Bush: "There's a lot of constituencies in this fight . . ."

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Bush at press conference: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070712-5.html


"I can fully understand why people are tired of the war. there's a lot of constituencies in this fight -- a lot of people don't think we can win. -- And there's a lot of constituencies in this fight -- clearly the American people, who are paying for this, is the major constituency."

'USA Today/Gallup Poll: Support for Iraq War at Record Low' -- The survey, conducted last Friday through Sunday, found that only 1 in 5 Americans says the increase in U.S. forces in Iraq since January has made the situation there better. Half say it has not made a difference. More than 7 in 10 polled said they were in favor of removing nearly all U.S. troops from Iraq by April 2008. -- Slightly more than half (55%) of those polled by the newspaper and Gallup say Congress should hold off on developing a new policy on Iraq until Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, delivers a promised assessment in September -- but 40% say Congress should act sooner . . .


"A second constituency is the military. And I repeat to you, I'm pretty confident our military do not want their Commander-in-Chief making political decisions about their future."

'Even as Loved Ones Fight On, War Doubts Arise' -- Among military members and their immediate families who responded to a national New York Times/CBS News poll in May, two-thirds said things were going badly, compared with just over half, about 53 percent, a year ago. Fewer than half of the families and military members said the United States did the right thing in invading Iraq. A year ago more than half held that view, according to the a similar poll taken last July. The May poll had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 7 percentage points . . .


"A third constituency that matters to me a lot is military families. These are good folks who are making huge sacrifices, and they support their loved ones. And I don't think they want their Commander-in-Chief making decisions based upon popularity."

'Even as Loved Ones Fight On, War Doubts Arise' -- -- Recruiting efforts are suffering. Despite granting more waivers for recruits with criminal backgrounds, offering larger cash bonuses, loosening age and weight restrictions, and accepting more high school dropouts, the Army said it had missed its recruiting targets in May and June. Pentagon officials say resistance from families is a major recruiting obstacle. Membership is also increasing among antiwar groups that represent the active military and veterans. Military Families Speak Out, one such group, which was started in the fall of 2002, now has about 3,500 member families. About 500 of them have joined since January . . .


"Another constituency group that is important for me to talk to is the Iraqis."

'Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki says U.S Troops can leave when they want' -- On the subject of the Iraqi military Al-Maliki expressed his believe that his military could conduct military operations without U.S forces and that "U.S Troops could leave anytime they wanted" saying if necessary Iraqi police and soldiers would replace the U.S troops on the front lines . . .


"And, finally, another constituency is the enemy, who are wondering whether or not America has got the resolve and the determination to stay after them."

'Al-Qaeda Is More Capable of Attacking West, US Report Says' -- Bin Laden's network is resurgent in the tribal areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan, the document entitled ``Al-Qaeda: Better Positioned to Strike the West,'' concludes. The region has become a haven for the organization to reconstitute itself after being routed by U.S. forces in Afghanistan in 2001. -- Al-Qaeda retains capable planners and is seeking personnel with western European connections and documents, such as passports, to carry out attacks, the official said . . .


http://journals.democraticunderground.com/bigtree

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. What an obfuscating fuck up!

STFU, McFuckwad!


:grr: :mad:

ITMFsA!

:grr: :mad:

No need for hearings or investigations. The truth is already out!

All of their lies and deceit have been recorded, revealed and unraveled on videotape.


(From DU's davidswanson)

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/24608

Why We Need More Investigations Like Cheney Needs More Power

Submitted by davidswanson on Thu, 2007-07-12 19:51. Evidence | Impeachment

Their crimes stand open on the table before us. Their lies about Iraqi ties to al Qaeda are on videotape and in writing, and they continue to make them to this day. Their claims about Iraqi weapons have been shown in every detail to have been, not mistakes, but lies. Their threats to Iran are on videotape. Bush being warned about Katrina and claiming he was not are on videotape. Bush lying about illegal spying and later confessing to it are on videotape. A federal court has ruled that spying to be a felony. The Supreme Court has ruled Bush and Cheney's system of detentions unconstitutional. Torture, openly advocated for by Bush and Cheney and their staffs, is documented by victims, witnesses, and public photographs. Torture was always illegal and has been repeatedly recriminalized under Bush and Cheney. Bush has reversed laws with signing statements. Those statements are posted on the White House website, and a GAO report found that with 30 percent of Bush's signing statements in which he announces his right to break laws, he has in fact proceeded to break those laws. For these and many other offenses, no investigation is needed because no better evidence is even conceivable. And rather than taking three months, the impeachment of Cheney or Bush could be completed in a day.

But the investigations that Congress has pursued at its glacial pace over the past six months, while thousands upon thousands died, have produced another impeachable offense, the refusal to comply with subpoenas. That is what President Richard Nixon did; and his refusal to comply with subpoenas constituted the offense cited in one of the three Articles of Impeachment approved by the House Judiciary Committee on July 27, 1974 as warranting "impeachment and trial, and removal from office."

Bush and Cheney are claiming executive privilege. Nixon also tried that one. It didn't work then; and it won't work now. Condoleezza Rice is claiming, with more frankness, that she's just not inclined to comply. Even Nancy Pelosi ought to understand by now that the removal of the threat of impeachment is what empowers the White House to ignore subpoenas, and that the threat of impeaching the White House for its stonewalling would break down the wall even before we reached impeachment.

[Captain Hilts]

2. He's clueless and his grammar is terrible. nt

[thereismore]

3. Iraqis are bush*'s constituency. WTH? They voted for him?? nt

[TwilightGardener]

4. LOL! He's sure the troops and their families don't want him to make

his decisions based on "popularity". As if the ones who bear the brunt of his policies are somehow so vastly different from the American people they serve. I'm pretty sure that the avoidance of being blown to smithereens in 130-degree heat in Iraq, for absolutely NO good reason, is actually a pretty popular concept among the troops and their families, Chimpy--but fortunately, they can rest assured that you don't give a damn about that.

[bigtree]

5. he and Lindsay Graham will speak for them though

Sen. Jim Webb said he could not stomach “politicians who try to put their political views into the mouths of soldiers”