July 10, 2007
George Bush's Iraq Obsession: America Held Hostage (Brent Budowsky)
As you read these words George W. Bush is poised to humiliate Senate Republicans yet again — and Senate Republicans, with only a few exceptions, are poised to accept this new humiliation and say, yet again: Yes, boss.
From the minute George Bush planned to let Osama bin Laden escape from Tora Bora by diverting our military to his obsessive hunger for the Iraq war, the conduct of Republicans in the Senate has been one of the most morally shameful abdications of conscience and duty in the history of the American Congress.
On Iraq, George Bush is trapped in his own private Guantanamo, a detainee of his personal and uncontrollable obsession about this war, no matter what the truth, no matter what the cost, no matter what the consequences.
At every single step of the way towards this catastrophe, the Senate Republicans marched in lockstep, at first blinded by their power in controlling the Senate, and then blinded by their fear of standing up to the man most of them know is deadly wrong, about this deadly war.
On Iraq, George Bush's vision is that America should be held hostage to whatever darkness governs his spirit on this war that should never have been fought.
Democrats never mattered in the war world of George W. Bush. He is the only American president in our history who used war itself as a partisan political weapon rather than an effort behind which our country could rally.
In George Bush's world of war, he was never the president of the United States, he was the decider, the commander guy, the child who said bring 'em on.
George Bush was the little man in search of total power, treating war not as a higher purpose to win with unity, but as a lower political art form to demean Americans he treats as enemies.
No American President, not even Nixon at his worst, has ever demeaned, defamed and dishonored the office once held by George Washington in this manner.
War was treated by George W. Bush not as a mean to unite the nation, to win the war, but as a means to divide the nation, to win his quest for unlimited power.
George Bush was never the president of the whole American people. He was never the
president of Democrats or independents. He was never even the president of Republicans in the Senate, whose advice he repeatedly ignored, whose counsel he treated with total contempt.
The great sin of the Senate Republicans, the legacy of carnage and national division that they bear primary responsibility for, is that they enabled and empowered this reckless abuse of power and this fanatical and obsessive hunger for unwise war.
When the Republicans had power and control of the Senate, they gloated in their supreme status and preened with their committee chairmanships while they tolerated their endless humiliation, by the president of their party, when his action expressed his contempt for their judgment.
They cheered when Bush attacked Democrats with the lie that they did not support the troops — and all while those very same Democrats were advocating publicly what Republicans were urging the President to do, privately.
They applauded when their leaders used garbage talk about surrender monkeys and surrender dates against Democrats, when many and most of the Republicans were in major agreement with what those Democrats were proposing.
They went to the White House and offered their wise counsel, only to be met with smirks and derision from a president who treated even senior Republicans as his private poodles.
They left the White House meetings with their tails between their legs, and went to the floor of the Senate and said things publicly they did not privately believe, and voted for escalations they deeply believed were wrong, and joined the president at their fundraisers and partisan meetings to speak words they knew were false, to support policies they knew were deadly.
They proceeded to utter timid words, with dainty comments, about how they really did not support the policy before they voted against their conscience and common sense again and again, in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 — and still again in 2007.
Now, faced with carnage and catastrophe on the battlefield, faced with an Iraqi government drenched with corruption and incompetence and allied with militia who kill children while they demonstrate their contempt for American heroes who give their lives, to buy them time, to do what they refuse to do, the Republicans in the Senate are humiliated by their president yet again.
Tony Snow parades to the cameras again this morning, to tell the world that George W. Bush believes we are only at the beginning of the beginning of this latest escalation. This is his answer to Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and the other Republicans in the Senate, and the question is, will they continue to allow themselves to be treated as poodles and trusted to toe the partisan line, yet again, for a policy they know is disastrous?
I wrote an op-ed for The Hill newspaper today (June 10) entitled "Reid's Moment, Lugar's Duty" in which I argued that bipartisanship is urgently needed, but can only begin when Sen. Lugar and his Republican colleagues stand up, for the first time in the turgid and tragic history of this war, for what they truly believe.
The blood is flowing, the world is watching, and history will judge. But make no mistake: The House Democrats are ready to end this tragedy. The House as an institution is ready. The Senate Democrats are ready. The free world is ready. The American people are ready.
If the Senate Republicans submit yet again to what they know is deadly wrong, they will be standing alone, with George W. Bush, against the entire free world, against their own private conscience, and they will suffer an epic landslide defeat in 2008 and will be convicted forever in the high court of history.
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17,000 deaths by homocide per year in the US. Where is the outrage for the "blood flowing" through our streets? Freedom is messy but gives hope, theocracy's aquired through terrorism bring "stability" to the people oppressed by it. Is this your plan? A lot of words with no answers…
Comment by Rich — July 10, 2007 @ 12:25 pm
I have wondered for so long why Bush is still in power…others have been dimissed on less for the wrongs they have done!
