Rich, I don't take it as a sign of intelligence or lack thereof. I take it as a sign of someone who is disengaged from the prepared remarks in front of him, which he may have even practiced before delivering in public. For God's sakes, they have paid people on staff that break down the correct pronunciation of foreign words like Abu Ghraib, which has been on the lips of every commentator in the country for weeks now. How many times do you think it's been pronounced correctly even at presidential briefings and staff meetings over the last month or so, and still the man can't get it right.
Do you think Colin Powell would have any crdibility as a Secretary of State if he went around routinely mispronouncing foreign place names? Should we expect any less of the leader of the free world, especially in regard to a place name that carries such connotations? And in a major address to the nation and the world at large?
Pronunciation isn't necessarily a factor of intelligence. At least he now knows who the leader of Pakistan is.
As for the final point, one of the great strengths of this country has always been the separation of church and state. That separation has been hopelessly muddled by the current administration, and that's the best I can say about it.
I get constitutionally uncomfortable when the army gets its marching orders from God. I'm sure that Bin Laden probably feels that his God talks to him, too.
No one knows where or into what this man is leading us.
Bootz
