From The New York Times today:

In a rare appearance before an audience of Democrats, President Bush said Saturday that he did not question the patriotism of those who disagreed with his Iraq strategy....

"I welcome debate in a time of war, and I hope you know that," Mr. Bush said. "Nor do I consider a belief that if you don't happen to agree with me, you don't share the same sense of patriotism I do. You can get that thought out of your mind if that's what some believe."

The president's words were met with applause from House Democrats....

Sorry -- not good enough. When Bush says he's not questioning Democrats' patriotism, he means only that -- that he personally will not go on record saying, "I question their patriotism."

What he'll continue to do is to send flunkies out to say that opposition to his plan emboldens the enemy -- i.e., is an act of treason. He'll also fail to condemn members of the right-wing media who do his dirty work for him by questioning the Democrats' patriotism, and he and members of his administration will continue to grant interviews to those right-wing apparatchiks.

I don't care how many conciliatory words there were in Bush's speech -- the Democrats should have looked him in the eye and asked him whether he'd vow to condemn anyone who accuses them of treason by saying they help the enemy. I don't think he would have agreed to that. And then we'd know that his nicey-nicey talk is just talk.