When are people going to wake up? Why?Why?Why? Look what he has done to our country! Still the spoiled the brat, that has to have his way! Hum…I don't see big daddy or mommie bragging about their son any more …Wonder why…GOD! Thats all we need is Jebby baby running! The handsome one as mommie says!!Have you checked out mamma Bushes book? You would see where the clan got all thir intelligence from..LOL
As you can see I'm sick of the whole Bush caln and just wish they and their greed and stupidity would just go away..
I agree with you he had brought shame to our country..
What a simple mined ass..that cares about no one but himself..sic!How people could be so blinded and voted a moron in like that, I never know..A moron that wore his Christany on his sleve and people bought it.Does that remind you of anyone else in history?
Wake up America..or is it already be to late???
Get it thorugh your head …he don't give a Rats A– about his people..only power, greed and money for HIMSELF!
Gees! I'm Mad…can't wait tell he is out of office…and hope I NEVER have to hear see anything about the Bush"s again!
Comment by geri — July 10, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
Brent: All appropriations bills start in the House of Representatives. If the democrats were that concerned, surely they would do something. Or, are you stating they are powerless? In my opinion, all these elected representatives should keep their mouths shut and let the military do their thing.
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — July 10, 2007 @ 1:07 pm
Brent:
I am so sorry for your illness.
There is nothing else I could possibly say except my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Comment by Jon Pemberton — July 10, 2007 @ 1:29 pm
Brent, this is an excellent piece, but I'm afraid you give too much credit to Republicans when you ascribe "conscience" to them. You are far too generous in this regard. If anything approximating some sort of vestigial "conscience" remains in those people, it has long since atrophied.
Comment by shane — July 10, 2007 @ 1:30 pm
The military can't do as they wish: Bush is the "Camandier and Cheif" and the DECIDER!!Don't forget!
The House of Resentives be it Rep. or Dem. Bush still does as he pleases! Now thats power!!That he shouldn't have and how he gets by with it I"ll never understand…sic of the whole thing!!Just be glad when his turm is up!!
Comment by geri — July 10, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
When the Republicans were in charge, the Democrats blamed them for all of the problems in this country. Now, the Democrats control the House AND the Senate and they STILL blame the Republicans. Why is that? Can't they come up with enough votes to override a veto? Out of 100 Senators, they can't get 2/3 to ageee to their legislation. Maybe their legislation just ain't that good. Could it be that the DemocratIC controlled Congress is so inept that they can't pass legislation unless they control the Congress AND the White House?
Comment by John Simmons — July 10, 2007 @ 3:39 pm
The Blivet Presidency
.
The majority of Americans, both highly informed and barely informed, are now comfortable stating that George W. Bush is incompetent.
The politically active voters are fully aware that what once passed for a Bush strength, that he rarely changed course, has now been unveiled as the cornerstone of his incompetence.
Over and over again he and his crew have offered political slogans in lieu of reasoned action policies only to be dragged to ignoble defeat and capitulation to the forces of reason allied against him.
An image comes to mind for me. Ten pounds of propaganda in a five pound bag, our very own "blivet" presidency.
–cognitorex–
Comment by Craig Johnson — July 10, 2007 @ 4:00 pm
Lugar is idiot, Reid is a traitor. Simple?
Read this:
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12774&Itemid=1
"allied with militia who kill children"? Shame on you Brent, shame on you.
Comment by Igor R. — July 10, 2007 @ 6:24 pm
Don't look to the neocons (base) of the republican party to save itself, from itself. You could refer to it (2008 election route) as an 'implosion'. Or, you could refer to it as 'the GOP nominating a lobbyist' (Freddy Boy). Oh hell, call it 'corruption'.
Comment by Chris in NM — July 11, 2007 @ 12:45 am
Igor, Igor, Igor. And one more Igor. The Iraq people don't want our benchmarks and they don't want to let us steal their oil. They are savvy. BTW, Bush is crazy, Igor. He may want to stay in power. He doesn't look like a guy who wants to leave power one bit. I suggest people wake up about this guy. This guy is acting like a dictator right now!!!
Comment by Gary Anderson — July 11, 2007 @ 2:00 am
Gary, I don't care about Iraqi oil other than it being used to finance Iran. I don't care about Iraqi benchmarks, they are meaningless. I care about stability there and the lack of safe havens for terrorists. I obviously can't prove that Bush doesn't want to pull a Putin or Musharaf and stay in power indefinitely, but I see no indication of it. We will know soon Gary, won't we?
Comment by Igor R. — July 11, 2007 @ 1:59 pm
Gary,
After reading your posts and a few others all I can say is;
Put down the glue and move slowly away from the counter.
What ya been reading on DailyKos lately? How many dollars you sent to Al Franken? Going to support Cindy Sheehan over Pelosi?
Sorry, just in a funny mood today
Comment by Jon Pemberton — July 11, 2007 @ 9:45 pm
I see the crazed neocon ship of fools has landed at this posting. You guys must really be feeling shamed and embarrassed, what with all the damage the Idiot In Chief has engineered and all your rant's. Don't let the facts get in your way as that will really complicate things. Huh?
Comment by Lester Fields — July 11, 2007 @ 9:51 pm
Lester,
zzzzzzzz You bore me
Comment by Jon Pemberton — July 12, 2007 @ 6:45 pm