They can start with trying to enlist the families of GOP politicos
Posted by John at December 15, 2006 01:38 AMI think TLC called it weeks ago. "Stay the course" is still "stay the course."
It must be next to impossible to repackage an old strategy for the War, and make it appear like a new strategy. I would imagine that is why Bush needs until January. The only thing new will be some 'catchy words or phases'. The question is, will the media try to sell it for Bush?
The American people are looking for a real strategy to get us out of Iraq. What will their response be when a 'new strategy' does not include an actual deadline for the beginning of troop withdrawal?
Posted by Judith at December 15, 2006 02:08 AMJohn, in my dreams a draft is called for young men and women, and the politician's children are the first on the list, starting with the twins.
Posted by Judith at December 15, 2006 02:11 AMIn People's year end issue, the following is part of an interview with Bush. What bothers me is George's response that "the job is so exciting." In a millions years, I would never have thought of the word "exciting" to describe the Presidency, especially right now.
In response to a reader question about contributing to society post-presidency, the President mentioned HIV/AIDS and malaria initiatives and the "Freedom Agenda" but said that he will think about that course after his presidency.
(Is Bush auditioning for stand-up comedy? His post-presidency will be bike riding and drinking).
“I've got so much on my mind, and this job is so exciting that it's really hard to settle down and plan the next 10 years of our life.”
People's interviewer also mentioned that readers had asked if he takes sleep aids. Bush said generally not, but he does occasionally when he travels.
“I must tell you, I'm sleeping a lot better than people would assume,” he said.
No George, we all know you sleep just fine. That's what bothers most normal people. By-the-way, while you are sleeping without any problems, men and women are dying at that very moment.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2006/12/bushs_first_com.html
Someone needs to explain to John McCain that he is not President yet.
John McCain took his controversial proposal for curbing Iraq's sectarian violence to Baghdad on Thursday, calling for an additional 15,000 to 30,000 U.S. troops and joining a congressional delegation in telling Iraq's prime minister he must break his close ties with a radical Shiite cleric.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061214/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
Posted by Judith at December 15, 2006 02:42 AMIndeed, Rice argued that the Middle East is being rearranged in ways that provide the United States with new opportunities, what she repeatedly called a "new strategic context."/i>
When I read this all I could think of was that commenter on this site that frequently uses the....Deck Chairs... rearrange...Titanic analogy. Very apt choice of words for this article.
It's like trying to put lipstick on a clusterfuck...still the same clusterfuck Condi.
Posted by emal at December 15, 2006 04:30 AMSteve,
It takes a tremendous amount of resources to build empires and wage wars (both ground and proxy) around the globe.
Neoconservatives see the earth as a chessboard and reject the notion that the USA is but one nation among many -- instead the globe is their playground.
I am truly surprised these lunatics haven't called on the Pentagon to reinstate the draft, but who knows? Barring impeachment, Bush has two years left on the clock to carry-out all sorts of nightmarish things.
Posted by Christopher at December 15, 2006 04:35 AMMeanwhile, down yonder in Texas, news of a possible $500 million dollar Bush Lie-berry located on the SMU campus in Dallas isn't going over too well.
A letter, dated December 16th from "Faculty, Administrators, & Staff" of the Perkins School of Theology to R. Gerald Turner, president of the Board of Trustees, reads:
"We count ourselves among those who would regret to see SMU enshrine attitudes and actions widely deemed as ethically egregious: degradation of habeas corpus, outright denial of global warming, flagrant disregard for international treaties, alienation of long-term U.S. allies, environmental predation, shameful disrespect for gay persons and their rights, a pre-emptive war based on false and misleading premises, and a host of other erosions of respect for the global human community and for this good Earth on which our flourishing depends."
Ouch! Maybe Baghdad would be a better location???
Posted by Christopher at December 15, 2006 05:40 AMGd t s tht Bsh hsn't yt cvd t ptlnt slf bsssd chldrn dmndng dft. Sty th crs s s smpl s prsstnc vs stmpd.
[Editor: ignore=off]I swear to the gods we should force Bush and Cheney into uniform and out onto the streets of Baghdad at bayonet-point. Lock the door of the Emerald City behind them and throw away the key. They broke it. Let them fix it.
Posted by Via at December 15, 2006 05:44 AMWhen they break the armed forces and the reserves, the only thing left will be the mercenaries who are owned by the corporations.
Posted by at December 15, 2006 06:05 AMpetulant self obsessed children demanding defeat
Bendittohead, you've just described Dumbya to a tee! Do you know drink with him or something?
