If GOP Wins, Bush Requests More Troops to Iraq

[Caro]

From BuzzFlash.com:

Election: If GOP Wins, Bush Requests More Troops to Iraq, If Dems Win, Baker Moves Major Policy Change

by Brent Budowsky

The new Army planning to keep current troops levels in Iraq into 2010 is a very honest plan based on the current policy. Note this Army contingency does not mean American troops stay into 2010 and then leave. It means the current projection, based on the current policy, is troop strength remains at current levels and our presence will, in fact, continue long after…

Given the mess today, there are no easy answers and no pretty policies, but there are alterantives that reduce and hopefully end the carnage, extricate the United States from a disastrous policy, and move to preserve civil society and democratic institutions in Iraq.

The problem is: President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Secretary Rumsfeld and if they can succeed winning another election, with another two years of unchecked power, heaven help us. If they win another election despite every failure and catastrophe, their arrogance in the past will be mild compared to what will follow.

The policy will not be changed because they learn from mistakes; they dont. The policy will not be changed because they see the results and realize alternatives are needed; they wont. The policy will not be changed because they realize how wrong this is; they cant.

What is necessary to change to policy, is to change the Congress, to re-establish checks and balances, to restore Congressional roles in war powers, to re-create Congressional oversight that has been catastrophically negligent by a Republican Congress acting supine to a Republican President.

The Jim Baker initiative presents one great danger and one great opportunity. Make no mistake, Baker is a tough partisan and a tough operative, but make no mistake, Baker is one of the smartest guys to set foot in Washington in generations. He never wanted this war. He does not want it now. He knows we need an exit strategy.

The danger: that if Republicans appear to be on brink of defeat in November, Baker springs an October Surprise peace initiative right before the election, which saves the GOP, then disappears right after the election, when Bush thinks he has triumphantly won again and refuses all compromise with the new Republican Congress.

The opportunity: that if Democrats win the election and regain control of Congress, Baker makes his move, backed by a new Democratic Congress, backed by many Republicans in it, backed by General Casey and the commanders, backed by a grateful nation, and our long Iraq nightmare ends.

The stakes in this election are enormous.

Brent Budowsky served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, responsible for commerce and intelligence matters, including one of the core drafters of the CIA Identities Law. Served as Legislative Director to Congressman Bill Alexander, then Chief Deputy Whip, House of Representatives. Currently a member of the International Advisory Council of the Intelligence Summit. Left goverment in 1990 for marketing and public affairs business including major corporate entertainment and talent management. He can be reached at [e-mail].

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Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com