Bush: I’m Telling You Fo(u)r Years Already – We’re Making Progress
I have to admit that I get a bit tired of US President George W. Bush claiming that the situation in Iraq is improving.
President Bush yesterday said his strategy to send more troops to Iraq is turning the tide in favor of U.S. and Iraqi forces and rebutted claims by a top Democrat that the war is lost.
“The direction of the fight is beginning to shift,” Mr. Bush said in a speech at East Grand Rapids High School in Michigan. “Day by day, block by block, Iraqi and American forces are making incremental gains in Baghdad.”
The sad truth is that it might very well be true, but that he, quite simply, lost just about all credibility he once had. He is now, for four years already, saying that the US is making progress, that the war will be ‘won’, etc.
That being said, one cannot let that get in the way of the facts. I am, quite simply, not listening to what Bush has to say about it, I am looking at the cold hard facts, as presented by independent experts and the US military. I am also not listening to someone like John McCain: the commanders in Iraq seem to be far more realistic than either Bush or McCain, so I suggest we focus on what they say.
Cross posted at my own blog.
26 Responses to “Bush: I’m Telling You Fo(u)r Years Already – We’re Making Progress”
Uh…..[independent experts and the US military]….?
The military is going to admit they failed? I don’t think so.
These “independent experts”….where might we find them?
I’m sorry Michael, but in our country, the people are the independent experts….right or wrong.
I haven’t believed anything he’s said for two years. Not because I dislike him (I do) but because what he said almost never matched the media reporting on the war. Also, he made that huge speech about rebuilding N.O. after Katrina, and then refused to waive the 10% copay so that the city could get access to FEMA funds voted by Congress. It was another instance where big donors won no bid contracts, and did not perform well. That is what his presidency is about to me. He says one thing in public, but the facts don’t bear him out.
the people are the independent experts….right or wrong.
That’s the “we should all eat shit because 50 trillion flies can’t be wrong” argument.
The antiwar only measures success in how many car bombs explode in Iraq daily.
If one or two or three goes off. The war is lost.
Run!!!! Flee for home. They hate us!!!
The press only finds those Iraqis willing to condemn and denounce the USA.
Untrue, Nobody. We measure the progress by the failure of Maliki and his government to achieve any of the benchmarks that we have set for them, by the Iraqi army’s inability to defend their own country, and by the activity of the death squads in Baghdad. If the goal is national unity- why are we building a wall between Shia and Sunni areas of Baghdad? If the goal is to have the Iraqi army ward off foreign invaders and defend against al queda, why have we eased off their training? Americans have the perfect right to know the answers to these questions and ask more, and it is their patriotic duty to do so.
Why are we building a Wall on our southern border with Mexico?
Mexico and the US are two different countries- but you should ask yourself why they are building a superhighway in Mexico that will unite the North American continent. Hint- the wall is a gimmick- the idea is to pacify the Limbaugh crowd. The real goal is to build the superhighway and oil pipeline coming up from Mexico–its about tearing down boundaries to create one big market.
So the wall between Mexico and the USA is Rush Limbaughs fault?
We aren’t. Have you checked the border lately?
So the wall between Mexico and the USA is Rush Limbaughs fault?
Well the wall that we’re not building ,as Davebo correctly noted, is due to the outrage raised by AM radio hosts, CNN’s Lou Dobbs and others in the media. The public response produced the vote in Congress. But is it really being built or is it a hoax to coverup the superhighway and pacify the xenophobes?
But in Congress’s rush to recess last night for the fall political campaigns, the fence bill passed easily, 80 to 19, with 26 Democrats joining 54 Republicans in support.
Actually I am a neoconservative and am opposed to the wall. It just does not sit well with what America offers the world in my view.
I would argue that. My nephew has been building it for 3 months now with a Reserve Unit from New York State. But I don’t know. I guess thats propaganda
Yes, the wall is Rush Limbaugh’s fault. The Mexicans insisted on protection from the huge amounts of hot air. Their climate is warm enough, thank you very much. They were also afraid that the complete inability to recognize reality might become as contagious as it has become in this country. After all, Bush still has an approval rating.
