Yesterday, the LA Times reported that the September progress report on Iraq “would actually be written by the White House,” instead of Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. The Washington Post echoed the admission in an article today, describing the report as “the Bush administration’s progress report.” But the WaPo’s editorial page is still pushing the myth that “the September report will represent the sole word of Petraeus,” writing that “The general is expected to elaborate on that progress in a report to Congress.”
As my mother would say- m”So what else is new?”
August 16th, 2007 at 12:45 pmbilljpa
Patraeus’s report has already been written. He will be given the script next month and coached on its oral presentation.
Beware, General. GDumbya pulled the same thing on Powell when he sent him to the U.N. We all know how that worked out for poor Colin. Watch your back!
August 16th, 2007 at 12:45 pmWe get the government we deserve. If citizens cannot take the time and energy to think and explore the details of immensely important events in our history (spying, war, cronyism, the truth, MSM bias, DC pundits getting it wrong every time, etc.) then we are surely doomed. just because we are dominant now, does not ensure continued dominance. Remember Rome? it survived and prospered for many, many more years than America has been around. Folks, we need to WORK at getting good government. Good government does not happen by magic or auto-pilot. Change happens because WE want it to happen.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:46 pmUh-oh! Rove resigns and there seems to be rebellion among some in the SCLM (as Eric Alterman titles the various Media). I guess that the closer to the actual seat of power (WaPo) the scribe is, the closer to the official line.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:47 pmYou can almost consider anything that ChimpCo says and know that the very opposite will be the reality. Now, we learn that the administration will not only limit the input that Petreaus will have in the report, but they even want to have his eventual testimony before Congress occur behind closed doors so that the American public cannot appreciate the full extent of this latest Bush treachery.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:48 pmbut, there’s that word, the qualifier: “will represent“…
they most always C Y A … they are pros…
August 16th, 2007 at 12:49 pmBush Regime peddles propaganda only, so the report will be 100% fiction only.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:50 pmWhy do liberals want us to lose the war so badly. It’s certainly not helping you politically. Your nominee to be, Hillary, has unfavorables at 50 plus percent with the media gushing over her day after day. Zogby has a poll showing Bush’s rating twice that of Congress’.
Why doesn’t TP pray for the safety of our troops. Pray that we win so they can come home. I think it’s hateful and disgusting to wish death on them the way TP does.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:53 pmI won’t believe it no matter who writes it.
Why don’t we just let our children start writing their own report card?
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August 16th, 2007 at 12:53 pmYou can almost consider anything that ChimpCo says and know that the very opposite will be the reality.
Exactly. This report could be authored by Pelosi, checked by Cindy Sheehan, have Reid’s counter-signature but if it came out of Bush’s White House the libs wouldnt believe a word.
Like Reid said, “Listen to the generals” and then a month later saying basically that he didnt believe the generals.
No matter WHO makes and gives the report, the conspiracy-monger libs would call it all lies anyway. What else is new?
August 16th, 2007 at 12:55 pmEdited by Cheney and Bush…
Strong and wrong
and still worshiping their own ego
And watch out for that Romney character…
and his Blackwater Connection..
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/05/359872.shtml
And while Mr Belligerent ( Bush ) is trying to ‘deceive’ US into ‘yet another war’
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Kucinich_administration_trying_to_deceive_Americans_0815.html
…And while Mr. Belligerent is trying to block general from testifying on Iraq
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/White_House_may_prevent_general_from_0816.html
And while Mr. Belligerent’s ally trained, and armed the Taliban
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Pakistan_provided_military_aid_troops_to_0816.html
Mr. Belligerent inks another arms deal with Israel, $30b
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_envoy_signs_30_billion_dollar_Is_08162007.html
History… A mass–murder mystery…
Shine on.. all the good people.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:55 pmI won’t believe it no matter who writes it.
Case in point, thankyou. Welcome to the new and forever-frothing DFL base.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:56 pmAs if there were pogress. 500+ dead in a single community in a day is a new dimension that can’t be reasoned away.
