I like how people are taking on the Bush bashers here at Free Republic.
It is a pleasant change.
I see no sign that Bush is pulling out of Iraq in the manner these pollsters and dems are trying to arrange.
Baker is more of old school failures that lead to things like 911.
I think this is playing out pretty well.
Bush has shown good leadership on Iraq by maintaining our defense of democracy in Iraq despite its fragility.
The Iraqi public is coming to the same realization they made about Al Qaeda in regard to Shia militias. They are violent SOBs that need to be divorced from political power. Bloodshed is part of that cruel learning process.
The Sadrist and other radicals do not have the numbers to retake Iraq.
Bush's policies in Afghanistan and Iraq have been incredibly successful. The media propaganda war combined with dem backstabbing is only further evidence of its success. No good deed goes unpunished. These have been very good deeds.
This group of "wise men" fit into that mould. So what if Baker served the Bush (41) Administration - that doesn't mean he isn't an idiot. Considering how that Presidency collapsed from bad advice as well as fatigue, it's even more likely he's a fool.
It's at times like this that we need to hold to fundamental truths, which are generally simple: if someone is all talk and no action, are you inclined to respect him / her? What does the bully understand, dialogue or being punched in the face? What is more likely to be effective - putting the enemy in the ground or giving him a bribe? Common sense, as well as history indicates that talking and bribery never work - yet here we have these fools proposing it yet again because they'd rather ignore the brutal realities of life and diplomacy rather than deal with them head on.
My father was right - there is a cabal of fools in government. In this case it's this damn fool study group.
Regards, Ivan