Comments on: Kick the Can

By: The Mahablog » The White House Jive

The Mahablog » The White House Jive — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 20:07:45 +0000

[...] There’s not much else the White House can do to postpone the inevitable except kick the can down the road, and they hope they can keep kicking that can until January 2009. You might recall that less than a month ago the White House was talking about a “post-surge” strategy. And this “new” strategy, as explained by David Ignatius, sounded remarkably like the same shit that was in the old “Strategy for Victory” they trotted out in December 2005. And that strategy was just the same old talking points, warmed over, that they’d been repeating since, oh, about summer of 2003, as I recall. [...]

By: Swami

Swami — Tue, 22 May 2007 22:01:56 +0000

Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the House Republican leader, added, “Democrats have finally conceded defeat in their effort to include mandatory surrender dates in a funding bill for the troops, so forward progress has been made for the first time in this four-month process.”

By: Doug Hughes

Doug Hughes — Tue, 22 May 2007 21:49:42 +0000

This is classic Bush strategy. Tell people what (he thinks) they want to hear, while you continue to do what you want to do.

There is a simple counter. You link signing on to the ‘new” plan to specific troop withdrawls. “Mr. President, what a GREAT idea. Since the emphasis on trining up the army will require less involvement in combat operations, when can we draw down troop levels and by how much. We are certain you are sincere and will have no objection to committing to a phased redeplymnet.. That is the idea, right?”

When Bush hedges, you dig in your heels and ask how the new plan, which sounds like a phased withdrawl from combat in the civil war, differs frpm the old plan which is costing GIs and billions every week?”

We are playing the bigger asshole game, and we need to be agreeable to new plans which reflect the will of the people as expressed in the last election. Make it clear Bush, not Congress is the bigger asshole.

By: maha

maha — Tue, 22 May 2007 21:25:13 +0000

J. Wade — Bush will never agree to withdrawing troops no matter what General Petraeus says. I can’t imagine anyone who thinks otherwise. The point is not what Bush will do, but what Congress will do.

Congress does have the constitutional authority to step in and stop the war, if it chooses to, but a veto-proof (2/3) majority is required. We’re a long way away from that now. The rumor (and I’m not saying this will happen) is that a substantial number of Republicans in Congress will drop their support of the war in September if there isn’t a substantial improvement in the situation in Iraq by then. This may be making Bush nervous. I speculate that he’s sending out feelers for a possible new PR offensive to keep Republicans on the reservation.

By: J. Wade

J. Wade — Tue, 22 May 2007 19:58:13 +0000

Does anybody really believe that, when September comes, there will be some resolution of the Iraq war? Petraeus will, in my opinion, present an “appraisal” that will say, in effect, ” We have made some progress, and we are making progress every day. But there are still many problems that we must address”. Many in the press believe that September will be “The Answer”. How can they be so stupid?

In other words, does anyone believe he will give a one sided report–either way?? He will leave everything to the politicians–and then Bush and his cronies can say–”See, the General says we are making progress So, we must STAY and send more troops”
Do YOU really think that September will solve anything???If so, you are dreaming! Just wait and see..Another Bush promise/lie that drags it out while more young Americans die every day!

By: QrazyQat

QrazyQat — Tue, 22 May 2007 19:38:57 +0000

So if I get invited to a state dinner in this administration, are they going to serve leftovers there too?

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 22 May 2007 18:25:45 +0000

I think the Bushies need some mass marketing help from Protor and Gamble. They could put the old strategy in a new box labeled, “Train the Iraqis! Now with Blue Crystals!”

Dave