August 28, 2007 08:15 AM
Another $50 billion
It looks the White House expects the surge to continue on indefinitely -- Bush is demanding another $50 billion for his Iraq policy:
The request is being prepared now in the belief that Congress will be unlikely to balk so soon after hearing [David Petraeus and Ryan Crocker] argue that there are promising developments in Iraq but that they need more time to solidify the progress they have made, a congressional aide said.
As Kevin Drum put it, "So that's that, I guess. The White House already knows what Petraeus and Crocker are going to say and they figure it's going to be $50 billion of good news. And with that, the Kabuki show continues."
Another 50 billion for thihttp://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/16076312/the_great_iraq_swindles
NO!
Another fifty billion for this
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/16076312/the_great_iraq_swindle
Sadly, I expect no serious opposition from the Democratic leadership. It will be, "No; No; No... Well, okay."
So, how many of you were out protesting the war this week? How many of you are going to be drafted into this conflict? How many young people are going to die before you get off the message boards and onto the street?
Sorry to sound confrontational, but, as a prime target for the draft, the lies and rhetoric against Iran aren’t something I have the priviledge of laughing off. If people don’t start hitting the streets and letting their fellow citizens that there are plenty of people who don’t buy this bullshit, they could very likely push this through.
We need to hit the streets. All of us. September 11th. No marching. No rallies. Just make a sign and spend an hour next to the road. Before work. On your lunch break. After work. All day.
It’s time for all of us to stop hiding on the internet and hiding from the government. Progressives aren’t criminals yet. If and when free thought IS outlawed, they’ll find you one way or another, you might as well take a stand now. Steal a piece of paper and a sharpie from the supply cabinet. Write “IMPEACH” on it. Stand by the road and bask in the fading glow of the first amendment.
You'll be surprised how many honks of support you get (driving by in a car is comfortably anonymous), and how scared the suits look as they give you the tumbs-down... or middle-finger-up.
One day at a time, one hour at a time. That's how we'll take this country back.
I like how he sounds so certain about this. What if Congress does balk in coughing up the $50 bil? I know... snowball's chance in hell*... but still.
* (If Congress doesn't want to give up the $50 bil., then I'm buying a lottery ticket)
A $460 BILLION budget for the Pentagon, a recent $140 BILLION war supplemental and Busholini has the balls to
askdemand ANOTHER $50 BILLION??????!!!!!!!!!NFW!
Shouldn't Bush wait for Petraeus' report before asking for another $50 Billion to maintain the "Surge"? He's asking everyone else to withhold judgment until Petraeus makes his report. Of course, George Bush has the advantage of knowing what he's told Petraeus to say.
I have already written to Senator Clinton promising to campaign against her vigorously if she is gullible and reckless enough to throw away another $50 billion. Our elected representatives suck
Was there ever really any doubt that this was coming? Is there any doubt that he'll get it? Is there any hope this f*cking war will ever end?
Busholini's "corporate style" administration is working as well as all his other business ventures; a complete and utter failure.
I thought the $50 billion was for fighting against the zombies?
I read the latest NIE report on Iraq and it did not point out any sort of gains at least to me. From what I gather, the Bush Administration can no longer obtain the goals they set out for in Iraq and everyone knows it. Now they are left to prevent the Iranians from gaining any more ground. Their "national interest" is to simply keep Iran at bay.
"David Petraeus and Ryan Crocker] argue that there are promising developments in Iraq"
Promising what? Promising to continue as ususal or promising to get worse? Not all things that seem promising are good. You can have promising signs of disaster. Positive developments would sound a hell of a lot better.
Feeding the Military Machine. You see folks, what we have here is a parasitic totalitarian sub-society that feeds upon the US Tax payer by way of PROMOTING WAR. It has been granted unlimited growth since 2000 when GWB came into play, and in 2003 it officially went into a growth spurt. This baby does NOT want to stop growing now but knows the tax-payer is now hep to the ugliness that keeps it alive. This is NOT the last time we will see this kind of funding request... not as long as GWB (the enabler) is in office.
The bottom line is that NOTHING GOOD can be expected to happen in Iraq. Whether we keep our troops there or finally start bringing them home, it is a broken country. Tribal and religious affiliation and paramount to the people there. That's all they've ever known. Just because Churchill decided to draw a new country called Iraq doesn't mean it should continue to be one country.
*sigh* that's NASA's budget for three years right there.
And let's not forget in the first place that the "surge" is just "stay the course" with a different term.
IMPEACH.
Dave @ 17:
We are up to 2 Trillion now. We could have rebuilt all of New Orleans.
