Podesta: Bush Administration Spent Only One Hour On Afghanistan Report It Handed Off To Obama
Podesta: Bush Administration Spent Only One Hour On Afghanistan Report It Handed Off To Obama
For weeks, former Bush administration officials have been attacking President Obama for “dithering” on whether to send more troops to Afghanistan, with Vice President Cheney saying that “signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries.” But these Bush officials are also facing criticisms for largely neglecting Afghanistan in order to invade Iraq. In response, they have been citing an Afghanistan strategy report they handed off to the Obama administration that clearly laid out recommendations for moving forward. From Cheney’s recent remarks to the Center for Security Policy:
In the fall of 2008, fully aware of the need to meet new challenges being posed by the Taliban, we dug into every aspect of Afghanistan policy, assembling a team that repeatedly went into the country, reviewing options and recommendations, and briefing President-elect Obama’s team. They asked us not to announce our findings publicly, and we agreed, giving them the benefit of our work and the benefit of the doubt.
Today on ABC’s This Week, Center for American Progress President and CEO John Podesta revealed that the Bush administration spent just one hour on that report:
PODESTA: [T]hey did present him with a report at the very end of the Bush administration, but I have it from reliable sources that the principals in the Bush administration spent one hour on that report before they handed it off to Obama.
Watch it:
Recently, Sen. Ted Kaufman (D-DE) — a former top aide to Biden and co-chair of the Vice President’s transition team — said that the Bush administration basically just “threw” the report “to the transition team as they were going out the door”:
KAUFMAN: So for him [Cheney] to come in at the end and say, “Well, we did it wrong for eight years. But then, in the end, we gave them a plan which really is what they should have used.” Let me tell you something: This administration came in. Rahm Emanuel was there. I was on the transition team on this. They started from scratch on Afghanistan. They took a blank piece of paper out and said, “What are we going to do to get this thing done?” … It was absolutely the perfect time to take a hard look at what we’re doing.
Also on This Week, conservative pundit George Will praised Obama’s process on Afghanistan, stating, “Well, also, a bit of dithering might have been in order before we went into Iraq in pursuit of non-existent weapons of mass destruction. So for a representative of the Bush administration to accuse someone of taking too much time is missing the point.”
Transcript:
WILL: Well, also, a bit of dithering might have been in order before we went into Iraq in pursuit of non-existent weapons of mass destruction. So for a representative of the Bush administration to accuse someone of taking too much time is missing the point. We have much more to fear in this town from hasty than from slow government action.
The question of whether an actual troop request was made with any sense of urgency is not clear to me. The fact that one is being made by McChrystal — and whether it’s 40,000 or whether the 40,000 represents a negotiated down from 80,000 request is something that I don’t know and we should know after careful, protracted deliberation.
PODESTA: I think that the deliberation that’s going on is actually exemplary, and I completely agree with George on this. It seems that the Bush administration, for eight months, did sit on Gen. McKiernan’s request for more troops, which Obama —
STEPHANOPOULOS: But that’s because the troops just weren’t there. It wasn’t the President saying, “I’m not going to do this if the troops are there.” They just didn’t have them.
PODESTA: Well, I don’t know, I never heard Vice President Cheney going off and giving a speech assaulting President Bush for not acting on those requests at that time. And they did present him with a report at the very end of the Bush administration, but I have it from reliable sources that the principals in the Bush administration spent one hour on that report before they handed it off to Obama.
So they handed him off a problem, and it’s a deep and difficult one, and I think he’s doing the appropriate thing by taking his time before he commits to not what looks to be surge, but what looks to be something that would commit the United States to these high troop levels for a very long time in Afghanistan.
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This comment has been voted down. Click to read.
During the hour spent preparing the report, GWB took 10 vacations and Cheney hid in his “undisclosed location.”
October 25th, 2009 at 11:55 amI’d be willing to bet that everything bush/cheney passed on to the Obama administration was garbage. Pissing in the well, just before leaving.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:56 amDid the Bushies really have to take one full hour to describe their Afghan campaign as a success, a “mission accomplished,” as it were?
