World

Iraq: Bush executes strategic advance in a rearward direction

By on • ( 3 Comments )

President George Bush says he will not support attaching benchmarks to funding of the Iraq occupation.

Rice: Bush Would Oppose Iraq Benchmarks
Bush Would Not Support Bill That Sets Iraqi Government Benchmarks, Secretary of State SaysBy BEN FELLER Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON Apr 30, 2007 (AP)President Bush will not sign any war spending bill that penalizes Iraq’s government for failing to make progress, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday, a fresh warning to Congress about challenging him. (Story.)

Whi- …. uhhh, hold on a second. [He did what? Really? Ummm, okay.] OK, sorry, I’m back.

Bush Says He’s Open to Benchmarks in Iraq Bill
By BRIAN KNOWLTON
Published: May 10, 2007WASHINGTON, May 10 — President Bush said today that he was willing to work with lawmakers to include benchmarks for the performance of the Iraqi government in a war spending bill, something members of both parties have been vigorously seeking. (Story.)

There’s a word for this. Wait – it’ll come to me. What’s it called when you say one thing one day and then the exact opposite less than two weeks later? Oh – here it is: flip-flop.

Wow. I mean, what could possibly cause The Decider to change course so quickly and so thoroughly? You think it might have had something to do with this?

In a sign of the growing fissure between the White House and its congressional allies over the war, NBC News reports tonight that 11 Republican members of Congress pleaded yesterday with President Bush and his senior aides to change course in Iraq.The group of Republicans was led by Reps. Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Charlie Dent (R-PA), and the meeting included Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Karl Rove, and Tony Snow. One member of Congress called the discussion the “most unvarnished conversation they’ve ever had with the president,” and NBC’s Tim Russert said it “may have been a defining pivotal moment” in the Iraq debate. (Story.)

I guess we can expect Bush’s resignation any minute now. After all, he made it plenty clear in the 2004 campaign that flip-flopping on the war meant you weren’t qualified to lead. And whatever else you may accuse the President of, nobody can call him a hypocrite.

Categories: World

Tagged as: , ,

3 replies »

  1. My head hurts. I thought Sen. Kerry was the Top Flopper. Is his title in danger here?

    Thanks for the post.

  2. No worries, Denny. It’s just that Dubya decided AGAINST benchmarks two weeks ago. Now he’s decided FOR benchmarks.

    When you’re The Decider, you have to make Decidings all the time….Sometimes you decide one way, sometimes another way…but you always decide…that’s the important thing – YOU decide….

    Dang. Now MY head hurts….

  3. Didn’t he also say that whomever leaked the Plame information would be fired?

    Bueller?

    Oh to be a fly on the wall at the meeting of the 11. I wonder if this marks the bursting of the bubble surrounding the decider guy?

    I crack me up.

    This was a desperation move. The 11 told him that the American public would judge him very harshly if he didn’t make “them stand up so we can stand down.” Vetoing benchmarks and accountability (with maybe a view to an exit) would tell the American people that he wanted endless war.