comment #1

MftM says ...

damn, you got me all psyched there for a moment

comment #2

George Prager says ...

He made us feel safe the way security guards make menopausal white women feel safe in office buildings.

comment #3

tholl-yung says ...

I'm sorry, why don't we like Maureen Dowd here at HE? She sounds great to me right now.

Finally, the truth is out about Georgina Prager.

comment #4

George Prager says ...

I prefer Georgia

comment #5

Walter Sobchak says ...

He should especially apologize for the endless string of terrorist attacks here in the U.S. since 9/11. Uh oh. I gotta go. My civil liberties are being violated again. When will it end!?

(I thought this was a move sight. Beltway-Elsewhere?)

D.Z., fire up that quote-response machine of yours.

comment #6

thasos says ...

Jeff, have you tried searching for yourself on wikipedia? I don't get it. It's funny though.

comment #7

buckzollo says ...

Life immitates art. George Bush is the horror version inverse of Chauncy Gardner.

comment #8

Larry says ...

Thanks for showing us yet another example of how Bush Derangement Syndrome is a scary thing.

comment #9

George Prager says ...

Here's Peggy Noonan. Hardly a Bush-hater:

"Americans have always been somewhat romantic about the meaning of our country, and the beacon it can be for the world, and what the Founders did. But they like the president to be the cool-eyed realist, the tough customer who understands harsh realities.

With Mr. Bush it is the people who are forced to be cool-eyed and realistic. He's the one who goes off on the toots. This is extremely irritating, and also unnatural. Actually it's weird."

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/

comment #10

rockne says ...

Hey, Walter Sabchak...(Sobchak?) who cares...
9/11 happened on Bush's watch, while he was on vacation...sure, they were planning during Clinton, but what better time to strike than with someone as stupid as that in the white house.
So, before you tout your boys track record, remember...the worst terrorist act in history happened while he was president...you ignorant fool.

comment #11

christian says ...

"He should especially apologize for the endless string of terrorist attacks here in the U.S. since 9/11."

at least apologize for sitting like a duck in a classroom for seven minutes while we suffered a terrorist attack under his watch.

that moment alone tells you everything you need to know about bush's bona fides as a terrorist fighter. and his iraq war has led to an increase in terrorism around the world.

comment #12

D.Z. says ...

Walter: "He should especially apologize for the endless string of terrorist attacks here in the U.S. since 9/11."

Yes, they're just happening to our troops who are being used as cannon fodder to steal Iraq's oil.

comment #13

Pelham123 says ...

Hating Bush, his administration and all of their nefarious and/or incompetent actions is not a form of "derangement", but one of good common sense.

comment #14

FunBobby says ...

Does anyone actually still believe that he never realized what he was doing from day 1? And by "He", I mean Karl Rove. Bush does what he's told, and this administration is the most evil incarnation of people to come along in awhile. They knew it would be like this. But they also know that Americans will all pretty much go along with it, since they're afraid. Afraid to lose their jobs. Afraid not to be able to feed their families.

They know how evil they are. And now that we do, they know we won't do anything about it. Because if we weren't this evil, someone else would be doing to us what we're doing to Baghdad.

Right?

comment #15

JapAdapters says ...

"He's the one who goes off on the toots. "

I thought he went to rehab for that.

comment #16

TL says ...

"He should especially apologize for the endless string of terrorist attacks here in the U.S. since 9/11."

I bet you'd be really grateful to a fireman who did a great job of keeping your house from catching on fire after it had already burned to the ground.

comment #17

Hickenlooper says ...

Ah yes, Maureen Dowd, that oracle of wisdom from the same newspaper that also advocated genocide in Iraq in last Sunday's editorials. I love the double standard. That kind of thinking suggests that Arabs don't deserve liberty and freedom, or they just don't understand it... I don't recall Roosevelt apologizing to the American people over D Day... "Sorry, folks we have no proof linking National Socialism with the Vichy government, maybe we should have put a hold on D Day, guys..." I've never seen a website filled with so many Neville Chamberlains... Maybe we should all have a Munich 1938 costume party...

comment #18

George Prager says ...

Iraqis aren't Arabs, they're Persians.

comment #19

Hickenlooper says ...

Actually, you are wrong. Iranians are Perisan. A majority of Iraqis are Arab.

comment #20

Hickenlooper says ...