Petraeus can’t let himself be grilled by Congress, he would be obliged to tell the truth and we can’t have that, can we? So it’s going to be the same old liars spelling out the same old lies.
Eh and btw this war is financed more or less on the same principle as all those mortgages that send the markets tumbling. A sub-prime war in many respects.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:57 pmComment by Hillary is a Communist — August 16, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
I imagine the last time I asked this you were sort of busy so maybe today you can explain to me how Hilllary Clinton qualifies as a communist. I don’t plan on voting for her but I am curious as to how anyone might equate her with communism. Thanks
August 16th, 2007 at 12:58 pmBush lover trolls live in another universe of unreality. They defend Dubya no matter what he does and would support him if he ate a puppy live on TV.
August 16th, 2007 at 12:58 pmThey defend Dubya no matter what he does and would support him if he ate a puppy live on TV.
Asians routinely eat dogs, are you saying their culture is somehow deviant? You bigot.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:01 pmI suspect Petreus is abandoning the white house. He may not want to be the guy speaking before congress holding up a vial of “anthrax”.
Either the administration doesn’t trust that he’ll stay on message, or they don’t think he’ll hold up under questioning.
They should go Hollywood and just call it the Alan Smithee report.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:01 pmComment by dbadass — August 16, 2007 @ 12:58 pm
The troll believes what Rove said about Hillary and the flaw and so on. Now that Karl is gone trolls are recycling his last words and will be at a loss of what to say in about one weeks’ time.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:02 pmI think it’s hateful and disgusting to wish death on them the way TP does.
Comment by Hillary is a Communist — August 16, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
TP posters don’t wish death on them. This comment is a strawman.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:02 pmI think it’s hateful and disgusting to wish death on them the way TP does.
Comment by Hillary is a Communist — August 16, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
I think its hateful and disgusting to leave young men and women in harm’s way.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:04 pmThey should go Hollywood and just call it the Alan Smithee report.
Comment by Master Shake — August 16, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
Why do you want to dishonor the memory of Alan Smithee like this? Alan Smithee was a visionary film directory. have you ever seen an Alan Smithee film? I’d suggest you start w/ “Shrimp On The Barbie” as an introduction to Mr. Smithee’s extraordinary body of work.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:05 pmI think its hateful and disgusting to leave young men and women in harm’s way.
I agree, its time to abolish the military; every year young men and women suffer fatal non-combat accidents. Time to get them home.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:06 pmComment by BearCountry — August 16, 2007 @ 12:47 pm
good one… thanks… but i had to look it up :-)
SCLM … So Called Liberal Media
August 16th, 2007 at 1:07 pm.
Either the administration doesn’t trust that he’ll stay on message, or they don’t think he’ll hold up under questioning.
They should go Hollywood and just call it the Alan Smithee report.
Comment by Master Shake
Yea, he could grow some balls and actually tell the truth, and in turn, support his troops for once. Now THAT would be an interesting turn of events. Nut Darth is pretty good at finding the roll-over political generals, so there may be little chance of that happening here. Wishful thinking, I guess.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:07 pmOT – Verdict reached in Padilla terror case:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070816/ap_on_re_us/padilla_terror_charges;_ylt=AqakWxPQgFStK_14.bB3gB2s0NUE
Will be read in about an hour.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:09 pmI agree, its time to abolish the military; every year young men and women suffer fatal non-combat accidents. Time to get them home.
Comment by Farthing-Crown — August 16, 2007 @ 1:06 pm
I live in a country, where they almost abolished the army a couple of years ago and have a good chance to succeed at their next try. So, why not?
August 16th, 2007 at 1:09 pmI live in a country, where they almost abolished the army a couple of years ago and have a good chance to succeed at their next try. So, why not?
Whew, where do I start? Yahoooza!
August 16th, 2007 at 1:13 pmWhy do liberals want us to lose the war so badly?
Comment by Hillary is a Communist
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Moral relativism, which is widely regarded as the height of sophistication among the Left, inevitably leads to moral inversion. This is the reason why so many on the left are not only unable differentiate between America and her enemies, but actually side with America’s enemies at every turn. We saw this during the Cold War, Vietnam and today with both Islamic terrorism and Iranian nuclear ambitions.
