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Bush Rejects Key Baker Commission Idea Before He Gets It
It is not being politically biased to read this and say: it certainly does sound like “stay the course”:
Bush sought to pre-empt the growing clamor to withdraw the more than 140,000 U.S. troops stationed in Iraq, which has been fueled by the November Congressional elections and the expected conclusions of a high-level commission headed by former Secretary of State James C. Baker III and former Indiana Rep. Lee H. Hamilton. Although the president was not asked directly about the panel’s recommendations, which will be made next week but were partially leaked to news reporters late Wednesday, he seemed to have the group in mind when he said: “This business about graceful exit just simply has no realism to it whatsoever.”
Fairly definitive…athough he has made prouncements before (on keeping Donald Rumsfeld, on staying with the Dubai company controlling U.S. ports, etc) where he has changed a seemingly inflexible course before.
But if this holds it’s likely 2007 will see growing tensions between not just Democrats and the White House but some former members of the Bush 41 administration and members of the Republican party and the White House.
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2 Responses to “Bush Rejects Key Baker Commission Idea Before He Gets It”
I agree that the GOP will have a lot to say about this as the ’08 elections heat up. Not only will this effect the Presidential candidates but also 435 Representatives and 33 Senators.
Dems may be able to save their money and simply coast to an easy control of the government if we are still mired in the Middle East.
Actually, that is a very positive development,because the GOP will have to work in a bipartisan way to end this thing. They can no longer afford to sit back and let the Democrats flounder around searching for a way out, while they rest on their national security street cred. Also, legislators won’t be able to cling to blind loyalty to a lame duck president, but will have to think for themselves. Isn’t that how its supposed to work?????
BTW, if they think their loss was due to failing to stay true to their conservative values–it will work to the Democrats advantage in ’08, and might be the final nail in the coffin for their chances to win back either house or senate.