If this be reason...

Let us make toast of it.

Four years ago, Bush's generals asked for more troops for Iraq, and were denied. Four years ago, America believed Bush when he said that this war was necessary. Four years later, only 12% agree that sending more troops is the right decision. And in those four years, we have seen the country all but destroyed, thousands of American lives lost, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives lost, and mistake after mistake after misjudgement after lie after mistake come from the pen, the mouth, and the alleged mind of the Decider.

And now, he wants to send more. Now, four years on, when his generals say it's far too late for more troops to be put to good use. Does Bush think he knows something that the rest of us -- including his generals -- don't? Does he truly believe that this is the right course for America?

There's one way to find out...

It's time for the soon-to-be Democratic Congress to ask the President some tough questions. And let's make it clear that these are not dangerous hypotheticals; these are dangerous realities.

First, a couple of questions to establish whether he's in the same reality as the rest of the country:

• Mr. President, by your recent statements and actions, you have implicitly acknowledged that this war has been managed poorly at the very top levels. Are you ready to acknowledge this, and if not, why should you be entrusted with the lives of even more American troops?
• Mr. President, how can you assure the American people that you're not wrong again about this war?

If he can't answer those questions, he's toast. But another, more critical question remains. With this record of failure, with just about everything he's done having turned out to be the wrong choice, President Bush is out of capital. He's out of credibility. If he wants to send more troops, if he wants to put our country (not to mention Iraq) even more at risk, if this idea is truly anything other than a cynical ploy to save his own legacy at the expense of ours, then the question that remains is this:

• Mr. President, at long last are you willing to remove yourself from the command of those troops, so that they can finally have competent leadership at the top? Are you so certain of escalation, so sure that sending more troops is the right choice, that you and Mr. Cheney are willing to make it the last decision that either of you make in office?

The time for glory, the time to be the War President, has passed him by. If he doesn't know it yet, he will.

•  Tipping point jar

  If you think this is worth a rec, please give one first to Mr. Sandman, who spurred me to turn these ideas into a diary.

  by Nowhere Man on Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 06:49:19 PM PDT

  •  Thank you. And well done.

    It has to be said.

    by MrSandman on Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 06:52:47 PM PDT

    •  You're welcome

      But I just noticed I didn't use the link that I'd intended to. Here is the thread we were in.

      by Nowhere Man on Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 06:55:43 PM PDT

      •  Good Questions.

        Maybe our Dems, coming off an election victory, should have been asking them of the new Defense Sec. nominee...it is beyond me why that Iran-Contra propagating, nun-killing mofo was given such an easy ride.

        Now he and Elliot Abrams can turn Iraq into the next El Salvador....death squads and all.

        Just when you think the whole Iraq occupation couldn't get any more revolting, immoral or despicable.....

        by maxschell on Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 07:53:16 PM PDT

•  And don't forget...Mr. President, you lied

  And need to come clean.  Why did you invade Iraq? Why did you lie about Iraq being a threat? Without knowing your real motivation, there ain't no way in hell we're giving you more soldiers to play with...

  by Cienfuegos on Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 06:50:07 PM PDT

  •  I think it's like a baseball team to Dubya.

    Daddy's money (or someone else's) bought it and it doesn't really matter who plays in the series.

    The players are all expendable for a price.

    Oh?? They're real people??? Well, Bushco thinks they bought their loyalties with signing bonuses, so move along. They die. So what?

    He wants more troops for fodder? Let him own up to his ineptitude as the price for entrance into the discussion.

    Bush is not fit to command.

    by MrSandman on Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 07:32:32 PM PDT

•  Uh oh, better be careful

  By quoting Dumbya's words back to him, you're just asking for Tony Snow to call you an anti-freedom terrorist sympathizer!

  by wiscmass on Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 07:29:49 PM PDT

  •  And deciderer may decider to renderer you!

    Eben dough we don' torture.  No, we don'.

    by Cienfuegos on Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 07:33:50 PM PDT

    •  Clearly you've just misunderestimated...

      ...exactly what constitutes torture.

      Not to worry. As the Decider says, "Fool me once, shame of you. Fool me twice... um... can't get fooled again."

      by wiscmass on Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 07:39:37 PM PDT

•  These are the questions the press should have

  been asking for a long time now. These are the questions Tony Snowjob should have been asked at last weeks presser.

  Good post. Recommended

  by Kurlan Naiskos on Fri Dec 22, 2006 at 08:25:36 PM PDT