October 25th, 2009 at 11:59 amHi Beefeater.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:59 am@1 Hello Patsy
pffft
October 25th, 2009 at 12:00 pmStupid troll, Podesta was the co-chair of Obama’s transition team — he was an eyewitness.
You may now return to your compulsive masturbation.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:01 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Beefeater:
October 25th, 2009 at 12:04 pmIf you insist upon using poor bait, I would suggest you at least jig a little bit or something. Try to make that weak shit seem appealing somehow.
“your juvenile vote it down game”
says the only troll here at the moment.
project much?
Beefeater = Patsy = VDT
Pathetic
October 25th, 2009 at 12:06 pmSee I voted you up just to get you to zero. It won’t last long but still I wanted you to know that I was there for you…
October 25th, 2009 at 12:06 pmI just watched part of CNN’s wretched “State of the Union” where they strictly enforce the 2-cons-for-every-liberal rule. Two Repubs were attacking Rahm Emmanuel for saying they got little information from Bush on the state of affairs in Afghanistan. Donna Brasil hardly gets a chance to get a word in edgewise and she clearly wasn’t able to hold up her end of the debate the way Podesta did. All the CNN talking heads simply accepted that Emmanual was either poorly informed or deliberately dishonest, as Ed Rawlins charged.
And nobody pointed out the fact that because Obama didn’t decide to mindlessly throw more troops into Afghanistan as the Republicans demanded was a major factor in Karzai agreeing to a runoff to the fraudulent election. Had the additional troops already been there, to protect Karzai’s corrupt regime, he would have had little reason to agree to the runoff. But of course, the corporate media cannot give Obama credit for anything.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:07 pmIn the GDumbya administration, spending an hour on something qualified as “thorough and exhaustive review”. Just look at how much time they must have spent on a September daily intelligence briefing entitled “bin Laden determined to attack on U.S. soil” . . . or the FEMA Gulf hurricane response and relief plan . . . or post-invasion Iraq occupation planning.
Kinda makes you wonder what GDumbya and Darth Cheney were really doing 90 percent of the time. They sure weren’t spending much time working on behalf of the country.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:13 pmBeefeater’s sticky blow-up doll looks like Mary Matalin…or is it the other way around?
October 25th, 2009 at 12:14 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Oh look, Another Joe is back.
**yawn**
October 25th, 2009 at 12:19 pmThe Republicans are trying to use Afghanistan as an issue for 2010. If they do, they are opening the door for Obama to release all sorts of written documents and information about the Bush administration. And these documents will not be confined to Afghanistan. Cheney and the Republicans need to back off, but they won’t. The Republicans have used the “Dems are soft on defense” argument many times with some success. They can’t resist using it again. Obama should devastate them by releasing as much information without jeopardizing security. Bush and Cheney will come out looking more incompetent than the public already thinks of their policies.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:21 pmHi Another Joe.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:24 pmAnother 12,000 U.S. troops leaving Iraq at the end of the month? Check!
A renewed focus on Afghanistan in the hopes of actually resolving the whole mess? Check!
Health care reform being written as we speak? Check!
Every public statement re: health care reform endorsing a public option? Check!
Sigh… why bother? Those who don’t arrive at their conclusions logically are impervious to logic.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:26 pmFor any former official in the Bush administration to criticise the Obama administration on, well, anything at all, is mind-blowing.
Since when is Cheney oh so concerned about “hurting our allies”? Didn’t he and other officials call the UN “irrelevant” and talk dismissively about European allies as “Old Europe”?
Didn’t the Bush administration dither on -no, neglect- the New Orleans? Didn’t they neglect the economy as well?
Cheney was deeply involved in shaping the most disastrous domestic and foreign policies in decades. If he were smart, or had some self-awareness, he would shut up rather than remind everyone how wrong he was on practically everything.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:27 pmAnother Joe,
When I read the article to which you linked, I got a different take on it. Obama is not fighting against the public option, he’s fighting against the opt-out version of the public option in favor of the trigger for a public option that Snowe wants. (FTR, Snowe can shove her trigger into the body cavity of her choice.)
I would not characterize that, as you did, as “working against the public option.”
October 25th, 2009 at 12:32 pmWELL of course!
