While in Baghdad over the weekend, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) asserted that Iraq is making progress on electricity generation:
On a surprise visit at President Bush’s request, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) flew into Baghdad at 4 a.m. Friday and immediately remarked on how many lights he saw burning in the Iraqi capital.
The speaker and his party saw it as a sign of progress, of how much power had been restored in a city known for frequent blackouts, according to Hastert’s spokesman, Ron Bonjean, who accompanied the speaker.
“It was one of our first impressions, so many lights shining brightly,” Bonjean said.
Hastert must have toured Baghdad at just the right time because Baghdad residents still have an average of just four hours of electricity per day. The pre-war level for Baghdad? 16-24 hours per day.
More at Political Animal.
– Geoff Miller

Hastert saw the lights on in the Green Zone and considers that Baghdad > lol.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:01 pmI didn’t know there was a plane with enough power to get Hastert’s fat @ss off the ground.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:01 pmmust have been white phosphorus or flares coming from under his plane to divert rocket attacks - probably gunfire below
June 5th, 2006 at 5:02 pmHeadline: “Republican Leadership Still in the Dark.”
June 5th, 2006 at 5:03 pmThe lights at the end of the tunnel.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:11 pmHe was looking at the sparklers in his gut because he had his head up his ass.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:18 pmThey should have left him over there for a whole week…. or longer (preferably)
June 5th, 2006 at 5:20 pmSurprise visit….at Bush’s request?? Puh-leeze! Bush probably lit up Baghdad like he did in Nawlins for his photo-op pep speech.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:22 pmACtually, most Republicans and Conservatives think that Iraqis live in mud huts and wash themselves in the local river. So of course they are surprised when they go there and see ANY amount of lights. They truly believe the Iraqis are primitive and inferior to themselves.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:25 pm#7- and put a uniform on him and send him on patrol!
June 5th, 2006 at 5:26 pmIn the dark, all lights are bright. Was he looking at the landing lights on the runway? Who is to say that any of the lights they saw came from Iraqi homes? Maybe they all came from “coalition” sources? Just more stupid crap from people with good reason to lie. Hastert has no credibility, he just does what he’s told to do. Blah, blah, blah. Next!
June 5th, 2006 at 5:28 pmLights? naa those were just the Baghdad residents with flashlights in hand emptying out their chamber pots due to the lack of sanitation facilities.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:30 pmSo hastert makes a 2-day visit to the most secure area in the green zone, reserved for the VIPs, and he declares that the country is doing well?
June 5th, 2006 at 5:32 pmDid he visit any Iraqi citizens? Did he have anything to say about the $582 million embassy being built by US contractors with electricity 24/7? Did he say anything about the number of military bases under construction - in a place where we don’t want to “leave a big footprint”?
Hastert and the administration are so much in the dark they see moonlight and think it’s progress.
After four double martinis things do seem to multiply.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:32 pmI keep telling myself these people aren’t serious . When Iraq was liberated it was liberated from electricity .
June 5th, 2006 at 5:33 pmAnd that’s as close as he will ever get to the people he claims to have “liberated.”
June 5th, 2006 at 5:33 pmA - head I don’t care about Sodamn killing anyone or Stalin or anybody but us , let alone if they have lights . I just think it’s funny that you do .
June 5th, 2006 at 5:41 pm#17- You are so funny.
June 5th, 2006 at 5:43 pm“Hastert’s spokesman, Ron Bonjean, who accompanied the speaker.”
“It was one of our first impressions, so many lights shining brightly,†Bonjean said.
Of course that doesn’t say much, considering Hasert’s a 5 watt bulb.
Visit my blog: People For Progress
June 5th, 2006 at 5:47 pmCAPTION CONTEST!!
June 5th, 2006 at 5:47 pmAH,
A serious question: Are you over the age of 18?
