Just recently one may have despaired that Bush would get away with murder. There seemed little hope of impeaching him despite his crimes, despite the growing dissatisfaction with his missrule. That Bush lived in the White House mocked the very idea of responsible and democratic government.
What a difference a few weeks have made. Topping the news was Bush's veto of the military appropriation's bill. Everyone expected it. Not expected was the effect it's had. Bush, who takes false pride in being "resolute" may have thought his veto would put the Democratic majority in Congress on the defensive and shift the agenda back to the White House.
It didn't work out that way. The real effect is two fold: The White House must now play ball with Congress (the Democrats) if it hopes to get a bill at all. Secondly, Bush is seen to have played politics with the lives of American troops. Never had this point been spelled out more forcefully and more dramatically than in the following letter from one of the "commanders" that Bush likes to say he listens to but, in fact, doesn't give a damn.
President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
Today, in your veto message regarding the bipartisan legislation just passed on Operation Iraqi Freedom, you asserted that you so decided because you listen to your commanders on the ground.
Respectfully, as your former commander on the ground, your administration did not listen to our best advice. In fact, a number of my fellow Generals were forced out of their jobs, because they did not tell you what you wanted to hear -- most notably General Eric Shinseki, whose foresight regarding troop levels was advice you rejected, at our troops' peril.
The legislation you vetoed today represented a course of action that is long overdue. This war can no longer be won by the military alone. We must bring to bear the entire array of national power - military, diplomatic and economic. The situation demands a surge in diplomacy, and pressure on the Iraqi government to fix its internal affairs. Further, the Army and Marine Corps are on the verge of breaking - or have been broken already - by the length and intensity of this war. This tempo is not sustainable - and you have failed to grow the ground forces to meet national security needs. We must begin the process of bringing troops home, and repairing and growing our military, if we are ever to have a combat-ready force for the long war on terror ahead of us.
The bill you rejected today sets benchmarks for success that the Iraqis would have to meet, and puts us on a course to redeploy our troops. It stresses the need for sending troops into battle only when they are rested, trained and equipped. In my view, and in the view of many others in the military that I know, that is the best course of action for our security.
As someone who served this nation for decades, I have the utmost respect for the office you hold. However, as a man of conscience, I could not sit idly by as you told the American people today that your veto was based on the recommendations of military men. Your administration ignored the advice of our military's finest minds before, and I see no evidence that you are listening to them now.
I urge you to reconsider your position, and work with Congress to pass a bill that achieves the goals laid out above.
Respectfully,
Major General Paul D. Eaton, USA, Retired
There is also the statement by Maj. Gen. John Batiste.
The President vetoed our troops and the American people. His stubborn commitment to a failed strategy in Iraq is incomprehensible. He committed our great military to a failed strategy in violation of basic principles of war. His failure to mobilize the nation to defeat world wide Islamic extremism is tragic. We deserve more from our commander-in-chief and his administration.
Secondly, Bush violated a trust that is as sacred as possible in a secular society. That is the trust given him by a free electorate. That Bush does not care about those values is the most compelling reason he must go. By refusing to investigate the events of 911, Bush broke with precedent established with Pearl Harbor.
Len Hart is a Houston based film/video producer specializing in shorts and full-length documentaries. He is a former major market and network correspondent; credits include CBS, ABC-TV and UPI. He maintains the progressive blog: more...)
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Ok, you see the suplemental funding for the Iraq War not going so well and the Military needing the funding, and at the same time you see gasoline prices going up over 40 cents a gallon in many areas in one month.
Could it be that the administration is allowing this for the funding indirectly of the war thought the oil companies? If the price of Gas gets above 5 dollars a gallon, it would shut down our country and case devastaing things such as Kaos where our president could suspend our next election? ... could he or would he do this to keep power?
Would our govt that already went to war with the freedoms of Americas, with the patriot act and military commissions act, not think of this?
I don't know what to think of my govt since 9-11 and all of it's so-called mistakes that have seemed to hurt our country!
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Ben_Retro (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments) on Thursday, May 3, 2007 at 5:58:52 PM
You really don't understand what he is capable of right now. If he suspects anyone getting real close to getting the job done he can have him sent to gitmo, since all he has to do is call you a terrorist. But that would not go unnoticed, that would be mighty impopular.
He also could have anyone accidented, but that would also be suspect.
He could order another '9/11,' something which is most likely already in the planning to prepare another war, against Iran.
But most likely he will have shiploads and shiploads of dirty pressure exerted on the poor legislators who have to do the impeaching work.
by
Han (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 226 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Friday, May 4, 2007 at 7:28:59 AM
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