Gates = done deal of a punt on Iraq (to Baker)

[troublemaker]

Gates is longtime Baker buddy and is on the Baker/Hamilton commission. Bush has already decided to accede to the more hawkish of the two main Baker/Hamilton scenarios and is preparing the playing field to make a graceful pivot. ("We've never been about Democracy in Iraq. This has never been nation building.")

Since Gates is on the Baker/Hamilton commission and probably agrees with Baker 100% his appt as SecDef is a complete acceptance of their (Gate's and Baker's) already existing Iraq policy.

So Gates isn't just an appointment, it is a specific Iraq policy shift in itself. We, the people, won't know the details of the new WH policy for a week but it's already baked in the cake.

On Edit: It occurs to me that Bush has to do this during the lame duck period so Dems don't get any of the credit.

[Dhalgren]

1. What do you think the new policy will be? Doubling the US troop

strength to 300,000 and installing a Bathist dictatorship? Sounds like what the "old men" of the party would do...

[troublemaker]

2. Abandon "democracy" as a goal and pull out of Bagdhad, remove

some troops, broker oil revenue deal, special forces vs. foreign fighters in Anbar is supposed to be the Baker plan. (All I know is what I read in the papers.)

The less-hawkish of the two scenarios hasn't been discussed nearly as much, so I don't know what that enatils. (Is that going to be the Hamilton plan vs. the Baker plan?)

Either way, I expect this hot potato to be thrown in Baker's lap. He's the cleaner. (And perhaps the fall guy)

In one book Baker was quoted to the effect that: "The Bushes treat me like the goddamned butler."

[Solly Mack]

3. I agree. It 's a sign of an upcoming policy shift

that they will spin as being the policy all along.

[Dhalgren]

4. I'm afraid that they are going to escalate and increase the number

of troops - it just sounds like where they would go. Several prominent Democrats have suggested troop level increases, so the murderers would have at least some "cover"...

[Solly Mack]

5. Kissinger said yesterday "they" wouldn't increase troops

"They" being Bush, since Henry is advising Bush these days.

But "they" always lie, so....