T-Mac
June 5th, 2006 at 5:52 pmDear Guest Miller - You REALLY do have a point. I would MUCH rather have 16-24 hours of electricity a dayif I only have to put up with those irritating Kurds gassed occasionally, Saddams’ mug all over my kids school books, a bit of trepidation in my heart when the 2:00am knock on the door comes (and out pops a member of the Revolutionary Guard), and my nephew only moderately tortured for losing a national soccer tournament. It is a pain in the neck to average 4 hours of electricity a day….
June 5th, 2006 at 5:58 pm“DICTATOR KILLING THEM WORSE THAN HITLER AND STALIN COMBINED”
Wherein Anvilhead proves his historical retardation to the nth degree.
Hitler’s wars—60 million dead.
Stalins purges—30 million dead.
Saddam–domestic purges 300,000, War with Iran…1 million dead.
Do the math pudcheese.
-GSD
June 5th, 2006 at 5:58 pmAlso, Denny(’s) Hastert should liberate himself from the buffet line. He needs a C-130 to lift his girth off the ground now.
Just say no to Jack Abramoff’s restaurant–Signatures…Say yes to carrots and celery.
-GSD
June 5th, 2006 at 6:01 pmCaption:
June 5th, 2006 at 6:04 pm“Why, I can palm 5 marbles in this chubby little mitt”
Caption:
When I take candy from babies, I distract ‘em like this.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:05 pmaphrodite, I guess Rumsfeld owes Amnesty International an apology, since at the time of Saddam’s atrocities, they were right and he was wrong.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:09 pm(said in a whimpy tone):Look! It’s a thousand points of blight!
June 5th, 2006 at 6:12 pmand put a uniform on him and send him on patrol!
Comment by Linda — June 5, 2006 @ 5:26 pm
Sure!
June 5th, 2006 at 6:19 pmCaption:
Hasert’s resply to the question “How many cheesecakes did you have for dessert”.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:22 pmSoo…. what’s a little inconveniance… when you’re having freeedom beat into you.. I say….oye ve
June 5th, 2006 at 6:26 pmHastert saw the lights but I hope Iraq people get to see it too. As our troops are ordered to murder woman and children the light they see will most likely be from heaven. Good to see Hastert stopped fighting the Bush Administration by his support of his friend Porter Goss and braking in the Congress offices. How much did Hastert get paid to turn on his friends maybe some oil shares or homeland security money. Look to support Bush one has to be paid. The US Treasury is set at 9 trillion we can spend so monies no problem just ask and you will recieve as long as your with the lies the President is telling the public. Good job Hastert you earned your bribe money.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:33 pmCaption:
June 5th, 2006 at 6:33 pmNo, no more. Six double cheeseburgers are my limit.
Dear G-String Destoyer - Your numbers for Hitler are double what I found - but you completely missed the worst butcher, MAO.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:37 pmTP Judd says,
“At ThinkProgress, we take accuracy seriously.”
Not that seriously apparently. According to the latest Iraq Weekly Status Report there were 11.3 average hours of available power in Baghdad.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:41 pmAfrodolty,
Anvilhead made no mention of MAO. Nice attempt to spin, dodge and duck. I expect nothing lese from a Bush shilling robot. Classic Republican maneuever, change the subject and attack. Are you denying that Hitler killed people? Are you one of those rightwing Holocaust deniers too?
Besides, from now on, I would talk with your husband. You should really be taking care of him and your children and not talking with strange men(and I am strange) in the internet.
Please defend your marriage, stay of the internet, get on your back. Cook some dinner too.
-GSD
June 5th, 2006 at 6:42 pmPlease defend your marriage, stay of the internet, get on your back. Cook some dinner too.
-GSD
*standing ovation*
June 5th, 2006 at 6:47 pmPlease defend your marriage, stay of the internet, get on your back. Cook some dinner too.
Comment by GSD — June 5, 2006 @ 6:42 pm
Slam dunk!
June 5th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
June 5th, 2006 at 6:53 pmDo you hear me clapping my hands?
#
Not that seriously apparently. According to the latest Iraq Weekly Status Report there were 11.3 average hours of available power in Baghdad.
