It’s been widely reported that the supposed 21,500 troop escalation will likely be at least 35,000, and up to 48,000. This in spite of Bush's statement in the SOTU, "I’ve committed more that 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq." Yeah, I know - as Duncan Black might say, Bush lies, sun rises.
Since we can’t count on the Washington press corp to get Bush to fess up as to his intentions, I would love to see Senator Jim Webb give a second speech. It could be the SOTU Democratic Response, Part II, because obviously, there are things that still need to be clarified. It could be shot in the same office, with the flag in the background, and with the same picture of Webb’s father on the desk. It wouldn’t get any live network coverage, but I think it could make a substantial impact.
In the speech, Webb could ask Bush about his intentions. He could also say that if the real numbers come out to 35,000 to 48,000 troops, then what Bush said to Congress and the American people was a lie. And if this administration doesn’t know how to deal with the truth, we will be showing him the way.
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