Deceptive or Delusional
By Steve Benen Thursday Sep 13, 2007 7:21amSo, how bad was the president's speech last night? Slate's Fred Kaplan explains.
President Bush's TV address tonight was the worst speech he's ever given on the war in Iraq, and that's saying a lot. Every premise, every proposal, nearly every substantive point was sheer fiction. The only question is whether he was being deceptive or delusional. [...]
The question could be asked throughout the speech... In what world is the president of the United States living?
If I only had a nickel for every time we've had that thought over the last seven years.
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He is living in his own private Idaho.
The Iraq war is all about aWol bushie and his legacy. What is good for America never enters his mind. It's all about him.
I could not bear to watch Chimpy again.
a day that will live ...in infamy!!!!
i think its AND, not OR.
Either way is grounds to throw the bum out.
It's delusional to think that anyone takes this Murderer-In-Chief seriously. He's currently cutting deals to support and arm Saadam's Sunnis. How is Bush better for the Iraqi people than Saadam Hussein was? How many hundreds of thousands of innocents have been killed and maimed under the George W. Bush regime? How is America safer for George W. Bush starting a phony war and now threatening to NUKE Iran. Bush is insane with power. He's self-absorbed fanatic. He is America's most dangerous enemy. IMPEACH THIS SOB NOW! It's the only way to stop this madman!
He's either a liar or he's crazy. Either way impeachment is warranted.
I recently read a blog by a soldier in Iraq. In it, he described the way the Army is getting its soldiers in Iraq to reenlist.
First they get the carrot, "$15,000, college time, Airborne school, the works." Then they get the negative, "When you tell them no, it was always the same chilly reply: you’ll fail on the outside. You’re just a vet with no skills, who would hire you?"
Then, blackmail. "Instead of letting you know what a bum you’ll become if you leave the Army after your enlistment, they put it in simple terms: if you don’t re-enlist, you’ll be thrown in 5th Brigade, the Stryker unit on Ft. Lewis that was being stood up, and yes, they were deploying as soon as they could. So you might as well stay where your friends are and come back to Iraq with them. Otherwise, you’ll be taking your chances by getting your ass stop-lossed and sent to Iraq in as little as six months to a year after you returned. Better off with the sure thing. Here’s a pen, junior. If you got out after July 2008, you were screwed. I, on the other hand, was in the clear since I was getting out at the end of 2007. The options were re-enlist, extend to meet the unit’s needs, or take no action. I checked take no action, which meant my name would be added to the pool of possible candidates for 5th Brigade. No matter. It was of no consequence if I separated from the Army in 3rd or 5th Brigade. A lot of us were in that boat. Still, it spooked us that someone could come to us with a list and a smile and say in so many words that we were fucked into another deployment unless we added years to our contracts. In short, the thanks we got for serving our country was being forced into a game of Russian Roulette. Take the risk, pull the trigger. See what happens."
This is what our mighty military has come to in the Iraq War. And, even still, there is no end in sight.
The President didn't announce a voluntary reduction in troop strength in Iraq. He announced staying the course with as many soldiers as possible, without further extensions, beyond 15 months, of soldiers' tour of duty.
If President Bush and VP Cheney had any concern for our security, they would start redeploying our troops from Iraq. But they don't, they are only concerned about their legacy and passing the buck to the next administration. Theirs is a world of no honor.
Slate also has a really good real-time reaction graph as 302 Republicans, Democrats and Indepen gauged Petraus' believability while listening to his testimony.
I can't seem to figure out how to use the link function, but it's at:
http://www.slatev.com/player.html?id=1182791411
Nothing will change until you all take to the streets( figuratively and perhaps literally too ).
The puppet masters ( Mil Ind Comp, Neocon megalomaniacs ) will not be moved unless there is a siginificant threat to their bottom line. Only a major disruption in the economy ( added to other pressure tactics ) could be effective since vocal protests are likely to be brutally suppressed.
