"I'm playing for October-November." That is when he hopes the Iraq troop increase will finally show enough results to help him achieve the central goal of his remaining time in office: "To get us in a position where the presidential candidates will be comfortable about sustaining a presence," and, he said later, "stay longer."So he tells the soldiers the end may be in sight but then mouths off to a reporter that he's "playing" the troops until election season. Is he just making this stuff up as he goes along or is he really so cynical? I guess it could be both.
And I can't help but wonder which presidential candidate he thinks will be the one to continue to play his FUBAR game in Iraq. After all, LBJ isn't running.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Chris,
Yes, it's both.
david knowles at 1:04PM on Sep 5th 2007
2. You idiot
Dennis at 5:08PM on Sep 5th 2007
3. I knew he will try to keep the troops until he leaves but why would he care if we stay in Iraq after. Have they not earned enough money from their friends with this war?
David McCool at 3:33PM on Sep 5th 2007
4. We lost 57,000 people and spent billions in Vietnam.
We defeated the NVA and VC in battale. We began to remove troops in 1969 and by 1973 we had removed all but a token force of advisors.
South Vietnam stood on its own for nearly two years until Democrats pulled the plug and cut the funding (sound familiar?) to South Vietnam. This sent the signal to the North we had abandoned South Vietnam and the North prepared to invade the South.
In 1975 North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam, we choppered out of our embassy and our side lost. Had we supported South Vietnam with funding and a token force of troops such as we have in South Korea it is very likely their would be a South Vietnam today.
We have had troops in South Korea since 1953; just enough to let North Korea know we will support South Korea if needed.
Im sure Bush would like to see Iraq stable by the end of his term since he knows Iraq will be his legacy. A stable Iraq will make it easier, politically, to follow Harry Truman and see it through; eventually having just a token force in Iraq like we have in south Korea to this day.
Or we can follow the 1975 Democrats, cut and run, and let genocide and political instability reign for Iran and al-Qaeda to take advantage of.
Pete at 4:40PM on Sep 5th 2007
5. I guess this is why GWB decided to change his mind about the similarities between Vietnam and Iraq. Thanx for clearing that up. I guess that is why he illegally went in the first place. Because he knew once he got us into this mess there would be no way we would just be able to leave.
You are forgetting one thing though, this is a totally different culture. This is not a country or even a government we are facing like we were in Vietnam.
David McCool at 4:50PM on Sep 5th 2007
6. Pete froths: "Or we can follow the 1975 Democrats, cut and run..."
I think we all owe a vote of thanks to Pete, who has made the stunning discovery that Gerald Ford was a Democrat.
Richter at 5:21PM on Sep 5th 2007
7. awe, I was called an idiot.
David McCool at 5:41PM on Sep 5th 2007
8. i pray to god we elect a democrat and LEAVe IRAQ!
for political commentary & blogs, visit:
http://www.politidose.com/
Patrick at 5:59PM on Sep 5th 2007
9. Dave and Richter
"Not until 1975, after a DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS cut off aid in a fit of post-Watergate pique, did Siagon fall to an army of 570,000 North Vietnamese regular soldiers and some 900 Soviet tanks, well supplied and armed by their Soviet and Chinese benifactors."
" For two years South Vietnam stood on its own without U.S. boots on the ground. Had we continued military and economic aid, it would be standing today- like South Korea, which we did NOT abandon."
THE LEFT'S ONGOING VIET CON
IBD AUG 28 2007
The above is not skewed right or left, it is simply the historical fact.
President Ford did not cut the funding to South Vietnam it was a Democratic Congress (sound familiar; again)? Hence the idiot remark.
So I stand by: "Or we can follow the 1975 Democrats, cut and run, and let genocide and political instability reign for Iran and al-Qaeda to take advantage of."
P.S. Patrick: With all the oil we leave Iran and al-Qaeda in Iraq they will have all the money and weapons they need to kill you or I simply because we are American and praying to the wrong God.
Pete at 9:09PM on Sep 5th 2007
10. Pete,
What were we supposedly trying to win in Vietnam?
vegastracon at 4:04AM on Sep 6th 2007
11. Lately theres been a lot of 'good news, bad news' stories coming from the white house and the military. For me, since Ive been hearing only bad news for the last 4 years, the little bit of good news is like music to my ears. But is it real or imagined, and at what cost does it come.
Steve Bonomo at 9:55PM on Sep 6th 2007