Comment by Steed Lankershim — June 5, 2006 @ 6:41 pm
11.3 per day, per week, per month? You give no context Steed, or a link to back up your claim.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:54 pmIn 2002 Baghdad had access to electricity on a near continuous basis while the rest of Iraq was limited to 3 to 6 hours daily. The U.S. government has made significant progress in improving electricity supply in Iraq and distributing it more equitably throughout the country. USAID has added over 1490 MW of new or rehabilitated capacity to the electrical grid.
Avg pre-war megawatt hours: 95,000
Iraq is now meeting or exceeding pre-war levels. Country-wide available hours has more than doubled from pre-war levels.
So much for TP’s “accuracy”.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:57 pmPlease defend your marriage, stay of the internet, get on your back. Cook some dinner too.
Comment by GSD — June 5, 2006 @ 6:42 pm
Bravo, my friend. Bravissimo.
June 5th, 2006 at 6:58 pmGSD - I don’t have to “defend” my marriage - it’s not threatened by the likes of you, Kinky Haberman, the divorced Zooscooper or the proud atheist spinster. I was merely hoping to expand your limited scope.
As the daughter of a Jewish woman who was fortunate to get out of Austria with her parents and siblings after the Austrians “volunteered” for occupation, you won’t find me in the Holocaust deniers camp - unlike your friends in Iran.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:01 pmSteed,
page 11 of your vaunted Iraq weekly status reports says,
Baghdad is receiving and average of 4.1 hours of electricity per day.
Looks like TP is accurate.
Link here to PDF file:
http://www.state.gov/ p/ nea/ rls/ rpt/ iraqstatus/ 2006/ c16536.htm
this is based on the most recent report I can find on their website.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:01 pmSpeaking of less than 24 hours a day of electricity, here’s a way to mobilize the rest of America (who would generally scream absolute holy murder if there wasn’t 24/7 power) into impeaching chucklenuts, - impose a ONE HOUR a week blackout here the day and hour that AMERICAN IDOL IS ON!
June 5th, 2006 at 7:02 pmKrazny,
June 5th, 2006 at 7:03 pmOh yes I did. It’s the same source that Brookings uses. The Iraq Weekly Status Report.
#46,
that could end western civilization as we know it.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:04 pmWell mighty aphrodite, the Iraqis must not have cared much, since THEY DIDN’T FIGHT FOR THEIR OWN FREEDOM.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:04 pmWhich is a good thing. Now that Iraqis have freedom, they can also decorate their houses with shimmering lights and sing Xmas songs in their peacefully arabian nights, after having a meal in Hard Rock Bagdad, going to the Body Shop and buying trouser in the Gap. Its the new City of Lights. All american style from now on…No more Aladdin, no more Noah´s Ark on Ararat mount, no more algebra, no more…
June 5th, 2006 at 7:05 pmSteed,
the report from May 31 says Baghdad receives an average of 4.1 hours of electricity per day. If you have a newer report, I would be happy to defer to it. However the most recent one on the website says 4.1. I even included the link and the page number for easy reference.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:06 pmSo much for TP’s “accuracyâ€.
Comment by Steed Lankershim
TP got their numbers from somewhere. And I looked it up cause they linked it.. did you?
It is on page 31 of 58 in that PDF they linked. it says 3.6 hours/day in Baghdad in May 2006 and 4.5 in April 2006.
So either The Brookings Institution is wrong or Iraq Weekly Status Report is wrong .. OR you read the Iraq Weekly Status Report wrong… which is it?
June 5th, 2006 at 7:06 pmAnd you completely missed the point that one of you idiots is spouting lies. Even if you cut Hilter’s numbers in half. idiot.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:08 pmAnd that is impressive compared to the 16-24 hours under Saddam?
June 5th, 2006 at 7:09 pm# 44. It seems that you have a need to talk about yourself. In my opinion you like this place and Progs. Even proud atheists (agnosthics, I would say) like me. We dont do harm, we just want others to stop doing it.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:10 pmLink? Facts? Anything?