Moral and cultural relativism actually makes clear thinking impossible.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:20 pmNow that Karl is gone trolls are recycling his last words and will be at a loss of what to say in about one weeks’ time.
Comment by doro — August 16, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
i’m not sure that would be a good thing or bad?
August 16th, 2007 at 1:23 pmcould it get worse? … time will tell…
…
Moral and cultural relativism actually makes clear thinking impossible.
Comment by Ringo — August 16, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
Which is why strict Liberalism is self-destructive.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:26 pmWhew, where do I start? Yahoooza!
Comment by Farthing-Crown
Thou canest start by going back to red state . com from whence thou camest, Dope.
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August 16th, 2007 at 1:26 pmTo the false charge that ” we liberals” want us to lose the war so badly…
August 16th, 2007 at 1:32 pmI would borrow from a comment by Bill Maher.
If we had a rat problem, and hired exterminators…and they went around the house with a claw hammer , smashing our walls trying to kill the rats… we might consider hiring someone else with a better plan. This does not mean that we were pro-rat…or wanted the rats to win..
Moral relativism, which is widely regarded as the height of sophistication among the Left, inevitably leads to moral inversion. This is the reason why so many on the left are not only unable differentiate between America and her enemies, but actually side with America’s enemies at every turn. We saw this during the Cold War, Vietnam and today with both Islamic terrorism and Iranian nuclear ambitions.
Moral and cultural relativism actually makes clear thinking impossible.
Comment by Ringo — August 16, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
Let me be blunt. This is simply asinine.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:37 pmWhich is why strict Liberalism is self-destructive.
Comment by dumplings — August 16, 2007 @ 1:26 pm
“Strict Liberalism”, as you define it, doesn’t even exist. This is all fantasy nonsense.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:38 pmComment by Ringo — August 16, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
Let me be blunt. This is simply asinine.
Comment by Empire Burlesque — August 16, 2007 @ 1:37 pm
It’s the only way that wingnuts ever “win” an argument: they make a truly ridiculous claim about what the other side “believes” and proceed to shoot down that opinion. It’s so much easier that way than to deal with actual facts and ideas.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:39 pmComment by Badger — August 16, 2007 @ 1:32 pm
No. Of course not. However, strict Liberalism is Individualism with an implied agreement amongst the members of a community to respect one another, no matter what. Thus moral and cultural relativism goes unchecked, and no set of standard values emerges. It is strong values which keep communities unitied, and when no moral values are shared, there is no community, but rather several individuals who don’t stand for anything.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:40 pmThe WaPo is so embedded with the Beltway’s particular brand of extra-crispy stupidity, it will never pull itself out of Bush’s ass. Pathetic.
But it IS gratifying to see that people are getting wise to their bullshit. Except, obviously, for the extra-idiotic right-wing trolls that insist on posting their stale talking points here on TP. They’ve got nothing– and they’re getting desperate. Poor morons.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:41 pm“Strict Liberalismâ€, as you define it, doesn’t even exist. This is all fantasy nonsense.
Comment by Empire Burlesque — August 16, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
Y’all seem to get one step closer everyday. With abortions, drug use, hatred for government, etc. etc.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:41 pmI think it’s hateful and disgusting to wish death on them the way TP does.
Comment by Hillary is a Communist — August 16, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
I think it’s hateful and disgusting that you claim to invade Iraq to “liberate the poor Iraqis” and then don’t give a flying f… about what happens to them and ONLY care about the troops.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:42 pm“Strict Liberalismâ€, as you define it, doesn’t even exist. This is all fantasy nonsense.
Comment by Empire Burlesque — August 16, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
Y’all seem to get one step closer everyday. With abortions, drug use, hatred for government, etc. etc.
Comment by dumplings — August 16, 2007 @ 1:41 pm
We’re so busy taking drugs and having abortions that we don’t have time to hate government. That’s the libertarians and “conservatives”, idiot.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:48 pmWhich is why strict Liberalism is self-destructive.
