Cheney on Iraq: Clarity in its Last Throes
Yesterday, Vice President Dick Cheney was on hand at the National Convention of the Military Order of the Purple Heart to talk about Iraq. The speech was full of the usual pabulum and dishonesty about the conflict, and there were even some bad jokes (“at ease, please,†he jestingly opens his remarks)—strange, coming from a serial draft-dodger.
But Cheney wasn’t there to talk up an imminent victory, or to discuss the last throes of the insurgency. He was there to claim that we have clarity: “Our mission in Iraq is clear,†Cheney tells the crowd. And again, in closing: “We will not relent in this effort, because we have the clearest possible understanding of what is at stake.â€
Last Month, General George Casey, commander of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, told reporters that large-scale troop withdrawals could start as early as next spring. Then, just last Monday, we learned that a troop increase can be expected in the short term. Three days later, President Bush said no decision had yet been made on whether troop levels would increase or decrease. Just yesterday, we learn that 700 new troops will be dispatched to Iraq.
Ah, very clear. Everyone on the same page?
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They’re not even on the same book. (Georgie’s still trying to finish My Pet Goat.)
August 19th, 2005 at 12:12 pmThere are many indications that full scale warfare has broken out in the administration itself, State, DoD, Pentagon. The long knives are out.
August 19th, 2005 at 12:15 pm#2 - Cool.
August 19th, 2005 at 12:17 pmCheney must have been before an audience of his own picking, anything else would have ran him out on a rail. He’s the absolute LAST one most sane people would believe about this crazy war.
August 19th, 2005 at 12:20 pmAmazing that draft dodger dick is allowed to speak to veterans at all, let alone those who were wounded in combat. Then to muddy the waters to keep those spinless few “swing voters” in the kool aid line. Allowing milk from both of dick’s teats; “resolute strong leader” or “they are in the process of drawing down the troops”.
August 19th, 2005 at 12:25 pmCan you believe we have 1250 more days of this bull crap? This is the Cleaver Presidency - Bush being the Beaver and Cheney being Wally.
August 19th, 2005 at 12:29 pmCheney, the chickenhawk, was speaking to some Veterans group. Can you believe it?
August 19th, 2005 at 12:32 pmClear as mud.
August 19th, 2005 at 12:36 pmThere will be gnashing of teeth.
August 19th, 2005 at 12:37 pmAnd this is the person who Bob Woodward said will probably be running for president in 2008 for the republican party!!!!! Bring him on … the Democrats are ready for him.
Don’t believe it because we, the American people, cannot believe a word he is saying. Every time he talks, it only takes a couple of days to find out that he lied to us again.
August 19th, 2005 at 12:38 pmDoes this indicate internal conflict, dissension in the ranks?
August 19th, 2005 at 12:42 pmThis Vietnam draft-dodger is what the Republicans note as man of great vision, a real wartime leader who lives in a different world than the wounded and maimed warriors he refused to serve with 40 years ago.
I am reminded of what Aristophanes said: “The qualities necessary to a demagogue are these: to be foul-mouthed, base-born, a low, mean fellow.”
August 19th, 2005 at 12:47 pm#11, It seems like there is a conflict between the White House and the Pentagon.
William Kristol seems to think as much: http://weeklystandard.com/ Content/ Public/ Articles/ 000/ 000/ 005/ 923vgvjf.asp
August 19th, 2005 at 1:00 pmDC Dick has become America’s own Baghdad Bob.
For the details, see:
“Who’s Your Baghdaddy?”
August 19th, 2005 at 1:13 pm“We will not relent in this effort”
To expand…
“We (neocon chickenhawks) will not relent in this effort (of sacrificing other people’s kids and pre-emptively invading countries that pose no direct threat to us, in a never-ending adventure to impose full spectrum dominance over the middle east. Oh, and profiteering all the while.)”
August 19th, 2005 at 1:20 pmWhen you have had too much and feel ill, your stomach is in its last throes and rejects all. It then convulses and constricts to finally cough up clarity (y’know the clear stuff). Is that what we are seeing Dick C.?
August 19th, 2005 at 1:24 pmsemi-dry heaves
What is the pull date on ‘Ol Dick’s pacemaker?
This alone proves to me that God/Goddess/Brahma does not work in the way some Christians want to believe a diety would. Which diety actively mettling in human affairs would let Big Hung like a Whale Dick Cheney live this long?
Just a rhetorical question.
August 19th, 2005 at 1:26 pmThese morons like Bush, Cheney and their cronies need to be air dropped into Baghdad!
August 19th, 2005 at 1:48 pmSomewhere, someone must have a photoshop of Draft Dodger Dick as Baghdad Bob. I have one of Baghdad Bush already.
August 19th, 2005 at 1:50 pm6. “This is the Cleaver Presidency …”
Except, Robert, the Beaver always did what was right in the end.
August 19th, 2005 at 1:59 pmCheney needs to get dry-humped by a rhino on meth and steroids.
August 19th, 2005 at 2:01 pmWard, you were a little hard on the beaver last night.
