Bush
Bush: Fighting in Afghanistan is EXCITING
War is fun!! YAY!
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush got an earful on Thursday about problems and progress in Afghanistan where a war has dragged on for more than six years but been largely eclipsed by Iraq.
"I must say, I'm a little envious," Bush said. "If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed."
"It must be exciting for you ... in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You're really making history, and thanks," Bush said.
cough...
Bush Endorses McCain
In yesterday's primary election contests, John McCain clinched the Republican nomination. Barring a math-defying comeback by Hillary Clinton, it looks like Obama vs McCain is the matchup for November. But unfortunately for him, President Bush threw a noose around his neck today.
With his low poll ratings and an unpopular war on his shoulders, Bush could hurt McCain with some groups, while helping with others.
"If my showing up and endorsing him helps him — or if I'm against him and it helps him — either way, I want him to win," the president said. "This is an age-old question that every president has had to answer, and there is an appropriate amount of campaigning for me to do. But they're not going to be voting for me."
Amen to that, Chimpilisimo! Too bad you've tied your successor's hands. Whatever legacy history ultimately imposes on this man cannot possibly do justice to the horrors he's created.
Bush Talk Make Brain Sad
Just a brief post, but this made my brain hurt more than usual so I thought I'd share. Hat tip to magnifico over at Docudharma.
Iraq roundup
Interesting tidbit today --- they're planning to cut combat tours from 15 to 12 months.
Gen. George Casey, the Army chief of staff, told a Senate panel that the Army is under serious strain from years of war-fighting and must reduce the length of combat tours as soon as possible.
"The cumulative effects of the last six-plus years at war have left our Army out of balance, consumed by the current fight and unable to do the things we know we need to do to properly sustain our all-volunteer force and restore our flexibility for an uncertain future," Casey said.
Thursday Open Thread
In the news...
Mitt Romney says "Freedom requires religion." Then my head explodes in The Soapbox.
Somalia is the unluckiest country in the world.
Joseph Biden lays the smackdown re: Bush and Iran. Quote:
"Are you telling me a president that's briefed every single morning, who's fixated on Iran, is not told back in August that the tentative conclusion of 16 intelligence agencies in the U.S. government said they had abandoned their effort for a nuclear weapon in '03?" Biden asked in a conference call with reporters.
"I refuse to believe that," he added. "If that's true, he has the most incompetent staff in modern American history, and he's one of the most incompetent presidents in modern American history."
Duhh, but it's nice to hear it from a Senator and presidential candidate.
Open thread.
Iran
There's a well written analytical article about Iran in Time Magazine today explaining why war is now out of the question.
What would you do with 1.6 trillion dollars?
Oops -- the question should be phrased, "What could we have done with 1.6 trillion dollars?" I apologize for the mistake.
The report includes costs not included in the administration's funding requests, including the interest on money borrowed to finance the war, an estimate of the impact on oil markets, and costs tied to treating the wounded and disabled and other related costs.
Those costs, when added to direct funding of $607 billion, push total costs for the Iraq war to $1.3 trillion, the report said. If spending in Afghanistan is included, costs could reach $1.6 trillion by the end of fiscal 2008. The report estimated that both wars could carry economic costs of $3.5 trillion between 2003 and 2017.
Holy Veto Override, Batman!
Finally they're doing something about something.
Yesterday I was having lunch with some coworkers when one read this off his cell phone. None of us knew what the bill was for, but we decided that, in general, if Bush vetoes it, it's probably a good thing.