Posted by tempus at December 15, 2006 06:31 AMAll one has to do is listen to the last few days of Bush "comments". Put aside, if you can, the amazing misuse of the English language (Yale grad?), and what you hear is more schoolyard bully macho talk (the kind you hear from a kid who knows his daddy will always bail him out). The Media, in the GOP pocket, will paint the "stalwart War President" in all his glory, but what will the American people think about a leader who gets on TV daily and tells them to Fu*K Off. With the GOP base now abandoning Bush in the polls, at what point does the national conscience turn to the question of how to put an end to it all?
On another topic, the maniacal fervor displayed by the GOP Media at the prospect of poor Senator Johnson leaving office due to health reasons displays the profound fear the GOP and their followers actually have when facing the fact of a Dem controlled Congress. They are scared to death, grasping at this tiny shred of a chance that they can delay the inevitable judgement of their actions by the newly enshrined representatives of the people's will. What a pitiful performance.
Stay the course is as simple as persistence vs stampede
Persistence at what? Fucking up? Bush has a long, long history of that kind of persistence. The man is incapable of being competent in the real world. Never has been, never will be. One of his biggest problems is that he himself is a dysfunctional man who chooses dysfunctional people to whom he delegates responsibilities. At least, when he was less powerful, his daddy could pull him out of trouble. Now he won't let his daddy do it.
Posted by Julie at December 15, 2006 07:15 AMNote that authoritarians like bendodo are unconcerned that the "petulant children" seemed in the election to demand that Nero jr alter his Iraq strategery. Little things like national elections are brushed off by authoritarian "Americans" who basically pay lip service to "democracy".
What a sick, bizarre world their minds inhabit. But it is also hard to reconcile Nero's Worse Way Nowhere "plan" with democracy. This is evidence for those who argue that the US, whatever it is, is certainly not a "democracy" in any meaningful sense.
So it's a beautiful day in the Empire! Our tough minded Secretary of State (the supposed institutional advocate of diplomacy) prattles on about the need for bringing the boot down harder and that every Arab who doesn't agree with our occupation is an "extremist". You go, grrrll! It's a circus worthy of Rome.
Powerful nations really are brought down economically by military overstretch---it's not just a hypothesis, it's one of the most established historical facts out there.
This occupation is essentially America's 21st century energy policy---we are spending this trillion (it'll be far more than that ultimately) to continue our "cheap" petroleum "regime". That's what we're doing---there's really no other way to look at it.
Terrorism? EVERY expert agrees that the Iraq invasion and occupation has been a boon to "extremists" and has created terroristic resentments that will last generations. Bringin' Democracy to the region? Too funny to even analyze.
So is it worth it to spend our national revenue for this energy policy? Looks like it's doomed to fail, cost us a bundle (both directly and in opportunity costs), kill millions of people, greatly harm the economy long term, and leave us deeper in the hole---and all to destroy the planet more cheaply! What utter, willfull, immoral folly.
Posted by euzoius at December 15, 2006 07:18 AMI think TLC called it weeks ago. "Stay the course" is still "stay the course."
No it's not, Judith. "Stay the Course" is now "The New Way Forward". Pretty catchy, huh? They tried the truth for a while, "Stand and Die in Iraq", but it didn't play well in Poughkeepsie.
Good to see that Bush hasn't yet caved to petulant self obsessed children demanding defeat.
That's why were winning in Afghanistan and the "War on Terra" hasn't created any terrorists.
When they break the armed forces and the reserves, the only thing left will be the mercenaries who are owned by the corporations.
The mercs aren't having much success in Iraq, either...all 45,000 of them. About 400 of them known dead so far, but the count is inaccurate and there are likely many more. And corporate goons? You bet. The fucktard republi-cons didn't make a peep when all firearms were confiscated by these guys in New Orleans after Katrina. Where is your NRA and 2nd Amendment now, fucktard republi-cons? Oh, but don't they get a woody thinking about civilains in plain clothes acting as private security for the government!
Posted by phidipides at December 15, 2006 07:34 AMNeoconservatives see the earth as a chessboard and reject the notion that the USA is but one nation among many -- instead the globe is their playground.
Christopher, I have to disagree. These fuckers only think their playing chess! We know in reality their only playing checkers!!
Posted by Seven of Six at December 15, 2006 07:36 AMRIP GOP 11/04/08
Posted by redstater at December 15, 2006 07:59 AMHappy Birtday, Bill of Rights! December 15th, 1791.