August 19th, 2005 at 2:02 pmRight-wingers, I’ll give you a dirt-digging head-start: A leader for truth, justice and the American way is emerging, quietly testing the waters… be VERY afraid of him and his followers. Darth Filibustrous hath spoken…
I’ll give you a clue - Google this : “When I was in Baghdad in February, a senior coalition officer told me that he believes the U.S. could “take the wind out of the sails of the insurgents” by providing a clear, public plan and timeframe for the remaining U.S. mission”
August 19th, 2005 at 2:07 pmIt really sickens me to see Cheney addressing a National Convention of the Military Order of the Purple Heart after what he and his henchmen said and did to John Kerry. Remember the Swiftboat adds? Remember those little bandaids they handed out at the Republican Convention? This man has no conscience, no shame.
August 19th, 2005 at 2:12 pmWhat is clear is that Mr. Cheney is in charge of the effort. The stakes involved are high, all the rampant corruption and lying could get him deposed if he’s not careful, he can see this very clearly.
August 19th, 2005 at 2:13 pm5 defermants for Cheney. notice the chickenhawk conservatives arent here to argue.
August 19th, 2005 at 2:20 pmRumsfeld has consistently said that there can be no timetable for troop withdrawal, and that any such withdrawal will depend upon conditions — principally the ability of Iraqi forces to defend the Iraqi regime from dissidents and occupation resisters (terrorists to him). He has also said that troop increases will be necessary for the upcoming elections, as they were in January. Casey’s remarks about troop reductions in the Spring (which he was chastised for) were also conditional on ‘progress.’
So, while our efforts to defend a Shiite Muslim fundamentalist government allied with Iran are questionable (and may be ‘rectified’ by attacking Iran), the administration has been pretty clear and consistent, considering that wars are not the most predictable of human enterprises. They’re in it for the long haul. After all, our oil is under their sand.
August 19th, 2005 at 2:21 pmThere are visible fractures in the leadership. I don’t need to point this out to reasonable people. Even prominent Republicans are begining damage control measures, trying to distance themselves from the sinking ship.
The fat lady is on standby. Its all over but the singing.
August 19th, 2005 at 2:27 pm#27, we don’t even see consistency at a semantic level. Remember Rumsfeld’s “Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism”?
August 19th, 2005 at 2:30 pm#6 Robert, they are more like Eddie Haskell. Lying creeps, looking all clean-cut and smiling, while they are screwing the country.
August 19th, 2005 at 3:10 pmHere’s a great way to get out of Iraq. We let the Iraqis kick us out.
August 19th, 2005 at 3:25 pmBy that, I mean Elections.
We’ve already held pretty basic elections (for “parties” that have no candidates campaigning). A plebiscite on occupation could be simple to hold. “Do you want the US to stay for another year? Yes or no?.”
If a majority votes against us, we could have some sort of orderly drawdown plan involving a gradual reduction of actvities, troops, and responsibilities for a period of 1 to 2 years, with everyone out at the end of two years.
Also, supposedy the Iraqis will have voted for a legislature at that time. the leg can also vote for us to go or stay. If the people (plebescite) is against us, all the Leg can do is extend things one year. If the Leg is against us too, it could accelerate our departure by 6-9 months.
If the people vote for us to stay, then the only affect is that the legislature can’t make any action about us leaving for a period of one year.
That way a clear departure schedule will be on the table. And supposedly, we’re doing all this democracy building for Iraq. So let’s let the demos of Iraq decide, eh?
And it shows the US is a nice, humble country that respects the will of the “free Iraqi people.”
I submit this as exhibit A of how we can get out of Iraq and save face with everybody. The Iraqis are liberated from Saddam’s tyranny, we gave em democracy, they asked us to leave, and we politely did so. It’ll help replenish some of our now nonexistent diplomatic capital, too.
Henceforth, let this manifesto echo among the blogosphere. Iraqi plebiscite on US occupation now! And by now, I mean during that planned november election in Iraq.
Ryan
#26
The 1-trick chickenhawk trolls come here one after the other to try to change the subject, like they tried to do with the last topic. That’s because if they stay on any one subject longer than 2 exchanges, they lose. On this one, it’s more like 0 times.
August 19th, 2005 at 3:37 pm“That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain; At least I’m sure it may be so
August 19th, 2005 at 3:38 pmin Denmark(read Washington, DC) - Shakespeare’s Hamlet
#31 That is a good idea, and not to rain on your parade (just thinking about contingencies), what might happen if one bloc or another boycotts? The Kurds seem to like us. What happens if they boycott? I think certain factions of the right really really want us to stay there, so there could be some response of “Gee the referendum is flawed, we can’t leave now!”
But I applaud you for looking for creative solutions to this problem. I personally believe we’re only still there because it’s the most politically-defensible strategy for the party in power. If we pull out and all hell breaks loose, well they’re not going to be winning many elections for the next few years. But if we STAY and all hell breaks loose they can say “We’re resolute!” and start waving some flags.