I think the answer is obvious and was provided by Mr Bush at the outset of this episode :
Recall he told average Americans that their duty in order to support this adventure was to go shopping ?
The answer is clear : Boycott ALL non-essential expenditures. When the Whitehouse faces this united front it will be under tremendous pressure from within to capitulate. It is a game of chicken that the Whitehouse cant win.
Chew on that Whydontcha !
Heaven help us all.
Peace to you brother.
NYT: No Exit, No Strategy
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/14/opinion/14fri1.html?ex=1347422400&en=0...
Bush has done such a good job at creating his own reality, that he should spend the rest of his term in a rubber room!
Deceptive or delusional is always the choice you get with Republicans. I'd say it's both.
I'm happy to say I didn't waste any time watching it....
But my vote is...that it was both deceptive & delusional...just like every public 'speaking' engagement he has....I'm just happy to know the transmitters aren't in plain view (since he can't follow a teleprompter....
He's not delusional. If he was, he wouldn't have sent Petraeus and Crocker to do his job with congress.
Deceptive is too polite, I'm tired everybody being nice with words like: he misled, they are being deceptive, etc.
He is a liar. The reason he is lying to cover multiple sins and crimes. This administration is more criminal enterprise than government. This is part of a conscious (and remarkably successful) move to end congressional and judicial oversight. To centralize imperial power in the WH. It dawns on me that the ignoring of supoenas, refusal to give access to meeting lists, refusal to offer information on policy process is not fear of discovery, but working on the premise that is no longer required of them. The only "check" they acknowledge is the requirement to keep 34 senators in line to avoid veto override. That is their new constituency. The rest of us, as Cheney so warmly put it, can fuck ourselves.
moondancer @ 16:
Bush knows he has no credibility with Congress.
Now hold on, everyone. Before we denounce his speech right out of the gate, I think Dubya's speech answered one question very clearly. And that is: "Is our policies working?"
I mean, just last week he said that "we're kickin' ass" over there. Let's not go misunderestimating the power of those words.
This was the best post-speech analysis I fouind on any of the networks last night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVoESliU_ss
lol
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Oval Office Orangutan:
Heya. Some say the gains we are making in Iraq come too late. They are mistaken. It is never too late to deal a blow to Al Qaeda. In fact, as I have shown, it is also never too early. We can attack Al Qaeda in areas where they are not, draw them there by destabilizing that place, and deal them a blow. There's never a bad time or place to fight Al Qaeda. So bring it on.
During my visit to Anbar on Labor Day, local Sunni leaders thanked me for America’s support. They pledged they would never allow Al Qaeda to return. And they told me they now see a place for their people in a democratic Iraq. The Sunni governor of Anbar Province put it this way: “Our tomorrow starts today.” That's the coolest thing about the Sunni governor there. He's a time traveler. Which goes well with there never being a too early or too late to deal some blows to Al Qaeda.
The premise of our strategy is that securing the Iraqi population is the foundation for all other progress. For Iraqis to bridge sectarian divides, they need to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods. And it is important to note as well that in order for the Iraqies to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods, they must bridge sectarian divides.
For lasting reconciliation to take root, Iraqis must feel confident that they do not need sectarian gangs for security. And, it must be noted, that for Iraqis to feel confident tha they do not need sectarian gangs for security, lasting reconciliation must take root.
The goal of the surge is to provide that security and to help prepare Iraqi forces to maintain it. As I will explain tonight, our success in meeting these objectives now allows us to begin bringing some of our troops home.
The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is “return on success.” The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home. And always remember, the more we bring troops home, the more likely it is that that Iraq will not be successful.
So I urge you all to embrace this strategy. It's a good catch. In fact, it's such a good catch, it deserves its own number. I call it "catch 22."
To Iraq’s neighbors who seek peace: The violent extremists who target Iraq are also targeting you. The best way to secure your interests and protect your own people is to stand with the people of Iraq. That means using your economic and diplomatic leverage to strengthen the government in Baghdad. And it means the efforts by Iran and Syria to undermine that government must end.
