Hadley’s Hypocrisy: “Our Strategy Is Far From ‘Stay the Course’”
Hadley’s Hypocrisy: “Our Strategy Is Far From ‘Stay the Course’”
National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley pens an op-ed in today’s USA Today claiming that “stay the course” is not an accurate description of Bush’s strategy for Iraq:
Our strategy is far from “stay the course.” The president continually challenges all of us to learn from experience, adapt to change and improve our performance.
But in June 2005 on the Charlie Rose Show, Hadley described the Bush strategy as “stay the course” and urged the American public to support it:
What the Americans need to understand and what we need to explain to them clearly is that we do have a strategy. That strategy is making progress. But there are still difficult days ahead. But if we can stay the course, if we can pursue our support for the Iraqi people, if they continue to perform the way — the way they are performing, we will not only build a democratic Iraq, but it will be a democratic Iraq that will send a message of hope to the region as a whole, to encourage the spread of democracy in the region as a whole.
It’s not just Hadley. As ThinkProgress has documented on video, other administration officials have repeatedly used “stay the course” in the past. Despite the White House efforts to “cut and run” from “stay the course,” the truth won’t let them.
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It has never been nor will it ever be anything other than “Stay the course” for the Habeas Corpus-Challenged Neocon and the Democrats who support them.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:10 pmPretty soon Dubious will come out with:
October 4th, 2006 at 3:12 pm“I don’t decide anything, I’m not the decider, did I say that?”
One thing is certain, whatever strategy they have, if any, is OFF course………
October 4th, 2006 at 3:13 pmWhat’s that strategy again?
And how do we measure said strategy to see if it is “making progress” again?
These guys give democracy a bad name.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:15 pmAside from the nightmare these people are putting this country thorough, are those 3 of the ugliest, creepiest looking people you’ve ever seen?
They’re the rejects from high school.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:17 pmApparently so. Today an entire brigade of Iraqi forces were detained on the charge that they participated or enabled death squads that operate in Iraq.
This administration hired former Mossad agents and security contractors with ties to Israeli intelligence to train these Iraqi forces and paid for it with taxpayer dollars.
Apparently the administration’s course is to teach Iraqi armed forces the same sbjects they do at the School of Americas. “Torture, Assassination, Pillage, Rape during Interrogation etc.”
October 4th, 2006 at 3:18 pmI thought those who didn’t believe we should “stay the course” were “defeat-o-crats” who wanted to “cut and run” and play right into the hands of the terrists? Ya see, that’s what they want…they want to kill you and your family. I listened to the decider and that’s what he said. So now Bush doesn’t want to stay the course anymore? He wants to cut and run? I’m so confused.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:19 pm“The president continually challenges all of us to learn from experience, adapt to change and improve our performance. ”
Hah, yeah, that’s what the Chimp does.
Give it a rest Hadley, no one believes that shit.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:19 pmHadley: Our strategy in Iraq is whatever we say it is on any given day. How dare you question the
October 4th, 2006 at 3:21 pmKingpresident?“that strategy is making progress???!!!” Is that double talk and just another idiotic statement from the Bush Administration? Pray tell, Mr. Hadley, how does one make progress without a “strategy”? Certainly you did not mean to imply that “making progress” is a strategy in itself?
October 4th, 2006 at 3:26 pmThey can’t tell us what the strategy in Iraq actually is for fear of emboldening the terrists… and the democrats,… and the American people.
How many more young men and women are the GOP willing to sacrifice to their greed and thirst for power??? It seems there is no limit to the lives they are willing to throw on the garbage heap for a lost political cause and a few more no-bid contracts.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:28 pmIf the Republicans have a better strategy than Stay the Course, how come they don’t use it?
October 4th, 2006 at 3:29 pmOh, he’s right. “Stay the Course” was only a chapter in their overall “Adapt to Lose” strategy.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:30 pmPicture Headline: Reading the Script for the High School Play
October 4th, 2006 at 3:31 pmThe only plan I’ve seen about Iraq is the $20 million dollars budgeted for “commemoration of success” victory parties.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:32 pmNever, ever, trust a guy in pleated khakis. Never.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:34 pmPicture Headline: Reading Rove’s Talking Points of the Day.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:35 pmOkay, Mr. Hadley, so let’s take you at your word and accept that it’s not “stay the course”.
You say that “Americans need to understand and what we need to explain to them clearly is that we do have a strategy”. Okay, I’m all ears, Mr. Hadley. Explain to me clearly and help me understand. I had thought it was “as the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down”. I hear now that hundreds of thousands of Iraqi police are now trained, yet we are not standing down. Why is that, Mr. Hadley? Wasn’t that the “strategy”?
And what exactly do you mean by “if we pursue our support for the Iraqi people”……………”we will build a democratic Iraq that will send a message of hope to the region”? Explain to me, Mr. Hadley, exactly what our strategy is for “pursuing our support for the Iraqi people”? What exactly are we doing toward that goal? How exactly is that goal defined? What specific plans are there and how do we measure their progress and success? Just “explain to me clearly and help me understand”.
