Posted on 12/06/2006 2:06:31 PM PST by Sabramerican
JOHN Bolton's resignation as the American ambassador to the United Nations makes it official: The Bush administration is now drifting idly toward a mixture of centrism and impotence.
In less than a month, two of President Bush's stronger and more independent aides - Donald Rumsfeld and Bolton - have been dispatched. Rumsfeld's designated successor, former CIA head Robert Gates, is a leading member of the Beltway's permanent bureaucracy.
The administration seems to be waiting for the Baker-Hamilton commission of old Washington hands to dictate U.S. policy on Iraq. Leaks from the commission suggest it will recommend a gradual U.S. withdrawal camouflaged by negotiations with Iran and Syria over a new Mideast grand bargain.
All of this feeds an exaggerated defeatism in the United States over Iraq.
.....
Rumsfeld's abrupt firing was an act of flagrant disloyalty to a loyal subordinate. The defense secretary had made his share of mistakes - notably, his failure to crush looting immediately after the fall of Baghdad - but he had followed the president's policy faithfully.
.......
We don't know for certain the reasons for Bolton's departure: Either the White House wasn't prepared to fight for him, or he was no longer prepared to lend his voice to the diplomatic charade over Iran and North Korea. Either way, his departure demonstrates timidity on the administration's part. The net result will be that Bush has one less loyal subordinate in the shrinking ranks of his own administration.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Your post just brought me up short.
I apologize to you for all the nasty things people say on here about our soldiers and our CIC; it must sting you to your heart.
BTW, that's about as apt a definition of what is going on in this country as I have seen...........LOL.
"I thought we had agreed not to post to each other.
Did I miss something, because if I did, let me say again, I'm not interested in your thoughts or your thoughts on my thoughts.
112 posted on 12/04/2006 12:08:17 PM CST by Howlin (Pres.Bush ought to be ashamed of himself for allowing foreign countries right on our borders!!~~Zook)"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1748170/posts?page=112#112
Since the joined forces of the angry right and the insane left won the election in November, our troops are now fair game.
The mission in Iraq can be trashed by any and all who wish to feel important regardless of the DAMAGE it does to the morale of our troops.
For many, this is no longer a decent forum, Indy.
FREE REPUBLIC IS NO LONGER A PLACE FOR FAMILIES OF OUR MILITARY TO BELONG.
I caaught that. He didn't look like he really wanted to do this interview.
I beg your forgiveness for the evil that is now going on on this forum.
I am ashamed of the things being said here.
There are ugly, heartless, anti-American, anti-military monsters among us, and I hope you will be comforted by knowing that we are not all like them.
Seriously, my husband and I have done that for 30+ years. Still scares him when he thinks something and I comment outloud about what he's thinking.
USA sending Reserve Engineering Battalions to Iraq. Four U.S. Battle Groups in the Arabian Sea. Troop movements out of Al Anbar towards Baghdad.
"...Bolton's departure: Either the White House wasn't prepared to fight for him, or he was no longer prepared to lend his voice to the diplomatic charade over Iran and North Korea..."
"...Rumsfeld's abrupt firing was an act of flagrant disloyalty to a loyal subordinate..."
Stranger things have probably happenned in my life, but I was drinking then, and I don't remember...................FRegards
Are you just playing dumb or are you really that stupid?
We all saw your remark about me to Sawdring. When you post about me behind my back and it's called to my attention, you can bet your sorry A$$ I'm going to have something to say about it.
It's considered common courtsey on FR to PING the person you're trashing, not that common courtesy would matter to you.
You have a real attitude problem and evidently a real "Johnson" on about the women on this forum. Are you posting from a tiny den in your basement to get away from your wife???
Yep, that's the way I read that, too.
As Sir "Jimmy" Goldsmith once described it, "What good is winning poker hands on the deck of the Titanic?"
That pretty well nails what our decadent political classes are trying to do right now.
Don't need to stoop to personal attacks. That's just wrong. I believe Bush did what he did because he believed those around him. I sure as hell wouldn't want his job.
But I will say this much. The Bush administration has NEVER been able to put forward, for public consumption and scrutiny, a plain and simple, straightforward, believable and uncontestable explanation for why the war was a vital necessity
On that I fully agree. From Powell's pained face at the UN to the talking heads that have followed since the police action began, it seemed like the goalposts have repeatedly changed as well as the reasoning.
Various mid-east strategists and old hands also convinced him that something good could come out of the new power structure that a fallen Saddam would bring to mid-east politics. And of course, he wasn't able to challenge them with cogent arguments and penetrating questions, since he's not a policy wonk
Can't really blame him for not being policy wonk. I honestly do not believe there is a man alive on the face of this earth that could grasp all the crap the President is supposed to know. With the expansion of the national government over the years, no one could keep up with it. No one. So it's as you say. Various advisors with plans of their own convinced him of the wisdom of the Iraq campaign. But I don't or won't say it's because of his lack of knowledge. Truth be known talk to the average citizen in any one of the respective states. Their grasp on general history is embarrasing. Most live for the moment and are more apt to be able to tell you who won American Idol than give you a basic dissertation of the change of US foreign policy since the 1890s.
They're all dancing on the heads of pins up there, aren't they?
I'm beginning to become VERY disheartened with everybody up there, theirs AND ours.
Good analagy. I really dread the next two years.
This really saddens me since my kid spent a year in Iraq. You don't know how disappointed I am in our congress.
It's a sure sign of intelligence, don't you think??? :-)
Most of the libs in this country are crazy themselves, and they have a, .......I'll call it a captive audience.
I've practically thrown out my television......idiot box.
I don't want to sound fawning, but I'll say what I feel because it is the truth.
This website is the greatest, hands down. JimRob has built something that is special; think of all of the diverse views expressed here.....eloquently I will add, even if I disagree with some posters. This is as good as the Internet gets.
The Internet will get even better; welcome to the age of the citizen journalist.
Of course!!! ~LOL~
Okay.....here's something else I saw........see if you noticed it.
Did you notice how many of "them" said "near unanimous" or "bipartisan?"
And can you name ANYBODY (that we've hated) in D.C. who has trooped out in front of the cameras tonight to have their say about how wonderful this report is (David Broder on CNN right now saying this is a great day for America)........I am more and more convinced this is a silent coup........that they are trying to take down this president.
"People of REAL authority," say David Broder!
Pardon me while I PUKE.
But I'll tell you what........I used to get support here on this forum. There was a general respect for our troops and their mission here.
Since November 7th, it is GONE.
Thank GOD that the Commander in Chief is still in charge. Without his leadership, who knows what would happen to this honorable mission?
The truth of the matter is, he is the only one in Washington who is NOT impotent.
I just watched Jimmy Stewart in "mr smith goes to washington", same shit different decade. I believe that movie was made before the 17th amendment was ratified. Doesn't matter, same shit, different generation. I guess you can get solice in the fact that they were doing the same crap 70 years ago as they are today.
At least, even with all our diverse comments, we have a way to get down to the nitti-gritti of subject matter and tear it down to the truth.
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