Comment by dumplings
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Also, for a committed Lefty the idea of a poor or brown-skinned person being anything other than a victim is impossible to fathom. This is why the Global War on Islamic Terrorism is so hard for them to process. In their minds, we MUST be the bad guys, after all we (or at least most of Americans) are white and our country is wealthy. They, on the other hand are poor and (mostly) brown-skinned….No thinking needed: Rich / White = Bad, Poor, Brown = Good. Marxism meets Third-Worldism.
Lefties are simple creatures driven by their emotions and their Utopian visions. All of their pretense of being on the side of “reason” is nothing more than a pose…and most of them secretly know it.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:53 pm“Why do liberals want us to lose the war so badly. It’s certainly not helping you politically. ”
There IS NO WAR in Iraq. All there is is an occupation and a civil war. We are responsible for the occupation, they are responsible for the civil war. You can’t lose an occupation. All you can do is to withdraw and give the country back to the people you were subjugating. And I really don’t see how it is hurting the Democrats. The last survey they gook asking people whether they would vote Democratic or Republican in the next election (with a generic candidate), I believe something like 57% said they would vote Democratic and only 35% said they would vote Republican. That doesn’t sound to me like the Democrats are being hurt politically.
Besides, 62% of Americans want us to start bringing our troops home and a much larger percentage thinks that the occupation is un-winable.
So, take your Hillary bashing elsewhere. I think they will love you at redstate.com.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:56 pmIn their minds, we MUST be the bad guys, after all we (or at least most of Americans) are white and our country is wealthy.
Comment by Ringo — August 16, 2007 @ 1:53 pm
Just wait and see. About your country being rich….the Administration has 18 more months to go to change that and they are very successful up to now.
August 16th, 2007 at 2:01 pmI bet it’ll be Petreaus’ word. Regardless of who writes the report, he won’t be silenced.
August 16th, 2007 at 2:09 pmLefties are simple creatures driven by their emotions and their Utopian visions. All of their pretense of being on the side of “reason†is nothing more than a pose…and most of them secretly know it.
Comment by Ringo — August 16, 2007 @ 1:53 pm
I bet this kind of nonsense goes over like gangbusters on the wingnut blogs, where y’all like to make up your fantasy “liberals” to poke fun at.
The problem is that actual liberals look at caricatures like this and laugh hysterically at how wrong you are and how stupid your cartoon world is.
August 16th, 2007 at 2:10 pm” In their minds, we MUST be the bad guys, after all we (or at least most of Americans) are white and our country is wealthy.”
Our country is not as white as you think. And as for wealthy. There are a few uber wealthy people in this country. The remainder of us are barely holding our own. And then, there’s that wonderful 400 billion in loans that we owe to China and Japan. I believe when you figure those in, we are pretty much bankrupt as a country.
August 16th, 2007 at 2:11 pmThe problem is that actual liberals look at caricatures like this and laugh hysterically at how wrong you are and how stupid your cartoon world is.
Comment by gummitch
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First, I said “Lefties” not liberals….Most of the people who post here are Leftists, which is far from liberal.
Second, every time you nutters start calling anyone who disagrees with you a fascist or a Nazi I laugh – never hysterically though – at how wrong you are and how stupid your cartoon world is.
August 16th, 2007 at 2:23 pmRingo – insightful. Let’s not forget the left’s bloodlust for dead babies either.
August 16th, 2007 at 2:41 pmAs for the content of the looming report, anyone who has ever used the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet program knows what’s coming next. Americans should expect to see the old “Fill Right” trick. That is, when producing a long-term financial model or forecast, the Excel user in the absence of research, data, or just common sense, simply copies the value or formula from one cell (for, say, monthly or quarterly sales) to all the succeeding cells (months or quarters in ensuing years). The result is an impressive looking spreadsheet, but one whose projections are baseless and without foundation.
