Bush is Putting the Election on the Line in Najaf

[sampsonblk]

If this thing goes well, it could alter the poll numbers in Bush's favor. If its a disaster, it could solidify in voters' minds (finally) that Bush has no damn clue.

But I'll say this for Bush: he has guts. He's putting it on the line tonight in Najaf. I wouldn't vote for the guy at gunpoint. But I do hope this unwise operation doesn't claim the lives of many of our countrymen.

*Support our troops, Vote for Kerry

[wtmusic]

1. Bush has no guts whatsoever

He's not putting shit on the line. He's fighting for his political life with the lives of his military.

[sampsonblk]

2. Well, yeah, but you know what I mean-nt

nt

[PsN2Wind]

4. Thanks for straightening the poster out

Worst case for Bush, he's retired with $200,000/yr plus all the bennies. Worst case for the troops, whose ass he is putting on the line, coming home in a body bag or horribly wounded.
I admire Bush for NOTHING.

[TrustingDog]

3. How can it not be a disaster?

Bush has guts? are you kidding me? Kids both american and iraqi have the guts, and they are spilling them for no reason other than $$$$.

Support our Oops.

[sampsonblk]

7. OK ok ok ....I should have been more clear

There is a difference between sitting in a office vs being on the firing line. We all know that. I mean guts as a gambler has guts. Not as a soldier. Of course there is a difference. I should have been more clear.

It is a political gamble for Bush. Yeah he won't lose a leg or anything. But I mean he is gambling that this will work out and quiet the situation before the GOP convention. If its a disaster - or if the 1000th soldier dies in Najaf soon - Bush may be finished.

[PsN2Wind]

9. Oh, you mean a gambler

one playing with someone elses chips. The man has virtually nothing invested in getting to where he is. Everything in his life has come because of his or more accurately his daddys name. He is putting nothing that he came by legitimately on the line.

[sampsonblk]

10. Well yeah...nt

nt

[loudsue]

15. LOL!! "Support our oops!! " ( What bush says to European allies)

:yourock: Good 'un!!

:kick:

[President Jesus]

5. wha????? He put the election on the line March 19, 2003

He is so far past "the line" it's laughable.

[DrWeird]

6. define...

"if this thing goes well"

[sampsonblk]

8. If Al-Sadr capitulates with few US deaths...

and if Al-Sistani comes back and does not raise holy hell, and if the mosque is not seriously damaged and if the situation becomes more stable after the operation. Then I say Bush benefits. If one of those goes wrong, I can easily see this becoming a political disaster for Bush - just when he needs a bounce pretty badly.

[DrWeird]

11. Oh, well sure.

And if Osama turns himself in, and if it creates a hundred thousands of new jobs, and if they find a cure for cancer in the cemetary that would be pretty good for Bush too.

[sampsonblk]

13. You have to agree that this is risky

There are a lot of things (as I listed) that can go really wrong in the next few days. And with the GOP convention coming up, that may take away from Bush's coverage and expected bounce.

I'm not hoping for our guys to die over there, but this could really put Bush in a bad way if it doesn't work out.

[NJCher]

14. bush says he expects no bounce

Master of the lowered expectation.

No, I don't think there will be any benefit to bush from this latest excursion. For one thing, it's part of an overall implosion that is only going to increase in Iraq. Perhaps you are not aware but the U.S. really controls very little of Iraq and Afghanistan. See Robert Fisk's latest article, published last week, on the real truth of what's going on.


Cher

[sampsonblk]

31. Speaking of lowered expectations...

I just heard on Fox that this isn't the REAL assault. So if they capture Al-Sadr, they will say it was a brilliant operation that achieved more than expected. If it flops, which its almost certain to do, then they can say it was never intended to solve the problem.

They are clever.

[loudsue]

16. "that may take away from Bush's coverage and expected bounce"

'skeeyoooz me??? The right wing media will make damned sure NOTHING takes away from bush's coverage, and they will declare an expected bounce, whether it happens or not.

The media could care less how many soldiers are getting killed in Iraq.

I mean... Iraq is soooo "mission accomplished"! If you haven't gotten the memo YET, you'll surely get it the week of the convention!