The American people are not stupid, Mr. Hadley. Explain to us so we can understand and do what is necessary to support the “strategy” other than “go shopping” as recommended by your boss. Face it, Mr’ Hadley. The only “strategy” that exists is to do whatever it takes to ameliorate the damage in order to hold on to power through this election cycle, isn’t it?
Come on, Mr. Hadley. Explain it to me so I can understand.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:37 pmCaption Contest:
October 4th, 2006 at 3:37 pmW: ‘What’s this big word here?’
Rice: ‘Eclectic’.
W: ‘Can I use that word?’
Hadley: ‘Yes, it would apply to your reading skills.’
W: ‘How’s that?’
Rice: ‘Well, say you’ve read Shakespeare.’
W: ‘Who?’
Hadley: ‘Doesn’t matter, just say it.’
W: ‘Like, I’ve read a couple of Shakespeares?’
Rice: ‘Good, now let’s move on to the next word’.
W: ‘Boy, reading is fun!’
Bush says “Isn’t it wonderful I’ve bought the orignal “My Pet Goat” manuscript for 20 million taxpayers dollars”.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:38 pmI love how these guys are now being forced to defend themselves against their own slogan of “Stay the Course.” There’s clearly no defense, as there’s no real strategy.
It’s even better that the Dems didn’t need to come up with their own slogan to characterize the administration’s response, because let’s face it – they couldn’t come up with one that would stick if they tried.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:39 pmHow about Cut and Run Frist wanting to Clear the Course for active Taliban participation in the “New ” Afghanistan? Maye it should read Stay on Course…for failure. BTW not too many people seem upset by Frist’s wanting to hire the F?&%king enemy to take over a country that we had according to some accouts had already won.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:40 pmHow about Cut and Run Frist wanting to Clear the Course for active Taliban participation in the “New ” Afghanistan? Maye it should read Stay on Course…for failure. BTW not too many people seem upset by Frist’s wanting to hire the F?&%king enemy to take over a country that we had according to some accouts had already won.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:40 pmHow about Cut and Run Frist wanting to Clear the Course for active Taliban participation in the “New ” Afghanistan? Maye it should read Stay on Course…for failure. BTW not too many people seem upset by Frist’s wanting to hire the F?&%king enemy to take over a country that we had according to some accouts had already won.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:41 pmKen Mehlmand, wordsmith, invented ‘adapt to win’ for his appearance on Meet the Press to avoid falling into the word trap Russert was going to spring on him.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:41 pmSince then, every Neocrook around is using the term.
To me, it means ‘we have to change because staying the course is not working with Iraqis or Americans.’
Hopefully, Americans will ‘ADAPT TO WIN AT BALLOT BOX’.
[White Bus headed for a cliff...]
George; “WhooOoOoOoo!! Stay the Course!!
Hadley; “No we are changing course.”
George; “Look, [smirk] are we heading for the cliff or not?”
Hadley; “Of course”
George; “Look another corner?”
Hadley; “No a different course”
George; “No Cliff?”
Hadley;”A new and different course to the cliff.”
George; “I decided didn’t I?”
Hadley; “Yes you did.”
George; “Whooo! I dont care if it rains or freezes!”
October 4th, 2006 at 3:55 pmDid someone photoshop Hadley’s head onto that body? They didn’t do a real good job.
October 4th, 2006 at 3:58 pmCome on, guys! You know this outstanding American patriot HAD to be misquoted! I’m sure he really said: “Our strategy for winning elections is far from “stay the course.â€
October 4th, 2006 at 3:59 pm“Three blind mice”
October 4th, 2006 at 4:00 pmIf Bush trully loved America and its epople he would go to jail rather than take away its peoples rights of Habeas Corpus and admit he is a war criminal
Think about it
October 4th, 2006 at 4:08 pmIf the Democrats have any semblance of intelligence, they would run ads over and over these next five weeks which would simply say: Stay the course = Stay and Die. Who will tell the American soldier that he or she is the last person to die for a mistake? Will a Democrat like John Kerry state on the air that he approves of this ad? It is to the everlasting shame of this country that not one senator is calling for an immediate withdrawal of those troops from Iraq. Will it take 58,000 deaths, the same number who were killed in Vietnam, before a senator finally begins to call for those troops to be withdrawn from that abattoir in Iraq?
October 4th, 2006 at 4:14 pmOn 27 September 2006, a war criminal responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan, and whose refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza sanctioned Israel’s barbaric attacks, addressed the Labour Party Conference in Manchester.
His speech was acclaimed by nearly all the mainstream media as “brilliant” (BBC), “electrifying” (The Telegraph), “majestic” (the Guardian). Here are 10 things that Tony Blair didn’t say in “the speech of the century” (The Independent) .
October 4th, 2006 at 4:25 pm[1] The majority of Iraqis want the immediate withdrawal of US troops from their country, saying the departure “would make them feel safer and decrease violence.”
[2] The majority of Iraqis approve of attacks on US forces.
[3] On average, one attack on US forces in Iraq takes place every 15 minutes.