....with flood proof levees.
I shall be writing to my war supporting Labour MP asking her in the light of this extra funding whether or not she thinks it will affect the project in Basra - and how the whole thing will be evaluated - ie what is the definition of success.
We will need a life time commitment of at least 300,00 US soldiers to win this war in Iraq not to mention Iran,Syria and Saudi Arabia. Dont forget about afganastan and Pakistan. Were going to have to team up with Russia and China to take over the world.
Carmikl @ 8:
Why wait? The contents of the report were already written before they even knew for certain that it would have the name Petraeus in the title.
You've got to be kidding...(looks optimistically at RP)
Kuddos to Dr. Acula and Rick W.
While Bush drones on about how the costs of withdrawl would be catastrophic to the US... he fails to mention what the costs of staying will be.
The situation will not improve with the cluster f#*K of a government that Bush helped put into place, the civil war will continue despite the "surge", and should we pull out ten years from now there will still be a civil war...
Staying means a bankrupt America, thousands more dead and maimed... a bad scenario to stay in my book! The only ones to benefit are the Bush/Cheney war profiteers.
Doesn't the National Football League season begin soon? And hockey is only a little over a month away, and of course, the major league baseball season will be heading into the post-season about that time, so that's a lot to handle right there.
So many sports, so little time. Thankfully there is Tivo.
Please, folks. Keep this in mind: The "28 percenters" still outnumber those of us who truly pay attention and care about these things. THAT'S reality.
How many businesses did bush bankrupt?
He's had enough practice bankrupting.
Now he is on his way to bankrupting our country. And he'll do it.
:(
Exactly. Rollover Democrats and take it where the sun don't shine like you always do. I always thought when judgement day came the repukes would be at the front now I know it will be the democrats becuase they could have done something about it.
Sadly I wonder if this time next year we will be hearing a similar but maybe smaller request. I have heard nothing that makes me think any other way. I think the only thing that will change is the political atmosphere as the elections approach.
2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013...
The names will change, the demand will continue.
Social security will die because of this war.
George Bush's war will have accomplished what he wanted it to accomplish - the drowning of government in that bloody bathtub.
Goodbye government for the people.
cons always pretend war is free while complaining about SCHIP costs which ammount to a fraction of President Peter Pan Syndrome's war
another 50 billion....hahahahahahhahahahahhahahahhahhahahahhahhahahahhahahahahahaahhahhahahahhahaha
I just saw a clip of bush in NOLA. They had found an elderly black lady that would allow him to sit by her and put his arm around her for a photo opportunity for him. Jeez, my blood runs cold when I see him sitting there with that shit eating smile. I wonder what kind of home that lady has to go to when the cameras are put away?
Dr. Acula @ 16:
The way I heard one pundit put it: right after WWII, Churchill sat down at a huge map with a bottle of scotch and a crayon, and drew out the borders for Iraq.
Ruthless People @ 20:
NOLA?... Hell, we could've repaired the entire infrastructure of the US, and still have $400 billion left over.
If they already know what General Petraeus is going to say, then why don't they tell us now?
That was sarcasm. I know why.
George Bush is "The Manchurian Candidate".
Do you think that there are times when bush wishes he had listened to his dad and others when they told him to stay the hell out of Iraq? I know he would never admit it if he did.
At the end of his term, Bush & Co will make their merry way to Paraguay where he purchased a 100,000 acre ranch near the Argintine border - and he will take his family and a lot of his cronies with him. That includes Condi. (The ranch is big enough for Laura and Condi - they won't have to see one another.)
So my friends, Bush won't give a damn about the constitution he shit on, about all the laws he disregarded, about all the lies he told, about the "troop funding" in Iraq. He will make loud noises in his speeches hoping someone will listen. Now, he is demanding another 50 billion? Where does it all go? Not to the troops - they are begging for supplies. And what about the limb-less, wounded sweethearts in our hospitals? "Wait for Prateus." That's all we have heard. BUT 50 BILLION MORE? WHAT A JERK HE IS!!!
Blue Buddha.
It was after WWI, not WWII, that the boundaries of the "countries" of the Middle East were developed, out of the ruins of the former Ottoman Empire.
I'll bet the same $50 billion that Congress will give him the money! I'll add my first-born son and give odds. Any takers?
pissed off patricia @ 39:
Hahahahahaha. That was funny. Thanks, pop, needed a laugh.
His dad? You think his dad didn't want this to happen?
GET A CLUE!
After some of what he said yesterday, wherever he was speaking, some of this money may go toward bombing Iran. He was making some of the same arguments yesterday about Iran that he made about Iraq way back when.
