LAT: Bush's Tilt to U.N. Shifts Iraq (campaign) Debate

[DeepModem Mom]

Bush's Tilt to U.N. Shifts Iraq Debate
The president's switch rattles allies and blurs the contrast between himself and Kerry.

By Ronald Brownstein, Times Staff Writer


WASHINGTON — President Bush's increasing reliance on the United Nations in Iraq is unsettling some of his political allies, but blunting Sen. John F. Kerry's main argument against the administration's strategy for restoring stability there.

In the last week, Bush has scrambled the American debate over the occupation of Iraq by declaring that he will defer to U.N. special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on the selection of the Iraqi government that will assume power after June 30.

Bush had long resisted a major role for the U.N. in Iraq. His new move has blurred the contrast between him and the Massachusetts senator, who has insisted for months that the United States would not attract more military and financial support in Iraq unless it ceded the international community more control over development of the new Iraqi government.

Kerry and his advisors insist that Bush still has not done enough to share authority in Iraq, but some Democrats acknowledge that his shift may make it tougher for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee to distinguish his approach from the administration's....


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/complete/la-na-poliraq21apr21,1,5096073.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[acmavm]

1. Now how exactly does this blur the line between him and Kerry? We are

talking seriously about a draft to keep fighting the endless war. And anyway, what the hell, bush* was told to go to the UN in the beginning, which the phoney bastard did but not with any real conviction of asking for help or approval for attacking Iraq. Do people now see him and his administration's crawling back on the bellies and being some altruistic, caring, worthy act? What the hell, forget about Al Quaeda, it's time to figure out what they're spiking our drinking water with. Bush will drop the UN like a hot potato once he's elected, or reappointed, or whatever.

[Cooley Hurd]

2. Good morning DeepModemMom

There's an existing Late Breaking News thread on this topic. Please continue the discussion here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x500659

Thanks! :hi: