Why are all the committee members giving opening statements saying what they think should be done BEFORE Patraeus and Crocker even begin their testimony? There's not even the illusion of listening with an open mind.
Posted by CG at September 10, 2007 10:15 AMNot fair that you have ALL of the common sense that our Democratic leaders sorely lack. rinse and repeat "and all four should start shifting the frame the same way: tell the voters that it will be up to a Democratic president, working with a Democratic Congress to work with the military to get us out of Iraq in 2009, and remind voters that Bush and the GOP will be dumping this problem onto the next administration and Congress." till we are all blue in the face.
Very well done, hopefully, we will get surprised this week and crack through some of the thick skulls in congress otherwise diaster awaits the next president in 2009. AND BUSH COULD CARE LESS.
Posted by gaspare at September 10, 2007 10:26 AMSix months. It's always six more months with these jokers. We've had years of this mess and it's always "Give us six more months and everything will be okay!" I guess this is Iraq's version of "the light at the end of the tunnel" bullshit from Vietnam.
No more. I'm done. Get out. I'm not willing to see anyone else die so Bush can salvage his pathetic little ego.
Posted by gf120581 at September 10, 2007 10:28 AMOf course it's another Friedman unit! It always is.That will be more than enough to take us to the already decided candidates for the Presidential race busily duking it out, to the delight and fabulous enrichment of the "media" companies. NO progress will then be possible. Democrats will be craven, Republicans united and the American people thoroughly disgusted and outraged.
By then, another 500 "troops" will be dead, another 2500+ wounded and Iraq will be ethnically cleansed enough to probably reduce the killing fields, at least a little. It's a win-win for Darth Cheney and the Confused Cowboy.
What REALLY galls me is that, assuming we haven't collapsed the world economy with a "surprise, preemptive" attack on Iran, WE, the taxpayers will be paying for SS protection, (20-50 agents?) OFFICE space so George can cut out little dollies and lots more for EVERY *!#+#* YEAR of the miserable motherf*cking lives of both DICKS! Pardon my Freedom.
Posted by DeminNewJ at September 10, 2007 10:52 AMSo Steve penned it just exactly as it came to him:
Since this will all be for show this week and nothing else, and since we know that the entire GOP bloc will go along, Democrats should announce after the hearings that they will vote against the additional $50 billion because there is no plan or endgame put forward by the administration. Reid and Pelosi should tell the White House that the days of rubber-stamping the status quo without an endgame are over, and that Democrats will vote against blank checks. And as I have said before, they should tell McConnell and Boehner to line up the votes themselves for the blank checks.
And then, Steve, you woke up from your dream and realized, quite sadly, that the Democrats will do NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING to end this war.
The American people do not have to be convinced that this administration has no intention of ever leaving Iraq. The American people need no convincing that Bush and the GOP intend to dump this on the next President. The American people need no convincing on who is almost wholly responsible for possibly the worst foreign policy decision in the history of this country.
It is not the American people who have to sold on any of this. It is the politicians in Washington who have to realize that they have been enablers of this war up to now and it is a fools errand to act in direct defiance to the will of the majority of this country in continuing to fund and support this debacle. The majority of the country is way ahead of the curve on this subject. It is the politicians who lack the political balls to make the hard decisions which are required of leaders. They, and only they, can end this war. The American people made their voices clear in November. And if the leadership of this country fails to pay heed, the public will speak loudly again in 2008. And if the Democrats don't get their heads out of their asses and do what they were elected to do, they might not find the results in 2008 very palatable.
They have been forewarned.
Posted by Mike at September 10, 2007 10:54 AMMore of the same. Nothing has changed.
Let's see 3,762 that we know of. That's 3,762 American families devastated, and the meat grinder is screeming for more blood and meat, and Congress is willing to feed the monster. Oh well, personally I'm tired of it all. Actually, I don't give a sh*t anymore. Give 'em what they want, because nothing you or I say will make any difference.
I don't give a sh*t what anyone else thinks, but I am telling you that until people are in the streets in the millions protesting are you going to accomplish anything. Obviously letter writing, emailing, faxing and phone calls, make absolutely no impression on any of these politicians. We have been doing that for years. How's that workin for ya? You think the next Congress or President is going to be any different. HAHAHAHAHA
I don't want to hear anymore about Iraq. The only thing I want to hear is a deadline to withdraw.
Posted by Feedup (aka, Judith) at September 10, 2007 11:45 AMTry Fed-up
Posted by Fed-Up at September 10, 2007 11:47 AMWhen I saw that "exclusive" Petraeus interview advertised on Fox yesterday, I also thought it spoke volumes as to what a monumental shell game we are participating in.