You are a lovely document with your roots in restricting the power of a central government to infringe on personal liberites. I sorely miss you, and hope we get you back soon.
Posted by phidipides at December 15, 2006 08:12 AMI got so pissed reading Shoemaker's stupid ideas about a "long and dangerous war" that I had to write a letter to the Philly Inquirer, when I had the time. This incompetent insanity just has to stop.
"Today, Gen. Schoomaker, Army chief of staff, warned that the active-duty Army "will break" under the strain of today's war-zone rotations, and called for expanding the force by 7,000 or more soldiers a year and lifting Pentagon restrictions on involuntary call-ups of Army National Guard and Army Reserve troops. JUST STOP!
The reason the Army is “breaking” is that it was never intended to be an army of occupation! We are now spending more than half a trillion dollars annually on an army that cannot conceivably be challenged by any nation on Earth. The Bush/Cheney administration has spurned every American tradition and turned our “Defense” department back into a War department. We should NOT be invading sovereign nations, no matter whether “we” like them or not, and we certainly are not suited to decades-long occupation. Colonialism is anathema to everything we stand for as Americans.
The mid-term elections were a stunning rebuke to our current war policies. An overwhelming majority of American citizens and Iraqi citizens have spoken. We want our troops to begin coming home! Iraq never had anything to do with terrorism before, but it does now. However, once we leave Iraq, the Iraqis themselves will quickly deal with the so called al Qaeda in Iraq. The terrorists will either flee or be destroyed. It’s clear the Executive Branch has stopped listening to the American people, if they ever did. If our representatives want to be re-elected, they had better listen well. Pull our troops out of an ongoing civil war and let the Iraqis settle their differences without ignorant, American interference. At long last, give up the destructive dreams of Empire and oil."
"A New way Forward"....into quicksand.
Says it all!
Why is it that these people keep expecting a completely different result when they try the same approach. ...Geeeessshhhh....and that pathetic tag team of McCain and Lieberman guarding Junior's flank on this...pure insanity.
Posted by emal at December 15, 2006 08:50 AMAll you people who have been fawning over the Democratic takeover ponder this:
Experts Expect Democrats to Increase Military Spending
Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress are likely to drive U.S. military budgets even higher in 2007, experts say.
This year's Pentagon budget is $436 billion. That amount does not include more than $140 billion that's being spent this year alone on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"If you think a new wind is blowing in Washington in terms of security issues because the Democrats are going to take over Congress, you probably have another think coming," Christopher Hellman of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Arms Control and Nonproliferation told OneWorld.
"America needs a bigger and better military," reads an October report by Will Marshall of the Progressive [sic] Policy Institute, the policy arm of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, which counts Senators Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) among its members.
"Escalating conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched the all-volunteer force to the breaking point," the report says. "Democrats should step forward with a plan to repair the damage, by adding more troops, replenishing depleted stocks of equipment, and reorganizing the force around the new missions of unconventional warfare, counterinsurgency, and civil reconstruction."
Posted by Don Bacon at December 15, 2006 09:52 AMAll you people who have been fawning over the Democratic takeover ponder this:
If they don't, what is to be done with the destroyed capacity of the military? Rummy's transformation of the military turned into a debacle that is wearing-out military equipment, forcing those in the service to purchase their own equipment and supplies to carryout their missions, and invested in a bunch of technology that can neither be used to fight or find a guy on dialysis in Pakistan.
Until oversight has its impact money must be provided to make us safe again. The big republi-con joke is that they made us safe, but they all seem to say it with a straight face.
Posted by phidipides at December 15, 2006 10:53 AMWhy is it that these people keep expecting a completely different result when they try the same approach
According to Einstein, it's because they are insane.
Posted by at December 15, 2006 10:54 AM"Indeed, Rice argued that the Middle East is being rearranged in ways that provide the United States with new opportunities, what she repeatedly called a "new strategic context.""
Yes, a new idea for the Middle East, a long war that suppresses oil production for a long time and that increases the value of the risk premium earned by Gulf of Mexico oil. Just think how much Gulf of Mexico oil will be worth if the Strait of Hormuz is plugged up!
"Why is it that these people keep expecting a completely different result when they try the same approach
They don't expect a different result. They are getting exactly what they sought: chaos in the Middle East and booming oil and munitions profits. They are very successful at what they do and the LAST thing they want is an end to the Iraqi venture.
Now on to Iran!
Posted by at December 15, 2006 03:50 PM