As the interim surge report made clear in July, President Bush like any failed CEO has been relying on the old fill-right gimmick since the Iraq war commenced. Starting in 2003, Bush simply selected the cell containing the phrase “We’re Making Progress” and filled right…
For a screen shot and more details, see:
August 16th, 2007 at 2:56 pm“White House to Author ‘Fill Right’ Iraq Report for Petraeus.”
As a “lefty”, I have to say that I read the article, and TP is really distilling a lot of information from a single sentence. The article’s focus was not on this issue, and was probably just lacking clarity, rather than uncovering conspiracy. This is a question that needs to be looked into, but the LA Times article isn’t saying what TP claims it is.
Again, you guys are making your objectivity null.
August 16th, 2007 at 2:59 pmThe public television station is currently running the coverage of Vietnam, showing McNamara and Johnson contriving to present the Vietnam War in winning terms. The White House plan to write the report for Gen. Petraeus is following the same script. We will be sold a bill of goods so Bush can justify continuing the disaster. Instead, let’s just end it before our losses escalate to 55,000. The whole mess is out of control, out of accountability.
August 16th, 2007 at 3:28 pmMoral and cultural relativism actually makes clear thinking impossible.
Comment by Ringo — August 16, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
slavish devotion to wingnut fantasies makes ANY thinking impossible, as you demonstrate so well in this collection of lies, straw men and lies.
August 16th, 2007 at 3:38 pmRingo – insightful. Let’s not forget the left’s bloodlust for dead babies either.
Comment by Hillary is a Communist — August 16, 2007 @ 2:41 pm
dont forget the Right’s bloodlust for Americans who actually are fully-developed humans rather than clumps of cells, like the troops you are murdering with illegal occupation and stop-loss slavery.
August 16th, 2007 at 3:40 pmLefties are simple creatures driven by their emotions and their Utopian visions. All of their pretense of being on the side of “reason†is nothing more than a pose…and most of them secretly know it.
Comment by Ringo — August 16, 2007 @ 1:53 pm
and righties are those who are still behind the evolutionary curve by thousands of years, still claiming that mas murder and was is the solution to humanity’s problems. simple creatures driven by fear and gullibility, and, in their final humiliation, cowards afraid to back up their words or their leaders with military service. Utopia is only possible with the elimination, by evolution or otherwise, of this particular group of useless, wastrels. until then, we are all at the mercy of the morally weakest among us, the rightwinger.
August 16th, 2007 at 3:45 pmWhich is why strict Liberalism is self-destructive.
Comment by dumplings — August 16, 2007 @ 1:26 pm
Pretty ignorant thing to say as Republicans are marched off to prison and the GOP is destroyed by its own greep and lack of morality and character.
August 16th, 2007 at 3:47 pmI hope that the ghost of Katharine Graham haunts that editorial room!
August 16th, 2007 at 3:59 pmUnfortunately Petraeus is in a very difficult position in part due to his own making. This was never meant to be his report. The White House obviously wouldn’t allow any realistic facts to be presented if they contradicted the Bush line that “we are making progress”. This report will only ask for more time. It will say the surge is working when it is not. It will say political progress is being made when it is not. This report will only be a propaganda tool.
August 16th, 2007 at 7:52 pm>Moral relativism, which is widely regarded as the height of sophistication >among the Left, inevitably leads to moral inversion.
Tell me ringo, from whence did you get your deep and meaningful understanding of what is good and moral? Your daddy? Where did he get it from? The Bible? The bible that says its ok to have slaves and kill your child if he disprects you?
Moral inversion? hahahaha. You mean, like screaming about how you wont kill innocent embryos to save human beings, but turning around and bombing children under the guise of “saving (american) humans”?
Or how about screaming about one braindead vegetable being taken off life support but being apparently unconcerned that one or more innocent people might die as the result of capital punsihment?
Or how about crafting laws to protect children then soliciting them for sex online?
Or how about preaching to a flock of millions about being good and rightoues and then having gay sex and meth bringes on the side?
If there is any morality out there, if its one thing republicans are good at, its being hipocrites about that morality.
August 17th, 2007 at 1:54 am