Posted by TIKI AL at September 10, 2007 11:50 AMIsn't it an "exclusive" anytime you're the only one doing the interview. If ABC also snagged an interview, they would say the had an "exclusive" too. Why doesn't the Kos get an interview? Or TLC? Go for it Steve. Then, you can ask the questions.
We found where Cindy Sheehan is. Arrested at the hearings. Maybe Nancy will spring her.
Posted by peter at September 10, 2007 11:56 AMThe Gen Pet dog and pony lie-fest says far more about the death of democracy in our country than about the now hopeless quagmire of Iraq and "what to do".
What Cheney has done is to show very clearly that our form of government has utterly failed and that to call BushAmerica a "democracy" is simply comic.
The citizens specifically and clearly rejected both an indefinite occupation strategy and an escalation strategy in Nov 06 (remember McLame's "we need more troops"?), yet an escalation was crammed down their throats by an autocratic, heedless, anti-democratic adminstration and acquiesced in by a craven Congress.
A national election has thus been completely flouted by the president and his party, and this little development is not even part of the national "discussion". How could it be, given the state of the corporate/GOoP media and its iron grip of propaganda?
The last great power in a unipolar world, Rome, lost its "republic" and reverted to autocracy and one man rule in response to the needs of holding an empire together. Some educated Romans wrote about and lamented the loss of their republic for some decades afterward, but it gradually faded from the public mind and memory as the "glory" of oligarchical empire became the norm.
The rituals of our constitution (prescribed elections, presidents, representatives, state of the unions, etc.) remain intact and "followed", but there is now no life, no vitality, no spirit of "democracy" and rule of law remaining, simply manipulated oligarchy and rule by wealthy special interests.
We're runnin' on empty as a political entity, folks. Our rhetoric bears no relation to our reality. But enjoy the bread and circuses while they last, Rome's final desperate years and decades weren't a picnic for the ordinary Roman.
Posted by euzoius at September 10, 2007 11:56 AMa clue for pants pissing peter, Patraeus and Crocker are having an exclusive interview with Faux Noise because that is the propaganda arm of the ReThug party
at least our forefathers had the courage to rid themselves of their tyrannt
Posted by at September 10, 2007 12:12 PMGeneral Betray-us is an advocate of an endless war; a war without end; a possible 50 years-war.
Enough. Iraq isn't the U.S's problem. Get the troops the hell out of there now.
Posted by Christopher at September 10, 2007 12:27 PMHey TIKI, Congresswoman Giffords was looking good!
I'm just glad congress showed up for work on Monday!
Posted by Seven of Six at September 10, 2007 12:47 PMAnother Petraeus romp over the antiwar crowd.
Hsu=Abramoff
Posted by peter at September 10, 2007 01:54 PMFeedup (aka, Judith)
Can we call you J-Fed?
Posted by snark at September 10, 2007 02:03 PMCan we call you J-Fed?
Ba dum bum!
The Gen Pet dog and pony lie-fest says far more about the death of democracy in our country than about the now hopeless quagmire of Iraq and "what to do".
Transition, maybe. Evolution, prolly. Death? Not unless you give up on it.
What I don't get is everyone spending 3 months saying "Petraeus is gonna lie and say all is well, and the surge is kinda working, give another FU," and now that he's saying it, everyone's, like, all surprised? I'm wondering why anyone's watching in the first place!
Posted by iamcoyote at September 10, 2007 02:22 PMDo they even care if no one out in the country believes them anymore? They're just gonna do whatever they damn well please, offer their Friedman Units with a straight face, and the whole world be damned.
Posted by Delia at September 10, 2007 02:34 PMIt's high, high, hee, the fascist insanity, as those oil-nazis go rolling along...
Posted by james k. sayre at September 10, 2007 03:31 PM"The rituals of our constitution (prescribed elections, presidents, representatives, state of the unions, etc.) remain intact and "followed", but there is now no life, no vitality, no spirit of "democracy" and rule of law remaining, simply manipulated oligarchy and rule by wealthy special interests." (euzoius)
...Yes, oh wise euzoius, it appears that the constitution is constipated.
Posted by TIKI AL at September 10, 2007 04:05 PMpeter: Another Petraeus romp over the antiwar crowd.
Unfortunately for pants pissing peter, the American people aren't buying the shit that Petraeus is shoveling.
Bush = Caligua
Posted by gay veteran at September 10, 2007 04:34 PM