The more that BushCo / The Cheney Hate Machine spew out their laughable vomit…the more you can be guaranteed that they are full of sh*t.
Period.
It’s nice to hear some folks speaking up now…if you tried to speak up during The Eight Year Reign of Terror, you would have been rendered.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:38 pmHi Gregor! It’s good to see you here.
Another thing from Cheney’s speech the other day:
“So among my other concerns about the drift of events under the present administration, I consider the abandonment of missile defense in Eastern Europe to be a strategic blunder and a breach of good faith.”
Meanwhile, yesterday, in Eastern Europe:
Biden reaches missile accord
PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Vice President Biden yesterday won agreement from the Czech Republic to join President Obama’s reconfigured missile-defense system in Europe, just two days after Poland said it also would take part.
Under the plan, U.S. Navy ships equipped with antimissile weapons would form a front line of defense in the eastern Mediterranean. Those would be combined with land-based antimissile systems to be placed in Europe.
The deployment replaced a Bush-era proposal that would have put missiles in Polish and Czech territory – former Soviet bloc nations – a move that would have angered Russia.
Were they talking about this lie of Cheney’s on the Sunday news programs? You know, between talking about the WH’s criticisms of FAUX?
October 25th, 2009 at 12:40 pmDithering is a metaphor for clearing brush while on vacation, right?
October 25th, 2009 at 12:42 pmOne hour on a report regarding one of their biggest undertakings in foreign policy?
Sounds about right for the Bush administration: Shallow, incompetent, and with a complete lack of serious analysis.
It is also probably more than they spent deciding whether or not to invade Iraq and what their pretext would be.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:43 pmFollow the Bush plan:
Start a military operation in one country
October 25th, 2009 at 12:45 pmPromise to capture Bin Laden
Start another military operation in another country
Say you dont care where Bin Laden is
Dithering is a metaphor for clearing brush while on vacation, right?
Actually, this is the very definition of dithering.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:47 pmWASHINGTON — “President Barack Obama has ordered his national security team to investigate reports that U.S. allies were responsible for the deaths of as many as 2,000 Taliban PRISONERS of WAR during the opening days of the war in Afghanistan.”
“Obama told CNN in an interview that aired Sunday that he doesn’t know what how the U.S.-allied Northern Alliance behaved in November 2001, but he wants a full accounting before deciding how to move forward.”
My Guess is that Most Americans don’t even REMEMBER this Sorry Episode of Bush/Cheney War planing…But I BET Most Afghanis DO.
Just think how WE Americans would feel, if the Taliban had been responsible for the Deaths of 2000 American POWs.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:47 pmBut, I’m sorry, this thread is about Afghanistan and so, in a somewhat related snippet, as in now that we’re not antagonizing Russia quite so much, Nato chief Fogh Rasmussen is trying to get Russia’s help in Afghanistan:
“Leaving Afghanistan behind would once again turn the country into a training ground for al-Qaida. The pressure on nuclear-armed Pakistan would be tremendous. Instability would spread throughout central Asia and it would only be a matter of time until we here in Europe would feel the consequences of all of this,” Fogh Rasmussen said in a speech at a security conference in Bratislava ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers.
The NATO chief is pushing for greater cooperation between NATO and Russia. He said he hopes to persuade Moscow to become more engaged in Afghanistan, where a resurgent Taliban has been making gains and forcing a U.S. review of its strategy there.
It could be argued that thanks to the previous administration’s neglect of Afghanistan it has come to this.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:48 pmI like that sign behind Arbustos haid that says ‘Reading makes a country great’ Heh.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:50 pmBeefeater says:
And you clowns will slurp it up like Monica on Clinton, when you’re not too busy playing your juvenile vote it down game.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Yeah
This place should be more like Clown Hall/Red State , which offers ZERO dissenting opinion(s) , and ignores the entire Jeff Gannon going down on the entire male Chimpy administration , right assbag ?
