Bush Badmouths Congress Overseas And Emanuel Responds
President George Bush took a verbal swat at Congress overseas yesterday, making a comment that hurled some more gasoline and lit matches on political polarization in the United States.
Bush’s suggestion: that Iraq’s parliament is more efficient than the one in his own country.
The Chicago Tribune’s blog has the text of a response letter written by Rep. Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. We’re running the letter in full here because it recaps what Bush said and is indicative of the administration’s seeming desire to aggravate interests rather than aggregate them. In this instance, Bush didn’t have to say what he did (basically suggesting Iraq’s parliament is more efficient than the U.S. Congress, which just happens to have more members of the opposition party) — and by saying it he basically indugled in some political provocation.
Emanuel used the opening the President gave him to address several issues from his party’s standpoint:
Emanuel (D-Ill.) penned the following letter to Josh Bolten, the president’s chief of staff, in response to the president’s remarks.
“Dear Mr. Bolten:
“It has long been the custom that members of Congress do not go overseas and criticize the president — that partisanship ends at the water’s edge. But reading today’s accounts of the President’s remarks in Australia, it is clear he has a different view. Asked about the lack of political progress in Iraq, the President said Iraq’s Parliament had passed 60 laws, and added, “It’s more than our legislature passed.â€
“It was a false and gratuitous shot, which ignores the scores of laws we have passed, sometimes over the President’s strong objection, to promote economic fairness for America’s struggling middle class. From passing a long-awaited increase in the minimum wage to an historic reform of the student loan and grant program so millions more young people can achieve the dream of college, our Congress is offering new hope to the American people. We can debate these accomplishments at another time on another day.
“But as a veteran of the political wars, I am not concerned about the slight as much as I am about the President’s spirited defense of the status quo in Iraq. The truth is, the Iraqi Parliament has made virtually no progress on any of the major issues that must be resolved to end the civil war there.
“Their most noteworthy agreement was a resolution to adjourn for summer vacation, while our troops toiled in 115 degree heat to try and halt the bloodshed. It is the same stubborn defiance of the truth that has marked his stewardship of this four and half year war. And the truth is this:
“The valiant efforts of our troops cannot and will not substitute for real, determined steps on the part of the Iraqis to resolve the issues at the heart of their civil war.
“So I am not asking for an apology. Like most Americans, I am merely asking the president to finally come to grips with the reality of the failures of the Iraqi leadership and the shortcomings of his own Iraqi policy.
We do not need cheap shots or photo ops. We need a change in policy to relieve our troops and put the Iraqis on notice that it’s long past time for them to take responsibility for their own future.’’
“Sincerely,
“Rahm Emanuel
“Member of Congress’’
opinions powered by SendLove.to
15 Responses to “Bush Badmouths Congress Overseas And Emanuel Responds”
Germany’s 9/11 Averted
Michael van der Galiën reports from Europe on the terror arrests made yesterday in Germany….
I have been travelling back home a lot for a family health crisis, and unable to drop by TMV much these past months, but I simply have to comment on this…one of the most outrageous statements Rep. Emanuel has ever made.
“It has long been the custom that members of Congress do not go overseas and criticize the president — that partisanship ends at the water’s edge. But reading today’s accounts of the President’s remarks in Australia, it is clear he has a different view.”
Emanuel clearly believes that no one in the United States has a memory or access to Google.
The Democrats under Bush have been the first party since Truman to significantly trash this “water’s edge” principle…dumping on the President while overseas at every opportunity.
Does no one remember Pelosi’s Middle East excursion a few months back…and the initiation of what Rep. Lantos declared was an “alternative Democratic foreign policy”? (After being widely criticized, the Democrats backed off this one within days).
Bush has been a polarizer…no doubt there. But for a Democrat to denounce Bush’s violation of the “water’s edge” principle? Unbelievable. People who live in glass houses really should not throw stones.
Clearly, Emanuel is revealing his low opinion of the American electorate’s memory and sophistication.
Well, our President has done it again.
If there is a comment that will strengthen Iran’s resolve against us, he will mak it.
If there are wprds that will rub salt in the nations’s wornd of division, he will speak them.
That’s the legacy he’s leaving for us to duffer through.
What MarloweC said, and then some.
It’s absurd to compare this very mild comment with anything the Dems have done to undermine Bush’s image abroad (not that Bush doesn’t deserve a lot of the ‘credit’ for that as well). The Dems completely abandoned the waters’ edge rule a long, long time ago. And all Bush did here was make a point about the amount of legislation passed by the Iraqi Congress- he was rebutting the criticism of them by comparing their legislative record to the US Congress, and noting that their achievements at least in volume compare favorably. And that’s supposed to be some kind of over the top, divisive remark? Come on, grow up.
What was specifically said overseas by Democrats that trashed Bush?
And I totally disagree that his comment about Congress was a mild one- it was partisan beyond belief. Emmanuel’s response was the appropriate one.
If Congress hasn’t passed a lot of legislation, it is only due to Republican obstructionism- with record numbers of filibusters, and to Bush’s own veto pen. He has made only token attempts to work with Democrats on many major issues. Is it possible that he hopes that his dismal record of second term achievements can be foisted onto the Dems?
