(Video) GOP continues to change excuse for war

Friday on MSNBC, progressive commentator Bill Press shut down Bay Buchanan's excuse why U.S. troops should stay in Iraq, and hinted that it was about time the President kept his story straight about why we went there in the first place:

PRESS: I think we're hearing ..a new rationale -- and they keep inventing new reasons why we are in Iraq.  And they'll no longer of course they'll talk about WMD, right, that was a long time ago.  They don't even talk about planting democracy anymore.  Now we talk about .. (there) will be totally unrest in the entire region if the United States pulls out.  There is unrest in the entire region now because we're there.

Here are all the Iraq war excuses I can think of:

• WMD's
• 9/11, 9/11 -- and did I mention 9/11?
• Saddam was an evil guy.
• Democracy in one country leads to democracy in other countries, and pretty soon they all become free.
• Because I need to win reelection in '04 (wasn't said, but was implied).
• We fight them over there so we don't fight them here.
• Staying there will stabilize the region.

Did I leave anything out?

Comments

[Tony]

Wasn't it mentioned that we would be paying "more" for oil if we didn't do something? (along those lines)

[George]

Because 15 of the 19 9/11 terrorists were Iraqi nationals.

Because Saddam Hussein's government was basically in bed with Al Qaeda.

Because Bin Laden and his family were from Iraq!

Try to refute that!

[Tony]

was too lazy before to search (damn, that's pathetic!)

WaPo: Sunday, November 5, 2006  'Bush Says U.S. Pullout Would Let Iraq Radicals Use Oil as a Weapon'

As he barnstorms across the country campaigning for Republican candidates in Tuesday's elections, Bush has been citing oil as a reason to stay in Iraq. If the United States pulled its troops out prematurely and surrendered the country to insurgents, he warns audiences, it would effectively hand over Iraq's considerable petroleum reserves to terrorists who would use it as a weapon against other countries.

"You can imagine a world in which these extremists and radicals got control of energy resources," he said at a rally here Saturday for Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.). "And then you can imagine them saying, 'We're going to pull a bunch of oil off the market to run your price of oil up unless you do the following. And the following would be along the lines of, well, 'Retreat and let us continue to expand our dark vision.' "

Because I'm in an entertaining type mood, let me entertain you...The Right Wing News posted 'Debunking The War For Oil Theory' (not sure of the date). What is a mock interview for the purpose of a talking points memo  for the ever dwindling conservative  minority....

If you want to expose how little thought these people have put into this, just use the Socratic Method on them. I'm sure your conversation will sound something like this�

Anti-War Protestor: This is a war for oil! That's what this all about!

You: Why do you say that?

Anti-War Protestor: Because Iraq has oil and we want it! Bush and Cheney, they're oilmen!

You: So how does invading Iraq help us get their oil?

Anti-War Protestor: After we invade, we can just take it!

You: So you're saying we're going to invade Iraq and just take over their oil fields? Then we're never going to pay Iraq for their oil? That doesn't sound very likely�.

Anti-War Protestor: I'm not saying that�we will pay for the oil but�

You: But, we already pay for the oil. How is that different from what we're doing now?

Anti-War Protestor: We'll have all that oil under our control!

You: How will it be under our control?

Anti-War Protestor: Iraq's leader will be a puppet of the United States! They'll have to sell us oil!

You: But they already sell us oil. So why should we�

Anti-War Protestor: He tried to kill Bush's daddy! That's what this really about!

The 'war for oil theory' isn't a serious theory for people who pay attention to foreign policy. It's really nothing more than a bumper sticker slogan that through parrot-like repetition has managed to impress liberal partisans, people who don't like Bush, and those who don't really understand foreign policy.

 

[stan]

because he tried to kill my dad!