush is ridiculed because he "mangles his syl-labels". His critics have jumped on it as a way to belittle him, condemn him, and write him off as irrelevant. But you know, when Ronald Reagan was president, he was similarly treated. He was an idiot, did not have an original thought, was inept as a president. But history is proving his critics wrong. (Harry Truman was a reviled president when he left office, and now he is a patron saint of both parties). I say, hang in there President Bush. History is on your side.
There was a comment earlier in this blog that this country should not have one party dominating both houses and the White House. Where were you when we had to suffer through 40-50 years of Democratically controlled House and Senate? There was complete one party control during Jimmy Carter's, Lyndon Johnson's, John Kennedy's, part of Harry Truman's term, and FDR's administration. Although the actual members of the House and Senate are in the Republican majorities, they are not all united. Not all Democrats are united on all legislation as well. But when the minority leadership exerts party discipline over members to make sure they do not vote with the Republican majority, they will stick together. It seems that only Republicans have to be "bi-partisan." During those bleak years, a Republican was wasting his or her time to be a Member of Congress and they were shut out of the committee leadership, adgenda setting and other positions of power. When the tables were turned, the squealing instantly started. "You're not being fair." "We have a right to be at the table too." When the Senate was tied after the 2000 election, the Democratic leadership immediately demanding "power sharing." Unfortunately this is the name of the game that has gone on since the earliest Congresses. The power is with the majority. Everything is determined by majority party status. House minority leaders Gerald Ford, John Rhodes, Bob Michel, et. al. were never given the air time and influence that Pelosi and Company enjoy. Bob Dole as Senate minority leader was no where near as partisan as Daschle and Reid. Bob Dole was a class act. But he knew how to get things done in Washington. Although I wrote earlier in this blog message that power is with the majority, this applies only to the House. A minority of Senators, the Democrats, have still controlled every piece of legislation. Nothing gets passed and sent to the President unless 60 Senators unite. All it takes is 41 Senators to bury legislation, and that is exactly what has been happening. Numerous pieces of legislation have passed the House, only to be "dead on arrival" in the Senate. Republicans may have 55 Senators, but numerically they are at least five short. They have to rely on enough Democrats to break the minority leadership's opposition. Rest assured if the Democrats re-take the Senate, and the Republicans decide to conduct themselves as Daschle and Reid, there will be so much squealing to drown out the Republican senate minority. The minority will again become a bystander party rather than a power, because the Republicans still have not been able to exercise power which was perfected by 40-50 years of Democratically controlled Congresses.
Part of the problem is gridlock, which started under Bill Clinton (and brought about Pres. Clinton shutting down the federal government as a way to put the squeeze on Republicans and "recalcitrant Democrats.") If the President is of one party, and the voters decide to vote for a Republican for Congress and a Democrat for Senate as a way to balance the power, then it is gridlock for sure. This is not to say that President Bush has not gotten all of the legislation he has requested. Democrats have voted to pass certain legislation (sometimes the legislation is so compromised in order to obtain Democratic votes that the bill becomes ridiculous, such as the President's 2001 tax bill that has a sunset clause, meaning tax laws and tax rates resurrect in 2011, causing the largest single tax increase since the income tax was enacted).

Brian, you're the Edward R. Murrow of your time. It's not your fault if the president isn't as articulate and likable as Joe McCarthy.

Its amazing how many people love defend the President by using the argument; "don't be critical unless you can do a better job yourself". How absurd! Arent those is positions of power and authority suppose to be our best and brightest? Shouldn't we expect and demand they do a BETTER job than the average Joe in the street - or TV reporter would do?! If a Doctor makes a mistake in surgery because he wasnt prepared for the operation and didnt do his homework - should we just let it slide because none of us "could do a better job"? Ridiculous. The ideal behind campaigns and running for office is that the most capable should win - not the person with the best 30-second sound bites or flag wrapped around their shoulders. The old adage is "you get what you pay for". It should be updated to read "you get who you vote for".

BUSH IS ALWAYS WRONG!
LIBERALS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT!
CLINTON WAS ALWAYS WRONG!
CONSERVATIVES WERE ALWAYS RIGHT!
IF EVERYBODY IS ALWAYS WRONG HOW CAN ANYONE BE RIGHT!
IF EVERYBODY IS ALWAYS RIGHT HOW CAN ANYONE BE WRONG!

RIGHT OR WRONG WE ARE LIVING IN OUR OWN "ALICE IN WONDERLAND"
AND THE MEDIA WILL NOT HELP BRING ANYONE OUT OF THE RABBIT HOLE!