October 25th, 2009 at 12:50 pmI have no doubt that the Taliban and Al Queda may return if we leave. I don’t see a lot of options. The other allies are getting tired of the war and all of them are concerned about the corruption with Karzai. We cannot keep propping him up and a regime change by force would look bad to the people. It may be time to start planning our exit. The corruption is too widespread and the drug lords are never going to give up their business. There is only so much we can do to build the country, but I think we are wasting our money.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:55 pm@ 3. Exit Stage Left says: I’d be willing to bet that everything bush/cheney passed on to the Obama administration was garbage. Pissing in the well, just before leaving. October 25th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Maybe garbage, maybe not. It was probably a fully staffed report that was in the works before the election; the national security staff, regardless of administration, is always working on a ‘latest and greatest’ analytical report with recommendations. Things don’t stand still; revisions are always necessary, even if a clean sheet start isn’t. Aside from that, there are always progress reports and action item reports in the mill that affect the analysis of the situation.
What apparently happened with this one, though, is that the principals; Shrub, Darth Cheney, the National Security Advisor, Secretaries of State and Defense, etc, spent a minimal amount of time in review – just about long enough to put their initials on the hard copy or digital signature on the electronic version. All they did was make sure it wasn’t blank; since they were leaving office, except for Secretary Gates, they could basically give a shit. Gates may have been the only one to do a proper review, although Secretary Rice might have felt obligated professionally to give it the necessary attention. The pols involved, Shrub and Darth Cheney, very probably didn’t bother, beyond making sure their name and title was spelled correctly, if that.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:00 pmOne hour is still longer than they spent on the “Bin Laden determined to strike US” intelligence report.
At least history will always remember Bush/Cheney as the dipshits in charge during the only attack on US soil.
Helluva legacy, a-holes.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:01 pm@ 4. evangenital says: Did the Bushies really have to take one full hour to describe their Afghan campaign as a success, a “mission accomplished,” as it were? October 25th, 2009 at 11:59 am
It takes the Shrub at least an hour to determine that the banner spells ‘Mission Accomplished’ and another hour to figure out it isn’t the same as ‘Mission Impossible’ and another hour to disentangle himself from a Tommy Crudes fantasy where-in he rescues Condi Rice from a screaming horde of Mexican peons carrying pitchforks and torches…
October 25th, 2009 at 1:07 pmApparantly Bush thought that being President meant that he got to live in a cool house and got to fly around in a big jet, and not much else. His attention to the job consisted of doing what Cheney and Rove told him.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:11 pm@ 24. Xisithrus says: Dithering is a metaphor for clearing brush while on vacation, right? October 25th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Uh, euphimism, not metaphor. As a metaphor, it deals with what Shrub wanted to do with his pet goat…
October 25th, 2009 at 1:13 pmVP@35,
I need to learn not to be in the middle of taking a drink from my coffee cup, while reading posts!
NTF ;-)
October 25th, 2009 at 1:14 pmVP@37,
October 25th, 2009 at 1:16 pmHA! Good thing I am a quick learner ;-)
16, Another Joe is back? It’s like Larry Craig and his bathroom stalls, he knows it’s bad and he’d like to stay away but… he… just… can’t… help himself!
October 25th, 2009 at 1:18 pmUh, euphimism, not metaphor. As a metaphor, it deals with what Shrub wanted to do with his pet goat…
It was a pig farm! =)
October 25th, 2009 at 1:20 pm@ 39. RandomChaos…
Right after I put #37 up, I found out the DNFP beat me to it at #27 – it’s obvious that Shrub was just getting settled in for a nice goat fantasy when he got the news … the result was total confusion, a really supremo WTF moment.
You know that even a half wit would have had the chops at that moment to say, “Sorry, kids, gotta go, got some important President business…”.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:26 pmIt took them an hour to find a web site they could just copy and paste from.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:40 pmCheney’s efforts to influence U.S. middle east policy are consistent with his original motive;
October 25th, 2009 at 1:40 pmimperialistic war and chaos for corporate aquisition and profit.
Interesting that not even George Will will back up Dick “last throes” Cheney on his “dithering” comment. The other interesting comment is:
Now just why were there not 40,000 troops available? Well it is because military recruitment constantly fell short of target due to the stupid war in Iraq. Even the recent increase in troops in Afghanistan has been filled by reserve and National Guard troops so it doesn’t look like there are 40,000 available anyway. Yes, troops are coming home from Iraq but the rotation should not send them directly to Afghanistan. Lastly, I have heard no discussion on exit strategy. Should not a war that has been going on for 8 long years have an exit strategy? Indeed, we should dither until we can understand the requirements, including how we get out and when.