Chirp chirp chirp chirp.
Moron
June 5th, 2006 at 7:13 pm“….Well mighty aphrodite, the Iraqis must not have cared much, since THEY DIDN’T FIGHT FOR THEIR OWN FREEDOM.” - Comment by Spudge_Boy
Dear Sponge - … And the French didn’t rid themselves of Nazi’s - in fact, the Vichy were well known collaborators. (You’re wrong, of course, as the Shi’ites in the south and Kurds in the north did try to fight Saddam - but why confuse you with facts.) Iraq was terrorized by an EVIL family and I suppose that was A-OK with you? Many of your friends blame the US sanctions for killing 500,000 children- I submit if Saddam cared two $h*ts about those kids, he would have used the oil for food $$ to actually purchase decent food and not the rotten, moldy slop be pawned by those pigs in the UN.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:14 pmAvg pre-war megawatt hours: 95,000
Iraq is now meeting or exceeding pre-war levels. Country-wide available hours has more than doubled from pre-war levels.
So much for TP’s “accuracyâ€.
Comment by Steed Lankershim — June 5, 2006 @ 6:57 pm
Link? Facts? Anything?
Chirp chirp chirp chirp.
Moron
Comment by Spudge_Boy
Oh dont be so hard on him… he trusted Rush…or FOX …
June 5th, 2006 at 7:18 pmOh yeah, the sanctions started under Bush 1 stupid.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:21 pmDear Sponge - … And the French didn’t rid themselves of Nazi’s - in fact, the Vichy were well known collaborators. (You’re wrong, of course, as the Shi’ites in the south and Kurds in the north did try to fight Saddam - but why confuse you with facts.) Iraq was terrorized by an EVIL family and I suppose that was A-OK with you? Many of your friends blame the US sanctions for killing 500,000 children- I submit if Saddam cared two $h*ts about those kids, he would have used the oil for food $$ to actually purchase decent food and not the rotten, moldy slop be pawned by those pigs in the UN.
Comment by mighty aphrodite
Once again MA … Its not about the French… wtf does france have anything to do with this thread? It isnt about what kind of guy Saddam was…. it is about who WE are and what WE do and HAVE done… Playing these oil games/political games with peoples lives has been going on for thousands of years and the WHOLE DAMN POINT of America is to change that… what part of that do you not understand? We betray our fore fathers every single day… when are we even going to TRY to get back to what is real and true and AMERICAN?
June 5th, 2006 at 7:21 pm#55 - “It seems that you have a need to talk about yourself.” - Juan Agnostic
*****Juan - When the attacks get personal, sometimes I defend MYSELF, mostly I laugh. Stick to your romantic, single, agnostic notions…..who knows maybe we can set you up with one of the many single women who hang out here at Think Progress - a match made in hea……oh, never mind….
June 5th, 2006 at 7:25 pmKrazny,
My apoligies. I was refering to the May 4 status report.
Country-wide statistics are from Brookings Iraq Index and USAID.
regards…
June 5th, 2006 at 7:29 pmDear Gerald - Since I was responding to Sponges stupid assertion, it would be beneficial if you would keep up with the conversation. With Sponges assertion, it might can be inferred that NO ONe is entitled to liberty unless they are capable of overthrowing a tyrant on their own. (Thank goodness we had some assistance from the last great generation of French during our Revolution.)
June 5th, 2006 at 7:32 pm#24 GSD; Dickhead is unable to do basic arithmetic.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:33 pmComment by mighty aphrodite
I think you forgot to respond to the other 90% of my post….
June 5th, 2006 at 7:38 pmNo Gerald - the rest of your post of left wing talking points was completely boring and un-original. But your wife probably tell you the same thing…..
June 5th, 2006 at 7:40 pmWell Krazny, I pulled last years report. But here’s the explanation for the sharp drop in May.
