Bush ready to rebound by pulling out

[dargondogon]

Fred Kaplan on Slate predicts that President Bush will beat the Democrats in 2006, starting Wednesday by announcing a pull-out from Iraq.

snip

The discombobulation begins Wednesday, when President George W. Bush is expected to proclaim, in a major speech at the U.S. Naval Academy, that the Iraqi security forces—which only a few months ago were said to have just one battalion capable of fighting on its own—have suddenly made uncanny progress in combat readiness. Expect soon after (if not during the speech itself) the thing that Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have, just this month, denounced as near-treason—a timetable for withdrawal of American troops.

snip

Kaplan says Democrats can't fight it and GOP in Congress won't either.

Jack Murtha had the right idea of calling for the exact pull-out preferred by the Pentagon before Bush could open his mouth. Dems should have been on that bandwagon so loud and forcefully that the GOP couldn't distort the cause with their lame pull-out-now-real-fast proposal.

So what is the remedy now? Proclaim the Iraq policy a failure loudly and continuously?

[Drum]

1. re: Bush ready to rebound by pulling out

My immediate first thought upon seeing your "headline" was wishing that George HW Bush had pulled out.

Ah well

[JuniperLea]

3. *rimshot*

:rofl:

[Borgnine]

10. re: *rimshot*

And MY immediate first thought upon seeing your subject line was seeing the word "rimjob," in relation with the topic of Poppy and Bab's sex life.

And so my brain needs bleach.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. Ya beat me to it.

[Luna_Chick]

32. That was my first thought, too

Would've saved us all a lot of bother. :cry:

[JuniperLea]

2. I'm pretty sure that is how it is

and I'm very sure, if in fact there is a withdrawal, and it all goes to hell as we know it will, the Dems will be blamed because they all jumped on the bandwagon and demanded an exit strategy. We can't win in policy, but hell, who cares if it saves a few of our kids' lives!

[onehandle]

4. Whatever.

Worst President and Congress Ever.

WE WILL BURY YOU!

[pat_k]

Them: cut and run -- Us: face the truth and take responsibility

Of course the PNACons* are scrabbling to cut and run. Doing the irresponsible thing is their standard operating procedure.

They want to cut and run.

We want to face the truth and take responsibility.

Responsible people are calling for our representatives to:

1) Face the Truth: Acknowledge we are now the problem and must get out of the way.

2) Take Responsibility: Commit reparations (to be paid when they have achieved certain conditions of stability).

It's time to acknowledge we can't fix what we broke and we need to get out of the way. The Iraqis must look to the international community to help them stabilize and rebuild their country.

We can't just get out of the way. We must take responsibility for the horrible mistakes by making a commitment to pay reparations when they have established a new nation (or separate states) with some level of respect for human rights.

* PNACons (pee na cons -- you know, the PNAC fascists taking a leak on the American people)

[DURHAM D]

5. The Dems screwed up again. They should have dug a hole

for the elephant to fall into last week. Instead, they hesitated and now they will be left throwing spitballs at its back end.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[Straight Shooter]

7. It may well be for the first time in his life, bush does the right thing.

But just wait, he'll find a way to screw this up, too. He always does.

[pat_k]

27. He's incapable. Won't get out of the way and commit reparations. Will cut

As I noted in my post above, I think they are incapable of doing the right thing.

They won't get out of the way and commit reparations (i.e., face the truth and take responsibility).

They will cut and run. They are irresponsible. They appear to be incapable of acting responsibly.

[Doctor_J]

12. Yup

this could've been the Dems last straw on Smirk's back. Instead Hil and JoeMentum took W's side, and most of the rest of waffled and hesitated, and now it's Smirk's issue.

We suck at this.

[blm]

13. Actually, the media dug that hole and they did it FOR Bush.

Kerry submitted a withdrawal plan, Murtha submitted a plan, Gen. Casey submitted a plan - one in the Senate, one Congress, one from a commander on the ground. All within 3 weeks - I doubt it's a coincidence.

But BushInc only attacked the plan they could spin into cut and run while remaining quiet about the other plans. Even quiet about Hagel's support for withdrawal which seemed to be in tandem with Kerry's plan.

