How Pathetic! Baker/Hamilton Prioritizes Dubya's Ego/Pride Over Troops' Lives!

[David Zephyr]

"What about the troops?" That's what I kept muttering to myself as I watched yet another chapter in American history unfold with still yet another "blue ribbon panel" unveil their "solution" to the Iraqi Civil War that resulted from George W. Bush's illegal and ill-advised invasion of that nation. After all the build-up, the hype and a national drum roll calling attention to itself, the so-called Iraq Study Group or the Baker/Hamilton Committee produced its report that went out of its way, falling over itself so as not to threaten President Bush's pride...and all at the expense of our troops in Iraq who were expecting far more today from this "committee".

And just how pathetic is that?! The concern over wounding our tyrannical President's shitty little ego was deemed paramount to the daily wounds, both crippling and fatal, that our soldiers and marines must face every single minute of every single hour of every single day of the week!

Oh, no! We can't muster the chance to offend this idiot who lives in the White House by reporting back to him that he broke American and international law with his "pre-emptive" war. We dare not tell him that the entire world knows how greatly he lied his ass off in order to have his war. We must all tip toe around the fact that, unlike the Vietnam War where history spreads the blame between several presidential administrations, the Iraqi War is the now second war America has now lost and ALL of the blame this time goes to soley the little jackass from Midland, Texas...the little jackass who still, as an adult, likes to dress up in the costume of and pretend to be a soldier.

Dana Carvey! Yeah, that's the name that comes to mind! Was Dana Carvey a secret member of the Baker/Hamilton Committee? Whenever a tough conclusion was to be drawn and entered into the report that would offend our little turd from Texas, was Dana Carvey there, perhaps weighing in that "it wouldn't be prudent at this juncture, wouldn't be prudent" to tell it like it is?

But what about our troops? What about their hopes of coming home soon? What was in this trumpeted report for them?

Here's what the AP reports that our troops are already saying about the Baker/Hamilton Report:

"1st Lt. Gerard Dow said he agreed with the commission's assessment that the situation in Iraq was 'grave and disappointing.' 'In Iraq, we try to win the hearts and minds of population,' said Dow, 32, of Chicago. 'They want Americans out of here. They blame us for all their problems. They look at us as the terrorists and then they turn around and help the terrorists who are trying to kill us...They are only going to do the right thing if someone's watching and they know they will be punished if they don't...That's not every soldier. I have met some great guys, but it is a lot of them. They don't care, and this is their country.' Asked if he was frustrated with the situation in Ramadi, he replied: 'That doesn't cover it...U.S. soldiers are dying trying to help people who don't want their help,'he said. That makes you angry.

"Dow trained Iraqi soldiers in Ramadi and in the north during his first assignment in Iraq, and he doubts U.S. forces will be able to hand over the fighting by early next year as the commission recommends."

"Makes you angry." Our very own DU'er, dsc, posted yesterday that he almost drove off of the road in anger at how badly our troops have it now in Iraq while listening to a report on NPR. Well, I'm that angry today. Maybe I'd better not drive myself.

OUR TROOPS WANT TO COME HOME. THE FAMILIES OF OUR TROOPS WANT THEIR LOVED ONES TO COME HOME. THEY EXPECTED MORE TODAY.

Shame on James Baker, Lee Hamilton and all the well-heeled members of this "bi-partisan" commission for coddling to and pampering the ego of the nasty little man who resides in the White House instead of protecting the lives of our troops!

Maybe John Kerry might need to suit up once again, and report for duty once again and ask James Baker and Lee Hamilton the very same questions he posed to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in April of 1971: "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

[aquart]

1. Charming, wasn't it?

I kept thinking... what part of this is different? What's the bit that's a change from what we've been doing? Train more Iraqis? We've been training Iraqis. They don't do what we want with the training.

It was like a positive thinking peptalk and, frankly, didn't sound different from anything we ever got from Rummy or Bremer.

[David Zephyr]

3. Good point.

"What's the bit that's a change from what we've been doing?" What a joke.

[blm]

17. I think there is a withdrawal timetable in place but they won't say so publicly.

That way they avoid Bushboy's petulance and they can negotiate it more quietly with the concerned parties.

I really don't think Bush-Cheney hold the gun on this anymore - the House of Saud called Poppy in a few weeks ago and laid down the law to them. FIX IT!

[Subdivisions]

2. To say that the war is lost and to still have our troops dying

every day.

For God's sake, bring them home!

[David Zephyr]

4. Amen.

Bring them home!

