Andrea Advocates Baker-Hamilton: 'Is W Willing To Change Before Events Overtake Him?'

Today Show/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

'Today' continued this morning its campaign of promoting the Baker-Hamilton recommendations. Chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell left little doubt as to her inclinations with this mini-editorial in the guise of a report:

"Americans might well be asking today after all the high-profile summits this week on two continents 'is the administration any closer now to an exit strategy for Iraq?'"

Noting that "time is running out and options limited," Mitchell wanted to know whether President Bush is "ready to change policy before events overtake him?" She then launched into a description of the policy changes to be proposed by the Baker-Hamilton Study Group.

View video here.

Even the retreat the Baker group proposes isn't quick enough for some. Noting that the study group's recommendation would result in all combat troops being out of Iraq by 2008, Mitchell closed by observing: "leading Democrats are already saying it is not fast enough."

Aside: Michelle Kosinski later reported from London on the investigation into the poisoning of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko. I don't know about you, but I think it's still a bit early for NBC to bring Michelle back holding an umbrella. Inevitably invokes memories of this ;-)

Finkelstein recently returned from Iraq. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Andrea advocates for Baker-Hamilton ping.

[Jeff Head]

Who cares what Andrea and Today thinks? They are a bunch of stuffed shirts and talking heads that were elected by no one. Pres. Bush, despite the mid-term set backs, was elected vby well over 60 million Americans.

He should stick to his guns as long as he is in office and bring Iraq as far along as possible in that time, while killing as many of the terrorist as possible at the same time before the next Presidential election. My bet is that the harder he fights and the more success he sees, the more likely that the democrats will not take the White House. The harder he sticks to those guns the less likely it will be...the more equivoction and softening he does, the more likely it will be.

The dems and libs know this and that is why they continue to push the issue.

[avacado]

"Americans might well be asking today after all the high-profile summits this week on two continents 'is the administration any closer now to an exit strategy for Iraq?'"

These people are like dripping water torture! We are not looking for an exit strategy! We are looking to stablize Iraq and have a democracy thriving in the Middle East.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

so right you are. I agree.

[Lurker]

He should stick to his guns as long as he is in office

He won't.

bring Iraq as far along as possible in that time

We're just about there my friend.

while killing as many of the terrorist as possible at the same time before the next Presidential election

He refuses to strike at the source of the problem. That source is in Riyadh with satellite offices in Damascus and Tehran.

My bet is that the harder he fights and the more success he sees, the more likely that the democrats will not take the White House

Watch for the old rope-a-dope. This is going to be Viet Nam redux.

L

[governsleastgovernsbest]

"Who cares what Andrea and Today thinks?"

I do, because millions of Americans continue to watch them every day for news and views.

[Gorzaloon]

I disregard what people with hyphenated names have to say.

I think it is a pretentious affectation, and smells of social experimentation.

But, then, I am from Massachusetts, and am overly allergic to local types, so I could be wrong.

Lord Gorzaloon Standish-Cabot-Waspwell III.

[YaYa123]

LOL everytime I see Michelle Kosinski, especially with an umbrella. I've gotta think she's cozy with some NBC honcho, or she wouldn't have survived her Canoe Snafu, much less been promoted to doing serious news stories.

[CharlesWayneCT]

The link to Michelle and what I presume is the canoe incident isn't working.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Sorry about that. Here's a working link to Michelle's Canoe-gate:

http://newsbusters.org/node/2199

[capitalist229]

He refuses to strike at the source of the problem. That source is in Riyadh with satellite offices in Damascus and Tehran.

To the contrary, if you look at a map, Iraq is at the epicenter of those three locations.

That's why the neocon strategy is still brilliant IMO.

We should be increasing the chaos in Iraq because that giant sucking sound is terrorists being drawn into the Iraqi blender.

And the civil war vortex in Iraq will eventually grow and swallow all of its neighbors.

I can't wait for the 12th Imam to re-appear.

BUMP

[caver]

"I disregard what people with hyphenated names have to say.
I think it is a pretentious affectation, and smells of social experimentation."

That's funny, and I agree totally with you. I have to wonder about people with hyphenated names. We got a guy here at work that married some air head and he changed his name to be hyphenated. What an idiot.

[samtheman]

Thanks for newsbusters. It's an excellent site. And thanks for posting pieces of it here.

[o_zarkman44]

What ever happened to the novel idea of actually completing the mission after defeating the enemy?

We occupied Germany after WW2 dispite token resistance, which could be exactly what is happening in Iraq.
the only difference......Germany was tired of their people dying for a futile cause. Iraqi citizens still have a lot to prove by stopping the killing of their people by foreign terrorists.

Iran and Syria are probably killing the Iraqi people.
So their sacrifices are minimal if they can dictate the politics of the conflict. They do not want a western leaning Iraq. Iran's Adolph Adjimijihad is clearly undermining a peaceful Iraq.

[o_zarkman44]

"This is going to be Viet Nam redux."

Watch on Al Jezerra the triumphant march into Baghdad by hezbollah and irans republican guard as America hurridly evacuates the Green Zone, leaving behind pro western Iraqis who will be slaughtered.

Timeline, March 2009 if not sooner.

[johnny7]

He refuses to strike at the source of the problem. That source is in Riyadh with satellite offices in Damascus and Tehran.

Yup

[Steel Wolf]

Noting that "time is running out and options limited," Mitchell wanted to know whether President Bush is "ready to change policy before events overtake him?"

Is this an entirely unfair question? President Bush has less than 2 years to make Iraq work. In that time, he faces domestic pressures that will try and force his hand, and an al-Sadr backed Iraqi PM who intends on taking over security issues come mid 2007. Given how long an endeavor this is looking to be, and the speed of which events are overtaking him, I think it's reasonable to ask if President Bush can adapt to what's going on faster than his opponents.

[Liberty Valance]

Could Andrea Mitchell be any more annoying? I hear her voice and it's like fingernails onn a blackboard. I appreciate you distilling down Andrea's "Bushhate" screeds to a few paragraphs...I certainly can't watch her.