[4] Reports to the US and British governments show that a) the Iraq war has acted as a “recruiting sergeant” for extremists and b) increased the threat of terrorism.
[5] The security situation in Iraq is so out of control that over 240,000 Iraqis have fled their homes in the past six months and registered as refugees.
[6] Only 20 percent of Americans “have confidence” in George Bush’s Iraq policies.
[7] The Iraq war is currently costing US taxpayers around $2bn (£1.07bn) a week.
[8] The United Nations says over 6,600 Iraqis were killed in the months of July and August and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says Iraq is on the brink of all-out civil war.
[9] British soldiers fighting in Afghanistan are six times more likely to be killed in combat than soldiers in Iraq.
[10] According to senior military, the armed forces are “arguably losing or potentially losing” in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The president continually challenges all of us…”(I know it’s all wrong guys, wrong from the beginning, but I’m in a jam here now, help me out, will’ya guys, huh..huh?)
“to learn from experience………”
( here I go again, failing at whatever I try to do, how did I go so wrong again?, and how come nobody likes me anymore, why are they saying it’s all my fault? I was just doing what I was told to do….. well, mostly…)
“adapt to change……”
Yeah, like going from the White House to the ranch, that’s change, and I like that, so change is good…… but, but wait, we don’t want to have to pay the rest of the people in the world anything for their oil or anythin’ like that now, y’see, cause that wouldn’t be a good change for me an’ Uncle Dickee, no, no, can’t have that……..
“and improve our performance………”
October 4th, 2006 at 4:47 pm(Yeah, now how do I get that durned portfolio to improve performance, huh?
Durn that Uncle Dickee and his erl cumpinees, I wus making humungous ol profits this year, and now they’s lettin off the price cuz they thinks it will help us win dem ‘lections… what do I care now anyways? Ah only got a couple more yeers ta ride this nag out and go out ta pasture down der in Krawford and c’lect Surcial Secoority….)
I’m feeling so much spin I think I am going to throw up. It’s all a linguistics game for them. They must have hundreds of ass clowns sitting in a room repeating slogans over and over again to come up with the new one. What a joke. I hope everyone sees throught this crap. Every time George Bush talks I envision turds just falling out of his mouth…
http://www.getsomejosh.com – check me out
October 4th, 2006 at 5:25 pmThat was then, this is now. It’s damage control time. Woops, didn’t anticipate planes running into buildings.
October 4th, 2006 at 5:49 pmReagan s head of NSA calls for impeachment
October 4th, 2006 at 6:00 pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF7IRLR36Vo
Simple, he’s lying!
October 4th, 2006 at 7:16 pmThat little shit (that would be Bush) has been saying “Stay the course” for so long that he will never shake it. I am waiting for the moment when he claims he never said it.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:00 pmHe doesn’t know what the stategy is because, THEY DON’T HAVE A STATEGY!!!!
October 4th, 2006 at 10:05 pm#39 He does to have a strategery!!!
October 4th, 2006 at 10:26 pm#40 – JPark,
October 4th, 2006 at 10:44 pm?????????????????????
Well, he didn’t really say strategery…it was an SNL skit…but it sure does sound like him.
October 4th, 2006 at 10:53 pmThe problem is that liberals try to create the most negative definition of “stay the course”. They don’t care about what it should mean, or the value of the concept, they just want to smear and blame and damage the president (that is their life’s function). The realistic definition is: keep trying until the job is done right. It’s a simple concept that most older people understand. A lot of young kids and young adults don’t really understand this concept. They want immediate satisfaction with little work. Unfortunately the liberals in general are the same deal. The second part of stay the course is to modify, improvise, and get creative. We use new equipment to protect soldiers from IED’s, for example. The result is that about the same number of US soldiers per capita die in an average month as people are murdered in Detroit or D.C. That is pretty good relative to other wars in my opinion. Once we train a substantial number of Iraqi security forces, our job will be mostly done. We have to hunker down and get this done with a lot of difficulty because the insurgents don’t want democratic success. They want to break us before the troops are trained. They want to win and turn Iraq into something similar to a Taliban state. Al Qaida recently said that due to the number of insurgents killed, they are in a huge need for new recruits. We are getting there, and once we train the troops, I just pray that Iraq will have the wisdom and force to solve THEIR civil problems.
October 5th, 2006 at 9:02 amRob – thanks, guy – I was beginning to fear no one would step in and put a stop to this perverted exposure of the factual, independently verifiable truth. I especially appreciate your brilliant adaptation of “blame the victim” here, since no Iraqi terrorist ever attacked the US yet we saw fit nonetheless, to bloody their coutry with a haphazard and ill-conceived occupation, dreamed up by some guys that never served in combat, because they are pussies and cowards. You, sir, are the kind of Patriot that Rep. Foley would like to have a picture of in his office. btw, am I making you horny?
October 5th, 2006 at 3:12 pmTom,
You are evidence that people get vicious when the truth hurts them.
October 5th, 2006 at 6:36 pmMaybe it’s time to produce and air this 30-second anti-war ad:
October 6th, 2006 at 5:56 amhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3A91svNB8c