Bush: A Troglodyte Among Extremophiles

[weldon_berger]

I wasn't planning to mention this because it's so obviously demented, but Bill Kristol and Robert Kagan have an article entitled "An Administration of One" in a forthcoming edition of The Weekly Standard. The thesis is that Bush, alone among the upper reaches of his administration, has an attainable vision of a transformed Middle East. This dovetails to a degree with David Frum's belief that Bush has enemies in high places—members of his administration who actively wish him ill.

Kristol and Kagan don't go that far; they only assert that none of the people around Bush fully understand his vision.

Bush has made it clear that the only exit strategy from Iraq is a victory strategy, with victory defined as "democracy." "We did not charge hundreds of miles into the heart of Iraq and pay a bitter cost of casualties and liberate 25 million people only to retreat before a band of thugs and assassins. We will help the Iraqi people establish a peaceful and democratic country in the heart of the Middle East." That commitment may turn out to be the most important of Bush's presidency, perhaps the most important of the post-Cold War era.

The second significant point Bush made in London was about troop levels in Iraq. In response to a question about beginning to bring home troops from Iraq next year, the president could not have been clearer. The United States will provide the troops necessary in Iraq. "We could have less troops in Iraq, we could have the same number of troops in Iraq, we could have more troops in Iraq, whatever is necessary to secure Iraq." Unfortunately, Bush's senior advisers treated his remark as if it were a gaffe and immediately began backgrounding reporters that there was no chance of a troop increase next year. That was an appalling error, signifying just how little the president's own advisers understand what's at stake in Iraq.

The president, we are happy to say, does understand. "The failure of democracy in Iraq," he said this week, "would throw its people back into misery and turn that country over to terrorists who wish to destroy us." Failure in Iraq is unacceptable. Al Qaeda and international terrorists "view the rise of democracy in Iraq as a powerful threat to their ambitions. In this, they are correct. They believe their acts of terror against our coalition, against international aid workers and against innocent Iraqis will make us recoil and retreat. In this, they are mistaken." Progress toward democracy is imperative. If that means more American troops are needed, then the administration should not--and we are now confident will not--flinch from putting in more troops, even in an election year.

The president made great progress this week explaining his vision and strategy to the world. He has placed himself at the level of Reagan and Truman, both of whom were also treated with derision by their opponents. Bush's great task now will be to explain his strategy to his own cabinet and commanders and insist that they begin implementing it.

I really don't know how to adequately describe the delusional quality of the K-boys' optimism, or their conviction that Bush has somehow become the only genuine neoconservative in the administration. Do they think he wrote that speech himself? And how did he manage to surround himself with such a crowd of dimwits? For now, I'll just point out (again) that we are already sending into a war zone 50-something women and youngsters who have tested positive for drugs. Where are we supposed to dig up more bodies? Prisons? Nursing homes? Middle schools?

Me, I'm thinking a conscription sweep through the offices of the Standard.

[DeepModem Mom]

1. What are these guys smoking?

Or, as Jon Stewart always says, Do they think we are idiots?

[buycitgo]

2. I watched that press conference

"We could have less troops in Iraq, we could have the same number of troops in Iraq, we could have more troops in Iraq, whatever is necessary to secure Iraq."

he said the above during the press conference, and it was in answer to a question asking him about the contradictory messages being sent by various government sources regarding how long we were going to be in Iraq, IIRC.

anyway, in context of the question asked, the answer was as laughable as anything that dimwit has ever said. Blair, looking on, appeared to shrink away, wanting to be anywhere in the galactic sector than with a buffoon who could answer a direct question with such an idiotic, all-encompassing non-answer.

and, never forget, Kristol was the "brains" behind Dan Quayle

[NJCher]

3. He's so verbose

He should have just said, "Whatever..."

Yes, it is obvious from those statements that the Ks think bush is actually in charge! LOL! How anyone could watch current events and come to such a conclusion is beyond comprehension.


Cher

[buycitgo]

4. exactly......his gums started flapping, and he couldn't stop

it's funny when he starts in on some idiotic ululation, then has no idea how to end it.

no wonder he never has any press conferences.

that one he had a few weeks ago that lasted about forty minutes was priceless......rambling, incoherent, delusional, vindictive, petty, mendacious, ignorant, bathetic (not pathetic, Bathetic), vague, unintentionally funny (and painfully unfunny when he tried to be).

did I miss any adjectives there?

[salinen]

5. wait

bush was high until the age of 40. so now as a teenager he has a vision. sounds good to me.

[janx]

6. You know, I used to be interested in this sort of thing. No more.

I want the whole lot of them OUT.

To hell with the inner workings and machinations. Kick them all out!

[htuttle]

7. It must be difficult for them to keep justifying Bush's incompetence

That's why they keep coming up with these hairbrained ideas that Bush has 'enemies in his own white house', etc...

They need to keep the illusion that Bush is in charge, yet they also need to promote the illusion that he's infallible. Therefore, when something goes terribly, terribly wrong (iraq...), they do the philosophical equivalent of a half-gainer with a back flip by holding to the following two contradictory points:
A) Bush is in complete control of his administration
B) Bush bears no blame for any mistakes his administration makes.

Of course, the delightful part is that they can actually do this, thanks to their finely-tuned doublethink abilities.

I wonder. One day, when the likes of Kristol and Kagen are dragged out of their offices into the street by the hungry mobs, will they actually understand why it is happening?

Feh, who cares. Rat bastards deserve it anyway.

[weldon_berger]

8. Practice makes perfect ...

I think investors in Bushco can spin about anything by now, without even breaking a sweat. They've learned that they can get away with it, particularly with a press corps that has the attention span of a ___________.