To the international community: The success of a free Iraq matters to every civilized nation. We thank the 36 nations who have troops on the ground in Iraq and the many others who are helping that young democracy. We encourage all nations to help, by implementing the International Compact to revitalize Iraq’s economy, by participating in the Neighbors Conferences to boost cooperation and overcome differences in the region, and by supporting the new and expanded mission of the United Nations in Iraq.
And to the U.S. Congress: Remember, we're strong, and diplomacy is stupid. America can, and will, act unilaterally. It's what we're good at, and international cooperation is just pre-9/11, hippie, Clintonian thinking.
The way forward I have described tonight makes it possible, for the first time in years, for people who have been on opposite sides of this difficult debate to come together. Because in my world, opposite sides don't really disagree. Even when they do. Two mutually contradictory notions can both be right at the same time. It's unAmerican to believe otherwise. Ignorance is strength. Slavery is freedom. And war is peace.
Thank you, and God bless the Republican Party.
Everyone should remember the target audience for this speech. It's not Dems; it's not independents; it's Joe Republican, sitting at home with doubts about the war, but who can be convinced to support the war just a little bit longer. Joe Republican, who will then call his Republican Congressman or Senator to tell him to support Bush for just a little bit longer.
Last night's speech wasn't about winning in Iraq, it was about trying to preserve the Bush legacy (such as it is) so that withdrawal from Iraq doesn't happen in Bush's term.
Only a fool or a tool would believe anything this skidmark in a suit has to say. What is the reason for the ongoing horror and waste in Iraq? Say it along with me, slowly...maybe you won't forget: Ooooooyyyyyyhllll. There, that wasn't too hard. Was it?
I do not understand why this man continues to lead your country. As a Canadian I watch what he says and does regularly. On one hand I laugh my ass off at him(his speech in Austrailia) on the other hand he scares the hell out of me. His speech last night made me understand that he really doesn't get it. When I heard him start to sabre rattle last night........ well lets just say it scares me
Now what happens? We ride this whole thing out till January 2009? By then the precedent will have already been set, and we'll effectively have a dictator ruling over the USA. Forget our desire to punish Bush and Friends, impeachment needs to be done TO SAVE OUR COUNTRY! Without impeachment the unspoken new Rule of Thumb in Washington will be, "The President/King is not to be questioned! Anything less than complete and total obediance will result in your loss of freedom or life." We're gonna have to fight to get our country back, people. I mean physically fight.
Karen @ 20:
Are Bush's speechwriters allowed to post here?
Swashbuckler@17
That's my point. He wouldnt grasp that if he was delusional.
Bingo @ 4:
or maybe 'infantry'
FACT CHECK
The President Asserted Progress on Security and Political Issues. Recent Reports Weren't Often So Upbeat.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/13/AR200709...
Mike the Canuck @ 23:
There is a bumper sticker here that states "I love my Country, but fear my Government"
The Author of that speech should write fiction for a living........oh, wait, he IS a fiction writer........silly me.......
What is really sad is that it is hopeful that he is delusional. But in either case, the rest of the world holds you and me responsible. And that is what really matters.
He's reading a script. He's tired of the job and wants to get back to previous life which was not living in a ranch a few miles from Waco Texas.
The American Union moves forward . . . nukes are being shipped to the Navy for the strike on Iran . . . the illusion that we are the "good" nation lives on in the minds of the delusional sheeple.
Others monitor the blips on their screens aka "nest egg" and hope that this will all just hold together one more time..
Liberal Oasis sez:
(More links at site/on post.) Bluntly, that's what's what.
Mike the Canuck @ 23:
Several reasons:
1. His people managed to scare enough people into voting for him again. Fear is a very powerful motivator. So, is repeating the same thing over and over again - even when that thing is a lie.