Read this bit from Zogby wondering why the media kept quiet on the most detailed withdrawal plan....


http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/23309

>>>>>

Somewhere in the middle of this muddle are positions developed independently by two Senators: Republican Chuck Hagel, a possible 2008 Presidential aspirant, and Democrat John Kerry, the Democrat’s 2004 Presidential candidate. Both offer the same criticism of the Administration’s conduct of the war to date and argue that power alone without a sound political strategy will not ensure victory. Both then provide, in some detail, a plan to create a regional security arrangement to promote security and stability and enhance economic and political progress in Iraq and its environs. Building on the recently convened Arab League summit of Iraqi parties and Iraq’s neighbors, both call for the permanent establishment of a regional security umbrella conference that, in addition to Iraq’s parties and neighbors, also brings NATO, the World Bank, Russia, and relevant UN institutions to the table. Such a standing conference would be charged not only with assisting political reconciliation, but “helping to build and coordinate government institutions” and providing “improved security assistance programs” to Iraq’s fledgling military.

While this approach could be considered a thoughtful alternative, it has largely been ignored. The media failed to provide any significant coverage to Senator Hagel’s Council on Foreign Relations speech. Senator Kerry’s speech did receive one day’s coverage, but it focused more on his failure to articulate a position during his Presidential bid than on the substance of his proposal. Because the proposals offered by the two Senators can’t be reduced to a slogan and because they have been ignored by the White House, the press has largely ignored them as well.
>>>>>

[truthisfreedom]

38. NO! we did the right thing. here's what we do now... WE CLAIM VICTORY!

we say that we forced bush to change his position! we pre-empt his announcement wednesday with an announcement that bush has adopted Murtha's plan completely, and that we're proud that he's come around to the Democratic point of view on this, and responded to the will of the vast majority of the people of the United States, for whom we've been fighting VALIANTLY!

[OneTwentyoNine]

42. Screwed up?!?!? Shit,we're trying to SAVE LIVES...

Who gives a fuck on who earns the most points on this one? Every troop that comes home alive is one that COMES HOME ALIVE and isn't added to the list.I think people have enough common sense to know who wanted this to happen.

Dig a hole?!?!? What the hell do you call Iraq and this entire Bush inspired disaster??

[apnu]

6. If you really want to piss off the GOP base, do this:

Loudly proclaim yourself as a liberal and then congratulate Bush from the top of every mountain. Declare the pull-out as a victory for the peace movement and then hippie out on that point.

Nothing will fire up the base to hate Bush and all he touches if the liberals give him a good apple polishing for pulling out of Iraq.

[politicaholic]

That's funny...

I'll try that...until of course I puke from praising GW.

[The Doctor.]

20. Write to all the Liberals you can think of...

and have them do it too.

A few months of praise timed just right might take out his base.

[The Doctor.]

17. Ok... I really like it.

Turning that on it's head would be beautiful.

[dargondogon]

21. We hippies knew we could count on that draft dodger!

Like that?

[apnu]

41. Just like that! Brilliant! (nt)

[Sparkly]

25. BUT....

They'll blame the liberals for all the chaos BushCo leaves behind in Iraq.

They won't do the hard work of diplomacy, training, engagement in the region, international involvement etc. that Democrats have called for to create an exit -- they'll just leave.

First they'll say it's because it was such a great success, and the Iraqi government ASKED us to leave. (Thanks, Chalabi.)

Then, when it falls apart, they'll blame the liberals for putting too much pressure on the poor widdle white house.

That's basically what they did with Vietnam.

[Erika]

9. W can proclaim victory and pull out

We've seen it before in Vietnam.

[ProudDad]

39. Worked Great for Nixon

(cough -- Watergate)

[The Doctor.]

11. It is an empty gesture...

and it will be very successful.

He will announce a pullout due to "key indicators" of Iraqi stability. He will announce it in mid 2006. Republicans will ride the tide of "Mission achieved" to the polls.

Half a battalion will come home in 2007.
To be replaced by two more.

End of pullout.

[Doctor_J]

14. We should be all over every microphone in walking distance,

procaliming "We proposed a withdrawal 2 months ago, and Cheney called us traitors for that. Is he a traitor now too?"

We should, but we won't.

[The Doctor.]

24. Equally as amusing as praising Bush.

For every Democrat to turn around and say, "No! you cowards! we have to stay the course!"

[Doctor_J]

15. The Dem leadership will be falling over each other

trying to see who can congratulate Smirk the loudest.

We suck at this.

[babylonsister]

16. If that happens, it's okay by me. Let's get these people

out of Iraq, and then argue politics til the cows come home.

[bullimiami]

18. is he going to 'cut and run"? like a coward?

i thought he was going to 'stay the course'

hes done, stick a fork in the asshole.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

19. Hail this as a "we changed his mind."

Congratulate him on seeing things correctly - all the big liberals that Limbaugh and his ilk love to lampoon need to shout out that THEY convinced him to pull out. WE need to declare victory over Bush.

[CoffeeCat]

22. Interesting, but I'm not buying it....

Bush pulling out goes against EVERYTHING that everyone close to him has said.

