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St. McCain: Salvage Bush’s Legacy, Send More Troops

Jon Ponder

Speaking from Baghdad, in the safety of the Green Zone, Sen. John McCain supported Pres. Bush’s secret plan to try to repair the tatters of his presidential legacy by sending thousands more American troops to die in the Iraq Civil War:

Sen. John McCain said Thursday that America should deploy 15,000 to 30,000 more troops to Iraq to control its sectarian violence, and give moderate Iraqi politicians the stability they need to take the country in the right direction.

McCain made the remarks to reporters in Baghdad, where he and five other members of Congress were meeting with U.S. and Iraqi officials.

“The American people are disappointed and frustrated with the Iraq war, but they want us to succeed if there’s any way to do that,” McCain, a possible 2008 presidential candidate, said at a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq’s heavily fortified Green Zone.

The Arizona Republican said five to 10 more brigades of U.S. combat soldiers must be sent to Iraq. Brigades vary in size but generally include about 3,000 troops, meaning he was recommending 15,000 to 30,000 additional forces.

Hell Freezes Over: Tony Snow Apologizes to David Gregory

Jon Ponder

Bush spokesman Tony Snow to NBC’s David Gregory:

“I want to address something else, because you and I had a conversation last week that got a whole lot of play in a lot of places where I used the term “partisan” in describing one of your questions. And I’ve thought a lot about that, and I was wrong. So I want to apologize and tell you I’m sorry for it.“

Rep. Rangel: Why Does the Media Demand a Dem Plan to Clean up Bush’s Mess?

Jon Ponder

Upon being asked for the umpteenth time why the Democrats don’t have a plan for Iraq, a Democratic leader — Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York — finally gave the right answer:

“I never understand that question, you have a President that’s in deep shit. He got us into the war, and all the reasons he gave have been proven invalid, and the whole electorate was so pissed off that they got rid of anyone they could have, and then they ask, ‘What is the Democrats’ solution?’”

If Guns are Banned in Schools, Only Teachers Will Have Guns

Buck Banks

Really bad idea: Nevada state Sen. Bob Beers believes that the best deterrent to gun violence in schools is an armed force of teachers. Beers is proposaing legislation that would make it legal for teachers to bear arms in the classroom after passing a firearm safety course.

In the wrong hands, a gun is a dangerous tool.

— Nevada Sen. Bob Beers

“I would expect enough teachers would be interested (in taking guns to school) so it would serve as a deterrent,” said Beers, a failed gubernatorial candidate.

“We have banned guns in schools in Nevada and most of the rest of the nation for the last 20 years,” Beers said. “Part of the problem is a small percentage of the population is brought up without a knowledge of and respect for guns.

“We need to have discussions on school violence,” Beers added. “It appears to me there is an escalating frequency of these tragedies. In the wrong hands, a gun is a dangerous tool.”

Of course, most people in Nevada think it’s a bad idea to arm teachers. But apparently not in neighboring Utah:

Whether teachers and other school officials should be allowed to carry weapons on campus has been hotly debated in neighboring Utah.

Unlike Nevada, Utah concealed-weapons permit holders can legally bring guns onto campuses. But Utah school districts have differing policies on where the weapons can be legally stashed, with some school systems barring their storage in desks or coat closets on campus.

Some Utahans have called for more teachers to receive weapons training. A Salt Lake City-area firearms instructor began offering free classes in October to teachers seeking concealed-weapons permits, according to media reports.

Sen. Johnson Apparently Has Not Been Poisoned

Jon Ponder

Hotline has an update on Sen. Tim Johnson’s condition. Turns out it was not a stroke — and apparently he has not been poisoned:

CNN reports that Sen. Tim Johnson has been dignosed with a congenital arteriovenous malformation. (AVM).

CNN’s Sanjay Gupta: “We’re talking about a long road, here.” Recovery time may take weeks or months or longer.

The Johnson family is said to be “encouraged and optimistic.”

The location of the malformation — near Broca’s area, which helps to control speech, suggests that he will need significant therapy to recover his full speech functions.

