Based on another diary entry here and on what TPM picked up on in the NYT. There is now showing, the key to unlocking Iraq with an exit plan and exposing Bush's m.o. on everything.
From the
NYT:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 -- The Pentagon has barred French, German and Russian companies from competing for $18.6 billion in contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq, saying the step "is necessary for the protection of the essential security interests of the United States."
The directive, which was issued by the deputy defense secretary, Paul D. Wolfowitz, represents perhaps the most substantive retaliation to date by the Bush administration against American allies who opposed its decision to go to war in Iraq.
There it is.
That's the opening.
Bush is shutting out our real allies from being even open to equitably sharing (and offsetting) the burden that would need to be done by all to get Iraq back on its feet. That is the line that Dean can track on how he can get our allies to help, by opening the process back up to our allies, by opening it up to companies not names Bechtel and Haliburton, and (oh the horrors) for Iraqis themselves.
This is how you tear Bush apart and offer the exit strategy.
By showing how Iraq is the same M.O. form the very definition of crony capitalism. Quid-pro-quo back-room and sweetheart deals are taking the verr lives and well being (literally) of our men and women, and frittering away Iraq like Bush's crony's frittered away Enron shares and robbed California blind.
This is the track folks.
Bush is doing the same thing in Iraq that he always does, sweetheart crony deals come first. Same way he drove Harken energy into the ground and golden parachuted out with his stock trades.
Now he is making crony sweetheart deals in order to exploit the unnecessary war to oust an admittedly despicable man that he mislead us into, and is now strong-arming away the possibility of an open collaborative process to get our traditional allies and the international community on board because he wants to protect his patrons (and they aren't Iraqi, or even in Americas real interests, but that of Becthel and Haliburton's share holders who are Bush patrons.
This shows Bush for what he is, his entire cadre of cronies, how they are screwing us, the Iraqis and the average American, while getting our people killed, Iraqis killed and hoarding the pork trough.
The advocating the counter of this sort of crony sweetheart self-interest is the track getting allies on board and our troops out of the shooting gallery, gets the Iraqi's back on their feet, and exposes the corruption that is through and through in the GOP and in ChimpCo. in particular.
Drive it home people.
This is the way out of Iraq, Bush out of the White House and transparency and equity in the system at home and abroad.