The man believes he is doing the right thing. He doesn't give a rip about polls or what the people of Walla Walla or Cincinnati think about him. In fact, low polls probably make him dig his heels in further. The man is a sociopath and he won't be bowing to the pressure of us commoners.

However----I do believe that he might try some stunts to improve the Reps chances in 06 and 08. If Junior is going to do something--he will pull high-octane, publicity stunts that have no meaning. The man is all about the drama. He'll call a press conference to announce a drawing down of troops. However, we won't be out of Iraq. He'll give some lame time table and a withdrawal plan---which gives the appearance of the war ending in the not-too-distant future.

However--in the end--it won't happen. Junior will proclaim that a pull-out is in progress up until 06. Then, deadlines will come and go, but we'll still have a substantial presence in Iraq.

These bastards will look us in the face and declare, "We've won! We're beginning the retreat because the Iraqi army is so successful!"

Meanwhile--the Iraqi army won't be ready and we won't really be retreating.

They're a bunch of liars who will say and do whatever it takes to hold onto power--and continue their sick neocon agenda.

However, Bush will never end the war--due to political pressure from the "left."

[dargondogon]

36. Bush believes that whatever he does is God's will

If it's good for George, it's good for the world, because God wills it to be so. If withdrawing helps him put more Republicans in the White House, that is what God wants, so that is what George will do.

I don't believe, however, that George is a man of faith. He is just a guy looking for excuses for his almost supernatural ability to screw things up, and the only fitting explanation is that it's all God's fault, and Bush is merely carrying out God's will.

[OneTwentyoNine]

43. Yup,believe it when I see it.....

Of course his idea of troop withdrawl might be ten guys here and ten there--he can still claim troop withdrawl. We'll see.....

[rurallib]

23. I've been saying this would happen for a long time - but

We won't totally pull out. We will reposition troops to guard the oil fields and pipelines. First we get tons of contracts signed giving all the oil rights to US companies and rebuilding rights to US companies. Then we pull back to the oil fields and pipelines and back up the pathetic Iraqi army with massively increased air strikes.
Since this seems to illustrate that we are only there to steal the oil, the civil war goes into high gear with the Iranians joining in. Rebellion spreads across the region and we have us -- WW III.
Yep, if anyone can make it happen, Bush can.

[cliss]

31. I don't believe it either.

I think Bush will pull some kind of PR stunt, right before the mid-term elections in 2006. He'll being home lots of troops....not all of them, but enough to have a great big Victory Party. Champagne, confetti. Cheers and celebration.

Bush will stand at the podium, and wipe away some tears. He'll say, "Thank God, we got these fine young people home, out of harm's way JUST in the nick of time".

Then, right after the mid-term elections, he'll ship them back again. Just watch.

[David Dunham]

26. Kaplan is wrong. Bush will never pull lots of troops out of Iraq.

Bush wants to "win," not look like a loser.

[AX10]

28. Bush will slowly pull out 30,000 troops throughout the next year.

The appearance of a pull out will be used to prop up the GOP in the midterms.

[Orangepeel]

29. Proclaim that bush finally did what the left was demanding. We won.

If bush pulls out now, the left won, the Iraqi people won, the American people won and the world won.

The rememdy is to loudly proclaim that bush finally gave in and did what the left (including Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan) told him to do and we have Murtha to thank for it.

[LittleClarkie]

30. But what about "cut and run"? What about "mixed messages"?

What about "as long as it takes"?

What a waffle.

And, God forbid, what if he pulls out of Iraq, then waits til after 2006, and then invades SYRIA!?

[snowbear]

33. dargondogon.. when I first read your post title..

...I thought you meant by "HIM" (Bush) pulling out..

As in "siranora, see ya, I'm outta here, Crawford here I come"

Damn. I shouldn't have read past the title I guess.. :cry:

[sendero]

34. I don't believe this..

... but if it turns out to be correct, so much the better.

Iraq is a miserable failure, whether we pull out tomorrow, in 3 months or in 3 years. Pulling out, in and of itself, is not some kind of political triumph, and it will be very difficult for the Reps and the lapdog media to paint it as one.

I hope we do pull out, at least we will stop losing American and Iraqi lives needlessly.

[win_in_06]

35. He'll pull out and declare victory

[truthisfreedom]

37. and Iraq will descend into violent civil war. religious fanatics will take

control of the country. we'll never get a drop of oil out of Iraq again.

but our kids will be safe from this madman's freakazoid plan.

and the destabilization of the Mideast will be guaranteed.

[ProudDad]

40. Forget it

Get a Dem Congress and the hearings for impeaching bush and cheney begin.