Electricity output since the start of 2006 is 1 percent higher than it was for the same period in 2005.
On May 2, the Ministry of Electricity recovered from a blackout of large portions of the national grid. The failure was caused by a low-frequency trip at a power plant, which resulted in a cascading series of shutdowns of power plants across much of Iraq.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:43 pmmighty aphrodite,
If a people are not willing to stand up for themselves and get rid of a few people that are ruining their country, then no they are not entitled to what makes the US great. The same thing is happening her in the US right now. If the American public is not willing to stand up for it’s rights, then we do not deserve them.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:45 pmA cascading shutdown of power polants does not account for 4.5 hours of electricity a day. You are now trying to spin your way out of a hole.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:47 pm#23
and out pops a member of the Revolutionary Guard
I doubt you would have found many Revolutionary Guard running around Baghdad if Saddam was still there.
Try Iran maybe? or Republican Guard?
Anyway if you pay attention to reality, what you described is Iraq now, as well as before the war. So your point is sort of, well, irrelevant. Especially considering all the cash we’ve dropped there.
But thx for commenting.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:54 pmlink Steed Lankershim?
or let Krazny do it for ya.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:58 pmHow does current electricity availability compare with that in 1990. Using 2002/2003 figures as “pre-war” is probably distorting gven over a decade of bombing and sanctions prior to then.
June 5th, 2006 at 7:59 pmThose “many lights shining brightly ” are Iraqi headlights waiting in line 5+ hours to purcahase a little of their OWN gas at inflated prices when a gallon of gas used to be 60 cents or less pre-invasion.
June 5th, 2006 at 8:19 pmGeoff,
Iraq Weekly Status Reports. The same source Brookings uses. And USAID. I thought I already announced that. I download the reports on a regular basis. Sorry, I don’t keep links. But I’m sure you can figure it out.
And my apologies to you, too. I grabbed my May 4, 2005 report by mistake. Regardless, country-wide has been at or above pre-war levels.
June 5th, 2006 at 8:25 pmSteed,
below is the link for the Iraqi weekly status report.
http://www.brookings.edu/ fp/ saban/ iraq/ index.pdf#search=‘brookings%20institute%20iraq%20weekly%20report’
I don’t see updated figures for June yet. They say they update on the 6th. However they put the average hours of electricity for the Month of May, 2006 at 3.6 hours/day.
While the estimated amount of power is up nationwide compared to pre war levels, the total power for Baghdad is down. Please note the original TP post, talks only of Baghdad, and does not involve the rest of the nation.
June 5th, 2006 at 8:33 pmBullsh!t and there isn’t anybody here, save mighty aphrodite and ANVILHEAD that believe you or Bush.
June 5th, 2006 at 8:39 pmI know Krazny. I made a mistake. I’ve apologized to you and Geoff, but I’m also offering context. Ignore the big picture if you wish, but the USAID and the USACOE with the help of other countries and companies like Bechtel are doing more for the citizens of Iraq than Saddam ever did.
You should also be looking at electricity output in terms of megawatts, not just hours of availability.
June 5th, 2006 at 8:51 pmWhat Hastert saw is all the lights from US military bases and checkpoints. Flew over Baghdad hundreds of times. Always the same — we’re lit, they’re not. And don’t think they don’t know it.
June 5th, 2006 at 8:53 pmall good Steed Lankershim.
June 5th, 2006 at 9:32 pmAre there any stories about Republican officials’ visits to Iraq that don’t start out something like, “In a surprise visit…”?Here is my proposed indication that things are going well in Iraq: When Hastert or any administration official can announce a trip to Iraq, release the itinerary in advance and stick to it.
June 5th, 2006 at 9:58 pmDear Guest Miller - You REALLY do have a point. I would MUCH rather have 16-24 hours of electricity a dayif I only have to put up with those irritating Kurds gassed occasionally, Saddams’ mug all over my kids school books, a bit of trepidation in my heart when the 2:00am knock on the door comes (and out pops a member of the Revolutionary Guard), and my nephew only moderately tortured for losing a national soccer tournament. It is a pain in the neck to average 4 hours of electricity a day….
