Barney hasn’t been much help (when last seen, he was busy pushing Christmas tree ornaments across the floor with his nose).
President Bush, according to Newsweek, is going to take longer than expected to get up to speed on the war in Iraq. Briefing the president has been limited to short 45-minute sessions that won’t “overload the president’s schedule,” starting with “a basic level of strategy” and gradually introducing him to various aspects of Iraq policy.
The good thing about this news is that for the first time the White House seems to understand that a glorified press release touting “victory” is not a plan.
“There’s a lot of consultations taking place,” [Bush] said. “And as I announced yesterday, I will be delivering my plans after a long deliberation—after steady deliberation. I’m not going to be rushed into making a difficult decision…”
It’s as if he’s learning the truth about the Iraq war for the first time.
While the announcement of Bush’s “new way forward” has been pushed back until after the New Year, events continue to overwhelm planning. The Saudi ambassador abruptly resigned and departed Washington as the kingdom announced support for the Sunni insurgents in Iraq. The Al-Maliki government in Baghdad is about to collapse. U.S. casualties continue to mount, while the Army and Marine Corps are badly overstretched. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, there are reports of a winter offensive by the Taliban.
UPDATE: While Bush tries to think of an Iraq strategy to go with his new slogan, apparently Karl Rove is trying to fight the Mahdi Army with robocalls. Really. I wish I were clever enough to make this stuff up, I could write for The Onion.
UPDATE: Still not getting it. “The president signaled Wednesday that neither the study group’s pessimistic assessment nor the bleak situation in Iraq nor the results of the midterm elections have shaken his belief that victory in Iraq is possible.”
#1 by Outraged [former] Repug - December 14th, 2006 at 22:26
Why has nobody inserted a round into the great fog of Bush’s brain yet?
#2 by Caveat - December 15th, 2006 at 07:22
I’ll attempt to be generous, Bush may have been kept in the dark somewhat, since presenting him with bad news about Iraq or Afgahnistan, would likely find a person reassigned to a lower post. Bush simply didn’t want to know, a full on attempt at plausible deniability. Dick Cheney, on the other hand, does not have that excuse. He is, perhaps more than Bush, responsible for all these messes, and though he may have been doing it all for us and the maintenance of our lifestyle, it is no less criminal. I’d have retired them both long ago, but the corporations ruled against me.
#3 by glenn - December 15th, 2006 at 09:14
Why has nobody inserted a round into the great fog of Bush’s brain yet?
bush is currently handled very much like the fuhrer was.
Nobody within a certain range of his personage is permitted a gun except for his secret service. People are cleared out of his way for miles to ensure safety as he travels. It must suck, and by now bush really is just along for the ride.
#4 by Caveat - December 16th, 2006 at 07:20
One thing I’ve noticed about this blog lately is the number of photos that show bush has more facial expression than the simple smirk. For this too, I take full and unsurrendering responsibility. Thankyou, Tom Delay.