[PsN2Wind]

5. When two members were instrumental in

placing Dubya in the presidency, and so, share the responsibility for this war and every other screw-up by this misadministration, this is what you get. Kick the can down the road until Dubya is out of office then blame it on his successor, hopefully a Democrat.
I hope when Sandy O'Connor closes her eyes at night and tries to sleep that the ghosts of those GIs, she set up to be killed, scream so loud she can't sleep.

[David Zephyr]

7. I hadn't thought of that: two members: O'Connor & Baker put him in office.

And they are "kicking the can down the road" as our troops continue to die.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

6. BUT IT'S A VOLUNTEER ARMY!!!!!

THEY ALL WANT TO BE THERE AND BY GAWD WE'RE GONNA KEEP 'EM THERE!!!! :sarcasm:

[David Zephyr]

13. Yeah, like they don't matter, huh?

What a cop-out that is for the rich and smug, huh? Well, they "volunteered" for it, didn't they?"

Bring 'em home.

[ComerPerro]

8. that's what it all comes down to, and its why we can't leave Iraq.

Its a matter of BushCo's pride.

[David Zephyr]

19. Exactly. It's all window dressing for Bush's friggin' pride.

What a titty baby he turned out to me, our "macho" president.

[jannyk]

9. The whole lot of them live

and breathe the rarified air not meant for us mere commas. They are all out of touch with real people - all rich, all privilaged, all too far removed from life n the 'trenches'

It was very telling, when asked at the presser, whether they worked under a 'sense of urgency' as the situation has deteriorated so much in recent months. It was pointed out that it had taken them 9 months to get to this point. Baker then stated that the report had been ready, but they agreed not to release it until after the election so as not to appear 'political'. So they waited over a month to get it out. Apparently then, they had NO sense of urgency at all - I'm surprised they didn't wait until after the holidays so as not to spoil Bush's xmas.

It is their lack of shame that amazes me.

[Tsiyu]

10. All week long I've been thinking

that if this war was such a noble thing, all of the children of Republicans would be fighting it.

But no. I see them at a local university, fattened up, in their SUV's that their Repuke parents bought them, oppressing the poor help at their school, getting away with murder, looking all smug with those goddamned smirks every fucking Republican wears, safe in their little party school world.

I want to send them all to Iraq ASAP, so they can taste the reality of their parents' politics. But all I can do is curse each and every one for living it up on the backs of our soldiers.

Fuck Bush and fuck his ego. Send that motherfucker to Iraq and let him stay there til it's done. :grr:

[judaspriestess]

11. Bush is not from Midland Texas

thanks :)

on edit: spelling

[ChairmanAgnostic]

12. worse yet, Baker admitted - in effect - sitting on the bad news

because we were about to have an election - and they did not want their report out BEFORE THE ELECTION.

They knew it was bad, so they were protecting boy wonder. It is that simple and that disgusting.

[Disturbed]

14. How many $ Millions did American Taxpayers pay

for the BULLSHIT?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

16. hmm at 2 BILLION a week, 24 weeks of delay,

48 BILLION dollars, almost 500 US lives, and countless thousands of Iraqi dead. Oh yeah, that's winning, Mr. president.

[blm]

15. Guess what DZ - kerry did meet with the Iraq group and he did lay it out to them

and he is pretty certain that though they aren't saying so publically, they are supporting a withdrawal timetable PRIVATELY as part of their negotiations. There will be no timetable announced.

So, I'm not feeling too badly about it and do take into consideration that they have to make Dem plans seem weaker choices politically, even as they start to implement them in some ways.

[wisteria]

18. I understand what you are getting at. All in all it called Bush out for

not being willing to change course and pointedly tells him he can not cherry pick the recommendations. This report allows for one last shot at getting it right to the benefit of all concerned parties. My concerns are still with the events taking place now,the lives being lost and those being injured by the continuing violence. I hope if these recommendations aren't implemented quickly or not taken seriously and the course not changed, that we act quickly and get out.

[David Zephyr]

20. One last chance...

There is no getting this right. There is no solution that our troops can bring to Iraq. The only thing they are is a big target to be shot at.

But then again, Bush did say to those that would try to harm our troops, "Bring it on" didn't he?

What a chickenshit this man is.

He has to have "cover" to begin to pull troops back.

The Democrats had better be very careful that this doesn't become their war, too.

Lee Hamilton is a hack.

[wisteria]

21. Yes the Democrats have to be very careful, but they have to

give Bush an opportunity to leave a stable Iraq and appear to try to resolve this situation in a bipartisan way or they will get blamed for any aftermath that may occur should we pull out to quickly. I think if the Dem's can force Bush to do what is recommended,gradually, we will have our troops come home. Remember how the Democrats are blamed for the Vietnam outcome.