Monday, November 20, 2006
Doubling Down
From the Wall Street Journal:
Let's take bets - is he sending more or pulling some out?
I bet he's sending more - at least 20,000 more - even though it's widely acknowledged we don't really have any more troops to send and even though retired General Barry McCaffrey says we must withdraw 5 brigades from Iraq by Christmas "to keep the army from breaking."
Still, I'm betting he'll keep the 152,000 he's already got there and send another 20,000-30,000 National Guard troops, the ones he's not supposed to send because they're supposed to stay here at home and deal with domestic emergencies.
Yeah, I'm betting Bush is doubling down on this.
I mean, we're talking about his legacy, you know?
And I bet they go back to the "Defeatist" and "Cut and Run" talk when critics poke holes in his Double Down Plan.
BOGOR, Indonesia – President Bush, facing mounting calls to change course in Iraq, said he is still considering sending more American troops to try to quell the violence there.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Bush made clear he also is considering withdrawing some troops and said he wouldn't make final decisions until he received recommendations from U.S. military commanders and other government officials currently conducting sweeping reviews of U.S. policy on Iraq.
Let's take bets - is he sending more or pulling some out?
I bet he's sending more - at least 20,000 more - even though it's widely acknowledged we don't really have any more troops to send and even though retired General Barry McCaffrey says we must withdraw 5 brigades from Iraq by Christmas "to keep the army from breaking."
Still, I'm betting he'll keep the 152,000 he's already got there and send another 20,000-30,000 National Guard troops, the ones he's not supposed to send because they're supposed to stay here at home and deal with domestic emergencies.
Yeah, I'm betting Bush is doubling down on this.
I mean, we're talking about his legacy, you know?
And I bet they go back to the "Defeatist" and "Cut and Run" talk when critics poke holes in his Double Down Plan.
Comments:
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I bet on a very, very slight drawdown before Christmas with a lot of shuffling and "changing tactics".
What do I get if I win?
What do I get if I win?
Unfortunately nothing but the respect of your fellow blogger.
I hope you're right about the drawdown. I'm starting to get really cynical about what the Baker Commission is going to come up with. It kinda sounded like Bush and Cheney told Baker and Hamilton "We don't carw what you decide, cuz' we're the deciders. And we've already decided to see this thing out."
I hope you're right about the drawdown. I'm starting to get really cynical about what the Baker Commission is going to come up with. It kinda sounded like Bush and Cheney told Baker and Hamilton "We don't carw what you decide, cuz' we're the deciders. And we've already decided to see this thing out."
I figure that is what they are thinking. They will do what they want no matter what: Baker/Hamilton and the Democratic Congress be damned.
I feel guilty about it, but I'm really starting to think that the best thing is to let them run this thing further into the ground. That way all fingers will point back and maybe the hawks will finally be discredited.
If we pulll out now and chaos ensues, then it will be the fault of the anti-war crowd just like in Viet Nam. And then we do it all over again in 20 years.
I know it is extremely cynical, but look at what we are dealing with.
I feel guilty about it, but I'm really starting to think that the best thing is to let them run this thing further into the ground. That way all fingers will point back and maybe the hawks will finally be discredited.
If we pulll out now and chaos ensues, then it will be the fault of the anti-war crowd just like in Viet Nam. And then we do it all over again in 20 years.
I know it is extremely cynical, but look at what we are dealing with.
pt, you make a valid point. I think so much of the "debate" these days is simply posturing to try and pass blame to somebody else for this mess. I just wouldn't want to have to tell the wife, husband, daughter, son, brother, sister, or child of somebody killed in iraq that a loved one died so that the political blame can be passed on to someone else. Unfortunately, that seems to be whats happening.
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