2. We have a system that allows us to change Presidents every four years. If we had an election in 2006 for President I don't believe Bush would have won. Of course, I didn't think he could win in 2004 either so what do I know.
3. We have a Democratic Congress that has jelly instead of a spine.
It scares me too.
I can take a little solace in that I've always voted against him.
I always think every time Bush opens his mouth it's going to be his Worst.Speech.Ever.
props to Fred Kaplan
Poll here:
http://www.knoxviews.com/node/5894
Swashbuckler @ 17:
I think he wouldnt go there because he would not survive politically if he went in front of the congress himself. Faced with a panel of his political opponents, he would go to pieces so fast people would get hit by scrapnel. A non staged live event would be his doom politically.
Bush is being De Groovy!
-GSD
Lies, lies, lies yeah...they're gonna get you...lies lies lies yeah!
Greup @ 36:
Swashbuckler @ 32:
The "Help America Vote Act" ended all of that.
The Pols aren't afraid of us because they can hire "consultants" who can fix the elections. They are afraid of being exposed. Senator Craig was exposed to send a message to the other GOP representatives. This was not new information. The DC Madam recently exposed that the FBI was not so much interested in prosecuting her customers . . . they were trying to acquire her customer list.
Its about money and power. Its about extremely ego driven men trying to overcome their own mortality by assuming god-like powers. Its about easy the pain of knowing ones self. Its a self con as old as mankind.
Methinks KO should lay off Billo for at least one night and name Busholini WPITW!
I saw about 2 minutes of the speech last night. All I could come
away with thinking is how utterly pathetic of a joke the president is.
Anyone who saw this from any other country must surely look at us
Americans and shake their collective heads in dis-belief.
I certainly am one of them.
2 questions come to my mind:
1. Why was Petraeus so adamant in his opening remarks that those comments he was about to make were his and his alone? Were they written before or after he consulted with Bush?
2. Does anyone believe that whatever happens, that the surrounding Arab countries will leave in place an american puppet regime?
I'm voting for DELUSIONAL as it was the word I was screaming at my TV (although happily soaking in a bubble bath)! It's fascinating that it just doesn't matter anymore, though...according to our MSM paid for pundits and guests "BUSH IS WINNING" this one...it's all going his way...he's able to push this down the road to the next occupant of the oval office (not really caring WHO that might be) and for that the braindead supporters he has left, along with the sycophant press, will not become outraged enough about the lives, money, and focus being spent on what by no rights should even be called a WAR!!! Just when you think it can't get any worse...in my mind THAT will always be Bush's legacy...he's able to make the horrible 10X worse...
And, here's the kicker----no matter how horrendous and terrible his speech was I'll bet the lives of both my sons that he'll still get his money and anything else he wants from the dems! Any takers? C'mon, bet me....
GonzoD @ 13:
More like the rest of his life.
Just shrub and his beautiful mind.
And a straightjacket 24-7-365, 366 in leap years.
Dishonest, yes. Delusiomal, no. He has set his goals to fail, but will blame it on his succesor.
yet once again we find that the president and his propaganda machine is doing what they have done many times over the last too many years. PISSING ON OUR LEGS AND TELLING US IT IS RAINING.
and MSM is all too willing to give this master of all the sizzle without the steak overblown credit, headlines and praise for his spin, lies and deception. why did i not hear anyone in MSM mention that every report given by independent or government organizations states the complete opposite of the bush co assertions. WTF.
Where is Admiral Fallon? You all do know that he is Patreaus's boss dont you?
IMPEACH NOW, before this delusional asshole attacks Iran & starts WW III.
How does $ 7 for a gallon of gas grab ya?
Dr. Acula @ 38:
Don't forget 9/11 !!! 9/11 !!!! 9/11!!!!
George Bush's speech, the short version:
"I am not a crook."
We're safer than we've ever been, but don't forget that we are in grave danger.
I was watching the post speech show on MSNBC last night when one of the right wingers said that using comparing Vietnam to Iraq is an incorrect analogy because the Vietnam was within borders, etc. etc., yada, yada, yada!