So does this imaginary letter from George W. Bush written by Maureen Dowd based on an epistle by Zheng Xiayou make Ms. Dowd an imaginary Chinese Communist? Wouldn't surprise me if she was card carrying... I guess we like to forget about guys like Mao and Stalin and... oh yes, Hitler... (and please no more tiresome comparisons between Bush and Hitler)...

comment #21

MickTravis says ...

The only comparison more tiresome than Bush and Hitler is comparing the war in Iraq to World War II. That's crap and it's the kind of crap that usually comes from retired old men who sit around listening to talk radio and writing letters to editors all day.

comment #22

caslab says ...

You know, at some point, we should probably start talking about Afghanistan.

Maybe tomorrow?

comment #23

George Prager says ...

You're right. But it still doesn't make it right. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, Al-Qaeda is in Iraq because of the war, and even George Bush acknowledges this. We're fighting even more factions of terrorists because of the Iraq War, staying there is making things worse. Malicki just said that we can split, they'll take care of it. So why are we still there? As Sen. Jim Webb said, we won, so let's get out of there. When did Iraq become the 51st state? Now Holy Joe Lieberman has a boner for Iran. And the majority of the Iranian people like us. When will it end?

comment #24

D.Z. says ...

Hicken: "Ah yes, Maureen Dowd, that oracle of wisdom from the same newspaper that also advocated genocide in Iraq in last Sunday's editorials."

We seemed to be fine with genocide when Saddam was our buddy. What changed?

"That kind of thinking suggests that Arabs don't deserve liberty and freedom,"

Occupation does not=liberty and freedom.

"or they just don't understand it..."

Well it's kind of tough for them to get the hang of it after being stuck with our puppets for the
last 100 years. Considering our women have only had the vote for 80 years and black people have only had it for 40 years, we don't seem to quite get it, either.

"I don't recall Roosevelt apologizing to the American people over D Day..."

That's because he won D Day.

"I've never seen a website filled with so many Neville Chamberlains..."

Yes, a guy who thought of what was practical, given the economic, military, and political pressures on his government. What an idiot. We should all just attack someone stronger or smarter without thinking or listening to our own strategists. But hey, if you want to do that, feel free to enlist.

comment #25

George Prager says ...

This thread is officially done. Daniel Zeltin took a Barbecued Frit-Os enriched crap all over it. Time to move on.

comment #26

Hickenlooper says ...

I agree. I say we all have a beer and support the Angels who are tied with the Rangers in the 9th Inning. Let's leave the America bashing for those who think they'd be happier in Sweden.

comment #27

George Prager says ...

The Mets won so I'm happy.

comment #28

christian says ...

so acknowledgment of bush's massive corruption and dangerous incompetence equals america bashing, george?

have you noted how many republicans have suddenly been stricken with bsd? noonan's been protecting li'l bush for years like most of the hypocritical repubs who now want to redeploy -- i mean, cut and run.

game over.

comment #29

parttimesaint says ...

Does anyone believe Osama Bin Laden is still alive? Especially after that video of him released yesterday used old footage.

And can someone quote me (with a link) where Bush tied Iraq to Al Qaeda as a justification for the war?

comment #30

christian says ...

“The same folks that are bombing innocent people in Iraq,” he said, “were the ones who attacked us in America on September the 11th, and that’s why what happens in Iraq matters to the security here at home.”

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/13/2487/

bush justifies it all the time.

comment #31

Hickenlooper says ...

I seem to recall that the justification for the war was UN Resolution 1441. But everyone seems to have amnesia on that one. Everyone (particularly the media) also seems to have conveniently forgot that all ITEL worldwide (from MI-6, to the French, to the Germans, to the Russians, to Massad) all believed there were WMDs in Iraq. Anyway, this is old news and the staggering lack of resolve to give the war in Iraq more time depresses me, especially when three out of four provinces are secure and the Iraqi government met 10 of the 18 benchmarks satisfactorily to fairly (yes, lame but still not as bleak as Catie Couric would like you to think). Honestly, gentlemen and lady, we should really think hard and clear about jumping on the anti-Iraq populist bandwagon because, folks, the reality is -- this is not April 29, 1975 Saigon... And to pull out now would mean for worse to us in the long run... Iraq sucks. I agree. We should have never done it, frankly. But we're there. So let's be smart about it.

comment #32

Hickenlooper says ...

