Most misleading two sentences of Bush's presidency

Last night, President Bush tried to get his nationwide audience to believe that the mission in Iraq is about to enter a brand new phase:

???‚¬?“Yet those of us who believe success in Iraq is essential to oursecurity, and those who believe we should bring our troops home, havebeen at odds.  Now, because of the measure of success we are seeing inIraq, we can begin seeing troops come home.???‚¬??

I would not be surprised if by the end of Bush's presidency this quote goes down as the most misleading statement of the last eight years.  In those two sentences lies George W. Bush's free ticket to pass this crisis on to the next commander-in-chief.  Even after next summer, troop levels will be no lower than 130,000 -- same as in 2006, a year in which more than 800 young men and women lost their lives.

The troop surge has simply exhausted the military of its reserves.  The Army is so overstretched that the NAVY is now training in infantry tactics.  There are no more troops to send.  That is why Bush is drawing down forces by 30,000 next summer, including 5,700 by the end of this year -- but not because we are winning.  If we were winning, there would not be 1,000 attacks per day, as there are now.

In the coming weeks, the President will ask Congress for more war money.  This is where Congress ought to put its foot down.  No money unless it is tied to a bill that safely redeploys all of our soldiers out of Iraq, and eliminates the possibility of future bases inside the country.  Unless we change course now, at least another $150 billion will be spent before Bush leaves office, and more thereafter when the next president, hopefully a Democrat, pulls them out.

Please call your Senators and House Representative in your district.  Tell them not to spend another dime on this war unless it is tied to a rapid withdrawal plan.

Comments

[Ted K.]

I called my Senator and Rep and told the the EXACT OPPOSITE.

This is a Terrorist war we are fighting and YES it is going to be given to the next Pres..what, you think this kind of war is just going to be over and done with right away?
Hell we had troops in Germany LONG LONG LONG after WWII was over and done with.
And that was a country we were fighting, not some crazy crack pot terrorist branch of a religious sect.

Grow some cashews..and tell your Libby congress Rep or Senator to do the same.

[Chief Editor: Todd]

Ted, this is a different kind of war! This is not World War II. What we are dealing with is counter-insurgency. And quite frankly, Americans were not told before the war that this was going to happen. The Administration originally said it would take weeks, not months to secure the country. And guess what? It has taken more than four years, and we still aren't there.

Also, what terrorists are you talking about? Al Qaeda? Or the Sunni groups we are arming against them? As Bush has been bragging about, and rightly so, those Sunni militia groups have turned against al Qaeda. They are dealing with them for us. We are not surging in Al Anbar! The only legitimate surge in that area of the country was last year. Also, the Administration needs to stop blurring the difference between political and military progress.

[Ted K.]

Todd I agree that this is a different war.
THAT was my point in saying this kind of war is not so cut and dried.

For the most part most military did not think that this would have happened, nobody can forsee what a War will bring. I'm sure many Germans did not know that a Holocaust would happen and would not have backed their war efforts had they known.
Many experts didn't think that things would go as they did in Viet Nam.
Which could have been won if fought correctly.

The terrorists to which I am referring are all terrorists that wish to see Western civilizations ended unless they convert to Islam. Al Qaeda, sure they are in that mix. I seem to recall Spain, Germany, Italy, France, being hit by terrorists, and they were against any action in Iraq.
No westernized country is safe from ISLAMOFACISM.

In regards to military progress..I find it incredible that Dems cannot accept that we have had progress in Iraq. Totally trying to discount the report by Petraeus(sp?) even before his testimony.
You may hate Bush, but come on, accept what the commander with the counter insurgency background is putting forth with facts.

And what was with that MoveOn.Org ad?

[Tony]

Ted K, glad to see you're back! (seriously). Thought something may have happened...NOW let the warring begin! (j/k)

Tony

[granny]

Well, Pals : Todd and Tony,
I'm having trouble finding the word I want, but whatever it is that enables you two to embrace the "reappearance" of Ted K with such gentle benevolence is admirable in my book!

Bravo.

Here's my take:

???‚¬?“This is a Terrorist war we are fighting???‚¬??=BUZZ!

???‚¬?“For the most part most military did not think that this would have happened???‚¬?¦???‚¬??= BUZZ!,

???‚¬?“???‚¬?¦ accept what the commander with the counter insurgency background is putting forth with facts.???‚¬?? = BUZZ!

???‚¬?“???‚¬?¦you think this kind of war is just going to be over and done with right away????‚¬?? = Certainly what our illustrious decider told us!
But we've learned a thing or two about "accepting???‚¬?? on good faith since then.

???‚¬?“And what was with that MoveOn.Org ad???‚¬??= Hello? Where???‚¬?„?s that fit in this outpouring of reasoned dialogue?

I say, more power to you, you two. I'm delighted you're out there!