White House in ‘panic mode.’
White House in ‘panic mode.’
ABC News reports that White House is “in panic mode” over the recent defections of Republican senators on the President’s Iraq policy:
Senior Bush administration officials are deep in discussion about how to find a compromise that will “appease Democrats and keep wobbly Republicans on board,” a senior White House official tells ABC News.
The official said the White House “is in panic mode,” despite Monday’s on-the-record briefing by White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, who played down any concern over the recent spate of GOP senators who have spoken out publicly in support of changing course in Iraq.
The Republican defections are seen as “a crack in the dike,” according to the senior White House official, and National Security Adviser Steven Hadley is most concerned.
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This is nothing. Just wait to see the panic when they are all indicted after leaving office.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:21 pmHAS THE WHOLE WORLD GONE CRAZY? AM
July 9th, 2007 at 8:22 pmI THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO GIVES A SHIT
ABOUT THE RULES? MARK IT ZERO!
Impeachment will be on the table come September.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:22 pmCalmer than you are.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:22 pmI wanna see a wobbly Republican. Do they exist?
July 9th, 2007 at 8:22 pmGeorge, there ain’t no quick fix to your Iraq mess.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:23 pmWho the f%ck cares about them? I care about the dying soldiers, the death of our civil liberties and the untold damage these tyrants have done to our country.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:23 pmthey are desperate to keep these companies in Iraq. They will do anything. I wonder if Chimpy is reducing himself to giving BJs like a crack fiend on payday.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:24 pmAhh, priorities. Preserving the well-being of wobbly Republicans.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:25 pm“….eh…if you support my…(burp)…surge, I’ll….(ehh)…suck your dick.”
July 9th, 2007 at 8:26 pmTed Stevens is first in line
July 9th, 2007 at 8:26 pmWe’re gonna make them an offer they can’t refuse!!!
July 9th, 2007 at 8:27 pmBush doesn’t care about US troops. He cares about his legacy.
Who would have known.
-GSD
July 9th, 2007 at 8:28 pmAnd the closer we get to the next elections of 2008,the more Republican politicans are getting nervous.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:29 pmDefection now to these politicians is the only way to ensure their own political survivability next year.
…and then Cheney sticks his head into the meeting and says: “We’re bombing Iran. Let those liberal scumbags dispute our ‘power to wage war’ now! Problem solved.”
July 9th, 2007 at 8:32 pmPanic?
Good, then maybe the bubble has burst at last and they are finally facing the ugly realities of the situation they created.
But I seriously doubt it.
http://www.impeachbush.org
July 9th, 2007 at 8:35 pmCrack in the Dyke – that is a Cheney problem…
July 9th, 2007 at 8:35 pmPanic mode? This is just the start of the beginning of the end for these scum. Buck up boys and girls. By the time this is all over, your’re going to wish you never stole those two presidential elections.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:36 pm1. Withdraw the troops.
2. Let the civil war happen.
3. Other nations in the area get involved in the war.
4. Gasoline goes to $10-12 a gallon.
5. Send the troops back in.
6. Other countries send their troops in, too. Thus, a “coalition of the willing” is born.
Easy.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:38 pmPanic in the White House.
Wayne should write another song. :)
July 9th, 2007 at 8:41 pmProblem is, when Bush panics, he calls 9/11.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:42 pmWith every passing day, Tony Snow’s remaining credibility spirals toward zero.
Republicans are simply too embarrased to be associated with these blatant lairs.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:45 pm#
Problem is, when Bush panics, he calls 9/11.
Comment by Briseadh na Faire — July 9, 2007 @ 8:42 pm
Perfect…let him remind us of 9/11 all day, everyday. We will remind him all day, every day, that the entire world knows for a fact that 9/11 had nothing whatsoever do to with Iraq, and we even have Bush on Video tape on the topic to prove it.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:47 pmTony Snow’s remaining credibility spirals toward zero
SnowJob had zero credibility when he took on the “Baghdad Bob” job. All that he has managed to do is expose more people to his empty rhetoric.
Kinda like GDumbya’s history of public service.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:48 pm“Problem is, when Bush panics, he calls 9/11.