By the way, the Angels lost in the 11th. Now I'm really depressed. Have a nice day, boys, and put on that sunscreen.

comment #33

Griff says ...

In many ways, that very letter could be coming from the contrite soul (if they had a shred of decency) of the New York Times itself. "The people trusted us with an important position. We didn't live up to expectations. If only we had kept our promise to tell the truth, and not just the version we wanted you to hear. In our drive for ratings and prestige, we blew the cover on legal covert programs, making Osama and Al Qaeda stronger, and further endangering innocent civilians. We know our false claims about US military atrocities have emboldened our enemies, and reduced the will of the country to resist Islamic terror."

comment #34

SpinDozer says ...

'met 10 of the 18 benchmarks satisfactorily to fairly'

'a close look at the 25-page report reveals a far more dismal picture and a deliberately distorted assessment. The eight instances of "satisfactory" progress are not at all satisfactory by any reasonable measure—or, in some cases, they indicate a purely procedural advance. The eight "unsatisfactory" categories concern the central issues of Iraqi politics—the disputes that must be resolved if Iraq is to be a viable state and if the U.S. mission is to have the slightest chance of success...

Take Benchmark No. 1: "Forming a Constitutional Review Committee and then completing the constitutional review." The report admits that Iraq's "political blocs still need to reach an accommodation on these difficult political issues." (The report neglects to point out that many of the Sunni blocs are boycotting the parliament.) And yet it declares that the Iraqi government has made "satisfactory progress" because the constitutional review is "now underway."

Or Benchmark No. 9: "Providing three trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad operations." The report admits, "Manning levels for deploying units continues to be of concern." The report doesn't explain what this means—namely, that Iraq's brigades have only 50 percent to 75 percent of their soldiers. And yet it concludes that the Iraqi government has made "satisfactory progress" because it "has provided" the brigades.

Then there's Benchmark No. 12: "Ensuring that … the Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of sectarian or political affiliation." The report admits this task "remains a significant challenge" in "some parts of Baghdad." However, it claims "satisfactory progress" because U.S. commanders report "overall satisfaction with their ability to target any and all extremist groups" and because U.S. diplomats, in their talks with Iraqi officials, "continue to stress the importance" of the topic.

The good mark for Benchmark No. 17 is particularly dubious: "Allocating and spending $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis." The report admits that the Iraqi government has spent only 22 percent of its capital budget, that "it remains unclear" whether the oil ministry has "made any real effort" to spend its share of the funds, that it's hard to track the budget, and that the effects of new spending are felt "unevenly." Still, it claims "satisfactory progress" because some of the revenue is dribbling into the economy.

The other four "satisfactory" grades concern purely procedural matters. They assess legislation on "procedures to form semi-autonomous regions" (not on whether the regions have been formed); "establishing … political, media, economic, and service committees in support of the Baghdad Security Plan" (not whether their support has been effective); "establishing … joint security stations in neighborhoods across Baghdad" (not whether they're effective, either); and "ensuring that the rights of minority political parties in the Iraqi legislature are protected" (not in Iraqi society).

The report card was rigged from the outset by how the White House defined "satisfactory."

Now get out there and feel good about yourself you crazee mixed up kid! BTW, you're seriously effed-up on the rest of your oped as well, but that'll hafta wait.

Slate.com

comment #35

le corbeau says ...

Bill Kristol's piece in the WaPo today is fun contrarian reading. At least, the apoplexy it will induce meets my definition of fun.

comment #36

shanana says ...

It is funny that you would mention Resolution 1441, Christian. As I recall, China, Russia and France were going to veto the resolution until the Bush administration put lifting the sanctions against Iraq on the table. Remember freedom fries and hating the French? I guess it's the media's fault you don't remember that. Perhaps you had amnesia when the IAEA was refuting every assertion made by the Bush administration about Iraq, starting with the fuzzy photo that Bush and Blair pulled out from Blairs dossier on Iraq during Bush's world tour to drum up support for invading Iraq back in late May and early June of 2002. Blair and Bush claimed it was a facility being used to develop nuclear weapons. In early December of that same year, Inspectors on the ground in Iraq said the facility had not been used since the U.S. bombed it during the Gulf War.
Or perhaps it is perfectly reasonable for you to believe that it only took this adminstration one week to read the 10,000 pages submitted by the Iraqi government regarding all their WMD stockpiles. Perhaps you, yourself, had read through ten telephone books or bibles in a week. Maybe you also believe in the tooth fairy, and Santa Claus as well, which I wouldn't doubt seeing how you believe in the "liberal" bias of the media. Everything you have mentioned is just bullshit rhetoric spouted by neo-cons and their pundits. If there is anything the New York Times should apologize for is allowing Judith Miller to publish articles that were being fed to her directly from the administration during the build-up to the war. I'm sure you don't remember that one or the scandal that followed after it was discovered. Perhaps the New York Times should apologize for publishing an essay written by Condoleeza Rice entitled, "Why We Know Iraq has Weapons of Mass Destruction" which came out in December of 2002.
Let us be perfectly clear, some of us remember all to well HOW this war started, while others (namely you) now believe we invaded to spread freedom and democracy. A convenient excuse considering there were NO weapons of mass destruction. Or perhaps I have it wrong and the weapons inspectors were looking for freedom and democracy all along?