Blue Buddha @ 36:
Bingo!
the cost of the war must not be given to the american public, the heartland in billions. that's virtually meaningless. one, two three billion, one two or three doesn't sound like much. Rather it has to be given to them in how many six packs can be purchased, how many packs of cigarettes, how many more trailers will that buy. put it in a language they can understand. a billion....no concept.
Well my clue is his dad's advisers were telling him not to invade Iraq. I would assume that his dad agreed with them. When his dad had a chance to invade Iraq, he didn't for the very same reasons Jr shouldn't have.
pissed off patricia @ 47:
Exactly!
Chew on that for a while, Orwell.
"Surge"?
Sounds more like escalation to me. This admin's got the rhetoric trickery down so well, it makes me sick.
Thank you, Dr Acula :)
enough is enough. this dude has failed at everything he's ever tried and now he's trying to complete the devastation of this country. ironic, this may be the only thing he's ever had success at. enough is enough. 50 billion more, are you kidding me? It's time!!!!
Dr. Acula @ 48:
Mmm. Tastes like crap to me.
If Poppy Bush didn't want the invasion of Iraq to occur, trust me, it wouldn't have.
You people are so beyond rescue it's pathetic.
Wooo, Edwards! Wooo, Clinton! Wooo, Obama! Dems, Dems, Dems! They will lead us into salvation!
Oh, come on! Are we just venting here? Seriously, is there anyone here who doubts that he won't get the money?
Rasputin @ 26:
Actually we're fueling the violence by providing live-fire training to terrorist recruits who will then spread out from there. When we oopsie-lose 9 billion dollars, lose track of arms supposedly arming the Iraqi army (some of whom fight for militias), and cost over-runs on reconstruction are doubled so sub-contractors can bribe the insurgents to leave them alone, we're effectively financing, arming and training any terrorist presence in Iraq.
Orwell's Illegitimate Son @ 52:
Maybe you should change your name to Negative Nelly. Geez.
Got any ideas, besides moaning about how pathetic everything is?
pissed off patricia @ 50:
You're welcome!
Dr. Acula @ 16:
An excellent point brought up. If a country's borders were an original creation of another former colonial power and its obvious the idea of one's nation is defined by tribal borders, we only involve ourselves further in other people's mess.
Its another fifty billion dollars wasted. These guys treat money like water out of a tap. This country is going to collapse sooner than predicted.
do the sycophants that represent us read or care about their constituents?
they all need to be removed, as none are doing anything good. remember, still no blocks on ridiculous bills that continue to loot the treasury of this country, still no impeachment. only little scooter has taken the fall for THOUSANDS of crimes against the people of the world and this country
enough is enough
As for dada boosh and baby boosh, dada was a multi-polarist who tend to fear power vacuums like we have in Iraq now. So they would fight to prevent a power vacuum.
However, in the begining they hoped to insert Ahmed Chalabi, and saw the early violence as routine looting common in the aftermath of any war, as per donald rumsfield. Still the likeliness of a multi-polarist creating a war in the area that could spread (Syria is mostly Sunni, Iran Shia, and both share borders with Iraq) is unlikely.
SpankyTheMonkey @ 42:
Nope, won't bet on that. Our whimpy Congress will just roll over and give him the money.
This is all choreographed. They already have their September status report written. And this 50 bill is just part of the package.
Dr. Acula.
Yeah, I've got a few ideas. But they all require intellect and the ability to think outside of the "Dems vs. Reps" meme that is pervasive in our society. So, they're likely to not come to fruition.
say no= don't support the troops
the democrats will have to destroy that canard..
then get an accountability of the "burn rate" for all the previous allocated funds.
Like its been mention before on CnL,the CEO in chief is pulling the same type of crap a piss poor program manager pulls after he underestimated total project costs
Orwell's Illegitimate Son @ 52:
I have to agree with OIS - did you read that Rolling Stone article that was linked in #3? Now THAT is investigative reporting. MSM has been negligent in reporting the real background of all that has been going on. And it just didn't start in 2000 or 1990 or even 1960.
So true, Blue Rose.
I think you all have to realize one grand truth:
Iraq is merely a training ground for what's in store for the USofA.
The training ground is some of the business. Creating chaos so nothing can coalesce to oppose Israel is another . . . the oil is a big part of it . . . . selling weapons . . . . making money.
The only thing that is not involved is spreading democracy or diminishing violence.