Comment by Briseadh na Faire — July 9, 2007 @ 8:42 pm”
Superb!
July 9th, 2007 at 8:50 pmI can’t believe G-dub hasn’t slit his wrists yet.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:51 pmIt’s gotta be kinda tough when every single thing you’ve touched throughout your entire life goes down in a ball of flames spewing thick greazy smoke. The only way he can stand to be him is to be in complete denial about his total lack of even a smell of achievement.
Tony Snow has credibility?? Where?? And with whom (other than the 26%ers)?
July 9th, 2007 at 8:53 pmSenior Bush administration officials are deep in discussion about how to find a compromise that will “appease Democrats and keep wobbly Republicans on board,†a senior White House official tells ABC News.
Appease Democrats? Is there a Neville Chamberlain in the Administration?
July 9th, 2007 at 8:56 pmWell, it’s about time. Now, the Democrats just need to keep the pressure on and we might actually see some results. And, don’t let him “negotiate” with you Dems. He is in no position to negotiate. Bring our soldiers home NOW!
July 9th, 2007 at 9:01 pm…Does this mean maybe…just maybe we won’t be bombing Iran anytime soon?
July 9th, 2007 at 9:02 pm“Senior Bush administration officials are deep in discussion about how to find a compromise…”
How about a new INTELLIGENT plan?
1. Apologise to the people of the Middle East for dividing the region up like a piece of cake last century and for fighting and maintaining wars there.
2. Get serious about real problems like starvation and war in Africa.
3. Use the moral authority gained from apologising and stopping starvation and war in Africa to convince Iraq’s neighbours and the rest of the international community to get serious about fixing the Iraq problem.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:04 pm…Does this mean maybe…just maybe we won’t be bombing Iran anytime soon?
Comment by Blue Shark
No. Unfortunately it means they will have to step up the date a bit.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:04 pmSenior Bush administration officials means the people who Cheney told to tell us said…
July 9th, 2007 at 9:06 pmwell at least joe is still in their corner. (see above.)
July 9th, 2007 at 9:14 pmI was watching O’Reilly (at gunpoint) tonight and even the Great White Whale seems to be back-pedaling. Sorry for the mixed metaphor. Says the American people won’t tolerate an open-ended committment. What an incredible insight!
July 9th, 2007 at 9:14 pmNothing is gonna change unless someone grows the cajones to impeach dick and shrub, and that isn’t gonna happen because of the illegal wiretaps. Blackmail ya know.
Just another false alarm imo.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:20 pmSurprise surprise… The Republicans are now scrambling to save their own asses while jumping ship. Based on their past rhetoric, one can only conclude that the republicans now support the terrorrists and hate America. Spineless cowards! For years they played the tough guy role labeling those of us who dared to question their policies as traitors. Now they show the world that they are a bunch of stupid pussies!
July 9th, 2007 at 9:23 pm“National Security Adviser Steven Hadley is most concerned.”
I’ll bet he’s pursing those purty little lips right now, brow furrowed.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:31 pmOh no ace & 9/11!!!
a=rabs
July 9th, 2007 at 9:35 pmc=onspire
e=vil
The JoooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooS!
Jew software taking over!!!
July 9th, 2007 at 9:36 pmFlaco,
He was on the thread above too.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:37 pmOh no ace & 9/11!!!
a=rabs
c=onspire
e=vil
Comment by Flaco
Oh, no!!
Bush and 9/11!
B=ush
U=p
S=audi
H=einies
using TRAITOR tongue and sucking Saudi OIL cokc!
July 9th, 2007 at 9:39 pmFrom CNL, OT but not-
John S. Koppel, Justice Dept. Employee:
As a longtime attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, I can honestly say that I have never been as ashamed of the department and government that I serve as I am at this time.
The public record now plainly demonstrates that both the DOJ and the government as a whole have been thoroughly politicized in a manner that is inappropriate, unethical and indeed unlawful. The unconscionable commutation of I. Lewis “Scooter†Libby’s sentence, the misuse of warrantless investigative powers under the Patriot Act and the deplorable treatment of U.S. attorneys all point to an unmistakable pattern of abuse.