August 19th, 2005 at 3:45 pmLet me see if I have this straight: We were thinking about a troop reduction before we started thinking about an increase. That’s kind of a, oh, what is the word…Oh, yeah…a flip-flop isn’t it? I thought only Democrats flip-flopped….hmmmm.
August 19th, 2005 at 3:45 pmCheney, the man who hasn’t made a truthful statement since he landed in office; the man who had higher priorities when it was his time to face the draft; the man who uses his own daughter for political gain, then abandons her and her way of life when he gets what he wants; the man who has no shame in sending other people to die for his greed for oil - this is the man who has the brass balls to go before the (pre-screened for “security”) purple heart vetereans and pretend that he is on their side — worse - they (at least those present) believe him. Cheney has no soul, no heart, no conscience, no morals, no ethics and no right to be in office.
August 19th, 2005 at 5:07 pmHow long is the expiration date on his pacemaker?
Ah yes, when the talking points don’t take roll out Uncle Dick. He’ll spin a few lies and get everybody on edge about the next attack. He could very well have been a successful snake oil salesman in the Old West.
August 19th, 2005 at 5:28 pm#32 they are goose-stepping all over on the Babs Bush thread right now.
August 19th, 2005 at 5:32 pm#31, Ryan, unfortunately, where this might work in say Somalia or Rwanda, somewhere all the ‘black’ is above ground, but in Iraq as Greg Palast says: “if Bush didn’t go into Iraq for the oil, he sure as hell ain’t leaving without it.” http://www.gregpalast.com. The US is not building concrete bases all over Iraq to pull out if the Iraqis have a referendum.
August 19th, 2005 at 5:35 pmIt’s already been decided. The troops are coming out. They are just trying to figure out how to get them out without losing seats in Congress in the 2006 and 2008. They are in a no win, lose-lose situation of their own making. Am I happy about it? You bet your ass I am. If they had listened to wise council, they wouldn’t be in this mess. They have no one to blame but themselves, and this will cost them the control of the Congress. This is a great development for American freedom and Democracy, if not for Iraq.
August 19th, 2005 at 6:11 pmcounsel, not council.
August 19th, 2005 at 6:11 pmWow weeee whoopy doopy dooo.
I have relatives in Sprinfield, Missouri and let me tell you, Cheney intentionally went to a little tiny town in the middle of the bible belt to spew his BS.
Hey Dick, come to Southern California, so we can tell you what we think of your lying ass.
August 19th, 2005 at 7:51 pmComment by awestruck Police Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) in “Jaws”:
“WE’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT.”
Comment on “Camp Casey” by awestruck RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman:
“WE’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER SMEAR MACHINE.”
************************************
CHICKENHAWKS: “Who would Jesus Bomb?”
August 19th, 2005 at 10:09 pmCINDY SHEEHAN: “Whose vacation would Jesus ruin?”
KEN MEHLMAN: “Which patriot would Jesus smear?”
LARRY NORTHERN: “Whose crosses would Jesus mow down?”
ROBERT NOVAK: “What ethics would Jesus trash?”
KARL ROVE: “Which CIA agent would Jesus reveal?”
PAT ROBERTSON: “Which religion would Jesus blasphemy?”
JERRY FALWELL: (same)
FAUX NEWS: “Which news would Jesus distort?”
RUSH LIMBAUGH: “What microphone would Jesus fart into?”
PAUL WOLFOWITZ: “Which ‘Ira_’ country would Jesus invade?”
DICK CHENEY: “Which ‘liberators’ would Jesus welcome?”
GEORGE BUSH: “Which election would Jesus steal?”
Bush is going on a “we are winning” tour. Cheney is just setting the stage.
The very idea that Bushie has to campaign for the war states that he has little support.
August 20th, 2005 at 2:27 pmLet’s hope his “we are winning” campaign tour goes as well as his social security campaign tour. Then maybe we can get America talking about real solutions to terrorism.
Oh, and first prize if you get kicked out of a town hall!
August 20th, 2005 at 8:25 pmIt was reported on CNN by Dana “I just love Bush” that our beloved Preznit is goin out tour next week to re-sell the Irfaq war to the American people.
He is going to invoke 9/11 as the reason we went to war in Iraq. This of course will be closed door meetings so no one can distrub egghead while he is trying to lie about the war again. The WH security service will be out once again impersonating the SS.
August 21st, 2005 at 6:36 pmnot only that they are pulling out all the stops to promote Iraq and 9/11 in this monniker of a lavish parade bash they are having highlighted by this sadly disfigured country artist singing iragnroll. Heres the real kicker folks. These bastards are in trouble BEEG TIME! The greatest fear they have is being forced to give up their ill gotten gains. Guaranteed, there are a lot of hot mommas and poppas out there that if word got out what these lying yellow scumbags have done to this country a couple of hundred thousand would be headed down there to ole crawford to yank georgie boys asshole out and hang him and his cronies from a tree.
August 21st, 2005 at 8:29 pm