October 25th, 2009 at 1:50 pmWho would Jesus bomb ?
October 25th, 2009 at 1:54 pmAccording to the huffpo this morning the administration is not supporting the public option and if one is included favors triggers as proposed by Sen. Snow.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:06 pm#40
October 25th, 2009 at 2:12 pmIs that you DB ?
By the way , while Joe’s delivery could use improving the article he links too which I have posted above has 9026 comments posted and is seen by far more progressives than other blog sites including this one .
Careful Freeman, you might get some of the party faithful upset.
By the way, I totally agree. It’s about time the admin. kicked some as* and if they want a public option it’s about time they started demanding it from their own party.
Why bother working with republicans? It’s a defeatest strategy.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:14 pmThe reason that bush invaded and occupied Afghanistan was because the Taliban refused to allow US oil corporations to build oil and gas pipelaines across their country. Imagine the impudence of the Afghans who have been independent for thousands of years to not be willing to allow foreign imperial powers to build pipelines in their country. Of course, back in 1776, we stopped the British Royal Navy from stealing tall trees from our forests for their shipbuilding projects. Imagine that…
October 25th, 2009 at 2:14 pmOval,
On the bright side for the taliban – if the oil companys had uncovered further budhist arifacts, they could have had more idols to blow up.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:17 pmPresident Obama is Wise to DELIBERATE about the situation in Afghanistan.
If our efforts were designed to Remove Al Qaeda from Afghanistan…well guess what….Al Qaeda HAS Been Removed Already. Most news sources maintain that Al Qaeda’s leadership and militants are in Pakistan.
The Taliban has ,IMHO, Over reached by attacking the Govt. of Pakistan. They sent Suicide Bombers against Pakistan’s “Pentagon” and the Pakistani Army is Striking Back.
Pakistani F16s are Bombing Taliban targets in Waziristan …something the US could never get away with.
Pakistan’s Army has vowed to Defeat the Taliban.. and they ARE…so where will Al Qaeda Go then??? Somalia? Yemen? Chechnia??
And then what would Be our Reason for Occupying Afghanistan??
Obama should wait to see how this situation Changes.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:17 pmI saw that too, freeman. The way I interpreted the story is that Obama prefers a “trigger” to a “state opt-out”. What the story does not provide is anything resembling a statement from the President withdrawing his support from the public option.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:22 pmNot what I heard and I heard it from an amin member this morning.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:24 pmBadger,
Now that the taliban and al-queda are in Pakistan (or moving between the borders). It’s an dire situation seeing how they killed Benazir Bhutto and have some sympathy within the pakistani govt and military.
I think we should stay and squeeze them on the border until any future threat is elliminated.
However, this totally flies against my previous position which was we should just get out because we can’t win (I don’t think we can – but we can’t let Pakistan fall).
I’m not sure how to reconcile my two beliefs/conclusions. The last thing I want is our troops to be there another 5 years.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:27 pmThe Taliban will come back regardless of what the US, Afghan and Pakistan government do. The whole area is inhabited by the Taliban who are a part of the local people. The only way to get out is for Pakistan, Afghanistan and the allies buy them off. But how long can we do that? These are tribal areas and their allegiance shifts as many times as the wind changes.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:28 pmWayne @ 21
According to this article from raw story the president is not supportive of anything more than the weakest PO . I quote :
The Huffington piece isn’t the first to make the allegation — the story first came from Talking Points Memo’s Brian Beutler, who is not credited.
On Friday, Beutler wrote “that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is very close to rounding up 60 members in support of a public option with an opt out clause, and are continuing to push skeptical members. But they also say that the White House is pushing back against the idea, in a bid to retain the support of Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME).”
October 25th, 2009 at 2:28 pmThe article goes on to say that it is out of concern for Blue Dogs in the next election cycle .
The adminstration denies it .
