Bush, a month ago, in announcing his support for a national intelligence director:
Bush’s statement embraced the two most significant of the 37 recommendations by the commission that investigated the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but with significant limitations. Under his plan, the new intelligence chief would lack the authority over budgets, hiring and firing that the commission had envisioned.
[…]
Bush and Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr., who later briefed reporters on the plan, made it clear that the director would not control the nation’s $40 billion-a-year intelligence budgets. That power would remain with the individual Cabinet departments and agencies.
Bush, today, in discussing his vision for the same national intelligence director:
President Bush told members of Congress on Wednesday he supports giving a new national intelligence director strong budgetary authority over much of the nation’s intelligence community, a key provision in the Sept. 11 commission’s recommendations.
Remind me, which one is the flip-flopping candidate?
When it comes to national security and intelligence, we need a president with a steady hand and clear vision for the future, not a “leader” who changes with the political winds, right? Flip-flops send the message to our enemies that the United States lacks resolve and consistency, right? A candidate that is prepared to say one thing about our intelligence needs in August and completely reverses course in September cannot be trusted to lead, right?