Comment by mighty hypocrite
Mighty Hypocrite,
June 5th, 2006 at 10:13 pmFor once I agree with you; things have been so hunky-dory in Iraq since the US invasion: no roadside bombings randomly killing people almost daily, no civilians being kidnapped at busstops, no schools and schoolteachers blown up, no working women targeted by Islam fundamentalists for going outdoors in Western-style clothing and without headscarves, etc. Yes, the only inconvenience in daily urban life is the short hours or running electricity.
#44 - Mighty Teabagger: GSD - I don’t have to “defend†my marriage - it’s not threatened by the likes of you, Kinky Haberman, the divorced Zooscooper or the proud atheist spinster. I was merely hoping to expand your limited scope.
Waaaaaaah!!
June 5th, 2006 at 10:21 pmDear Gerald - Since I was responding to Sponges stupid assertion, it would be beneficial if you would keep up with the conversation. With Sponges assertion, it might can be inferred that NO ONe is entitled to liberty unless they are capable of overthrowing a tyrant on their own. (Thank goodness we had some assistance from the last great generation of French during our Revolution.)
Comment by mighty aphrodite — June 5, 2006 @ 7
June 5th, 2006 at 10:50 pmMA as normal-WTF are you saying? You are the most retarded poster here. I mean just read what you have posted. Just plain garbarge(that be French). Just what do you fat sweaty lonely retards like IRI and you do for fun? You both are morons, losers, have no life except fot the internet. One of you is a bald fat Queen and the other, just let’s say( not there is anything wrong with that) a fud packer.
he knows a thousand points of light when he sees them.
June 5th, 2006 at 10:54 pmhe knows what to do with them. lights in bagpad good, dead bodies bad
he knows what to do with a 50K offer from the Turks to stop the Armenian genocide bill
big money good, talking about dead people, bad
he knows what to do with a hybrid car after a photo op, good mileage bad, big hog good
and thus he also knows what a thousand calories are for, good mileage bad, big hog good
Most Americans cannot do without air-conditioning for an hour, so imagine only 4 hours of electricity a day: food would spoil in the refrigerator; never enough time for the freezer to work; sultry 100+ degree heat everyday; mostly cold water showers; reading by candlelight; etc!
Iraqis live in Hell now thanks to Bush ass!
June 5th, 2006 at 11:08 pmWell theres always a bright side, so to speak.
At least most of the young men know that sooner or later, they’ll be rounded up in a night raid. You know, the ones they go on looking for some guy named Habib, and round up every young man with a name even close in a 12 block radius?
Anyway they know they’ll eventually get rounded up in one, then they’ll have all the electricity they can handle, so to speak.
June 5th, 2006 at 11:18 pmJune 5th, 2006 at 11:47 pm
I’m gald to hear Mighty cares about the children of Iraq so much.
June 5th, 2006 at 11:49 pmWhose broad stripes on his back
And the panties on head
While the battered and beaten
Were so horribly screaming
June 5th, 2006 at 11:52 pmJune 5th, 2006 at 11:57 pm
June 5th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
There.
The trolls should luv that.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:08 amComment by mighty aphrodite — June 5, 2006
Yeah, the real problem here is whether I believe if there is a really forgiving celestial entity looking after you and hating gays, whether I have a girlfriend or not, or whatever. You can not debate, your -I know it all cause I come from a exiled family- attitude overwhelms you (just check your name here) and does not allow you to listen. It is always someone else´s fault, not you, not the party you vote for. You have to be a very insecure person to call yourself Mighty Afrodite and answer every single message post at you.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:13 amYes Not So mighty Aphrodite. Worry about the Gays.
Thats the real threat to America today.
