Rivoted by CNN, I couldn't believe my ears. President Bush uttered words that I never thought to hear from him. Not, "We're sending more troops to Iraq" or "The real enemy is Iran"...
Just in case you haven't seen it, he said, "As far as the mistakes that we have made, that responsibility lays on me." Throughout four years of war, not once has President Bush claimed responsibility for the mistakes made over there.
Throughout the rest of the speech, it was pretty nondescript. Most everything that he said had already been leaked and reported to the media. It was the aftermath that made me sad. Immediately after the speech, within 2 minutes there was the official democratic response. It wasn't a off the cuff response, but a prepared speech delivered at a podium. Does it not look bad to anyone else to have prepared a speech in response to a speech that you just heard, but since you are already so vehemently opposed to the president, you can have it made before you even listen to what he says?
I think that shows very little couth on the part of the democrats. Honestly, the plan seems in theory that it will work. But as I said earlier, it depends heavily on how free a hand we ive our troops, and whether or not Maliki follows through with his end of the program. Plans often seem like they are going to work.
It's sad that politicians on both sides always talk about bipartisanship to sound like they care, but in all reality they don't. Oh well, give me 20 years.
2 comments:
T. Mitchell
I have been reading your comments for some time now and I have agreed with your opinions for the most part. I read in one of your posts that the Iraq Study Group advised to increase troops as one option. Why would the emphasis put one pulling out and then contradict themselves. It seems that what was supposed to "Save" the U.S. was imediately forgotten. There was a good number of people from all political views that advised to pull out. That seems like it isn't even an option anymore.
(I posted a similar post in 'Blogging Baghdad') So my question is what is going on? Is Bush going to get his way? Can Congress even stop him? I am not an active anti-Bush but I am not a big supporter. I am on the fence, which is probably a bad position right now.
plz let me know what you think. You seem to stay on top of this better than most.
Joe D.
That's quite a compiment Joe, I appreciate it. From what I understand the Iraq Study Group said that there a few "resolutions" to iraq.
1.) A phased withdrawal of troops
2.) An increase in troop numbers for a short period of time, and then withdrawing
3.) Involving more Middle Eastern Countries in a diplomatic solution.
The Iraq Study Group said the same thing that everyone else has been saying from the beginning, and because it was 'bi-partisan' you got what the democrats and republicans were saying, just in as two points in one package. Really a waste of time. The most productive thing to come of it was they said what we are doing now wasn't working, again which was obvious.
My guess is that Bush will get his way to send additional troops, and that he won't be stopped by Congress for the same reason. And that is the fact that as Commander in Chief of the armed forces, it is the President's power to decide how he wages war once Congress authorizes him to do so. For them to try and strong arm him into not sending troops would be overstepping the checks and balances in place by our constitution.
Don't feel bad that you are on the fence, because a lot of people are. Most Americans (and Iraqis I might add) want to see Iraq free and democratic, but they are all unhappy with how we went about it, and I don't think very many Americans at all want to see what would happen if we completey left.
Honestly, the troop increase depends on Al-Maliki's willingness to be a true leader to his people. It will succeed or fail on his ability to moderate between the Sunna and Shi'a groups in the government. An enormous amount of that is going to be dealing with Al-Sadr, because if there is one name that strikes fear into the Sunna, it is his. They will never trust a government that continues to give him a free hand, nor woud I.
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