Hi Wolfie ... pics of the pooches are so adorable. Thank you for the schedules, as well. Can you imagine the confidences they share with W and Laura, especially these days? You *know* how much I love that SOTU speech. I doubt if any official speech I'll ever hear in my lifetime will touch me like those stirring words do.
Please .. everyone. Go here and vote. Needs some "Dosing."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16128101/site/newsweek/#anc_nwk_061209_bush_withdraw
Informative article, with information from Gen. Ray Odierno. He's also giving input to Pres. Bush, and it sounds like his analysis jibes with what we're hearing about the blueprint of what's to come:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16399081/site/newsweek/page/2/
"I was in Basra today and they told me JAM [Jaish Al Mehdi, or the Mehdi Army militia] pays people $500 per assault to attack coalition forces down in Basra. They also said if they got a permanent job they would work for less, they'd rather have a job at $400 a month that's safer. That's the dynamic we deal with.
That's what we have to change. The problem we have is that the newly elected Iraqi government is trying to stand up; [we've done] nothing to connect that Iraq government to an Iraqi individual on the street.
We have not done local elections, so there's no local representation. We have not provided security forces that are competent yet, we have not yet created jobs they can keep for a period of time.
We have to shorten that gap between the Iraqi government and the Iraqi individual on the street. It takes time for a brand-new government to do that, and we have to help them to do all of that."
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God Bless and Protect President Bush ~~ the weight on his shoulders is unimaginable. Prayers.
I hope you're feeling better.... I was sick with similar for 3 weeks. *sigh*
Should the Bush administration set a firm date for the start of withdrawal from Iraq? * 9097 responses
Yes
70%
No
24%
Don't Know
6%
That's what we have to change. The problem we have is that the newly elected Iraqi government is trying to stand up; [we've done] nothing to connect that Iraq government to an Iraqi individual on the street.We have not done local elections, so there's no local representation. We have not provided security forces that are competent yet, we have not yet created jobs they can keep for a period of time.
We have to shorten that gap between the Iraqi government and the Iraqi individual on the street. It takes time for a brand-new government to do that, and we have to help them to do all of that."