In the course of its tenure since the Sept. 11 attacks, the Bush administration has turned the entire government (and the DOJ in particular) into a veritable Augean stable on issues such as civil rights, civil liberties, international law and basic human rights, as well as criminal prosecution and federal employment and contracting practices. It has systematically undermined the rule of law in the name of fighting terrorism, and it has sought to insulate its actions from legislative or judicial scrutiny and accountability by invoking national security at every turn, engaging in persistent fearmongering, routinely impugning the integrity and/or patriotism of its critics, and protecting its own lawbreakers. This is neither normal government conduct nor “politics as usual,†but a national disgrace of a magnitude unseen since the days of Watergate — which, in fact, I believe it eclipses.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:46 pmBush doesn’t care about US troops. He cares about his legacy.
Who would have known.
-GSD
That ship has sailed … and is going to hit an ice berg … and sink like the Titanic. And no matter how much Bush rearranges deck chairs, he’s going down with the ship.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:49 pmThis is beginning to remind me of the visual of a wrestling hold where one man is down prone on the mat and the other has his hands wrecnched back and is maintaining knee pressure on his spine. Keep it up, Dems! We’re all counting on you!
July 9th, 2007 at 9:52 pmOther than the piss stained trousers, they seem the same as ever to me.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:52 pmThat oil agreement with Iraq giving Iraq only ..what – 30% of their oil has not been signed yet…. right? Wouldn’t this be one reason for panic from the Bush crime family as their corporate buddies are supposed to get 70% of the oil?
July 9th, 2007 at 9:55 pm“Steven Hadley is most concerned”
“about himself” is the end of that sentence. maybe he can convince the senate to appoint a ‘panic czar’ so he doesn’t get any blame. remember when hadley was telling everyone he knew that he was gonna get indicted? seems like he’s always in ‘panic mode.’
July 9th, 2007 at 9:59 pmAnd… this 70% of the Iraqi oil to the oil corporations is on OUR DIME and at the cost of the SOLDIERS LIVES …. and WE THE PEOPLE will still get screwed at the gas pumps.
July 9th, 2007 at 10:00 pmWhat legacy does Bush worry about? I just flushed the toilet and there goes W’s legacy.
July 9th, 2007 at 10:09 pmComment by LandSurveyor — July 9, 2007 @ 9:46 pm
Thanks for the post, it’s a breath of fresh air to hear a Justice Dept. attorney lay out the criminality of this administration so succinctly. Watching Dan Abrams tonight where Dan, Pat Buchanan and another talking head kept insisting that an actual ‘crime’ had to be committed by Bush/Cheney before anyone could think about impeachment made me nuts. IMO, this administration’s systematic and systemic undermining of the Constitution is more than enough reason, as they are violating their oaths of office. Elizabeth Holtzman (former US Congresswoman from NY, and participant in the Nixon impeachment) was the lone voice of reason in that discussion.
So, how soon do you think Koppel will be fired and replaced with a “loyal Bushie”?
July 9th, 2007 at 10:14 pmAnd no matter how much Bush rearranges deck chairs, he’s going down with the ship.
Comment by shane — July 9, 2007 @ 9:49 pm
Just to be safe, can we tie some 100 lb weights to his feet? Sink you SOB
July 9th, 2007 at 10:18 pmHey, they have good ole smokin Joe from CT squarely on their side, what r they complaining about ?
July 9th, 2007 at 10:32 pmHadley is concerned, the chymp could give half a shit less.
July 9th, 2007 at 10:41 pmMessianic principles cannot be negotiated, compromised, not one chink in the armor, wrinkle in the suit. No way, no how.
Death and Destruction right up to Jan 09.
IMPEACH NOW!!!
July 9th, 2007 at 11:05 pmYou mean a new crack in the “levees”?
July 9th, 2007 at 11:08 pmGood, I hope the dike breaks and all the GOPers in DC get swept away by the flood against the Iraq Fiasco War.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:31 pmBut… but… Joe Lieberman – Joe “F*ckin” Lieberman, man, still supports Herr Brusch!!!
July 9th, 2007 at 11:34 pmThis is neither normal government conduct nor “politics as usual,†but a national disgrace of a magnitude unseen since the days of Watergate — which, in fact, I believe it eclipses.
Comment by LandSurveyor
Works for me!!!! NEXT!!!
July 9th, 2007 at 11:45 pmWatergate — which, in fact, I believe it eclipses.
Comment by LandSurveyor
You believe that the illegal fabrication of evidence to support a Resource Occupation of another Soveriegn Nation to the tune of at least 100,000 dead civilians and millions more displaced…
eclipses an illegal bugging of another political parties headquarters?
Are You CrazY?!? Bugging the Watergate Hotel was dishonest!
July 9th, 2007 at 11:55 pmand…..there.
Its about time for another round of BUSH LIED us into War
“One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them.
That is our bottom line.â€
President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998-Truth!
This was a quote from President Clinton during a presentation at the Pentagon defending a decision to conduct military strikes against Iraq.
“If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear.
We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.â€
President Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998-Truth!
Bill Clinton went to the Pentagon on this occasion to be briefed by top military officials about Iraq and weapons of mass destruction.
His remarks followed that briefing.
“Iraq is a long way from USA but, what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face.â€
Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998-Truth!
This is a quote from Albright during an appearance at Ohio State University by Albright, who was Secretary of State for Bill Clinton.
“He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.â€
Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998-Truth!
This was at the same Ohio State University appearance as Madeline Albright.
“We urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S.Constitution and Laws, to take necessary actions, (including, if appropriate,
air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction
programs.â€
Letter to President Clinton, signed by Sens. Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others Oct. 9, 1998-Truth!
According to the U.S. Senate website, the text of this letter was signed by several Senators, both Democrat and Republican, including Senator John McCain and Joseph Lieberman.
“Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.â€
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998-Truth!
The text of this statement by Nancy Pelosi is posted on her congressional website.
“Hussein has .. chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies.â€
Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999-Truth!
This was from an appearance Albright made in Chicago.
She was addressing the embargo of Iraq that was in effect at the time and criticism that it may have prevented needed medical supplies from getting into the country. Albright said, “There has never been an embargo against food and medicine. It’s just that Hussein has just not chosen to spend his money on that. Instead, he has chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction, and palaces for his cronies.â€
“There is no doubt that … Saddam Hussein has invigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs
continue a pace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies.â€
Letter to President Bush, Signed by Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL,) and others, December 5, 2001Truth!
The only letter with this quote from December 5, 2001 that we could find did not include the participation of Senator Bob Graham, but it was signed nine other senators including Democrat Joe Lieberman.
It urged President Bush to take quicker action against Iraq.
“We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandated of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them.â€
Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002-Truth!
These were remarks from Senator Levin to a Senate committee on that date.
“We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.â€
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002-Truth!
This and the quote below was part of prepared remarks for a speech in San Francisco to The Commonwealth Club.
“Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.â€
Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002-Truth!
“We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.â€
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002-Truth!
Part of a speech he gave at Johns Hopkins.
“The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998.
We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities.
Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons…â€
Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002-Truth!
On the floor of the Senate during debate over the resolution that would authorize using force against Iraq.
He was urging caution about going to war and commented that even though there was confidence about the weapons in Iraq, there had not been the need to take military action for a number of years and he asked why there would be the need at that point.
“I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force– if necessary– to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.â€
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002-Truth!
Senator Kerry’s comments were made to the Senate as part of the same debate over the resolution to use force against Saddam Hussein.
“There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years … We also should remember we have always underestimated
the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction.â€
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002-Truth!
Senator Rockefeller’s statements were a part of the debate over using force against Saddam Hussein.
“He has systematically violated, over the course of the past 11 years, every significant UN resolution that has demanded that he disarm and destroy his
chemical and biological weapons, and any nuclear capacity. This he has refused to do†Rep. Henry Waxman (D, CA), Oct. 10, 2002-Truth!
Senator Waxman’s contribution to the Senate debate over going to war.
“In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological
weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program.
He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.â€
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002-Truth!
Senator Clinton acknowledged the threat of Saddam Hussein but said she did not feel that using force at that time was a good option.
“Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime He presents a
July 9th, 2007 at 11:58 pmparticularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation … And now he is miscalculating America’s response to his
continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction
So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real …â€
Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan.23.2003-Truth!
In a speech to Georgetown University.
So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real …â€
Comment by FDR
Just so we’re all clear on the concept, would those be the WMDs that Bush’s father, along w/ Cheney and Rummy, gave Saddam back in the ’80’s? Just checking.
July 10th, 2007 at 12:03 amFDR, if you’re going to subject us to your lengthy cut-and-paste crap, can’t you just leave it on one thread instead of shitting all over the place?
July 10th, 2007 at 12:16 amFDR, if you’re going to subject us to your lengthy cut-and-paste crap, can’t you just leave it on one thread instead of shitting all over the place?
Comment by Jane E. Schneider
he has a colostemy bag, so his shit kinda follows him around.
July 10th, 2007 at 12:19 amMuckdog I know your not the biggest fan of reality, but let me amend your list and add a few steps to conform with reality:
-1. Stay In Iraq refereeing a civil war with no good guys on either side. Lose more american blood and treasure and give radical islamists plenty of propaganda in the form of more picture of mangled women and children.
0. Utterly fail to sucessfully use military force to try to end a civil war based on hundreds of years of vengeance, violence, and repression.
Then, after people like you wake up to reality and realize that yes, there are some things that are just impossible, and that trying to bring peace via the barrel of a gun between between two warring people is one of them.
1. Withdraw the troops.
2. Let the civil war happen.
3. Other nations in the area get involved in the war.
4. Gasoline goes to $10-12 a gallon.
(let me stop you here, and proceed to explain my alternate #5 idea below. People in europe pay 5-6$ a gallon, by the way, and they seem to survive )
5. Send the troops back in.
6. Other countries send their troops in, too. Thus, a “coalition of the willing†is born. [ lets hope those countries are friendly to our goals, otherwise it wont be much of a coalition]
OR…my idea
5. American people will do what they should have done long ago, and take to the streets demanding more feul efficient cars, and more research into alternative fuels.
5. We kick our dependence on oil and successfully bankrupted the black tar pushers who have lined their pockets for years by brainwashing us into beliveing that driving a big car with a yellow ribbon on the back makes you a patriotic american and will compensate for your small genetalia.
I love it when gas it high, because it hurts those peopel who drive the ludicrously large vehicles the most. ALso, if it gets high enough, then common people will finally get up in arms and vote out anyone and everyone who has ever tried to profiteer off and perpetuate our addiction to oil.
But you know, muckdog, im sure you have some very nice quotes from the guy who thinks cigrarette are good for you and that the world trade center could have been saved by asestos, to prove me wrong…
July 10th, 2007 at 12:25 amThe Fox Snow job is playing his toughest role as Bushie’s own Baghdad Bob.
July 10th, 2007 at 12:25 am“Well, just as it’s important, I think, for a president to know when to commit U.S. forces to combat, it’s also important to know when not to commit U.S. forces to combat. I think for us to get American military personnel involved in a civil war inside Iraq would literally be a quagmire.
“Once we got to Baghdad, what would we do? Who would we put in power? What kind of government would we have? Would it be a Sunni government, a Shi’a government, a Kurdish government? Would it be secular, along the lines of the Ba’ath Party? Would be fundamentalist Islamic?
“I do not think the United States wants to have U.S. military forces accept casualties and accept the responsibility of trying to govern Iraq. I think it makes no sense at all.”
then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, April 7, 1991 -TRUTH!
July 10th, 2007 at 1:09 amComment by Rick — July 10, 2007 @ 1:09 am
Maybe Cheney hadn’t sold his soul yet in 1991?
July 10th, 2007 at 1:24 amJane,
No, he just didn’t have his job at Halliburton yet.
July 10th, 2007 at 1:30 amComment by Rick — July 10, 2007 @ 1:30 am
Ah, Halliburton…the many-tentacled monster. Have they moved to, which country is it, Dubai? UAE? (Sorry, I’ve forgotten, I really should be in bed by now.)