And....I also agree 100% that, at least eventually, this war is going to bite him in the boxers.

:kick:

[sampsonblk]

32. I hope you're wrong

but I wouldn't bet against you. I am hoping that this time, the media will be more wary of the Bush spin. If this turns into a bloodbath, dammit I expect real news coverage. But, as you point out, they didn't do it before. So why should I expect it now? Maybe things have changed. I hope so.

[NewJeffCT]

21. A lot of ifs... but

If they get Al-Sadr and destroy the mosque in the process, most Americans won't care (I think the CNN poll yesterday had 75% thinking it was okay to destroy holy territory to get him) Fox & CNN will spin it that Bush will do whatever it takes to get his man, and they'll promise to rebuild the mosque brick by brick.

While the Iraqis and other Muslims will be enraged by the mosque's destruction, once Al-Sadr is caught or killed, Iraq will again be forced off the front pages by the corporate masters of the news media and people will again have to dig to find out if 2-3-4-5 US troops were killed that day.

[hlthe2b]

12. Bush* is gutsy putting countless OTHERS' lives on the line????????????

Well, I'm sure the RW will think so... I'm betting the families of these poor troops do not...

[Sporadicus]

17. A Soldier Replied to Patton's Moniker, 'Old Blood & Guts'

saying, 'his blood, our guts.'

[White Feather]

23. Patton Quote

"saying, 'his blood, our guts.' "

Made up for the movie.

Walt

[newyawker99]

24. Hi VeteranforKerry!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[White Feather]

26. Thanks......

It's much appreciated. :D

[Sporadicus]

28. I Should Know Better Than

to post so soon after waking up.

[Q]

18. It doesn't take 'guts' to order others into battle...

- Bush* was partying when HE was asked to serve his country. It's beyond me how you can use 'guts' and Bush* in the same sentence.

[Spentastic]

19. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt

This post sails close to the line of right wing sophistry

“if this thing goes well”,

There is no way an assault on a holy place in a country that proved no threat to the U.S can go well. People are firing bullets at each other and getting killed. The best it can go is less than the worst case

“it could alter the poll numbers in Bush's favor.”

Which would make the voters idiots. A little education ought to sort that out. Sadr cannot be defeated by killing Sadr. Once he is dead someone will take his place. Troops will continue to die and it’ll all flare up again. Why would voters believe this is a success?

If its a disaster, it could solidify in voters' minds (finally) that Bush has no damn clue.

It already is a disaster. It has been a disaster from day one.

“But I'll say this for Bush: he has guts.”

Not in the slightest. He’s a coward in a corner. He’s gambling with high stakes but no personal responsibility. He is condemning mainly young men to die in an endeavour which he would not undertake in a million years. He is the arch coward. The reason this is happening is because Bush needs to defeat someone to give his supporters a hard on. Blowing up Mosques with the worlds strongest military isn’t difficult.

He's putting it on the line tonight in Najaf. I wouldn't vote for the guy at gunpoint. But I do hope this unwise operation doesn't claim the lives of many of our countrymen.

Well I feel a little sorry for the Iraqis who seem to be eating most of the lead over there at the moment. After all, IT IS THEIR COUNTRY. I hope for no death on either side. This hope however is utterly forlorn.

“*Support our troops, Vote for Kerry”

Then get Kerry to pull his head out of his arse, admit his mistake and get troops out of Iraq.

[sampsonblk]

29. Lighten up dude

I don't disagree with your points about the prospects for this to work out in Bush's favor. And, like your self, I can't believe any responsible US commander would advise Bush to go along with this folly.

But even after all the US deaths, Bush got a bounce in the polls after Saddam was captured. I am only suggesting that he is shooting for a "victory" in Najaf in order to geta similar bounce before his convention.

I honestly can't see how that has suddenly made me a potential Freeper. Especially since I am banned from their site for being a left-wing commie bastard for opposing the war and Bush. I think the quote was "Fee Fi Fo Fum, I smell the stink of a liberal scum!" :)

[Jacobin]

33. Saved my fingers the typing effort

I agree precisely with every aspect of your post.

[Bridget Burke]

20. Bush has no guts.

Do you really think he had a thing to do with planning this latest atrocity?

