By implementing his threat to veto legislation to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq on Tuesday, US President George W. Bush (who appears more and more like a knight in shining armour), has begun to brandish his sword at Congress (or for that matter whoever crosses his path).
It appears that he wouldn’t mind riding solo in his ‘War Against Congress’! At this rate, he may be taking on the world sooner than later!!!
The Associated Press reports about a historic showdown between President Bush and the US Congress over whether the unpopular and costly Iraq war should end or escalate.
“It was a day of high political drama, falling on the fourth anniversary of Bush’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech declaring that major combat operations had ended in Iraq.
‘In only the second veto of his presidency, Bush rejected legislation pushed by Democratic leaders that would require the first U.S. combat troops to be withdrawn by Oct. 1 with a goal of a complete pullout six months later.
” ‘This is a prescription for chaos and confusion and we must not impose it on our troops,’ Bush said in a nationally broadcast statement from the White House. He said the bill would ‘mandate a rigid and artificial deadline’ for troop pullouts, and “it makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing.’
“Democrats accused Bush of ignoring Americans’ desire to stop the war, which has claimed the lives of more than 3,350 members of the military.
” ‘The president wants a blank check,’ said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., moments after Bush’s appearance. ‘The Congress is not going to give it to him.’ She said lawmakers would work with him to find common ground but added that there was ‘great distance’ between them on Iraq.
“The legislation amounted to a rare rebuke of a wartime president and an assertion by Democrats that Congress must play a major role in Iraq and the extent of U.S. involvement.”
One hopes that good sense prevails on Wednesday when Bush would meet with Congressional leaders — Democrats and Republicans alike — to discuss new legislation.
But the big question is: Will the knight in the shining armour dismount while talking to Congressional leader, or continue a monologue perched on his high horse?
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.