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 ...
Nopardons, I wonder why you are a Republican - if you are.
If Giuliani and McCain are the best the party can put up, its finished as a viable opposition party.
Thre still is time and a lot of people are showing interest. I like Hunter. I pray for Rice. We will have to wait and see if the Republican Party can save itself.
If we don't, our children will grow up at war, or under Islam.
You are right. But we are discussing how we will be able to survive.
Wars aren't won by people with the largest armies or the best technology. They ae won by people with the most dedication - people who are willing to die for their cause. That's how we won all our wars. I don't see that now except for our men and women in uniform. I DO see that will in Islam.
You make excuse after excuse for Reagan, but smear President Bush every which way to Sunday, every chance you get, as well as to denigrate anyone and everyone who dares to have a nice thing to say about him.
Stop with the damned mythographizing of Reagan; the man wasn't a demigod! If anyone on this thread is being cultic about a president, it is you.
Yes, Reagan had a college degree, though we don't know what his GPA was.
Clinton is very glib. I suppose that since you so admire glibness, Slick Willie is another of your idols.
President Bush can and often does speak well. You are just regurgitating MSM drivel now....oh, Bush is so stupid, oh Bush can't talk. Oh Bushbash someplace else!
Oh...............so Reagan had to pull out of Lebanon because of Congress, but President Bush should have tried to bomb Syria and Iran without Congress' approval and help?
The Armenians? You want President Bush to bomb because of what happened almost a century ago?
Nooooooooooooooooooooooo, America's children were actually a hell of a lot safer, with Russian nukes pointed at them, than they are now, with Islamonazi terrorists running around, Hammas and Hezbollah and al Qaeda being free spirits, belonging to no one country/nation for us to fight.
Do yourself a favor.....read Southack's personal page.
BRAVO!
Newt is not only a terribly flawed man, he is also arrogant, pompous, a sniveling poltroon, but has more damned baggage, both private and public, than almost anyone but both Clintons!
He is NOT as "consesrvative" as you foolishly believe. Have you ever read the Tofflers' book THE THRID WAVE? If not, do so. It WILL make you want to throw up and throw the book across the room; however, it is one of Newt's favorite books and he HAS been touting it for many years now. I read it long before Newt ever mentioned it. It's a new agey piece of garbage, heavily overlaid with Marxist cant. And it IS part of what Newt really believes is good.
Newt and Bill Clinton are two sides of the same coin! Both are wet finger in the airers. Both have committed adultery with an underling/s in their taxpayer funded offices ( except that Newt didn't use a cigar and married the secretary ), and on the clock; as it were.
Newt was a great backbencher, but couldn't handle things, once the power was his. And he only ever had a plan A, which NEVER included what consequences might follow. Closing down the government is a great example of that.
And no matter how much credit you want to give Newt, no, he did NOT singlehandedly get the GOP both Houses. Your cultic worship of Newt is ridiculous and pathetic; you Newtbot.
The numbers sounded VERY large back then and lots of people were screaming about the consequences!
Yes, NOBODY is perfect, so stop your incessant Bushbashing caviling and stop attacking others for far less botism than YOU have fallen into.
McQueeg is a deplorable waste of space and will NOT win the GOP primary.
Rudy CAN beat any Dem presidential candidate; even though he has a somewhat social liberal record on a few things. But then,. as governor, Reagan brought LEGAL abortion to California.
Rice isn't going to EVER run for political office; get over it already! And besides which, she has NEVER run or held ANY political office whatsoever. We don't anoint such neophytes in this country. And she DOES NOT WANT TO BE PRESIDENT!
You can kiss Hunter bye bye...he's a nobody and will get nowhere.
Well thanks alot! Maybe this "Bushbot", or "Bot hog", or whatever stinky little name you threw at me, and other Bush supporters, will just leave now, and let you have your little bashfest! I'm not going to stay here and be insulted by you, and your little Bush-bashing friends, either! Just go on, I hope you'll be happy when Hillary, or Obama, or some other leftist gets in. Maybe you can get in here and crab when they don't bring out their magic wand and wave it around for you! I don't want to read about it.
Good Lord, no wonder poor old Ronald Reagan looked worn out (God rest his soul!)when he left his presidency. He also had to fight not only the leftists but the foolish, spoiled crabs on the other side! He got the same crap G. Bush gets now! And by people like a lot of you! So have your fun now, because a lot of us "Bushbots" are not going to have any pity for you when the Dems take control, as you know they will. Because they won't give you what you want either!
I've lost count how many times they've pronounced him dead or something to that effect. If it weren't so gratuiotus and dangerous, it would be quite comical.
Well said and spot on!
Thanks for a great post.
Fine, I'm disappointed with President Bush.
This is what has turned me so sour...I hope my sour mood hasn't cost me FRiends....but the way Rummy was pushed out....was finally to much for me to take.
No it hasn't cost you my FRiendship and I understand your frustration
I will miss Rummy dearly and wish things had turned out differently
But at the same time I realize with the election .. there was no way Rummy would be able to continue doing his job in the way he needed .. the Dems would be dragging him up before hearings every chance they could
I think Rummy knew that too
IMO .. it wasn't Bush that failed Rummy .. it was the voters
That's better. ;^)
Not meaning to disrespect the office just disappointed in many of his actions.
I voted twice for President Bush and was one of about 5000 along with my family at the Palm Beach board of elections protesting the recount.
I believed he would push an agenda similar to President Reagan. Instead he has spent my money on rediculous things.
Failed to push ANY sonservative social issues that put him into the office, and allowed the likes of Ted Kennedy to write policy.
President bush has also refused to use the veto for any prupose.
I can go on, just like to state my objections, As a conservative Republican
I didn't bother to read this article fully because the author is twisting everything that happened. If you believe this simply because it is in the Post, I would remind you that the Post supported Hillary Clinton in the most recent election.
The Iraq Survey Group is an attempted coup at least intelectually.
Perhaps we could call it an Elitist Junta.
"Glancing the iceberg" is exactly right. GWB was frank about it but at the very same time tried to have life go on and not worry us with the details. A bit like not showing the bodies in the air falling from the tower. I sometimes had the feeling he did not want to "arrouse" us.
That said, GWB I do believe will someday be seen as the visionary who did not articulate his vision. That is a weakness of this WH. They say too little, too late and lose the PR war.
This damned infernal citizenry is addicted to PR. The collective IQ must be 70 and the attention span is very short. And the politicalization of the war was the critical factor I think.
I hope I am wrong. But I expect a bad outcome over years, a slow bad outcome. I hope I am wrong.
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