So to hear Bush and the White House
spin it (and the media dutiful report it),
the interim progress report on Iraq
the administration will submit
to Congress today is "a mixed bag"
And this, according Bush,
"is a cause for optimism"
Bush can change. He's gone from a smirk to a scowl
As expected, the president asked for more time,
said the military had achieved "great things,"
and blamed the rising unpopularity
of the war on "war fatigue"
That and restless leg syndrome
The American people are tired of the endless lies
Bush continues to feed us on the war
We're Being Fed a Load of CrapWhy Bush's Balanced Assessment of Iraq is Utterly Unbalanced
Bush and the MSM keep saying Al Qaeda is responsible for all the violence in Iraq when in reality their presence there is not significant.
It's a fucking civil war. We're being fed a load of crap.
You don't suppose Bush wants to extend the "war" in Iraq so that all his good buddies (Halliburton, etc) can continue to make billions, do you?
Nah, he wouldn't do that, would he?
Bush's tactics are as follows:
Never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy.
Never leave room for alternatives.
Never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong.
People will believe a big lie sooner than a little one.
And if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.
What is wrong with this president? What is wrong with the 20 percent or whatever of American people who still believe his bullshit?
What is wrong with our Democratic majority in Congress that they won't just cut off funding for this fiasco?
Of course progress in Iraq will still be a mixed bag in September. We will be "turning the corner". Shit, I want to scream!
The Bush Regime has absolutely no intention of ending the Military Occupation of Iraq.
At this point, it must be obvious to even the most myopic of observers.
Why can't the media, when presented with the opportunity, ask and demand the real reason for the occupation to be explained.
The world and maybe, just maybe the US people already know the "given" reasons are just pure drivel and have proven to be so time and time again.
Why are these "given" explanations not challenged, is there something to be afraid of?
So to hear the president and the White House spin it (and the media dutiful report it), the interim progress report on Iraq the administration will submit to Congress today is "a mixed bag."
According to Bush's scorecard, progress on eight of the 18 benchmarks set by Congress in May has been "satisfactory," on another eight it has been "unsatisfactory," and two are too close to call.
And this, according to the president, "is a cause for optimism."
That's like a doctor telling you that while your child has shiny hair he also has a brain tumor -- and you coming away thinking the doctor's report is "a mixed bag." That's insane.
Trust me, if your kid has a brain tumor, the fact that he has nice hair or is a good speller or has made progress towards playing well with others is not going to even things out and leave you feeling upbeat and optimistic.
As expected, the president asked for more time, said the military had achieved "great things," and blamed the rising unpopularity of the war on "war fatigue." That and restless leg syndrome.
The American people are tired -- of the endless lies the president continues to feed us on the war.
The biggest of these lies remains the assertion that we are fighting the terrorists in Iraq to keep from having to fight them here at home.
The president today again claimed that one of the reasons we must press on (and on and on) in Iraq is because if we leave we'll "let Al Qaida gain safe haven."
This is shameless, coming the day after a leaked threat assessment from a National Intelligence Estimate concluded that al-Qaeda is "better positioned to strike the West" than at any time since 9/11.
And this is because al-Qaeda has enjoyed a "safe haven" in Pakistan. Not Iraq, Mr. President, Pakistan.
One of our supposed allies in the global war on terror. So, please, enough of the endless fear mongering drivel about how the folks blowing up people in Iraq are the same ones who attacked us on 9/11.
The threat of terror attacks in America is certainly a real one (just ask your Homeland Security director's gut); but the war in Iraq is not making us safer. It is making us categorically less safe.
One last thing. The President also made the claim that "there is a convergence of visions between what Iraqi leaders want... and the vision articulated by my administration."
Oh, really? Tell that to the majority of the members of the Iraqi parliament who in May, by signing a legislative petition, rejected the ongoing occupation of their country by U.S. forces.
Mr. Bush must also have missed the recent poll showing that only 22 percent of Iraqis support the presence of coalition troops in their country.
In June, the White House labeled progress in Iraq a mixed bag. They say it's a mixed bag now. Does anyone doubt that it will still be a mixed bag in September or December or April 2008 or as long as Mr. Bush is in the White House?
We need to face up to the brain tumor, Mr. President. And we need to do it now.
Arianna Huffington