Like all citizens of past empires, we will do anything to keep the reality of the horrors we unleash on others away from our own lives. We are this century's Germany/England/Spain/Turkey et . . .
sinnr @ 3:
A must read. Course we already knew this was going on, but reading it in detail is very upsetting. Bush has always been a master at funneling tax dollars to private already rich CEOs etc. Shameless capitalism at its finest.
We can't afford to properly fund education or health care for our own citizens but we can spend billions tearing apart Iraq and rebuilding it. And on a side note did you know they took earthquakes off the Fema list? To punish those crazy Californians no doubt. Wait till the next big one of those hits and America wakes up. It'll be another Katrina.
Fuck you George Bush.
I will say that electing Dems will put a big crimp in the plans of those scheming for world power.
Blue Buddha @ 36:
Exactly. While Bush is proud of the infrastructure that gets built in Iraq with our tax dollars only to be destroyed by the insurgents the next day, our steam pipes are exploding, bridges are collapsing, levees are bursting and power grids shutting down.
Bush should be the president of Iraq not the US since that is where his priorities lie. Let's impeach him and give him a one way plane ticket over there.
What a bargain.
Don't worry. Pelosi will get him $200B.
Blue Rose @ 67:
You lost me with that line.
If there is any one to blame its the democratic party that we voted in -----> hope they do what is right this time around -----> http://www.youpolls.com/details.asp?pid=406
And the Dems will fall all over themselves to give it to him.
Harley @ 70:
Then she'll stare like a deer caught in the headlights for a moment, then blink uncontrollably, and raise it another $50 billion.
Any word yet if Cindy Sheehan is going to challenge her in 2008? Pelosi has been a big disapointment. Seems at times the rubberstamp simply was passed to the other side of the aisle.
It makes me sick to see the amount of money spent on Iraq and yet when Bush is asked to spend money on our country's bridges he responds it is a matter of "priorities". And look at New Orleans two years later - a disaster! We are not investing in america but when it comes to defense spending there is no limit to what we will spend.
This would not happen if the majority of Americans were paying attention and not just waving the flag to show patriotism.
Don't worry everyone. Don't worry. I'm going to write him a check.
Strange.
When we need money for something useful like fixing bridges, then its not available.
Chris @ 77:
crappy bridges do little to enable terrorists.
The military machine is a very scary thing indeed. It DOES NOT obey the laws of the land. It appears to have its own set of judges, its own laws that ARE NOT compliant to the laws we all live under, and it FEEDS upon every dollar we earn. As a result of this senseless war (only senseless in terms of what is good for our nation, totally logical in terms of what will feed the military) the military has grown by leaps and bounds. If we object, then we are labeled as traitors and can now be SPIED UPON and SHUTTLED OFF TO GUANTANAMO or some torture-compliant GOD forsaken area of the world... but more than likely just have our lives ruined right here at home. This IS NOT your father's America... not anymore.
Where is the America that I used to know. Where are the protesters shouting from the streets. What has happened to you guys. This is the tragedy for your country because alot of us used to look up to you and now we just don't believe anything your politicians say. Very sad indeed. My question is how do you resolve this and get back your standing in the world?
Debby @ 80:
The protesters are now ONLINE. They are here. they are in Blogs... perhaps this was by design. The unrest has not gone down. Quite the contrary, it has increased, but it is NOT VISIBLE anymore.
pissed off patricia @ 14:
they are promising that they will not ever measure the true cost of the war in lost lives and damaged lives. No estimates will ever be brought forth on the human toll whatsoever.
"Just keep pontificating, Dems, and hand over the money, thankyou very much"
Does the war in Iraq sound a little like the beginning of the end for another superpower? Fighting a very similar enemy? Under surprisingly similar circumstances?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_war_in_Afghanistan
Debby @ 80:
probably not going to happen unless we get someone in the white house who actually can defend the constitution instead of ripping it apart with rose colored glasses. The problem is on all the levels of our society for a few reasons: 1. we are not personally affected (as of least not at this moment); 2. the bulk of us are so damn lazy (or unbothered about) that we don't even care about whats happening in the world unless it has something to do with celebrities and american idol or a beauty pageant (even if a 1/5 of us couldn't locate the FREAKING US ON A WORLD MAP!). Check out a movie called 'Idiocracy'. You'll find that we are a lot closer to becoming that desolation, apathetic, spoiled, collectively mentally handicapped society then most developed countries on this planet. God help us all.
Charles @ 18:
the 'surge' is actually designed to create more opposition as follows:
1) house-to-house searching for the mythical Al Qaeda-in-Iraq. Kill all who don't quickly answer the door while lying face down. children are no exception. they are to be treated as suicide bombers.