But why then is using what happened in Korea and our continuing footprint there, not only a correct analogy but something we are going to model our plans on?
My fundie in-laws think GW is a great leader - probably because he has aligned himself with the religious right. His whole venture into public life has been a sham.
Who are the people that believe this garbage? Our country has become an embarassment.
It was intentionally deceptive. boosh's challenge goes out to the whole world: call me a liar! I double-dog dare ya! I'm the Prezident! You're not!
One of repugs' favorite impression is that we need to come together as a country. But the problem with their idea is that it means supporting the war. The few who speak out against the war like John Warner and Chuck Hagel will only walk up to the abyss, but refuse to jump over.
truthseeker @ 56:
bush claimed the 'who' is 30%. :lol:
ronhohn @ 58:
Notice how they're both retiring?
I'm a uniter, not a divider.
I don't believe in nation-building.
Mission Accomplished.
We don't torture.
We're safer, but not yet safe.
WMDs.
Yellow cake.
Mushroom cloud.
The surge is temporary.
I listen to my generals.
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo.
Mr. Bush is a puppet. It's the folks who pull his strings that we shold fear. He will be gone from the scene in a year - they will not.
where's my last comment?
http://www.impeachbush.org/site/PageServer
Let's try again...
I'm a uniter not a divider.
I don't believe in nation building.
WMDs.
Mushroom cloud.
Yellow cake.
Mission Accomplished.
The surge is temporary.
I listen to my generals.
We're making progress.
Liar in Chief.
He can and does say anything. He also can do anything he wants. Impeachment is off the table.
If Bush gets what he says he wants, i.e. a stable Iraqi government, will that government be able to ask the United States for George Bush to stand trial for crimes against humanity?
Patthemokey @ 65:
I don't see how this can be reconciled. They can't have a representative government and one that is allied with the United States of America.
The presNOT is demented. A pathological liar. Unfeeling. Uncaring.
I'm a uniter, not a divider.
I don't believe in nation building.
I'm a christian.
WMDs.
Yellow cake.
Imminent threat.
Slam dunk.
Mission accomplished.
The surge is temporary.
We're making progress.
We're safer but not yet safe.
Righto, Busholini.
You know what? I'm a novelist and you're giving "fiction" a bad name.
In an ideal world, if President Bush tried to publish his tripe, it wouldn't get past the slush pile.
But for some reason, people keep buying everything he utters.
It astounds me.
Delusional. No question. He's not got the intelligence it would require to be that deceitful. I mean he is a lying piece of shit but the retarded chimp seems to believe most of what his handlers tell him to say.
Which brings us back to the delusion.
I sincerely doubt he remembers what he's just said once he's finished
stumbling throughI mean reciting one of these propaganda slogan-fests.I also doubt he's been sober [no prescriptions/illegal drugs or alcohol] since 2003 so the delusions are enhanced.
I think we should chip in and send him a giant gift basket of pretzels.
GonzoD @ 13:
Rubber roon, indeed!
REQUEST TO NANCY PELOSI AND HARRY REID;
If you wont impeach chimpy on the grounds of starting an illegal OIL war, you certainly have grounds to impeach him because HE IS A FUCKING LUNATIC!!!
You are allowing a MANIAC to run this country; which he is running right into the ground. (definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. Sound familiar???!!)
GET OFF YOUR DUFFS AND IMPEACH THIS BATSHIT CRAZY BASTARD!!
Deceptive AND delusional.
He actually believes what he spouts, and he even tries to prevaricate when telling us about it.
Every newspaper I have seen today is running a wrap-up of his speech with column next to it titled "Fact Checking the Presidents Speech"
That is the closest the MSM is willing to come to saying. "He is lying to you."
It is really quite remarkable.
Greg
Cant chimpy be impeached on the grounds of complete and utter insanity?