I have read these messages, and though not all have directly indicated it, it now seems we live in an America where we have to be fearful of expressing our opinion about national matters. I have always said that this Presidential Administration was the closest thing this country has ever had to a dictatorship. Hopefully most people now realize that it is the "other" party who "really" cares about those of us who struggle from day to day to make and have a living, as well as, not involving our military in foreign affairs unless it has a "direct" impact upon our welfare as a nation.

OK, let's cut to the chase. We have a DRUG addict (Rush Limbaugh) defending a traitor (cheney), a liar (Bush) and a mental incompetent (Rumsfeld).
I feel safe, don't you?

Brian, these types of blogs are dangerous. It gives too many people from both sides of the issue an opportunity to spew half truths and false statements (let's even assume they are misguided and not deliberate attempts to mislead)without any opportunity for intelligent objections without people turning the blog into personal attacks on congress, the president or the people voicing their opinion.
1st: The president gets blamed for Katrina. "If only he wasn't spending so much money in Iraq...." Why aren't we talking about all of the presidents that came before our current prseident incompetant? I mean republicans and democrats. No president ( Clinton, Busch 1 or Regan, Ford or Nixon) questioned whether the levees would withstand this blast. We criticise his lack of response. I am not sure how fast everyone felt the federal government should be capable of bailing out a city that size when the city refused to do anything to take care of iteslf. Ray Nagin did nothing to help or protect his people prior to the storm (or it seemed after the storm)and the governor certainly waited until the last minute to order an evacuation. Then when people were moved to the Dome for safety, where were the police of New Orleans? They are the same people that patrol that stadium during football games? They were too busy stealing cars and some were even caught on video looting parts of the city. Where was Ray Nagin? Was he mounting a force to help? No, he was on air talkign about the government and how everything seemed to becasue the population is black.

As for Iraq, does anyone not remember history in terms of what it took for rebuilding in places like Japan and Germany? It certainly didn't take 1-2 years like everyone seems to expecting of the president and Iraq. And an important difference exists today. The Germans and Japanese (after the war) weren't trying to blow us up as we helped reconstruct their country. Don't you think that will ADD time to the equation not SUBTRACT it?

And it is also very naive to think that the things this president is doing to stop terrorism will not be felt years and decades down the line. During the Regan administration, he was considered alot of things, but Khadafi sure got the message and laid low for a long time because he feared this country (supporting our president) would kick his rear if he acted up again. Mr Clinton while a popular president did absolutely nothing to protect this country. Historians (if telling the truth) can document that this country (ships, embassies etc) were attacked more times during his administration than any other president and yet he did NOTHING to deter them. In fact, it is my humble opinion (while some on here will crucify me for it) that 9/11 happened because Mr. Clinton failed to protect us. Liberals like to blame the president, but he wasn't in office long enough for it to be his fault. But Clinton was in office and did nothing. When Mr Busch leaves the office, there may be 4 years of no terror attacks because of the work he does now and God forbid a democrat get voted into office. Somehow the democrats will be taking credit for that as well. Be serious folks, some people around the world want to kill us no matter who is in office (democrat or republican), so take the fight to them before they take it to us again. If the presidrent is expected to fight throughout the world to keep us safe, he shouldn't have to fight at home too.

Brian,
If anything, your questions were too soft. The fact that so many conservatives are working overtime to coddle him and kiss his boo-boos just proves that even they are beginning to realize that he's an incompetent and immature simpleton in need of rescuing. So the president was asked a few questions that he was too dumb to answer in any meaningful way and it's the journalist's fault for asking them? Typical conservative "shoot the messenger" mentality. By now, they have to be getting sick of defending him constantly. This must be what it's like to own a dog with incurable fleas.

George W. Bush is a man who was raised with kid gloves and never had to really struggle for anything in his life. No one can expect a person to relate to the suffering of others when he has never done any suffering of his own. Any other president in the past century would have been able to answer your questions easily and thoughtfully. Instead, we got the usual stream of insane gibberish that we always get from this president. His answers ranged from inept to offensive, especially his "sacrificing by paying taxes" answer. How did you keep your jaw from dropping? Then again, we should expect nothing but shallowness from this man by now.

If the history books of the future are written accurately, then they'll declare George W. Bush American History's Biggest Embarrassment.

Oh, now I get it. If you say that Brian Williams did a good job and was fair, your a lying Liberal. I'm new to the US but now I understand... no matter how smart, fair, open-minded and williness to understand the truth, your are just a lazy stinky Democratic Left wing Liberalist.

From the little bit I saw of it you did a good job of starting the wake-up for the media. All of our politicians have gotten off easy for the past 8 years.
Now for someone to wake up and realize the federal courts agreed Bush brok the law and could be charged with a crime.
Remember folks America isn't about party's or Presidents, it is about the Constitution. The Constitution is what we took an oath to defend.
It is time we had journalists with morals to run with the story and the facts, forget the spin and hype.
Bush was AWOL in the 70's, awol on war planning, awol on Katrina and awol on accountability for contracts, see a pattern there?
Did all the REAL Republicans become Libertarians?