I feel for anybody in real danger today but Bush & his backers can all go to hell.

[White Feather]

22. The Shia uprsing is only a small part....

Moctoda (sp) El Sadr is only a small player in the insurrection. taking him out will not quell or significantly alter the balance.

The other two factions are the Ba'athists and they seem very effective and of course the Al Qaeda people.

Just taking Najaf won't hinder the insurrection that much. Sadr's people come out shooting their AK-47's and RPG-7's and confront the US infantry forces, both Marine and Army. This doesn't work particularly well, although I take KIA figures for them of 300+ with a large grain of salt.

The Ba'aathists and Al Qaeda work with car bombs, mortar barrages and shooting people in their drive ways. That shows no sign of abating nor to we seem to have any counter.

I was also interested to see yesterday in the NYT that Iraqi security forces are still incapable of even the simplest operations. That's the function to watch.

Walt

[goddess40]

25. BBC

Go to the BBC site and read what the Iraqis are saying about the battle in Najaf. This will be another PR disaster for * as far as the Iraqis are concerned.

[yellowcanine]

27. Correction: Bush is putting lives on the line to help his election chances

That is shameful.

[Norquist Nemesis]

30. Meanwhile at CNN, MSNBC, ...

we have two hurricanes bearing down on Florida, Amber's still testifying at Scott's trial, Kobe's trial is in flux, Cheney's on the campaign trail (load sound byte clip slamming Kerry), ...

[Disturbed]

34. Brainwashed.

The Neo Fascists along with the complicit US Mass Media have done their job of brainwahsing the American public into believing that Iraq is now "sovereign" and has been liberated.

If that were in fact the case, the Iraqis would have a choice about what kind of Govt. they desire. The truth is that a Govt. structure has been imposed on them. All the members of this so-called Interim Govt. are apointees, sanction by the US Govt. Iraq has no freedom due to the laws pushed on them by the US via Bremmer.

Al Sadr and his followers have every right to resist the US colonization of Iraq. While not being in favor of Al Sadr's concept of what the Govt. of Iraq should be it is still the Iraqi's right to chose him or any other leader for their Govt. The US Govt. has no right to impose the agenda it is imposing by violent force onto Iraq, yet the falsehood is accepted that Al Sadr and his followers are "insurgents", rebels, anti-Iraqi. This is a sham perpetrated by the Neo Fascists. The rest of the world knows this yet most Americans are mushrooms; kept in the dark and fed manure.

The Hand-Over That Wasn't: Illegal Orders give the US a Lock on Iraq's Economy
by Antonia Juhasz

Officially, the U.S. occupation of Iraq ended on June 28, 2004. But in reality, the United States is still in charge: Not only do 138,000 troops remain to control the streets, but the "100 Orders" of L. Paul Bremer III remain to control the economy.

These little noticed orders enacted by Bremer, the now-departed head of the now-defunct Coalition Provisional Authority, go to the heart of Bush administration plans in Iraq. They lock in sweeping advantages to American firms, ensuring long-term U.S. economic advantage while guaranteeing few, if any, benefits to the Iraqi people.

The Bremer orders control every aspect of Iraqi life - from the use of car horns to the privatization of state-owned enterprises. Order No. 39 alone does no less than "transition from a … centrally planned economy to a market economy" virtually overnight and by U.S. fiat. Although many thought that the "end" of the occupation would also mean the end of the orders, on his last day in Iraq Bremer simply transferred authority for the orders to Prime Minister Iyad Allawi - a 30-year exile with close ties to the CIA and British intelligence.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0805-07.htm

[greekspeak]

35. Wait for the CableRight News Services to launder whatever happens

All bad outcomes will be ignored or glossed over with the latest juicy details of the Peterson/Hacker/Jackson/Kobe/Martha ruse. All good outcomes, however piddly, will be fluffed, folded, and dyed in the washer to look much more important than they are. They will get Newt/Hannity/Rush/Savage et al to blast the evil satanic commie pinko liberals for questioning St. Shrub. Heck, maybe just call up a few handpicked people and create a "poll" showing Shrub 10000 points ahead of Kerry. Just business as usual.