You guys work on that for a while, and let us take care of the big people stuff.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:18 amPost 94 Juan > Mighty Moron admitted that IT is paid to post on here by the GOP and Karl Rove! MA is a male drag queen who masquerades as a female lawyer on here > lol.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:19 amWhat about gay terrorists? They’d be scary.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:20 amYea. They could decorate the Washinton Monument with red velvet and make it look like a candy cane.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:24 amDrive By Makeovers.
June 6th, 2006 at 12:25 amPost 97 > if MA showed up in full drag with red lipstick and wild hair > that would be scary!
June 6th, 2006 at 12:27 amI am glad he was there to tour with him.
June 6th, 2006 at 2:38 amI wonder what would have happened if he did not:(
I wonder who the ‘proud aTHEist spinster’is ?
June 6th, 2006 at 4:27 am#97:
No, they wouldn’t be scary at all. They’d be fabulous.
June 6th, 2006 at 4:53 amSOURCE OF INFO
June 6th, 2006 at 5:36 amCaption Contest: “So I said, Hey, can you turn off some of those lights? What, are you trying to blind me, or something?”
June 6th, 2006 at 8:10 amCaption Contest:
5 Little marines went swimming one day
June 6th, 2006 at 9:09 amover the hills and far away
Insurgents bombs went boom boom boom
And 0 little marines came swimming back
Hey trolls, how does it feel to know your boy Bush spent half a trillion dollars and three thousand soldiers’ lives just to give Iran another 20% of the world’s energy supply?
Brits can’t fly helicopters in the daytime anymore because of the Iranian SAMs. And that’s in the peaceful, stable part of Iraq Republicans like to crow about.
June 6th, 2006 at 11:05 amIf you want to know the troops are all bogged down in their bases and scared to come out
June 6th, 2006 at 2:08 pmOK caption contest,
“You see all the lights of Bagdad, you are amazed, now move along”
June 6th, 2006 at 4:29 pm….I wonder could he also see the body parts and blood of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians strewn about the streets of Iraq with all that light he gushes about. That’s strange, because I read about it in the papers complete with the awful pictures everyday.
June 6th, 2006 at 9:31 pm#85, Al Franken-clone
Well then, you guys fail there as well. May saw 5% less electricity in the country (megawatts wise) than before the invasion. And that’s after we spent 300 billion dollars?
It is you who is failing to understand what is really happening with the electrical sytem. Iraq has the capacity and the ability to generate more megawatts than Saddam’s Iraq. The only reason Saddam was able to provide more energy to Baghdad was because he wasn’t distributing it the rest of country. The statistics in the Brookings Index clearly show that. It’s true there have been dips in the actual output. Consider these facts; demand has increased, power outages such as the one in May that shut down the whole system, anti-government militants and terrorists striking fuel supplies to generation plants, Saddam’s neglected equipment and power facilities that are gradually getting upgraded with the help of companies from many nations and all of the rest of the problems that go along with rebuilding the infrastructure. There are weekly and daily reports from the Corps that explain the successes, challenges and failures.
I don’t see how analyzing the energy situation throughout the whole country, to include the areas outside of Baghdad that were barely getting 4 hours of electricity per day, is changing the subject. I just don’t think you’re capable of honest and intelligent discussion. Who cares about the details as long as you can transfer blame “you guys”. Are “you guys” the Corps? Of is anyone who disagrees with you?
There are a lot of people over there from many countries who are not wearing uniforms that are sacrificing their lives and family helping make this happen. Maybe they are “you guys”?
So I gave a statistic from another month by accident. But that stat was indeed a fact and came from the same source that Brookings uses. And Brookings has written reports about the energy situation that address the same issues that I’ve listed. What the hell, maybe Brookings also falls into your category of “you guys” since their tables show that Iraq is capable of generating more megawatts than Saddam’s Iraq. And has done so the past year+. Since that’s not what you want to hear…
June 7th, 2006 at 1:56 amNice post!
——
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June 7th, 2006 at 6:38 pm10.000 Free software downloads: Freeware and Shareware
[…] Doesn’t look like “so many lights [are] shining brightly” right now. […]
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