We can all hope that President Bush will be "raptured" and all his henchmen with him so we can finally really elect our President - instead of having Florida rigged by his brother to throw the election to the Supreme Court.

As the Bush administration secures its legacy as worst ever in American history, it is not surprising that those viewers who still don't get it will respond defensively to Mr. William's straight talk. How quick these people are to resort in these comments to stereotyping about liberalism and to continue to spout pseudo-patriotic rhetoric which was vacuous even before 8 years of failure upon failure by this administration had elapsed. All of which suggests that America's troubles have little or nothing to do with President Bush or Mr. Williams' facial expressions, and everything to do with a too-large segment of the American people themselves.

I did not see, nor did I read the interview with the President; however, from what I'm reading with respect to Mr. Williams finger pointing and positioning, he should be ashamed. Common respect is never to point a finger, let alone at the President of the United States.
I hear alot of criticism of our President with little or no valid solutions being offered.
We forget, Congress voted Yes to go to Iraq, President Bush didn't decide on his own.
Bush is an honest man who is doing his best to look out for America's future. He's thinking long term people.
Thankfully the Clinton administration isn't in office. Their agenda is the Clinton's and only the Clinton's. They lied and stole from the American people, but for some reason it's overlooked. Who let Osama go when the CIA could have stopped him? Clinton. Who laughed a poked fun at Oliver North? Gore. Who's opinions sway with the wind to suit her own political gain? Hilary.
Hurricane Katrina ~ people were warned to evacuate and didn't. Bush's fault? Was the levee build when Bush took office? NO.
Nagin spent days after Katrina on every radio and TV bashing the government for it's lack of support instead of taking charge and ititating help from within his own state. Shame of him, not President Bush. When terrorists (at least one of which Clinton had freed from Israeli prison) attached our country and NYC on 9/11 Mayor Guilliani was down there immediately taking charge of the situation as best he could. He's a true leader. Nagin and the rest of the Katrina finger pointers are just that. I have an even harder time feeling bad for the people of New Orleans for voting the man back in. You get what you deserve.

God Bless George Bush and God Bless the USA.

Asking hard questions that cannot be answered easily is the right thing to do. I am certain that no one is complaining ex-post facto about the Watergate fiasco and the "disrespect" that came from the questions asked there. The Right derided Clinton for the Lewinsky affair, yet there was not a pattern of lying like this administration has established. Secrets are not kept for security now; they are kept to protect the illegal moves made in the name of corporate welfare and the greed of Bush, et al. Bush comes across simple because he is a dimwit. Too bad no REAL person will ever hold that office.

Brian, your sorry excuse of an interview is so typical of the lefties in the mainstream media. I notice all the lefties coming out of the woodwork to praise you and denigrate the President, also typical of your ilk. I waisted five minutes of my time hoping for a real unbiased interview, but instead got the usual from you.
I'm actually surprised that you and the rest of the leftie wackos haven't been blaming President Bush for the lack of major hurricanes this year, since obviously he must be the cause. He's probably the reason USC lost the NCAA Div 1 football championship to a team from (Oh no!) Texas.
Of course we can't attach any blame for the Katrina evacuation and rebuilding to the state and local officials because they are card carrying lefties.
The idea of a leftie attempting to lead this nation in response to the world-wide terrorist activities is incredibly scary. Thanks to Clinton and his policies, we were totally unprepared for 9/11. Thanks to the lefties dragging their feet about confirming Bush appointees, we were still stuck with the do nothing Clintonites at several Federal agencies.
If lefties were running this country, Saddam would still be gassing dissidents in Iraq, no one would be alive in Darfur, Osama would have his own condo in NYC (probably erected on the land he cleared on 9/11), our health care system would have been gutted and replaced by a "one payer" system ala Canada, Cuba, and North Korea.
Mr. Willie, I no longer listen to you. Your opinions as shown in your biased disrespectful interviews will never pollute my home again.

A wonderful interview! And by the way- the Camus and Shakepeares [sic]? Obviously old college text books left behind by one of the Bush twins.

Wow, these are great! Right wing, Left wing et al, it is our elected government & I don't feel the alternative would have been any better. The tragic attacks of 9/11 were due to the watch of the former presidency. Albeit, GWB is no where near the best ever, he is hardly the worst. Get off your tin horses & wake up, it's america, the greatest place on earth! We need to unite & stand up for our President, whether you agree or dis-agree, the message sent to the masses needs to be one from a united front!