Have to wonder
Is it possible the President is seeking a confrontation with Congress? Might the White House be calculating the political value of being told by Congress how to manage the war, and then passing the responsibility to the Democrats now, instead of in 2009? That would be tragic, if true.
Advertisement
-- Jalmari
Good people can have honest differences of opinion,
but not if the Republicans are neither.
January 11, 2007 6:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
I disagree. He's handed the opposition an enormous political opportunity. He's in effect said that the Democrats, the Iraqi Study Group, and indeed the American people can say what they like; he's going to do what he wants anyway. That makes it possible for the Democrats to scream risk free: the loss is then Bush's, since he was duly warned and since, as policy won't change, he and our troops aren't stabbed in the back.
Not that the right won't play lots of politics, but we can get more advantage for now. The press is jumping all over Bush. Columnists in organs like The New York Daily News that used to back him regardless of anything that happens are screaming; Time uses color (well, in place of normal italics for emphasis) on its cover title to make Bush's plan sound incredible on the face of it; The Times today points out that the Iraqi government doesn't want these troops; and so on. It's safe at last to "just say no."
John
http://www.haberarts.com/
January 11, 2007 6:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think that every time the president (or any other republican) deliberatelyy mispronounces the Democratic Party's name ---> "The Democrat Party" they should be asked why they do it, and if they think it is a legitimate way to work with the other party.
EVERY TIME! EVERY TIME! They get away with it no matter to whom they are speaking, as though the name of the party has changed because they said so. It is disrespectful and they should be called on it. Every Time!
Jan Knaus
January 11, 2007 8:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Supposing that this is part of a calculated political "plan" falsely superimposes rationality on a profoundly irrational man. It would be like saying that Bush had a plan for Iraq when he decide to invade.
January 11, 2007 8:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
J. McCutchen
Not about Iraq. About buying time there to bomb Iran.
Joe Lieberman's proselytizing is repulsive
January 11, 2007 9:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Is it possible the President is seeking a confrontation with Congress?"
Does the phrase "Mayberry Machiavellis" mean anything to you?
January 11, 2007 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
The freshman Republicans complaining that Democrats were using Republican rules to lock them out were saying "Democrat Party" (being insulting while asking for a favor no less!) I agree, they should be called on it every time. Every pundit who does it should be boycotted. It's become a gauge of extreme partisanship.
January 11, 2007 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
That would be tragic, if true.
I don't get you Reed. Tragic in what way? Would you mind explaining this opaque comment?
If Bush is tired of carrying the ball on Iraq, and wants to hand it off to Congress, then I say "Oh, happy day!" (Not that I think he really is doing this.)
Don't you think you could do a better job on Iraq and Middle East policy than Bush is doing? I think I could! I think millions of ordinary Democrats feel the same way. Yet we are forced to sit out here in frustrated desperation as our increasingly authoritarian chief executive prepares to drive our country off a cliff, and we can do hardly anything to stop him.
Now you inimate that even if Bush were to give Democrats the opportunity to lead, a lot of them don't want (or shouldn't want) that opportunity because they are (or should be) more afraid of making things worse than excited and energized by the opportunity to make thinks better? Well if they are too scared to lead, they don't belong in the US Congress to begin with. They should give up their seats to people with more intestinal fortitude.
If someone knocked on my door tomorrow and said "we're putting you in charge of Iraq and Middle East policy", I'd say "Hell yeah! Where's my office?" And then I'd pull together my list of about 20 fucking things I'd want to do right away. The sense of tragedy would elude me.
January 11, 2007 9:24 PM | Reply | Permalink