July 10th, 2007 at 1:38 amBring the troops home NOW. Do not let Bush/Cheney bait and switch us through anymore FUs! The hubris of Bush saying that he will not change strategies but will change how he presents his loser strategies!
How much more insanity is our Congress prepared to accept from this criminal cabal?
July 10th, 2007 at 12:01 pmI appreciate the discussion in this political arena. I went back to college late in life as a victim of that bastion of wonderful economic policy that we all affectionately call NAFTA. On the day that King George ordered the “awe, shucks” campaign I was in my Issues in Mass Communication class, the Journalism capstone at the university. The school is highly awarded and very well known nationally for journalism prowess, but government is not required of the students. It only serves as minimal elective in one catagory. I was a government major amongst a bunch of kids who were trained to run a newspaper, but had little political science training. Several of the female students were married or engaged to former ROTC students who were immediately sent. The consensus was that “we have big bombs and they can’t handle us” and, the most ridiculous claim, that “we are the shining beacon of light for the world and they are all jealous.” I could not help holding court in class. Here I am, 50 years old, having been a newspaper reporter while in high school during the Vietnam War, explaining to these children that this is not a video game and it is not field warfare. It is urban warfare. Conventional foot soldier warfare has long been outdated. It is generally mop-up duty and air power is the contemporary form of warfare. I was adamant. “We can only use air power until Hussein is gone. We must then resort to foot power and they have 28 million potential soldiers. You don’t understand. It will be a long drawn out process and we may never be able to come home. It is Vietnam 21st Century style.” Here we are six years later. This whole scenario is an AEI premeditated decision. Bush and Cheney each have their dime in the war effort. The Bush family has countless dollars invested in the oil market. They are drill and cap oilmen. They drill for oil, estimate the amount, and turn it in to the strategic reserve. When the price of oil goes up the amount they are paid increases. When the price goes down, it remains at the elevated level. Does anyone remember Bush’s State of the Union address when he suggested DOUBLING the strategic reserve. Know why? Cheney’s dime is the millions of dollars that Halliburton will have to pay him when he exits office in deferred stock options. Estimates are between $8 million (Halliburton watch.com) and $20 million (John Dean’s “Worse than Watergate”). We will be in Iraq until after W and Cheney are out of office. We may have to stay much longer. Everywhere we have ever fought, except Vietnam, we have maintained a presence. We are still in Germany. We troll the English Channel constantly. We still have a DMZ in Korea. We are the Japanese military, via Navy and Coast Guard. The 101st is still in Okinawa. We have military bases in Indonesia. We have military installations in Alaska, ninety miles from Russia. The Dems may have to take the fall for the failure of a perceived plan, but the real plan was to take the American tax coffers and dump them directly into the pockets of the cronies of the administration and, by proxy, into their own. It is abuse of power that can only be rivaled by the looting of the social security trust fund that occurred under the Reagan and Bush Administrations of the 1980s. And, remember that missing $8 million that L. Paul Bremerm, who received his PHD under the tutorship of Leo Strauss, couldn’t justify being gone? Cleaned up in France and deposited in Switzerland. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “mission accomplished.” It is clearly a sad commentary. The saddest part is that it is the truth, and these indoctrinated students were,bought it hook, line, and sinker, through a life dominated by the Great American Electronic One-Eyed Hypnotizer that we affectionately call the television. It is clearly the most blatant abuse of power that I have ever witnessed as an American and, as John Dean said, not only worse than Watergate, but “way” worse than Watergate. I am glad that the public is finally catching up, but, as Obama has said, “It’s a little too little and a little too late.” I concur. Bush and Cheney need to be held accountable.
July 10th, 2007 at 8:31 pmBush can’t get enough of failure. He revels in it, rubs his face in it, rolls around in it. He must keep failing to satisfy his perverse love and overwhelming need for failure. He has not yet failed in the grandest manner–when the world starts incinerating in a nuclear holocaust–but he is working on it.
July 10th, 2007 at 8:44 pmComment by professor joe — July 10, 2007 @ 8:31 pm
Excellent post, but very frightening!
July 12th, 2007 at 2:45 am