Um, has anyone ever read this??? (Novak in 2003)

[Bouncy Ball]

http://www.aaiusa.org/news/must_read03_6_03.htm

Playing Texas Poker, Bush Bets All on Iraq
By Robert Novak
Chicago Sun Times
March 6, 2003

A senior Bush official privately admits what his administration cannot declare publicly. The stagnant economy, a dagger aimed at the heart of George W. Bush's second term, will not immediately respond to the president's economic growth program. The economic engine will not be revived until the war against Saddam Hussein is launched and won.
Military victory is anticipated inside the Bush administration as the tonic that will prompt corporation officers and private investors to unleash the American economy's dormant power. Although it is impolitic to say so, the fact that the United States will be sitting on a new major oil supply will stimulate the domestic economy. That puts a high premium on quickly gaining control of Iraq's oil wells before they can be torched--a major uncertainty in an otherwise strictly scripted scenario.

''This is Texas poker, with the president putting everything on Iraq,'' a Republican senator (who thoroughly approves of this policy) told me. The extraordinary gamble by Bush leads to deepening apprehension by Republican politicians as they wait for the inevitable war. They consider the Democratic Party divided, drifting to the left and devoid of new ideas. Yet, Bush's re-election next year is threatened by two issues: the economy and the war on terrorism. Success on both is tied to war with Iraq.

(Then later in the article...)

On July 7, 1996, the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies issued a paper by six ''prominent opinion makers'' laying out ''a new vision for the U.S.-Israeli partnership'' that urged an end to ''land-for-peace'' concessions. Among many suggestions was to ''focus on removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq.''

(Perl, Feith, and Wurmser wrote that 1996 paper.)

Complete article at link, no registration required. In light of Novak saying recently that he thinks the US should pull out of Iraq (and inexplicably blaming our continued presence there on the MILITARY---who takes orders from the PENTAGON), I wanted to go back through the memory hole and see what Novak said about Iraq from the get-go.

(Oh and here's a link to that 1996 paper by Perl, Feith, et al: http://www.aaiusa.org/news/must_read_feith.htm)

[Bouncy Ball]

1. And I happened upon a little profile of Novak

here:

http://www.nndb.com/people/412/000023343/

And laughed out loud at the unexpected comment I found about him. See if you can spot it:

Born: 26-Feb-1931
Birthplace: Joliet, IL


Gender: Male
Religion: Roman Catholic
Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Columnist, Pundit

Level of fame: Somewhat
Executive summary: Conservative douchebag, outed Valerie Plame

Military service: US Army (1952-54)

[loro mi dicevano]

3. Unexpecte comment? Sexual orien- oh, nevermind.

I'm just so used to the conservative anti-gay nutcases being gay that it's my first reaction. ;)

[bloom]

2. That is interesting to read

what he says about that.

Naomi Klein wrote extensively about that in "Bahgdad - Year Zero" http://www.nologo.org/ but is creepy to hear Novak talk about it - "the president's economic growth program".

[paula777]

4. On Crossfire I remember Novak being very uneasy about the possible

war and said things like 'I know a lot of conservatives are just sick about this subject.' Not an exact quote, but close. I remember after it started he was okay with it all of a sudden.