"To begin now to tie our own hands - and to say 'We must do this if they don't do that' - doesn't allow us the flexibility and creativity that we need to move this forward."
- Condoleeza Rice, 4/29/2007, on Congress setting forth a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq; after the Bush administration's "flexibility and creativity" got us neck deep into a civil war in the first place
Congress is submitting a funding bill to Bush tomorrow that he is going to veto. Why? Because, despite lip service that he doesn't want to hamstring generals, he just doesn't want to admit he's wrong. No story there, really. We're used to him falling on his face and denying it. Bush as a complete utter moron and dangerous fool? Mission accomplished.
And apparently for Bush, the US is not as safe as Iraq is. Check this out:
"I think it -- I'm just envisioning what it would be like to be a young soldier in the middle of Iraq and realizing that politicians have all of the sudden made military determinations. And in my judgment, that would put a kid in harm's way, more so than he or she already is."
All this blustering despite the fact that much of the bill is dependent on guidelines Bush already authorized. Plus delaying the delivery of important mile resistant armored carriers for our troops.
Incidentally, the terrorists won't follow up home if we leave (audio from NPR).
And how is said war going George?
I'll let you in on some news since the president is known not to read the paper. Terrorism was up just over 29 percent last year, with 45% of those incidents in Iraq, which means that things are tough all over.
Our programs to help reconstruct Iraq? It ain't going well, as 7 out of 8 projects have either been destroyed or left to fall apart (audio story)
Since Bush is so worried about getting the troops their money, how about getting his friends with Pentagon contracts to pay the $7.7 BILLION dollars in back taxes they owe?
John Murtha pipes in on what Congress should do after Bush's veto.
Oh hey, we have been "interrogating" suspects sent to Ethiopian prisons. The concept just warms your heart when you consider the idea of CIA "interrogations" and "Ethiopian prison," doesn't it? If we haven't already destroyed the concept of the US as a benevolent society, this just be the killing blow.
Lastly on the subject, here is an essay by a brave US officer putting his career on the line to tell it like it is. He addresses the major problem of our military these days as a problem of leadership. You know, the generals that Bush keeps telling us to trust. The ones left after anyone who told Bush that his plans for Iraq were incomplete and incompetent were let go.
Frankly, if you skimmed this entry, go back and read that essay. The rest of it will soon pass. This problem will be with us for years to come.
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