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) announced in January 2007 that Congress will revisit the fence plan, while committee chairs are holding up funding until a comprehensive border security plan is presented by the Department of Homeland Security. Both Senators from Texas, John Cornyn (R-TX) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), advocate revising the plan.[5]
From Wiki:
I don’t know what your nephew is working on, Nobody, but it is not the fence which is still in planning/revision phase. There are several smaller fences that have been built along the border.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,236620,00.html
The fence we arent building.
Well here is a picture of the Utah national guard building the fence in Arizona.
I think what Michael is getting at (and I certainly agree with) is the lack of candor this administration displays with regards to how well this war is going and how close we are to achieving the objective. President Bush, amid his criticism of Democrats who want bring this war to a conclusion, is telling us “No! We’re making progress!” But as Jon Stewart of the Daily Show points out, this is a refrain that Bush has been repeating over and over again:
President Bush, April 2007:
Pushing legislation that would undercut our troops just as we’re beginning to make progress in Baghdad.
President Bush, January 2006:
That’s progress. And it’s important progress. And it’s an important part of our strategy to win in Iraq.
President Bush, November 2005:
Iraq has made incredible political progress.
President Bush, October 2005:
Iraqi’s are making inspiring progress.
President Bush, September 2005:
Iraq has made incredible political progress.
President Bush, April 2005:
I believe we’re making really good progress in Iraq.
President Bush, March 2005:
We’re making progress.
President Bush, September 2004:
We’re making steady progress.
President Bush, July 2003:
We’re making progress. Slowly and surely, we’re making progress.
President Bush, May 2003:
In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.
We’ve been having “progress” now for the last FOUR YEARS, and yet Iraq remains a mess, and our troops remain there with little hope of returning home anytime in the near future.
This president has lost all credibility with regards to the Iraq War. He can’t just keep telling the American people that we’re making “progress” and expect them to support a war that continues to go on year after year.
Jon Stewart’s chronicling of Bush’s assertions of “progress” can be found here.
Exactly, WA.
It’s hard to get independent and unbiased news out of Iraq because the journalists are afraid to leave the green zone, unless they want to die.
Isn’t that an indictment enough about the situation in Iraq?
Exactly Nick, hence the title of the post. It has been the same refrain for 4 years already.
The 700-mile border fence Congress approved for construction in a session-ending deal was little more than a fast act of political cosmetics in an election year and may never come to fruition, say immigration advocates looking ahead to the Democratic-led 110th Congress
Nobody- Yes it was a picture of a fence- just not the fence that is supposed to be built by that legislation. Even Fox News admits that in the above quote from YOUR article, LOL!
The antiwar only measures success in how many car bombs explode in Iraq daily.
Actually, that’s a pretty good way to measure it, don’t you think? The number of suicide bombings plus the number of dead bodies found in Baghdad each morning, shot execution style, is a pretty good measure of how well things are going. That and the number of American deaths, sadly.
Most of us sure aren’t going to measure success by the words of George W. Bush or Dick Cheney.
Congressional Job Approval
RCP Average
Approve 36.8%
Disapprove 53.8%
Its time they got something done. I’m really tired of this all talk and getting nothing done. Immigration is not something to play around with any longer. If they don’t belong here. Send them home. I’ll even let them take their Mexican flags with them.
Simple as that.
Purple A- Its not an argument. Its fact.
Nobody- Earlier you said that you were opposed to the wall- now you say that Congress should act on the 2006 legislation to build it. Which is it??
BTW- Congressional approval ratings are traditionally around those levels.
Oh now that the dems are in charge its okay for the approval rating to be so low?
You guys are funny.
I am opposed to the wall. I want the Illegals bused back to Mexico and I want the AFL/CIO, Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, MLB, NHL anybody to keep the sunny beaches out of the USA unless they petition for and are granted Immigration status.
I love Hispanics. I think they should do well and prosper in Mexico. I love the French. As long as they stay in France. However I will love them both if they come to the USA LEGALLY and abide by the laws of the land.
Nobody- Actually the congressional ratings have come up considerably since the neocons ran the show! Still low- but its early. And I thought your side didn’t believe in governing by poll results.
yeah 36 percent is a mandate. Duh silly me.