There's something about George Bush that reminds me of another Texas president mired in a previous quagmire with no exit strategy, and no credible reason for sending our troops in harm's way.
"But whether it be here or in Washington or anywhere else, there's somebody who has got something to say to the president, that's part of the job," Bush said on the ranch. "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say."
"But," he added, "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life."
The comments came prior to a bike ride on the ranch with journalists and aides. (8/14 Birmingham News)
As a veteran myself of the Gulf War, I and many like me probably owe our lives to what was known as the Powell Doctrine. Two central tenets (no pun intended) of the Powell Doctrine: overwhelming force and a clear exit strategy.
more below the fold.
We have neither in the current debacle in Iraq. Forget the lies that brought us to Iraq. They're moot at this point. The central question is illustrated by Cindy Sheehan's presence in Crawford, Texas--why are our men and women dying in this foreign country when our own administration admits that we can no longer even expect democracy in Iraq, but an Islamist republic?
"We set out to establish a democracy, but we're slowly realizing we will have some form of Islamic republic," said another U.S. official familiar with policymaking from the beginning, who like some others interviewed would speak candidly only on the condition of anonymity. "That process is being repeated all over. " (8/13 Washington Post)
We're not fighting for freedom. We're not fighting for democracy. We're not making the our own country more secure by our policies and strategies in Iraq. With each passing day, we breed more terrorists in Iraq because of our abusive prison tactics and our cultural ignorance and cultural indifference. Our soldiers, sailors and marines are in harms way without enough protective armor held up in a bottlenecked procurement process.
George Bush has failed our military, and he has failed us.
I'm reminded of a chant of a different generation. "Hey, Hey LBJ; How Many Kids Did You Kill Today?"
It took me a bit, but here's the update.
"Hey Hey George B, How Many Die Before You See?"
Mr. President, we hope you do get on with your life. Just don't kill our men and women for nothing while you play a mountain biking dilettante.