'Bush has found his exit strategy'
By Steve Benen Tuesday Sep 11, 2007 8:01pmIn light of this week’s testimony from Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker, the LA Times drives the point home that Bush has no intention of ending this war before leaving office. It’s a welcome development; most news outlets have avoided mentioning this altogether.
The talk in Washington on Monday was all about troop reductions, yet it also brought into sharp focus President Bush’s plans to end his term with a strong U.S. military presence in Iraq, and to leave tough decisions about ending the unpopular war to his successor. […]
“Bush has found his exit strategy,” said Kenneth M. Pollack, a former government Mideast specialist now at the Brookings Institution.
That would be Bush’s exit from a position of responsibility; not the nation’s exit from a civil war.
Login or Register to post comments.
As many have said, George W. Bush has left a mess of everything he's ever touched.
Keep the war intact and blame it on the next successor for the failures?
Is that the strategy? My fears is that when the Democrat do take over that the ending of the war would be just as bad. I feel that a number of things can happen to sabotage the exit plan if we as a nation don't put our partisanship aside and do the right thing.
Although, I do think the Democratic party have play more fairly in congress in letting everyone voice be heard out in the open. I think when party play a game like chess within the same board (the United State) that we all lose. All I see is GWBush still dividing the country using the war for political gain.
In every job he has ever held, George W. Bush has left a mess for more responsible people to clean up, and this is the work of years or decades. His personal fortune is always protected, and the MSM works hard to defend his reputation. Shrub hasn't found any new strategy here; this is the same old spoiled frat boy trusting that Daddy's Money will take care of everything.
Clinton left office with a legacy of peace and record prosperity.
Bush will leave a legacy of soaring debt, two possibly three unfinished wars, a stretched thin and depleted military, a divided nation, Al Queda in Iraq, alienated allies, our moral standing in the world gone and a trampled constitution.
Nothing Accomplished. Worst. President. Ever.
George Bush will be SPINNING this war for the rest of his life.
I wonder if I will ever actually see him in person, after he returns (safe and sound) back to Texas in 2009...
and get the chance to SPIT DIRECTLY INTO HIS FACE.
Somethin' to look foreward to.
I'll have to make sure somebody has a camera.
That's not against the law, is it?
y'know... it'll be heart-felt.
All this planning and hard work to make the presidency all powerful, 'GOP forever' thinking, a weaker court system, spying without warrants.. oh heck, I'll skip making the very long list... (you can add yourself how they have wiped their bottoms with the constitution)... Add the money machine that keeps them in office.
Is it going to be a war with Iran, that will (they think) guarantee another Repug administration, some major disaster, or what (?) to declare Marshall Law. What is it going to be folks? They're not planning on going anywhere.
off topic......I hope you guys do a thread on the soldiers who did an op ed piece on the war.....1 has a headwound and two have been killed.........they were given shitty duty for speaking out....now 2 of them are dead and one is gravely wounded....I am soooo pissed off right now.aghhhhhh!
Yea, and it's January 20th 2009
The Bush exit strategy = AWOL
And, what #4 Ruthless People Says, I second the sentiments. Plus ditto on #3 #2 & #1.
The "Surge" was a "Punt" from reponsibility.
Bush's life story.
Vietnam War? PUNT! Texas Air National Gaurd.
Arbusto Oil failure? PUNT! Poppy's friends bail Junior out.
Harken Oil Failure? PUNT! Dump the stock on some losers.
Texas State budget crisis? PUNT! Leave the mess for the next guy.
Iraq Invasion? PUNT! Let someone else clean it up.
"I'm playin' fer October. November" - Bush talking about the "Punt/surge"
Now here's a suggestion for all the LILLY-LIVERED DEMOCRAT CONGRESS MEMBERS IN DC:
Don't offer up any more funding!
Let the money run out.
FORCE Bush to end it.
Don't even bring a spending bill up thru comittee.
But a LOCK on it.
You're going to take HEAT for it now or later... "later" means another thousand Americans DIE for this lost cause.
STOP IT NOW. Let Sean Hannity and Rush Lamebrain go ballistic. Let them spit in the wind.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL SHOW YOU THEIR SUPPORT in '08 for strong decisive action NOW.