I wonder how many people tuned in and watched it all the way through? I haven't even seen it yet. I knew it would be just another steaming plate of bullshit.
Karike @ 3:
Me neither.
The preznit gave a speech? snark
as for deceptive or delusional - perhaps both?
deceptilusional, or deluge-ineptive, if you will.
The bubble boy is nucking futs...probably the affects of too much alcohol and drugs.
Shoot, he's getting to the point where he even has trouble spitting out his usual propaganda. Stumbled several times, licks his lips, blinks furiously.
The Demos are doing what they always do. Outrage, outrage, no more lies ... waiting for the other shoe to drop and watch their newfound spine melt away.
kasinca @ 75:
Y'know, I do wonder sometimes if he's completely bonkers, just barely capable of being drugged up to be minimally functional. Karl Rove and the rest are bailing out because it's only a matter of time before Dick convinces George to order a nuke dropped on Tehran.
He's a front-man. The powers that be knew they needed someone psychopathic and stupid enough to keep trotting out and pushing lies over and over, no matter how insane they become. The scumbags made a good pick hiding behind bush.
MargeAggedon @ 69:
I think MargeAggedon absolutely correct on this. We all have to remember that GWB is just a mouth piece for a neo-con administration. Not even a very good mouth piece either. In fact I think it works out better for the true leaders of the neo-con admin to have an unthinking and unquestioning front man.
To get back to the point, this speech was carefully crafted by speech writers - not GW. To MargeAggedon's point, poor George likely doesn't understand or remember the over all message. He just reads line by line - and what a pain it must be for him. When the speech is over he is not the solemn man that we see before us but the obnoxious prankster flipping-off the camera.
What sickens me most about this speech is how it really uses our troops on the ground and Iraqi citizens as hostages in a larger political battle. It literally ties their lives to this policy. This is the same tactic used to get congress the grant the billions in funding. The message that any change in course will create chaos and death in Iraq and another 9/11 here and trivialize the lives lost in this battle. It is designed to use our troops, our children and the rest of the world as leverage against any expected tactics by congress to change course. The main message is, if we stay the course, the world will eventually be perfect. If we don't, WWIII.
What's fascinating is that either way, the administration wins. If we stay the course, our large presence in the Middle East will remain which will be a continued benefit to the oil barons and companies like Halliburton. If we leave Iraq, the expected humanitarian turmoil will ensue and will be used by the neo-republicans to when elections down the road - much like Bill Clinton's infidelity and honesty issue was.
Notice how they’re both retiring?
Yeah, I saw that, and they're retiring because they don't want to be in a party that will have a minority so small, any fuss they make will get them run over by the proverbial bus.
They will retire, enjoy their full salary pension and hit the lecture circuit for $30-50K per speech and talk major shyt about how Bush was the Worst.President.Ever, and that's the reason they retired.
I almost wished Hagel would go Indy and run for POTUS - it would have at least given me more viable options.
The presNOT is demented. A pathological liar. Unfeeling. Uncaring.
I’m a uniter, not a divider.
I don’t believe in nation building.
I’m a christian.
WMDs.
Yellow cake.
Imminent threat.
Slam dunk.
Mission accomplished.
The surge is temporary.
We’re making progress.
We’re safer but not yet safe.
Righto, Busholini.
_____________________________________________________________________
You forgot "We're kicking ass"...;-)
#40; "The Pols aren’t afraid of us because they can hire “consultants” who can fix the elections. They are afraid of being exposed. Senator Craig was exposed to send a message to the other GOP representatives. This was not new information. The DC Madam recently exposed that the FBI was not so much interested in prosecuting her customers . . . they were trying to acquire her customer list."
Ah, hell. Why didn't I see that before now? That makes perfect sense. Blackmail tactics could explain so much about this lay-down-and -let-'em-walk-on-us Dem Congress.
Demented.
The Political Junkie @ 86:
This just goes to show, boosh's mind is in the urinal.
