Dowd: Biking Toward Nowhere

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/opinion/17dowd.html?pagewanted=print

<snip>

As W.'s neighbors get in scraps with the antiwar forces coalescing around the ranch; as the Pentagon tries to rustle up updated armor for our soldiers, who are still sitting ducks in the third year of the war; as the Iraqi police we train keep getting blown up by terrorists who come right back every time U.S. troops beat them up; as Shiites working on the Iraqi constitution conspire with Iran about turning Iraq into an Islamic state that represses women; and as Iraq hurtles toward a possible civil war, W. seems far more oblivious than his father was with his Persian Gulf crisis.

This president is in a truly scary place in Iraq. Americans can't get out, or they risk turning the country into a terrorist haven that will make the old Afghanistan look like Cipriani's. Yet his war, which has not accomplished any of its purposes, swallows ever more American lives and inflames ever more Muslim hearts as W. reads a book about the history of salt and looks forward to his biking date with Lance Armstrong on Saturday.

The son wanted to go into Iraq to best his daddy in the history books, by finishing what Bush senior started. He swept aside the warnings of Brent Scowcroft and Colin Powell and didn't bother to ask his father's advice. Now he is caught in the very trap his father said that he feared: that America would get bogged down as "an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land," facing a possibly "barren" outcome.

<snip>

The president's pedaling as fast as he can, but he's going nowhere.

[Burried News]

1. Pedaling Snake Oil at $65/barrel - Good to see you back Dowd

"The president's pedaling as fast as he can, but he's going nowhere."

He may be standing still but his bank account is moving along pretty good.

[rodeodance]

2. "as W. reads a book about the history of salt"---his bubble has a leak.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. Good article. She really nails it.

[goclark]

4. God bless America! I can't believe the nerve

of father and son.

That bad apple is real close to the bad apple tree.

[madinmaryland]

5. Biking Toward Nowhere - Maureen Dowd

MoDo is back and on fire!!! ....

How could President Bush be cavorting around on a long vacation with American troops struggling with a spiraling crisis in Iraq?

Wasn't he worried that his vacation activities might send a frivolous signal at a time when he had put so many young Americans in harm's way?

I'm determined that life goes on," Mr. Bush said stubbornly.

That wasn't the son, believe it or not. It was the father - 15 years ago. I was in Kennebunkport then to cover the first President Bush's frenetic attempts to relax while reporters were pressing him about how he could be taking a month to play around when he had started sending American troops to the Persian Gulf only three days before.

..snip

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/17/opinion/17dowd.html

[DemNoir]

6. I wonder if she has any regrets

For helping Bush win election in 2000 or at least helping to make it close enough to steal.

She was the ring leader of the "cool kids" that relentlessly made fun of everything about Gore.

Look in the mirror Ms Dowd, this is the world you helped bring about.

[BeyondGeography]

9. Thanks for having a memory

MoDo thought Al Gore's earth-tone shaded wardrobe was more important than his philosophy towards tax cuts and energy policy. She's a terminal adolescent, who would be paying no attention to Iraq right now if Kerry were President. This whole boring war thing would be taking a back-seat to columns on his botox treatments and the cult of Ter-ay-zuh.

[Cassandra]

7. I like this section

" "I just don't like taking questions on serious matters on my vacation," the usually good-natured Bush senior barked at reporters on the golf course. "So I hope you'll understand if I, when I'm recreating, will recreate." His hot-tempered oldest son, who was golfing with his father that day, was even more irritated. "Hey! Hey!" W. snapped at reporters asking questions on the first tee. "Can't you wait until we finish hitting, at least?"

Junior always had his priorities straight."

And now we're stuck with that little shit.

[ewagner]

8. MoDo has been great

for the past few weeks.....I'm beginning to look forward to her columns. She doesn't seem to be her normal, self-absorbed self and that a good thing.

[geckosfeet]

10. Watch your back if you trust the duplicitous bitch.