John @ 3:
Not just George, remember Neil Bush and his S & L scandal that cost we the taxpayers a billion dollars? George uses our military, tax dollars and blood of our soldiers to steal Iraq's oil for his oil rich family and their corporate cronies. The Bush Crime Family are blood sucking leeches on America. They invest our resources and keep the profits for themselves, if their schemes goes belly up we get get stuck with the bill. The perfect investment scheme/heists. The Bush Crime Family takes from this country and give nothing back but debt and destruction at home and abroad.
What else could we expect...of course I'm sure the Loyal Bushies think that this is a sign of strength
There is no exit strategy, we were in the cold war for a half of a century. We are there to stay. We are building many bases, a $100mil Embassy (read: FORT) and waiting to secure the oil leases. We are not leaving.
Did I miss something new?
coward
12 Ruthless People
Ain't it the truth?!? The Bush Crime Family are the most vial of all criminals, they are nothing more then Bank Robers and Mass Murderers, hell these assholes make the Firefly family look nice and normal, ya know, the kind of people you would want as neighbors. But I wouldn't let ANYONE with the last name Bush into my town! Sorry for all the innocent people who just happen to have the last name Bush, (suggestion) you should add the final E on the end of your name so people don't mistake you for a member of the worst enemy America has ever faced, but sorry anyone named Bush, the Bush Crime Family has shit all over your family name. Like if there was a notorious criminal family with the last name of Tab'ph-r-i I would change my name TODAY!!!
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/12/webb-fallon/
CentCom Chief Fallon: Petraeus Is ‘An Ass-Kissing, Little Chickensh*t,’ ‘I Hate People Like That’
The Dems will not stop funding this war. They like at least as much as the repubes. Their like a queer old man in a nusing home that is constipated. Screams bloody murder when the orderly shoves a suppository up his ass, but secretly loves every minute of it.....
mudshark @ 7:
One thing GWBush has manage to do is to send the poor to their death, either by sending the poor man draft to the front where they'll be shot, or drown them in the flood of New Orleans. Thus lowering the poverty by eliminating them.
Are we talking about the same Dems that voted for the Patriot Act without reading it? Giving this president enormous power/latitude to destroy another nation? Or passing the new FISA Reg.s? Or NOT stopping the funding of this war?
Please add to the list, I type way too slow....
The only exit strategy Bush cares about is his own in 09.
...and this is EXACTLY what the Smirking Fool has done his entire life !!!
Get into a Business (or anything) make as much money out of it he can, completely fuck it up, and the leave SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN COME ALONG AND FIX HIS FUCK UPS.
Seriously, how many times have we seen George W Bush do this exact same thing ?
The public have such short memories.
Shittiest. U. S. President. Ever.
GWB has the right to live. He does NOT have the right to inhale oxygen!
Ruthless People @ 4:
I totaly agree.
One of my protest buddies has a sign which shows Bush's Exit Strategy:
(*a picture of a person, Bush, with his head up his own ass).
The "ass-kissing little chicken" (Petraeus) has done his job, and pocketed his bonus.
Meanwhile, Miss America is in the news again:
Well, why is this too surprising, with a Nazi symp for a granddad. W's just gonna escape to Paraguay and join some of the remaining Nazis. To paraphrase from "kiss Me Kate"- He's going to live it wealthily in paraguay... Do we have an extradition treaty with them?
Okay, we all voted. It is agreed; worst President EVER! That's the short term.
But, it is not over when he leaves... #6,#14.
The damage done will not be over in 16 months.
It's not just about Bush, it's about a whole bunch of people in power now and years from now, that do not want to change what is going on in the middle east. They can still make it a whole lot worse.
This is true.
Bush and all conservatives are going to spin relentlessly that "if only the (likely) Democratic president had followed the Bush strategy, we would of established peace and democracy in Iraq, and the entire Middle East. But they pulled out so it's their fault."
Wrong, of course. Absolutely, 100% wrong. The disaster was created when the invasion first happened. And the longer it's gone on and the greater the loss in life, money, and morality the more desperate the cowardly conservatives have looked for a scapegoat.
Typcial. All the talk of Dems "cut and running", and it's the chickenhawks looking to have someone else to blame for the absolute failure of all their policies.
Cabs are fab @ 28:
Nope. And they won't pay a single U.S. Tax as Ex Pats as everything is offshore and it's perfectly legal.
bush is a piece of Shit! I feel like slapping the crap out of the next person I see with a bush cheney 04 bumper sticker. I am not sure who I despise more. Bush or the genius Americans who voted for his ass TWICE!!! I am not a genius. I am just surrounded by idiots who can vote obviously. How could I see this coming but approx 75% of America ( including our the great minds of congress) couldn't?
This doesn't seem too complicated to me.
Stay_The_Course + 30,000 troops = Surge
Surge - 30,000 troops = Stay_The_Course
So in the end, Bush got Stay_The_Course and then some.
is this it? Stand Down on 9/14
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/9/21257/28344
" Fallon told Petraeus that he considered him to be "an ass-kissing little chickenshit" and added, "I hate people like that".
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/12/202647/128
Webb is calling Fallon to testify.
Should be fun.
Russ Feingold is THE MAN!!! Why can't we have him as our president instead of numbnuts?
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/20070911_feingold_sheds_the_kid_glo...
This is the moment, every person reading this should post this as part of anything they do the next month: "IF BUSH LEAVES THE NEXT PRESIDENT WITH A WAR IN IRAQ AND IRAN HE WILL BE THE DEATH OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY FOREVER", GO FOR IT! It frames the entire mess huh? Never mind the recession, that'd be Bush's too right? Can't Clinton-ize this one thar W.
My new name for bush is "Crapmaster"
Iy's the same as in every position he has had in his life. He leaves the job with someone else to fix what he broke.
Definition: Failure
There were a lot of people who voted for bush in 2004 because they thought he should "clean up his own mess." These people never bothered to check bush's history, which can basically be summed up as smirk and shirk.
I read this H.L. Mencken quote just now and thought it applied to our great presinit.
"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
Check Please ............
handing the next prez the war and our kids and grandkids the bill for it
The guy has taken a big dump on the entire middle east and in '09 he'll be looking for somebody to clean up the crap stains. Same M.O. with the US economy.
January 20, 2009 can't come soon enough!!
If Mr Pollack's views are what constitute expert analysis then there are more than a few people here commenting on stories that are equally expert. Myself included. It was transparently obvious what the Bush administration's escape plan for the war would be. As I and others have said, the best strategy for the republicans is to lose this election and let the Democrats extricate the U.S. from the Iraqmire. Then they'll use the old "our boys could have won but they were stabbed in the back" lie to regain the Whitehouse. I don't think Mr Pollack views are particularly insightful. This is Politics 101.
bush is an awol wanker piece of shit that should be impeached.
he has ruined everything he has touched.
And when the successor president (a democrat) finally ends it. And then we pull out, and the terrorists never actually swim to the US to kill us, some apes will say Bush "won" the war after all and give him credit for it. Of course , we'll be 6000+ dead Americans too late.
The only reason Bush conjured up the surge was so that he could say he reduced the number of US soldiers in Iraq while he was in office. First you add 30,000 troops, then you withdraw 20,000 and voila - a troop reduction!
Here's how it will go down: "When President Bush left office, he had begun a slow, steady reduction of troops. When the Democrats took back the White House, they cut and ran."
mudshark @ 7:
Soldier I would tell you to call Democracy Now. (http://www.democracynow.org/)and Keith Olberman of MSNBC. These 2 would help you to put your story in the public. I am sorry for your sorrow but I was 1 person that did not believe that Iraq had the capacity to attack us and was so distraught every time I saw that 1 point over to stupid to fly get ahead of a long list because he was the president son and was able to sent someone else to die even went he was AWOL. Do not worry his all team went to have the record destroyed before his governorship, like Gonzo, Myers and Rove.
Please take care. I really want Bush indicted in world court for crime once out of office because the democrats really are chicken. I want them to give a short bill that takes us all even those companies that are right now got rights to the oil fields.
if you say "worst president ever," show me your analysis of all 43.
if you say "they were given shitty duty for speaking out," show me the evidence.
if you say "Vietnam War? PUNT! Texas Air National Gaurd," are you saying that about all Texas Air National Guard?
if you say "takes from this country and give nothing back" check their charitable giving against yours and then criticize.
if you say "The Bush Crime Family are the most vial of all criminals," please visit the family of Daniel Pearl.
if you say "drown them in the flood of New Orleans" please explain how the President could have saved one life that day.
Your words mean something people. You want to get your point across, use real words and real arguments. Name calling, feelings of violence, and unwarranted adjectives only show your uneducated side. I think Bush is dead wrong on illegal immigration, I don't care for his Big Government creation, but I think he's a descent human being and deserves "oxygen" just like you and I.
[Your "concern" is duly noted -- Sitemonitor]
ck @ 48:
Good point ck. The conservatives are good at inflating numbers, issues, events or creating them so they can later claim success at solving the problem.
Al-Qaida wasn't a faction to be dealt with in Iraq until we invaded. Now we have a new boogeyman to fight which makes Bush look like he's solving the problem.
It's like those crazy firefighters who start a fire and are later called to put it out to make them appear to be the hero.
It's pretty psychotic, demented, and worse yet they think we are stupid and fall for it.
So I agree with your assessment. It makes sense.
brack 50, you're a stupid ass. You're right that Bush is a "descent" human being, as in a human being that has made his descent from the human level to that of a chimpanzee. Oh wait, that's an insult to our primates to compare a fuckwad like George to them.
again I say words mean things, nemo. you know nothing of me except my last post and yet you call me a "stupid ass." My point has been proven in you Nemo, you show your uneducated side.
skudguppy @ 32:
A lot of people voted for Bush twice, but
*HE DIDN'T WIN EITHER ELECTION.*
They stole power, and used it to make a trillion dollars and push the ME genocide of his father into high gear.
And they are about to attack Iran, so, no, the 'surge' was not about blaming the Dems but about pushing forward with preparations for their third front.
No troops 'needed' to guard Shia Basra = imminent attack on Shia Iran (the US/UK are afraid of troop capture). Thus the switch to arming (Hussein's fellow) Sunni.
brack @ 50: "if you say "worst president ever," show me your analysis of all 43."
Massive corruption (including no-bid contracts for his backers) makes Bush easily the worst president just on that count alone.
"if you say "Vietnam War? PUNT! Texas Air National Gaurd," are you saying that about all Texas Air National Guard?"
During Vietnam, cushy stateside posts for Vietnam war supporters of draft age? You damn skippy.
"if you say "takes from this country and give nothing back" check their charitable giving against yours and then criticize."
Charity? "My constituents are the haves, and the have-mores." -- GWB
"if you say "The Bush Crime Family are the most vial of all criminals," please visit the family of Daniel Pearl."
The vile Bush Crime Family has committed every major warcrime on the books. They have tortured, they have kidnapped, they have killed a million people plus. You can't balance that off against one Daniel Pearl, unless you are a Zionist bigot.
"if you say "drown them in the flood of New Orleans" please explain how the President could have saved one life that day."
Accepted the Cuban emergency services offer to deploy 1,000 aids workers within a few hours of the storm, specifically trained and supplied in post-hurricane recovery, with their own boats and paramedic training. They could have saved hundreds of lives on that day that Bush spent in San Diego fiddling while Lousianna and the Gulf Coast drowned.
"Your words mean something people."
Your words don't seem to mean anything.
"I think he's a descent human being and deserves "oxygen" just like you and I."
He's a traitor and a war criminal. Under the War Crimes Act of 1997, if torture or other war crimes results in death, THE PUNISHMENT IS CAPITAL. Bush and Cheney and Rice and Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz and several others deserve imprisonment, and, in the opinion of many loyal Americans, death by capital punishment. They don't deserve 'oxygen,' they deserve to have their necks snapped in nooses after official trials.
That is quite true. The whole policy is to leave the decision to withdraw to the next president so Bush can try to evade his responsibility for his disaster. Why aren't we yelling this LOUDLY? That is the way to get us out quickly, the only way. For further discussion of what we should do see
randomabsurdities.wordpress.com
Wish you were right, Ronald. Bushco is planning on attacking Iran, soon.
As for "Why aren't we yelling this loudly" my question would have to be, why aren't YOU yelling this loudly. I am, and have been, along with many others.
Try to educate those around you about the real threat of attacking Iran in the attempt to produce justification for a mega-genocide.
The Bush/Repug "stragergy" has been obvious for some time. Keep the war going until next year, and then blame the Democrats for losing it after they win the election.
Then, in 2012, Jeb Bush emerges as the Repug candiate to restore America's honor. Yep, the next 1000 US troops will be sacrificed to Bushco ambition. F*ck that.
