The Trap is Being Reset
Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 08:54:19 AM PDT
It's happening again. The trap is being reset. The bait is being placed. Are democrats going to get whacked again or are they finally going to realize that a tasty piece of cheese isn't worth a crushed skull?
The set-up for this latest White House effort began with the seemingly reasonable request to give the surge a chance and wait until September for the report (seemed reasonable to enough Republicans, anyway.) The implication here was that if the report wasn't good, the White House would admit it's own failure and become more rational and maybe start to work out a plan for withdrawal.
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But the advance reports have been bad and while the congress is away, the White House is preparing to make the "report" irrelevant. So now we have the president's speech suggesting that Vietnam should remind us us of the evils of cutting and running;
Making it clear he will resist Congressional pressure next month for an early withdrawal, he signalled US troops will be in Iraq as long as he is president and said the consequences of leaving "without getting the job done would be devastating".
An advertising campaign by a conservative group which includes as it's TV spokesperson none other than Ari Fleisher with the slogan "It's no time to quit. It's no time for politics."
"We want to get the message to both Democrats and Republicans: Don't cut and run, fully fund the troops, and victory is the only objective." [- Said Ari]
And today we learn that the Pentagon is going to open it's own 24 hour news room:
Shaping the Bush administration's message on the Iraq war has taken on new fervor, just as anticipation is building for the September progress report from top military advisers.
For the Pentagon, getting out Iraq information will now include a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week Iraq Communications Desk that will pump out data from Baghdad _ serving as what could be considered a campaign war room.
Be sure you won't find any bad news on the Pentagon Channel.
So that's the trap, now for the cheese. The bait is going to be, once again, the notion that Republican's have had enough.
Sen. John Warner's suggestion that some troops leave Iraq by the end of the year has roiled the White House, with administration officials saying they've asked the influential Republican to clarify that he has not broken politically with President Bush.
Nevermind that Warner's suggestion is simply that--a suggestion--it's also bogus. The intention here is to make the Democratic leadership think they might be able to craft a veto proof bill calling for withdrawal. Well, that ain't happening. But it's a good trick and it's worked everytime so far, so why not try it again.
Adding to the myth that Republicans might act to stop Bush is General Peter Pace's bombshell:
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is expected to advise President Bush to reduce the U.S. force in Iraq next year by almost half, potentially creating a rift with top White House officials and other military commanders over the course of the war.
Administration and military officials say Marine Gen. Peter Pace is likely to convey concerns by the Joint Chiefs that keeping well in excess of 100,000 troops in Iraq through 2008 will severely strain the military. This assessment could collide with one being prepared by the U.S. commander in Iraq, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, calling for the U.S. to maintain higher troop levels for 2008 and beyond.
Oh look! There is internal debate and disagreement among Republicans and within the military, maybe the Democrats can build a consensus! Forget about it. It's cheese. And it just happened with the Warrantless Wiretapping Bill. Don't bite. That the approval rating of Congress is at 18% should serve as a reminder to Democrats that getting your head snapped off in the same mouse trap that bludgeoned you last time is not a good plan. And just because we can't win (lacking the actual votes in the Senate) doesn't mean we shouldn't fight (politically speaking.)
But in any case, the trap is set, the "defeatocrats" will likely get spooked, time will pass, Bush will threaten a veto, the republican "debate" will evaporate, more money will be needed, democrats will "support the troops" and vote to fund the war (rather vote to fund the withdrawal,) and more Innocents (Americans and Iraqis) will die in the hot sand and baked streets of Iraq to satisfy the ego of our spoiled child President.
Please don't eat the Cheese!
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