The US House and Senate Democrats have passed supplemental funding bills for Iraq and Afghanistan which, for the first time, put conditions of oversight upon such funding, which past Republican Congresses had merely rubberstamped, with added pork.
President Bush has cried “Wolf!” His attack upon the bill first relied upon claims that the people were with him; “I believe the American people support me.” But a large majority of Americans do not support the Bush administration’s “surge”, nor should they. Next, Mr. Bush ramps up the Karl Rovian rhetoric claiming Democrats embolden our enemies for their next attack upon America “on these shores.” Having lost the “evil empire” as enemy, Bush and his ilk now have the “axis of evil” and the “Global War on Terror” to trot out to frighten us into making ever more precipitous preparations for “the next attack.”
The Democratic bills fully fund our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Democratic bills fully train our troops before any future deployments. The Democratic bills fully supply our troops before deployment and up-armor our equipment for our troops before deployment and for those now in the field. Each of these would be legislatively required for the first time since the start of George W. Bush’s elective war.
The Democratic bills set benchmarks (for the U.S. regarding training and equipment and for the Iraqis in establishing civil society) to meet before deployment of new troops and for our later phased-in withdrawal of major troop. We’ll have our people home, their country safe for their democracy (or not, as they choose).
The Bush plan, however, is to cry wolf again. The myriad squadrons of right wing neocon Brown Shirt weblog echochambering yobbo yappers will join in. “Wolf!” The Bush “surge” will not bring US troop levels up to previously higher levels in Iraq, even as more and more of our coalition partners abandon Mr. Bush’s “war.”
The Bush “surge” uses US troops to support Shi’ite suppression of Sunni insurgents in the capitol area, and ignores the rest of the country, and the Shi’ite militias continue to kill and maim US and coalition troops daily. Most prominent among these is the Mahdi army of al Sadr which has killed and wounded thousands of US and coalition troops since the fall of Baghdad (perhaps earlier) more casualties pour in daily. And what will the Kurds do with their de facto country? Claim oil rights and fight off all comers? That’s my bet, and my money’s on the Kurds!
The Bush theory: The “surge” will clear and secure the capitol and everywhere else in Iraq will suddenly fall in line after four plus years of vicious sectarian warfare among radical militant groups which hate each other and hate us even more. I think not.
If one follows Einstein by defining insanity as repeating the same activity over and over and over again, and each time expecting a different result, then Mr. Bush needs serious help.
Fortunately, the Democratic House and Senate are giving Mr. Bush the help he needs. If Mr. Bush had a plan, any plan, or provided any leadership which made a difference instead of Rummy 24/7, the Democrats would not have to act. I do not excuse past Democratic failures in leadership, but now that they are in charge, they have acted properly and quickly to make Mr. Bush accountable to the American people on Iraq.
If the Democrats had failed or refused to take the actions they have now taken, they would have been no better than Mr. Bush—insane.
Please call a spade a spade, Bush is not insane but a petty criminal and should be treated as one.
Whether Bush is insane or a petty criminal, we know he has been that way since before the 9/11 attack. Bush & Co., were plotting regime change in Iraq long before the attack, and anyone who believed regime change in Iraq would happen smoothly was either insane or criminally incompetent.
Interesting:
No Child Left Behind sets benchmarks for education, requiries that teachers be adequately trained, that schools be properly equipped, and that students learn what is necessary to succeed in life. But it fails to fund the changes necessary to accomplish all of this.
The President rejects benchmarks in Iraq and requirements that soldiers be adequately trained, properly supplied with armor and equipment, and that Iraqi citizens learn what is necessary for their society to succeed. Yet he demands full funding in spite of this.
Is it insanity, or just hypocrisy?
Edgar makes a great comparison. Indeed, Bush firmly believes in job accountability and performance metrics…for *other* people…when *he* says so…but certainly not for himself. For himself, Bush wants unlimited resources and no measures of job performance. Wouldn't we all!? Unfortunately for America, the Republican-controlled Congress gave him exactly that, which is, in part, why so many of Bush's programs have been such disasters, both financially and operationally.
Touche', Edgar!
NCLB was a smokescreen designed to fail from the get-go because Bush lied about fully funding it to get Democratic votes. After it fails, Bush gets to privatize public education.
Now, Bush lied from the get-go about why and what he would do in Iraq but, wants unrestricted, full funding for his fatally flawed fiasco. After it fails, he gets to blame the new overseer, Democrats, generals, anyone but himself.
We need to impeach Bush and Cheney, now!
Tim is Insane
Because opinions are like assh*les…every person has one.
Impeach Hogan!
This war is not worth the death of one more American's life.
Our economy is spinning out of control. This war has cost us, the American people $1.7 TRILLON !!! Are we out-of-our-minds? The dollar is the weakest in decades. People around the world hate us. We were told lies and we went to war. I hope Mr. Bush hold his head inj his hands in shame and anguish… "What Have I done, What Have I Done?" He is the worst President ever! How can he sleep at night? He has poisioned us! How in the world did he get re-elected!? We and our children will pay for it dearly. America can never be the same.