The rogue president
By Michael J.W. Stickings
From the Post today:
With the notable exception of quasi-Democrat Joe Lieberman, Democrats don't like "the new way forward," but nor do Republicans like Chuck Hagel, Gordon Smith, Norm Coleman, and many others -- likely many who haven't come out publicly against it. Indeed, it seems that "[White House] aides now harbor no hope of winning over Democrats" and will "aim mainly to keep Republicans from abandoning [Bush] further". Bush doesn't even have his party behind him anymore.
So pathetic has Bush's leadership become. So ridiculous is his "new" strategy for Iraq.
Cheney, Hadley, and the rest of the spin machine will be all over the airwaves today, but this public relations push -- desperate spin in support of a desperate plan from a desperate president -- likely won't accomplish much. Even if the surge goes ahead, there won't be much support for it either from the public, which is overwhelmingly against it according to recent polls, or from the political class in Washington. Aside from the warmongers, and especially the militarily lustful neocons, there isn't much genuine support, and much of the support from Republicans seems to be either shamelessly partisan or certifiably insane.
But that's precisely why Democrats need to try to stop this now.
Bush may be a pathetic president, but he's still a dangerous one. He has no interest in compromise and he intends to escalate the Iraq War even without popular and political support. Which makes him a rogue president. And where will it end? After how many more lives have been lost? After how much more damage to America's credibilty and image both at home and around the world? After how much more weakening of American power? After how much more violence and chaos in the Middle East? After how many more disastrous wars have been launched?
The Iraq War has been grossly mismanaged -- a disaster of a lost war -- but even this White House response to the opposition to the surge shows just how far removed from reality Bush and the warmongers are. Did they not anticipate such opposition to the surge? Did they think there would suddenly be a great show of support for Bush after all that's gone wrong in Iraq thus far?
Apparently so.
Apparently they still don't get it.
From the Post today:
The bipartisan opposition to President Bush's troop-increase plan has proved more intense than his advisers hoped and has left them scrambling to find support, but the White House is banking on the assumption that it can execute its "new way forward" in Iraq before Congress can derail it.
The plan to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq was virtually guaranteed to provoke a furor in Washington, Bush advisers said, but the storm was exacerbated by the slow, leaky way that the White House reached a decision. The policy review stretched two months after the election and the essence of the plan became known long before Bush announced it, making it a political piñata for opponents.
With the notable exception of quasi-Democrat Joe Lieberman, Democrats don't like "the new way forward," but nor do Republicans like Chuck Hagel, Gordon Smith, Norm Coleman, and many others -- likely many who haven't come out publicly against it. Indeed, it seems that "[White House] aides now harbor no hope of winning over Democrats" and will "aim mainly to keep Republicans from abandoning [Bush] further". Bush doesn't even have his party behind him anymore.
So pathetic has Bush's leadership become. So ridiculous is his "new" strategy for Iraq.
Cheney, Hadley, and the rest of the spin machine will be all over the airwaves today, but this public relations push -- desperate spin in support of a desperate plan from a desperate president -- likely won't accomplish much. Even if the surge goes ahead, there won't be much support for it either from the public, which is overwhelmingly against it according to recent polls, or from the political class in Washington. Aside from the warmongers, and especially the militarily lustful neocons, there isn't much genuine support, and much of the support from Republicans seems to be either shamelessly partisan or certifiably insane.
But that's precisely why Democrats need to try to stop this now.
Bush may be a pathetic president, but he's still a dangerous one. He has no interest in compromise and he intends to escalate the Iraq War even without popular and political support. Which makes him a rogue president. And where will it end? After how many more lives have been lost? After how much more damage to America's credibilty and image both at home and around the world? After how much more weakening of American power? After how much more violence and chaos in the Middle East? After how many more disastrous wars have been launched?
The Iraq War has been grossly mismanaged -- a disaster of a lost war -- but even this White House response to the opposition to the surge shows just how far removed from reality Bush and the warmongers are. Did they not anticipate such opposition to the surge? Did they think there would suddenly be a great show of support for Bush after all that's gone wrong in Iraq thus far?
Apparently so.
Apparently they still don't get it.
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
7:29 AM
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