Comparing this Congress to Iraq’s, which is a model of dysfunction and which saw a third of its members walk out in disgust with Maliki’s government is an undeserved insult.
MarloweC and CStanley – I am not aware of ANY specific statements made by any in Congress that were trashing Bush WHILE outside the US. Standing inside US borders both the Bush Aministration and Congress Critters have made outrageous statements about the other side.
Since it is so easy on Google, perhaps you can come up with an exact quote that makes your point – I can’t.
“It’s absurd to compare this very mild comment with anything the Dems have done”
Delete the words ‘very mild’ and I would agree.
To compare Congress to Iraq’s Parliament is not mild, it’s toxic.
It is absurd, though, because neitherPelosi nor any traveling Democrat that I know of has spent his time OVERSEAS to make disparaging remards about Bush
It is absurd because Bush’s position as President is unique. He represents the nation (that is what he SHOULD .be doing, but isn’t),, not just his party or personahood. With the highest power comes the highest responsibility. No Congressperson and no party operative has that level of impact and import when he speaks.
It is absurd precisely because ti leads to this kind of ‘but the Democrats…’ apologia. Johnny made me do it. At least Monica’s dress has not been resurrected yet in this context.
More importantly, it is destructive. National unity, especially in a time of wa. is a top priority. Repeated remarks of this nature trample hopes for unity into the mud. If a president deliberaely set out to destroy national unity, he would emulate Bush’s approach to a tee. Destoy national unity, and you’re endangering national interests of the highest order.
I’m not sure what you guys are referring to regarding I assume Pelosi’s trip to Syria.
What disparaging words did she say to the Syrians about Dubya?
[...] and the yelping retort… [...]
I’ve been out most of the day, just returned and since I was challenged to present links, here’s the first quick one I could find. I give you, Dennis Kucinich:
“I feel the United States is engaging in an illegal occupation … I don’t want to bless that occupation with my presence,” he said in an interview in Lebanon, after visiting Syria. “I will not do it.”
Source: Jerusalem Post
And besides the tit for tat stuff, isn’t anyone the slightest bit concerned that taking umbrage at any comparison between our Congress and the Iraqi one is um, a bit undiplomatic??
Yes, the Iraqi Congress has huge difficulties, but it’s a bit absurd for Emmanuel to whine about Bush obstructing his Congress’ progress when the Iraqis have slightly more pressing problems to deal with. And regardless of what we, as ordinary US citizens think of the Iraqi Congress, they are the elected representatives of Iraq and I hardly think that it’s appropriate for our Congress to act as though it’s a huge insult to even consider a comparison with them.
Well, I think its a bit absurd for Bush to complain about the American congress’ inaction, when he and his party are responsible for most of it.
And given that the Iraqi parliament doesn’t show up a majority of the time, and that a third decided to walk out permanently,I question how dedicated they are to representing the people of Iraq. It is insulting and divisive, just as Bush meant it.
CS- The example that you gave about Kucinich was a policy view- it didn’t trash Bush, but the policy.
BTW, CS . You noted in the past that you thought that one of Bush’s failures was in making polarizing remarks that divided the country- a failure to reach out to the other side. It doesn’t jive with the remarks you made here, defending the president’s immature behavior. While in Australia our CIC described Petraeus progress this way “We are kicking ass”. Bush acts as though he’s a QB on a college football team- not the head of the free world.
Kim,
It doesn’t jive because as you have pointed out, I call ‘em like I see ‘em. When Bush makes remarks that I believe are partisan and divisive, I criticize him for it. This, IMO, is not one of those times and Emmanuel is ridiculous to make a big deal over an offhand comment which was obviously meant to soften criticism of the Iraqi Congress, not diss the US Congress.
And honestly, I can’t believe you would defend Kucinich’s comments. Do you even know what the ‘waters’ edge’ rule means? It means that governement officials have always operated under an understood protocol whereby they DID NOT criticize policy when they were overseas or speaking to an audience abroad. To somehow imply that because Kucinich didn’t call Bush a monkey it’s all OK is absurd. His comments were the most outrageous attack on US policy that I’ve heard, and to say it to Syrian leaders is unconscienable.
And my point about the whining is this: for all of the problems and faults of the Iraqi Congress, you have to admit that these people are working under impossible pressures. It’s ridiculous and childish for Emmanuel to compare their working conditions to his own; the Iraqis are working in a war zone, trying to politically unite factions that all want to literally kill each other. To try to somehow say that the US Congress’ inability to pass legislation because the mean Republicans use their minority powers well and then Bush sometimes threatens the veto pen is well, just a bit over the top.
Summary: Bush’s comment can easily be seen as more of a favorable comparison of the Iraqi Congress to ours (showing that they are not complete failures because they’ve passed a good bit of legislation) rather than a diss on US Congress.
A US Congressman being extremely offended at the comparison is quite undiplomatic, and comparing the situations under which each group has to operate clearly shows why the Iraqi’s have the harder row to hoe.
Emmanuel also has quite some nerve invoking the waters’ edge principle after comments made by his fellow Democrats.