comment #37

Hickenlooper says ...

They said Ronald Reagan was evil too.

comment #38

le corbeau says ...

General comment, not directed at anyone in particular:

Brevity is the soul of wit.

comment #39

D.Z. says ...

Hickenlooper: "I seem to recall that the justification for the war was UN Resolution 1441. But everyone seems to have amnesia on that one."

Last time, I checked, it didn't explicitly state war. In addition, there was no evidence to enforce the resolution, so your argument is moot. But it's funny to see conservatives use the organization to justify intervention while choosing to ignore and criticize them.

"Everyone (particularly the media) also seems to have conveniently forgot that all ITEL worldwide (from MI-6, to the French, to the Germans, to the Russians, to Massad) all believed there were WMDs in Iraq."

But the inspections proved them wrong.

"Anyway, this is old news and the staggering lack of resolve to give the war in Iraq more time depresses me,"

You've had four years. FDR was already making the Japanese cry uncle by that time.

"especially when three out of four provinces are secure"

Too bad they're not the major provinces.

"and the Iraqi government met 10 of the 18 benchmarks satisfactorily to fairly"

So after billions of dollars spent, they've only achieved ok scores? If this was our education system, you'd be demanding we slash funding immediately.

"we should really think hard and clear about jumping on the anti-Iraq populist bandwagon because, because, folks, the reality is -- this is not April 29, 1975 Saigon..."

You mean a country which became an economic power that Bush wants to renew trade relations with, and didn't end up spreading communism? Yeah, peace and prosperity are dangerous.

shanana: "It is funny that you would mention Resolution 1441, Christian."

comment #40

tholl-yung says ...

George, why aren't you celebrating? It's two days til Factory Girl. Stu Vanairsdale is giving me one; can't wait.

comment #41

shanana says ...

Sorry about that Christian. I meant Hickenlooper.

comment #42

christian says ...

shahana, you're refering to george.

"Everyone (particularly the media) also seems to have conveniently forgot that all ITEL worldwide (from MI-6, to the French, to the Germans, to the Russians, to Massad) all believed there were WMDs in Iraq."

everyone but the rest of us. including the french who had freedom fries for lunch. you should move on to new old talking points.

sorry about the game.

comment #43

christian says ...

"Bill Kristol's piece in the WaPo today is fun contrarian reading. At least, the apoplexy it will induce meets my definition of fun."

the fact wapo gives this neo-con freak vampire public space is proof there is no liberal bias in the media. this human weasel has been WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING but he drones on. he's the last gasp of the PNAC big brains who long ago decided that iraq would have to be taken over and they were the corporatists to do it.

but enjoy the sound of slurping blood mgmax!

comment #44

JapAdapters says ...

"They said Ronald Reagan was evil too."

And they were right.

comment #45

BurmaShave says ...

There you go again.

comment #46

T. S. Idiot says ...

Anyone know why Junior and Senior Bush didn't attend Ladybird's funeral? Lack of class have anything to do with it?

comment #47

Sweetbubba says ...

"the fact NYT gives this far left-wing freak vampire public space is proof there is rampant liberal bias in the media. this human weasel has been WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING but she drones on. she's the last gasp of the moonbats who long ago decided that we were in iraq to take it over and the evil corporatey-corporatists are doing it."

Fixed Christian's post.

comment #48

Dave Polands Gut says ...

Yeah, lets not go after and hunt and kill the enemy that has declared war on us. Let us retreat and hope and pray they don't want to keep killing us.

Makes sense.