I say let's just cut to the chase. If the Democrats are going to be blamed by the Republicans when they end Bush's war, then end it now. With the casualities, and Bush's dubious rule fresh in their minds, the voters are going to reject the Repugs in 2008 anyway. Cut off funding and get the troops home NOW. Let Bush and his 29% idiots howl.
Capabilty Jones @ 58:
Factor the attack on Iran, and recompute.
Paul@55
I appreciate your discussion, you didn't just come out and start yelling obscenities. Your above par on this discussion.
About the no-bid contracts, Clinton did the same with Halliburton in the Balkansso why don't we turn the discussion to requiring no-bid contracts, we can find ground with that.
Next, did a soldier "punt" because he was in the Air National Guard? or does that only apply to Bush?
Next,...“My constituents are the haves, and the have-mores" is a great quote and one that deserves criticism, but it has nothing to do with charity or the original argument.
I'll show my uneducated side by saying, I have no clue what a Zionist bigot means, can you explain it to me?
When you say "They have tortured, they have kidnapped, they have killed a million people plus" you lose credibility with those you seek to influence. Try saying "their decisions have led to torture, kidnapping, etc." You'll leave room for discussion then.
Okay, so Bush didn't specifically drown anyone, you say his decisions could have saved lives that day. Gotcha.
I don't think this is news.
Bush said back in August, 2006:
BUSH: We're not leaving so long as I'm the president. That would be a huge mistake.
So, we've known for a long time that he's going to leave the cleaning up for the next man or woman.
Plus, he's got to hold on to being a "war president" because it's the only way he can have those extraordinary executive powers.
Mad George still has 499 more days to screw up. Maybe someone can sneak some taps on his shoes for when he goes to the head. Gay sex seems the only thing to get people out of office.
And W's ratings on the latest poll have risen by 8 points! Let me warn you. Republican people are believing him again. We democrats need to tend our own garden. We need to concentrate on a candidate who can defeat a republican! Let's stop wasting our time on Hillary. I don'r care how much money she has. She is the republicans' wet dream. They're hoping she's the nominee because they know they -- anyone of them -- can beat her. They're ready for her.
Hillary is the scourge of the democratic party.
We have known all along that GW Bush is a military coward, as are his neo-con friends.
This spoiled, rich-boy brat created a world crisis in order to enrich himself and his buddies. There aren't too many terrorists who can accomplish so much in so little time.
Face it: He's taken a dump on all of us...and I'll bet he is gleeful about his successor having to clean up after him.
My outrage with him is his soul-deep meanness in domestic matters. He so hates the little people, of which I am one.
‘Bush has found his exit strategy’
Tip-toeing out the servants entry?
brack @ 60:"About the no-bid contracts, Clinton did the same with Halliburton in the...Balkans"
H'yeah, but Clinton DIDN'T MAKE ANY MONEY ON IT. Compare to Cheney.
"Next, did a soldier "punt" because he was in the Air National Guard? or does that only apply to Bush?"
As everyone except you now knows, the TANG was a cushy stateside posting for the children of the rich TO AVOID THE WAR. Bush also checked the box which said he did NOT want to be deployed overseas. He was hiding from the war HE SUPPORTED. Where there some honorable TANG? No doubt. Bush wasn't one of them.
"Next,...“My constituents are the haves, and the have-mores" is a great quote and one that deserves criticism, but it has nothing to do with charity or the original argument."
A 'great quote,' is it? The man has no charity in him. He hates.
"I'll show my uneducated side by saying, I have no clue what a Zionist bigot means, can you explain it to me?"
Apparently you don't own a dictionary.
"When you say "They have tortured, they have kidnapped, they have killed a million people plus" you lose credibility with those you seek to influence. Try saying "their decisions have led to torture, kidnapping, etc." You'll leave room for discussion then."
They ORDERED it, you fool.
"Okay, so Bush didn't specifically drown anyone, you say his decisions could have saved lives that day. Gotcha."
Of course he drowned people. He did NOTHING, but he's the Decider. He put Brownie into a job that required someone with experience. THAT'S HIS DIRECT FAULT. He ruined FEMA, intentionally, and the resulting failure to save lives is on his ticket.
And you are not an honorable person, either.
Walk away from his responsibilities? That's his life's story.
Worse still, he'll probably walk away from any possible trials in the Hague
for his crimes against humanity.
Login or Register to post comments.