October 25th, 2009 at 2:29 pmThe only real solution I see is having the Afghani’s have their own fully operational, funcitoning army. The problem with that is I don’t EVER see that happening.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:30 pm“Huffington’s Sam Stein and Ryan Grimm added Saturday:
President Barack Obama is actively discouraging Senate Democrats in their effort to include a public insurance option with a state opt-out clause as part of health care reform. In its place, say multiple Democratic sources, Obama has indicated a preference for an alternative policy, favored by the insurance industry, which would see a public plan “triggered” into effect in the future by a failure of the industry to meet certain benchmarks “
October 25th, 2009 at 2:31 pmAppoint Greg Mortinson to conduct the war ! Killing people makes enemies , you don’t need to read tea leaves to predict the future .
October 25th, 2009 at 2:34 pmIn my opinion – I think a trigger is a huge gift to the insurance co.’s. I totally believe it’s the wrong the way to go. It’s another delay within a delay within a delay. And finally when the triggers is sprung – will the legislation still be in effect?
If states want to opt out after a few years, let them. All the intelligent people will leave for blue states and all the neanderthals will remain in the red – if they opt out.
But I don’t think any state would.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:35 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
freeman,
I stand by what I said. AJ was trying to claim that Obama is “actively fighting against the public option.” That is inaccurate. Obama is fighting against the opt-out public option in favor of the triggered public option. But that is not the same thing as saying that he is “actively fighting against the public option.”
personally, I still feel no one has given me a legitimate reason why we can’t have Single Payer. That the insurance companies oppose it because they can’t squeeze every penny out of us is just too bad on them and not a valid concern, IMHO.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:38 pmKeep the president honest . Sign the petition for a strong public option .
October 25th, 2009 at 2:39 pmSee freeman.
See freeman run.
Run freeman, run!
October 25th, 2009 at 2:40 pmSINGLE PAYER is what democracy demands triggers is what we are offered .
October 25th, 2009 at 2:43 pmCorporations set policy in Washington OVER the interests of the people who have spoken loud and clear in their support for single payer !
GOT DEMOCRACY ?
This two part Option was presented on Fareed Zacharia’s GPS Program.
ANTI INSURGRENCY :Move our troops to the Populated Areas of Kabul, Kandahar, etc. to provide Security and support for the “Elected Govt.”
ANTI TERRORISM: Employ Biden’s anti terrorist strategy in the Rest of Afghanistan, which is Rural with Low population and Difficult Terrain. US troops in this area trying to hold down territory works to the Taliban’s Advantage. Roadside bombs and Ambushes make our troops easy targets. Drones and Special forces that zero in on Selected Taliban/Al Qaeda Targets make more sense than trying to hold territory . And many of the insurgents in this area are just defending their territory, and not Taliban Islamic Ideology. “Incidental Insurgents” is the term used to describe these locals.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:47 pmTo the poster who voted down the post I left at 57
October 25th, 2009 at 2:48 pmNot one woord of that post is mine , it comes from the Huffpo a more widely read blog than this one and as I pointed out earlier has 9000 plus comments on it , the vast majority , very angry at the administration .
Good luck voting down the voices of dissent .
Freeman finally got a little info to bash Obama with and he goes hog wild.
People like you want a war within the democratic party. You want to dismantle it an leave us weak agianst the gop.
I read the posts you are talking about and many are acknowledging the truth which is nothing like what you report so excitedly.
The President has made himself clear; rightly or wrongly, he does not believe that the public option is the of all and be all of healthcare reform. That is what the leader has said.
He does not oppose its being a part of the legislation and, in fact, thinks its a good idea, but he doesn’t believe it should make or break the legislation. That’s what he’s said many times.
Now if our Congress feels that it must be in there, then Reid and Pelosi need to make sure it is, but let’s stop accusing the President of a lack of leadership because he does not see things exactly the way we would like him to see them.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:48 pmfreeman I have less respect for you than I do glen beck.
October 25th, 2009 at 2:51 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
kwsventure is full of it….
Where are our freedoms when we can only see doctors approved by an insurance company?
Where are our freedoms when our doctors’ decisions about our needed treatments are subject to being denied by an insurance company?
The GnoP and true freedom are like oil and water.