2) Call in airstrikes and bomb entire neighborhoods if there is any movement after the initial bullet-barrage upon entering an unsearched neighborhood.
3) anyone killed is considered an insurgent or Al Qaeda.
4) anyone not considered Al Qaeda or insurgent must be Iranian.
5) any US weapon discovered in a dead Iraqi's vicinity must be from Iran.
6) any attack on US personnel by Blackwater is to be ignored and unreported.
7) any 'fact-finding' repug politician is to be taken to the same market as john mcLame.
8) any report associated with the surge must say that it is working
Blaed @ 84:
It has been happening. just keep in mind who does the 'reporting' these days.
Debby @ 80:
As far as I can tell, the internet is constipating progressives in this country. There's plenty of good information, critical analysis, and intelligent writing to take in, but none of it is coming back out. People are letting the comfort and safety of the netroots stop them from expressing themselves on in other more physical forums.
This constipation is damaging the movement. We have a chance for change; a window unlike any we've had since Nixon. This change may start on the internet, but it'll die there too if we don't move it into real life. There are plenty of people out there pissed off at the Bush Administration. A minority of these people read blogs, or anything other than headline news summaries each day.
We can sit here and bitch all day about how the MSM won't tell the real stories, but the truth is that we're not giving them anything to report about. We need to start making news instead of commenting on it.
We need to start actively protesting for impeachment. On the street. In the daylight. Let everyone see you as they drive to work, lunch, home, or to the store. Make the local news. Do you have something intelligent to say? Say it to a news camera.
It's time to stop fighting this idealogical battle on the defensive. If we keep pulling our punches every time we land a blow, the enemies of freedom will keep adapting to our strategy.
You have a calling. You have been enlightened. If you bury your knowledge, history will judge you more harshly than if you had remained ignorant. If you invest that knowledge in the future of this country, we have a chance at a great reward.
So, having mixed many metaphors, let's return to constipation.
It's time for us all to stop pinching off our assholes and take a giant steaming shit on this administration. Maybe they won't topple, but at least they'll stink.
Speaking of delusional, Bush also thinks the "surge" is working in New Orleans.
No to worry. The
Spineless Shithead Apparatchniks factionDemocratic members of ourGlorious People's AssemblageCongress willheroically arise as one to bravely supportonce again cave in and abet thispatriotic initiativelatest outrageous scam fromOur Glorious Dictator, Premier BooshChimperor Bush.Our Glorious Spineless Cowards FactionMany Democrats, evervigilant in their quest to find new ways to better serve Our Glorious Hoeland, er Homelanddesparate to find new excuses for their spinelessness, willtake great heart fromissue many sighs of relief atthe glorious and courageous deeds of Our Glorious Field Marshall Betrayusthe sychophancy of General Petraeous. We canrest assuredbe resigned to the fact that they will take his example as anencouragementexcuse todecisively actcapitulate to the evil. Once again,with determined courage and patriotismin their abject cowardice, they willnot hesitate to arise to perform their Patriotic Dutybe cutting each others throats in their eagerness sell us all down the river.Bush will demand the money.
Congress will give him the money.
The fed will print the money
And most people here will dutifully pay their income tax this year.
...and so it will continue...
The American taxpayer continues funding a criminal govt!
... stop funding the insanity...
BaScOmBe @ 85:
And let's not forget the toll this strategy is taking on US forces themselves. They have to live with this for the rest of their lives, even if they make it home mentally and physically intact. Then, when details of these atrocities become public, we judge them.
That's not supporting our troops.
NYBlue @ 9:
The last time Clinton and Obama had to vote on funding the war, they counted the votes first to make sure it would pass then voted against it so they could appear to oppose the funding. You know it. They are slime too. Only Kucinich is worthy of our support.
$50 Billion for Iraq. No a damn dime for New Orleans. Welcome to BushWorld: Please try not to scream too loudly while they're screwing you.
It's bad enough that we have totally screwed up Iraq, for reasons not justifiable, but this administration is also screwing up the United States, and that should be reason enough for impeachment. History is going to record GWB as the most absolute idiot President we have ever had.
Just give the money but make sure to include the way we are going to pay for this war during President Bushs watch.
Now there's a novel thought. Let's pay a war tax so we actually do "support the troops." I know George still wants more tax breaks for his friends, but at some point it's hard to justify simply charging it so our children and grand children get the bill.
Perhaps sticker shock will make it far more difficult to sell wars of choice to the public.
May I please have 50 billion Mr. Asshole.
I'm out of funds here.
I said please.
Comments are closed on this entry