For over 8 years now we have been told the ‘End justifies the Means’ by President Bush. Not in those exact words mind you, but always with the same analogy, first by his campaign managers, then by his administration. The following are just a few instances.
During Bush’s campaign in early 2000, Alan Greenspan, a life long friend of the Bush family, began increasing interest rates. Greenspan increased the rate 6 times during that year. In late 2000, October I believe it was, Dick Cheney dropped their first bomb with his comments that he and Bush were concerned about a recession coming on. Those words along with Greenspan’s increased rates burst the stock market bubble, just in time for the November 2000 election causing a recession to set in ‘before’ Bush was inaugurated in January 2001. This of course, gave the newly elected Bush administration the ability to blame the downturn on the Clinton administration. The End justifies the Means.
Ignoring the NIE warning that Bin Laden was planning on attacking our nation and the use of airplanes may be involved, President Bush on vacation, went about his weed pulling, Congress went on vacation and the CIA director didn’t bother keeping in contact with the Bush administration. Along came 9/11/2001 and the terrorist attack in New York. Off to war we go in Afghanistan.
We hear later that the Bush administration began planning on attacking Iraq soon afterwards. They spent the following year pushing the dangers of Iraq. Bush announces at his State of the Union that Iraq has tried to purchase uranium yellow cake.
In September of 2002 President Bush wanted Congress to sign off on a Resolution to go to war. He made sure that vote was taken ‘before’ the following November election day, in October, promising them that war was his last resort. Pushing several Democrats to ‘go along with it’ or risk losing their seat in Congress. Bush took us to war with Iraq in March of 2003. The neo-cons are successful. We’ve poked are arm into Iraq and will never fully retreat. The End justifies the Means.
Not long after the beginning of the war in Iraq, President Bush lands an air force jet onto a Navy ship at sea, arriving in Army flight uniform. The sign on the ship said, "Mission Accomplished". He declared job well done.
Not long after that, the war in Iraq got worse. We soon hear about the prison and torturing/abuse being done by our own soldiers there. "We don’t torture", says the President. These men and women will be prosecuted.
Some time in July 2003, Ambassador Joe Wilson writes a column pointing out there was no proof that Iraq ever tried to buy yellow cake. He asks, "Did the Bush administration manipulate intelligence about Saddam Hussein's weapons programs to justify an invasion of Iraq?"
Not long after that, Robert Novak writes a column about Mr. Wilson’s wife working for the CIA. In September, Ambassador Joe Wilson, blames the White House for telling a newspaper columnist that his wife, Valerie Plame, is a CIA operative. This story of course makes Joe Wilson out to be, just another Bush hater.
President Bush announces on live television that he will punish anyone that leaked the CIA agent’s name.
Only later do we find out that it was a combination of Scooter Libby, VP Cheney’s right hand man, Karl Rove and Richard Armitage that leaked the agents name. VP Cheney apparently gave Scooter the authorization to do the leaking. Scooter was convicted. Not long after, Bush commuted Libby’s sentence and will most likely pardon him in late 2008. Nobody gets punished. The End justifies the Means.
Over the years, the Democrats kept demanding that Bush change course or change his strategy in Iraq. The war was going badly. For 3 years they pushed every way they could. In early 2007, the President finally decided to do what his first general (whom he later fired) suggested, send more troops, over 30,000 to be exact. He did this promising to have General Petraeus to report to Congress in Sept of 2007; All the while implying that things would get better thereby allowing troops to begin coming home.
Sept rolls around and we’re told by Petraeus that they need more time. Give us until June of 2008 he says. We’ll hopefully get 20,000 out by then. Petraeus was to report again in March of 2008. Pushing the ‘possibility’ of withdraw even further into the election year. This kept Republicans at bay, continuing to refuse to sign onto any time line for withdraw. Giving Americans the false hope that our men and women would be coming home soon. The End justifies the Means.
Meanwhile we hear stories about Bush allowing torture to be used on prisoners, such as water boarding, which even John McCain says is torture. The Bush administration, of course, refuses to admit they’ve tortured anybody. We also hear months of Iran saber tooth rattling about their wanting nukes – Bush even brings up the threat of WWIII.
This past month we heard that two CIA tapes showing proof of torture were destroyed and the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) is release showing that Iran stopped their nuclear work back in 2003.
What do we get told by the Bush administration? The water boarding "saved lives". Never mind that it is against our laws to do so and therefore a War Crime.
Oh, and the NIE, isn’t really a valid estimate, even though 16 groups agreed to it, and hey, Iran is still a threat. Never mind that Bush said on live television that he only just heard about the NIE the week before – and a day later we’re told by Bush’s own man, that the president was told about the new developments (Iran had stopped their process), way back in August of this year. Bush had been lying for months.
Both of these issues support the need for Articles of Impeachment to be drawn up - - but hey, the media doesn’t care, the Bush administration’s term in office is just about over anyway....why bother, giving the Bush administration a full year to finish the job with Iran.
The End justifies the Means.
I repeat - should Bush and Cheney be impeached. If I had my way, those words would be asked daily until they actually happen.
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