Already Trying to Rewrite History
The Bush administration is ranked by historians as the worst ever in U.S. history, and they still have 423 days left in office. What to do? Try to rewrite history, of course.
In a cozy Air Force One interview with sycophant/columnist Kathleen Parker, President Bush made some interesting counter-factual claims:
- “[W]e’ve got to support these military commanders, support their decisions…” In reality, Bush bypassed or fired generals right and left until he found some who wouldn’t dare tell him his Iraq plans were doomed to fail.
- ”It’s real important for the president to not be making moves based upon political calendars,” Bush told Parker. In reality, Bush insisted on scheduling a key vote on war with Iraq right before the 2002 congressional elections to put pressure on Democrats. He also postponed the bloody attack on Fallujah until just after the 2004 election.
- Bush told Parker that getting bin Laden is still important, and hopes he will be captured in 2008. In reality, in March 2002 Bush said that bin Laden was “not our priority” and “I am truly not that concerned about him.” In 2005, the CIA unit tasked with finding bin Laden was disbanded.
- Bush enthusiastically told Parker his vision of endless war, secret government and executive powers unchecked by any law, one he hopes his successor will share:
”I really view this as a first chapter of a long struggle - not the only chapter, not the last chapter, but the first chapter. And I’ve told our people, we’re going to write it . . . so that the next president will have an easier task of dealing with the threats. And that’s why it’s so important that we get the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) issue right, and that’s why it’s so important to get the detainee issue right, because presidents are going to need the information that comes from those programs in order to defend the homeland.”
Has nobody told Bush that they never got any valuable terrorist intelligence from illegal domestic electronic surveillance or from depriving detainees (some were U.S. citizens) of their human rights? By violating our own Bill of Rights and depriving prisoners of the right of habeas corpus, by condoning torture in violation of the Geneva Conventions, Bush has helped incite worldwide hatred of America. Of the few alleged terrorists the U.S. government has been able to find, almost all were caught through tips and FBI sting operations. Al Qaeda leaders don’t use phones or e-mail.
On a related note, Karl Rove now claims that he was opposed to politicizing the congressional vote on the invasion of Iraq by holding it just weeks before the 2002 elections.
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:32 pm
Further confirmation of what we’ve known all along: this whole nightmare was a half-baked scheme by neo-cons to achieve a nebulous political end while Job 1 was feeding the military-industrial complex. Bush has no idea what he’s doing. If he did, he would’ve remembered Vietnam- that war he successfully avoided fighting. Instead, he’s gotten to relive it but, as usual, from a safe distance.
November 24th, 2007 at 9:59 am
No no no no no (puting hands over ears) I can’t handle the truth.
November 24th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Here’s the way to rewrite history. I had this idea a long time ago and don’t think it’s at all silly. Bush was never actually the president and hasn’t passed any legislation that has helped anyone.
November 24th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
I’m beginning to look forward to looking back at the good old days that were the bush two era. In other words, I think old rove’s blowing smoke again. May he rot in hell with his clique.
I’m gonna rewrite a little history for the sheep out there: Gas is $12 a barrel, there is a multi-billion$ surplus and the US supreme court defers to the Florida supreme court justices in the election decision.
Kucinich for Prez!
November 25th, 2007 at 12:28 am
Oops, I cleaned out my cookie jar and became anonymous.
November 25th, 2007 at 10:21 am
No cookie for anony-mouse!