October 25th, 2009 at 3:11 pmWayne
October 25th, 2009 at 3:12 pmFrom TPM
This new development, which casts the White House as an opponent of all but the most watered down form of public option, is likely to yield backlash from progressives, especially those in the House who have been pushing for a more maximal version of reform.
Beefeater you are so stupid it is just sad. I guess thats why you settle for being an ignorant brainwashed punkass troll
October 25th, 2009 at 3:13 pmDr Venture you are a TRUE moron. Your posts and reality have NOTHING to do with one another. Just STFU. You are just flat out too stupid to take seriously
October 25th, 2009 at 3:15 pmSingle Payer and true freedom are like oil and water.
You know, the more I think about it, the stupider this comment is.
October 25th, 2009 at 4:29 pmthank you
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October 25th, 2009 at 5:28 pmkwsventures says:
SINGLE PAYER is what democracy demands…
Single Payer and true freedom are like oil and water.
That is strange statement. Europe has single payer health care and they are still western democracies. I would rather have a single payer because it is a lot less paperwork. If that is socialist, I don’t care. None of my freedoms are infringed.
October 25th, 2009 at 6:12 pm“Podesta: Bush Administration Spent Only One Hour On Afghanistan Report It Handed Off To Obama”
Not surprised. Thanks John for educating the Beltway villagers on the Sunday bobblehead show. The media will never come out and say that Obama inherited the former clown Prez’s mess and have to grab a mop to clean up the 8 year mess in this country while the Vacation-in-chief took more siesta time for the 8 years in office than any President and the co-President, Supreme Leader Dick, had the spent his time hiding his money overseas and in his mattresses, deleting files and hiding important documents, and frisbeeing foreign policies, reports on on the two wars, and so on to Obama on their way out the door.
October 25th, 2009 at 7:56 pmmary lacewing,
Hi Mary; thanks for the welcome ;-)
As for the “abandonment” of Eastern Europe, that is yet another topic Cheney is wrong about. Who do the Poles and Czechs need defending from?
Cheney needs to take a look at a map more often than once every 50 years…
October 25th, 2009 at 8:55 pmHere’s what needs to be said about this:
This should never have seen the light of day. This is Democratic ‘propaganda’ that can only hurt them, whether it’s true or not–it does not matter.
I remember each and every administration moaning about the takeovers. The truth, to me, is this: There is literally no possible way to prove this charge–one hour for a report preparation. Also: Who’s to say the information in the report was less than TWO HOURS OLD? If that was true, then they were SUPPOSED to give it to him ASAP. Right?
I do not like this. This smells, even if it does turn out to be true or indicative of the despicable Bush administration. Democrats should just eat it once in a while. They eat it much more often than I think they should–but this time, they should have eaten it and moved on.
Name-calling and blaming is what Republicans do best, especially but not exclusively when it’s outright lies and such. Let’s leave that cr*p to them.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:07 pmmary lacewing,
Hi Mary; thanks for the welcome ;-)
As for the “abandonment” of Eastern Europe, that is yet another topic Cheney is wrong about. Who do the Poles and Czechs need defending from?
Cheney needs to take a look at a map more often than once every 50 years…
October 26th, 2009 at 12:16 am1 hour ?
Sounds about right for coloring a picture of a pet goat.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:30 amOne hour on a report is more time than The One has spent on Afghanistan.
But it’s okay, he’s got more important things to worry about…. like his golf partners, and his dinner dates, and parties at the White House.
Who cares about the troops? We’re trying to bankrupt the country with a health care bill and cap-and-tax. Ain’t that right, Barry?
October 26th, 2009 at 6:38 pmThe one? GOD you are a brainwashed moron. Do you get a particular pleasure showing off how stupid and brainwashed you are? Only the rightwing screechmonkeys say that about Obama and only the stupidest people on the planet take it seriously. Look. You are a moron. That isnt going to change if you must make a fool out of yourself I will be glad to laugh at you. You are stupid and you deserve it. There is no way a rational person could appologize for this so your stupidity is all we can expect. Just like we didnt expect anything but this kind of disrespect for the American people and troops from Bush. Really though you ought to STFU. You are too stupid to contribute and you should let the adults talk
October 26th, 2009 at 9:49 pm