1) I don’t think it reflects well on us progressives to make fun of the way someone looks. I know it’s tempting, but you can find a goofy looking photo for any person of note. Think Progress chose to use that photo, which I think was a bit lame.

2) The use of the term “end game” is very common as a metaphor in all sorts of strategic discussions. It’s true that it seems like to a lot of the Bush administration, war is a game, since most of them have never actually served in the military. But that does not mean that anyone who uses the term considers the situation a game. For better or for worse, all sorts of metaphors are used all the time by everyone for rather dire situations. I don’t think we should be so focused on whether someone uses a common metaphor. I though Crocker’s film metaphor was much more interesting. My quick research leads me to think a 3-reel film is a relatively short movie (like an maybe hour), whereas a 5-reel film is feature length film. Maybe any film buffs out there can correct me. I think it’s an apt metaphor – America looking for short term results, Iraqis looking at the long term occupation.

3) I can’t find any info that suggest that this guy is a neocon or Bushie. I looked up and read a couple of interviews with him and I did not get the feeling he was. He is a long-term Foreign Service guy who has served under many administrations. At minimum, he seems to have spent a huge part of his career in the Middle East. You would think that that would disqualify him in the eyes of the Bushies! The sad thing is that the Bush adminstration is so corrupt, that we almost have to assume that anyone they appoint is “one of them”. Does anyone have any info that this guy is actually a Bushie?

And I think one of the things all Americans have to consider is if we were to scale back our engagement here in a major way before there has been a major change in circumstances on the ground, what are the consequences?

He forgot to add, we in the administration never considered the consequences before we invaded and we’ve been wrong about everything since, but trust us, now we know what’s best….

“F**K ME!!!!….that’s where i’ll be living????”

From the American side, we have this sense that “once
the Dems take Congress” or “once the Dems take the White House”
the whole mess/movie will be over – which presuming the Dems
then walk us out of Iraq would make for the Iraqi half-time/
2nd or 3rd reel.

Of course it might end relatively benignly after that, or it might not.
No one’s preparing for a departure just as they didn’t prepare for
an invasion. It will just happen, and then the Iraqis will get to
figure out the rest of the movie. Two thumbs up, say Siskel & Ebert,
and you can only imagine who’s put their thumb up where.

I just see a slasher movie where you get this moment of rest
where the slasher must surely be dead, and then the house starts
collapsing or the cliff starts giving way into the sea while the
slasher mends his wounds and comes back to life. The Iraqis and
the Americans really are watching two different movies.
Perhaps as Spike Lee’s finished Katrina I & II he can go make
a 2-part series on Iraq.

It was just a rhetorical question, an exercise in academics. I am not advocating that anyone really bust his kneecaps. And I didn’t say that someone should put a 100 grain broadhead through his lower intestines and have the poor shit stumble through the rest of his life carrying a colostomy bag.

I honestly wish for President Bush a long, long life. Suffering from the guilt of the deaths and dismemberment of the good men and women who suffered for his ego.

btw…. I really like your sense of humor. Jeff Gannon found his wristwatch…..That is classic!

…or he’s got someone’s pet hamster…

…up his bum’ole…

…or BOTH…

I say shoot Bushes children to see how he feels about the loss of his family but only when Hes away from that Big Red Button

I even say in 50 years from now we should never forget what he did and wipe his whole family from the genepool of the human race and do humanity a good deed

Saw III?

Comment by nanlichi

Whilst I agree w/ your sentiment, this is the kind of talk that might get us a visit from the Men In Black…

Saw III?

Now, as for the Iraq government throwing us out with this U.N. mandate thing…hahaha! I’m sure Cheney is shaking in his boots (made out of Iraqi children, don’cha know). I’m sure that someday we’ll draw down our numbers a little since 150K just isn’t sustainable forever, but we’ll have 40-50K there for quite awhile, especially if the Iraq government starts to have any funny ideas about who controls Iraq’s resources.

We have to know what the game is first before we can see and look forward to end it.

The game still unknown to most people.
Of course if you listen to Giuliani he will tell you ‘we are safer because we are in Iraq…’although Iraq never was linked to any terrorism happened in New York on 9/11 or before,against USA.

The game kept changing from , chasing the Bin Ladins at start, to chasing Saddam WMDS,to bringing democracy to Iraq,to our startegic interests are at stake,to helping Israel, to secure oil, to toppling Iran…
and the game goes on…
and now Iraq becomes a Korean model..!!

How can you see or end such thing?…that’s why we are in the middle of this Arabian desert storm chasing a mirage,and looking for a way out,but it will not be easy.

Toppling Saddam was the easiest part of this mission,winning the peace is the hardest to get in the middle of this ‘quicksand’ called Iraq.