From Media Matters: Fox the only broadcast network that did not air Democratic response to Bush speech.
if impeachment is off the table, how about using the 25th amendment to remove our obviously insane prez.
I'd have to say, a bit from column "A" and a bit from column "B" ;-)
But would like to add that I honestly believe that George W Bush, this Smirking fool of a man does have a real problem with reality.
Because of the fact that his entire life he has been surrounded by sycophants and people "rescuing him" from his almost constant failures. He is emotionally immature and his sense of reality is distorted.
This, is the man who is President of the United States.
A smirking fool who's sense of reality and wisdom is deeply flawed.
BTW, I don't want to see Bush impeached..
I want to see him INDICTED, ARRESTED and IMPRISONED for his Crimes against Humanity
Having watched the President’s speech last night, the first thing I did was to take an extra blood pressure pill. After that I looked up the text of the speech to review it. There are two main points concerning the speech that stick with me the most.
First, the main bombshell in last night’s speech was that the President finally put the lie to that "when they stand up, we'll stand down" bullshit line he's been feeding us these past few years. We’ve all heard him say it numerous times in public. It carried the implied truthiness that one day, our troops would be coming home, although of course, it didn’t give a clue as to when.
As recently as January 10th 2007, the night the President first announced the current “surge” in a speech to the nation, he said:
I've made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq's other leaders that America's commitment is not open-ended. If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people -- and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people. Now is the time to act. The Prime Minister understands this. Here is what he told his people just last week: "The Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/01/20070110-7.html
But last night, despite the Iraqi government completing only 3 of 18 agreed upon benchmarks, the President committed the US military to an indefinite stay in Iraq.
Paragraph 24 from the speech last night:
This vision for a reduced American presence also has the support of Iraqi leaders from all communities. At the same time, they understand that their success will require U.S. political, economic, and security engagement that extends beyond my presidency. These Iraqi leaders have asked for an enduring relationship with America. And we are ready to begin building that relationship -- in a way that protects our interests in the region and requires many fewer American troops.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070913-2.html
“Beyond my Presidency”. “Enduring Relationship”. In case the permanent military bases they’ve been building in Iraq haven’t convinced you, this is final proof that he intends to keep spilling American blood there for a long time to come. This of course, was always the plan.
The second point for me is how well President Bush articulated the exact anti-war message from late 2002.
Paragraph 27 from the speech last night:
If we were to be driven out of Iraq, extremists of all strains would be emboldened. Al Qaeda could gain new recruits and new sanctuaries. Iran would benefit from the chaos and would be encouraged in its efforts to gain nuclear weapons and dominate the region. Extremists could control a key part of the global energy supply. Iraq could face a humanitarian nightmare. Democracy movements would be violently reversed. We would leave our children to face a far more dangerous world. And as we saw on September the 11th, 2001, those dangers can reach our cities and kill our people.
Now, I’d like to take you, me and that paragraph back to December 2002. I’m going to replace the first nine word phrase with a different one. Let’s see what we get.
If we were to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein, extremists of all strains would be emboldened. Al Qaeda could gain new recruits and new sanctuaries. Iran would benefit from the chaos and would be encouraged in its efforts to gain nuclear weapons and dominate the region. Extremists could control a key part of the global energy supply. Iraq could face a humanitarian nightmare. Democracy movements would be violently reversed. We would leave our children to face a far more dangerous world. And as we saw on September the 11th, 2001, those dangers can reach our cities and kill our people.
That is the bulk of what the anti-war crowd was trying to say in 2002, that is, while trying to shout over being called gutless, anti-American, Saddam loving traitors.
One thing is for sure. George Bush is NOT going to stop. He will continue our disaster in Iraq and he WILL invade Iran. The ONLY chance of stopping it now is the Congress. I have called today and will this weekend type and PRINT OUT an actual letter to my Congressman and both my Senators. I don’t care that 2 out of 3 of these men are Republicans in my case. They are going to hear from me.
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