If the capillary bed is thought of as a sponge, then an AVM is the rough equivalent of jamming a tangle of flexible soda straws from artery to vein through that sponge. On arteriorgram films AVM formation often resemble a tangle of spaghetti noodles. This tangle of blood vessels forms a relatively direct connection between high pressure arteries and low pressure veins.

Third World to Tancredo: Stay in Colorado, Dumbass

Buck Banks

Loose cannon: Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo was ungraciously uninvited to speak before the Miami Rotary Club today after the organization received complaints from the restaurant that hosts the club’s meetings and club members. Tancredo, if you remember, called Miami a “Third World country” a few weeks ago while making an insightful argument about illegal immigration.

I hope to someday return to Miami when it has been able to extricate itself from the clutches of the radical multiculturalists.
— U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo

With the typical class we in the Third World have come to expect from the representative from Colorado, Tancredo responded to the cancellation with this pithy reposte:

”I knew speaking your mind could be dangerous in Havana — I guess it’s equally dangerous to do so in Miami,” Tancredo said in a statement. “Apparently, there isn’t much of a difference between the two anymore.

“I hope to someday return to Miami when it has been able to extricate itself from the clutches of the radical multiculturalists.”

The multiculturally challenged congressman was slated to speak on the topic of immigration in an address titled Renewing America: The Need for Assimilation. Kind of like asking Mel Gibson to speak on the future of Israel. Or asking Michael Richards to address the NAACP. Or asking Britney Speares to model underwear.

Still, it was a lame-O reason the Rusty Pelican Restaurant gave for the cancellation:

”We have a small parking space and limited entrance area, and we were very concerned about the safety of our guests and employees,” said Randy Palmer, the Rusty Pelican’s regional manager. “We’re not trying to make a political statement, but there was an implication of boycotts — and shock, being that we’re part of the community, that we would consider hosting this event.”

In November, Tancredo pointed to Miami as an example of what will happen to the United States if immigration policies are not tightened:

”You would never know you’re in the United States of America,” he said in an interview with a conservative online news site. “You would certainly say you’re in a Third World country.”

A Third World country where you can get a good cup of java, Tancredo failed to add. Plus, some of those Third World chicks on Miami Beach are hot.
[…]

Media Buys into Bush’s Fake Iraq ‘Listening Tour’

Pensito Editors
[It’s] hard to decide which is more pathetic: Bush’s “listening tour,” or the national media, which have cravenly agreed to call it by that name and cover it within that frame.

Foregone conclusions: Without the assistance of Our Liberal Media, Pres. Bush and his political handlers could not get away with an extravagant charade like the one we’re witnessing now:

[It’s] hard to decide which is more pathetic: Bush’s “listening tour,” or the national media, which have cravenly agreed to call it by that name and cover it within that frame.

This “tour” has required no tourism. It has taken Bush from the Oval Office, over to Foggy Bottom, back to the West Wing, then over to the Pentagon, and back again to the White House. But the media have treated it like Lenin’s trip to the Finland Station, or the Beatles coming to America. Wow! Lookit him go! He’s even taken his fingers out of his ears! That bubble boy sure can listen!

You can imagine the staff meetings in the days leading up to the Iraq Study Group report. “We gotta give the appearance of paying attention to the report, Mr. President. We gotta let some time pass after Baker’s big show, until some serial killer or anorexic distracts the country again. In the meantime, we gotta give those newsie jerkoffs something to cover. Snow can only snow ’em for a day or two. We need action. Photo ops. Soundbites. A storyline…. Wait a minute, I’ve got it: we’ll put you on a listening tour. Yeah, that’s the ticket. They’ll eat it up. A listening tour… and A New Way Forward!”

I’m not surprised that Bush has tried such a brazen stunt; I’m just stunned that the media has fallen for it so frictionlessly. Maybe it’s just the time of the year; perhaps the press corps’s just preoccupied with playing Secret Santa.

It is amazaing that, with the exception of Keith Olbermann, no one in the Gang of 500, not a single talking head or pundit, has voiced any doubts about the president’s campaign to convince Americans that he’s in the throes of decision-making about Iraq.

As we suggested here and here, the decision about what to do will be based on what best suits the interests of George W. Bush — and among the choices available, there is only one that suits his personal and political aims: sending in more troops.

Sen. Johnson Suffers Stroke – GOP Could Retake Senate

Jon Ponder

Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson, 59, has been hospitalized in Washington, D.C., after suffering a stroke.

If Johnson is unable to serve his term, South Dakota’s Republican governor, Mike Rounds, will appoint his successor. This would change the makeup of the Senate to 50-50 Dems and Gops, with Vice Pres. Cheney voting with the Republicans, thus reverting control to the GOP.

Update: At 5PM PDT MSNBC reported that Sen. Johnson’s spokeswoman said he had not had a stroke or a heart attack. However, she and others refused to say whether or not he was conscioius.

Saudis Say They Will Support Iraqi Sunnis When U.S. Leaves

Jon Ponder

Remember last month when Vice Pres. Cheney made a quick and apparently unplanned visit to Saudi Arabia? Cynics that we are, we suggested that the purpose of his trip was to raise money for Pres. Bush’s $500 million “lie-berry” to be built in Texas after that glorious day when Bush leaves office.

Yesterday, we learned that Cheney’s visit may have been in response to an announcement by the Saudis that they intend to side with their Sunni brethren in the Iraq Civil War when the United States deploys its troops out of the country.

Today, for what it is worth, Bush spokesman Tony Snow denied that the Saudis made the threat:

The White House said on Wednesday Saudi Arabia shared U.S. concerns about the future of Iraq and denied it threatened to take sides in Iraqi sectarian violence if the United States pulls out its troops.

The comments came in response to a report in The New York Times that Saudi Arabia has told Washington it might give financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in their fight against Shi’ites if the United States withdraws from Iraq. “That’s not Saudi government policy,” White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters. “The Saudis have made it clear that they are committed to the same goals we are, which is a self-sustaining Iraq,” Snow said. “I’d refer any further comments to the Saudi government but, certainly, their stated public policy and the policy that they have shared with us does not reflect that.” According to the Times, Saudi King Abdullah delivered that message to Vice President Dick Cheney during Cheney’s visit to Riyadh last month. The Times cited unnamed U.S. officials and Arab diplomats.

So why did Cheney rush to Riyadh at the end of November?

Bush Will Do What’s Best for Bush in Iraq: Send More Troops

Jon Ponder
After Pres. Johnson sent an additional 50,000 troops to Vietnam, the United States remained there for another decade, during which tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel and innocent civilians were killed and untold millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted.

The front-page, above-the-fold headline on the Los Angeles Times this morning read, “Pentagon’s plan: More U.S. troops in Iraq.”

That was quick. Yesterday, we suggested the ISG report and Bush’s s “way forward” strategy sessions were all for show — that in fact Bush had decided earlier this year to send a “surge” of personnel into Iraq in 2007.

This prediction was based on looking at the options as the president saw them and choosing the one that would most benefit him personally and politically. Bush’s motives are focused entirely on salvaging his legacy. His short-term objective is to tamp down the violence in Iraq sufficiently to create a false perception of success. With a semblance of order in Iraq, he can declare victory before he leaves office. Whether the victory is real is irrelevant. If Iraq collapses under the next president’s watch, it will be his or her responsibility, not Dubya’s.

According to the Times article:

As President Bush weighs new policy options for Iraq, strong support has coalesced in the Pentagon behind a military plan to “double down” in the country with a substantial buildup in American troops, an increase in industrial aid and a major combat offensive…

The size of the troop increase the Pentagon will recommend is unclear. One officer suggested an increase of about 40,000 forces would be required, but other officials said such a number was unrealistic. There are about 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

The flaw in this strategy, as we pointed out yesterday, is that it has been tried before — by Pres. Lyndon Johnson in Vietnam in 1965. After Johnson sent in an additional 50,000 troops, the United States remained in Vietnam for another decade, during which tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel and innocent civilians were killed and untold millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted.