Bush may make Petraeus his ‘fall guy.’

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/07/16/bush-may-make-petraeus-his-fall-guy/

Bush may make Petraeus his ‘fall guy.’

President Bush has mentioned Gen. David Petraeus “at least 150 times this year in his speeches, interviews and news conferences.” But some in the military worry that “the general is being set up by the Bush administration as a scapegoat if conditions in Iraq fail to improve. ‘The danger is that Petraeus will now be painted as failing to live up to expectations and become the fall guy for the administration,’ one retired four-star officer said.”

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Hitler loved to rant and blame his generals when HIS strategies

like Operation Barbosa didn't work out. Tradition for weak leaders who have a Napoleon complex.

[zabet]

2. He will lay the blame on anyone he can.

I still wanna know where the War Czar is in all of this.

[saltpoint]

3. Petraeus has a thankless job working for George W. Bush.

Bush has more control over his own job but doesn't have the talent for making adjustments, plus he lacks the will and the open-heartedness required for any meaningful reform, no matter the topic.

I hope Petraeus is not being used as a political pawn, although it's difficult not to reach that conclusion about all of our men and women there.

[babylonsister]

5. If Petraeus didn't recognize how thankless that job was before he took

it, I guess I might pity him. We here knew this is exactly what he was hired for.

[saltpoint]

8. Good point. Petraeus is someone I'll at least listen to. Tommy Franks

made my skin crawl.

[rhiannon55]

4. Of COURSE he'll make Petraeus his fall guy

Does a bear shit in the woods?

[hobbit709]

6. And who couldn't see that one coming

It's never the fault of Fearless Leader-it's always the fault of the underlings.

[AlCzervik]

7. mmm, i smell a Medal of Freedom ceremony coming up shortly.

[rusty fender]

9. Anybody who...

works for Bush/Cheney deserve everything they get.

[radfringe]

10. that's why he keeps say he listens to the commanders on the ground

so when Iraq goes bad bush can ground the commanders into the ground

[panader0]

11. The pressure on Petraeus must be enormous. bush has said

everything depends on his analysis in September. Stick a fork in the general, he's done.

[Solly Mack]

12. It's not like Bush is going to blame himself

Bush will blame everyone but himself...that's how it works with Bush...surrounding yourself with smart people just meant surrounding yourself with people willing to take the blame.


Petraeus isn't stupid. He made his choice.

[napi21]

13. Petraeus & the new "War Czar"! It's always easier to take the hit when you have

somebody else taking it with you!

[bryant69]

14. If thought this for a little while

He does talk about Petraus a lot, and his minions in the Conservative media are bringing him up constantly as well.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Proud Liberal Dem]

15. I get REALLY annoyed.....

whenever I her Bush blather on and on about "General Patreaus this..." and "General Patreaus that...." as though he is USING him to justify and/or defend his increasingly defunct and boneheaded "surge" strategy. He makes it seem as though just because the Democrats confirmed him for the job we need to just shut up and let him just "do his job" no matter what the outcome despite the fact that Bush would NEVER have picked anybody that would've contradicted Bush in any way regarding his Iraq "policy" and/or refused to support his "surge" strategy. Although I believe that the Democrats should've "gone to the mat" on more of Bush's nominations, the fact of the matter is that positions need to be filled and there is probably nobody he would've nominated that the Democrats would've enthusiastically supported in any event. But that doesn't mean that we can't continue to question the "surge" strategy or Bush's larger Iraq "policy". But then again, it's not like Bush really cares about us citizens feel about the occupation of Iraq and his "war on terror". Bush is far more interested in listening to "our commanders in the field" (the ones that still agree with him, anyway).

[spanone]

16. Who Elected Petraeus?

bu$h* will blame no one because imho Petraeus will tell us all that the surge is just starting to work, remember it only started 5 minutes ago, and bu$h* will stay the course. this is all that is going to happen with Petraeus in Sept. unless we've already attacked Iran which will make this all moot.

[SoCalDem]

17. Gee, d'ya think?

Bush's whole life has been about having other people take the fall for him..why would he change now?

EVERYTHING that's gone wrong so far has been because of "bad intel", "wrong advice". "bad luck", etc.