Exactly what's it going to take? The American people went to the polls in November of 2006 and voted overwhelmingly to end our involvement in Iraq. The President's popularity rating is approaching single digits (that's OJ territory). The decorum at the Republican caucus resembles the trading floor of the Chicago Board of Trade. Barney, the White House terrier, has jumped ship and Laura Bush is wearing a "Hil in '08" button pinned to her bra. George W. Bush is adding new meaning to the term "lame duck". He couldn't get elected dog-catcher in Crawford, Texas if he were running against Terrell Owens.
The President had the ideal opportunity to steer the country out of this mine field using the report from the Iraq Study Group as a map. This non-partisan report (the co-chairs are Lee Hamilton, Democrat, and Jim Baker, Republican) offered the administration several ways to save face while beginning to pull the U.S. out of disaster. Unfortunately, before you can act on a document you have to actually read it, and that has always been one of George's shortcomings.
So instead of trying to find some way, any way, to undue the damage in the Middle East without further destabilizing the region, (assuming that's even possible), our President is sending 21,500 additional troops into Baghdad. To quote the Guinness Bros. - Brilliant! The speech that announced this "new plan" contained more fudge than the out-house at the Keebler cookie tree. "If" this, "unless" that. What in the name of Barack Obama will it take to get this President to stop eye-balling his sphincter and address the real issues in Iraq?
However, lest we assume that the Commander in Chief is spending all of his time watching the NASCAR channel, George was quoted recently as expressing disappointment regarding one aspect of the crisis in the Middle East. George was put out about the way the executions of Saddam and two of his ministers were carried out. Apparently one of the President's aides, presumably someone close to George who isn't a member of AARP, downloaded the file from YouTube.
Now this is an area where George W. Bush can speak with considerable knowledge. He may not be able to find China on a map of Asia, or pronounce "nuclear", but when it comes to state sponsored killing, this man knows his onions.
During George's six years as the Governor of Texas, he signed 152 death warrants. That represents 40% of all the executions in Texas since 1976 (381). Texas is catching up to Virginia in the execution race, and Virginia had a 237 year head start! (Statistics are compiled since 1608 and Texas became a state in 1845.) When it comes to throwing the switch, GWB is the "the MAN".
The President allowed that the executions of Saddam and two of his senior lackeys were handled "poorly". In the presidential spirit of "I did not inhale", Mr. Bush said that he didn't watch the entire clip of Hussein's death. Anyone who believes this crock believes that the WMD are still out there in a Bagdhad 7-11. Imagine how George really saw the last earthly moments of Saddam Hussein...
I envision a small, tasteful gathering of the Bush cabal in a basement room at the White House. In attendance are the usual suspects: Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz, Don Rumsfeld, and a few other members of the real axis of evil. The White House tech team has hooked-up a 60-inch plasma to George's secretary's laptop and the White House kitchen has provided pizza and a keg of Coors. When the guards begin to taunt Saddam on the gallows, the gang at 1600 Pennsylvania start yelling at the screen, "Where's your republican guard now Saddam?" and "that's what happens when you try to assassinate my Dad!" When they release the trap door, Rove yells, "Oh! That's going to leave a mark." Rumsfeld wonders aloud why they didn't all go over and watch in person. Someone gently reminds Don that he'd have to fly commercial ...and in coach. Everyone laughs.
However it went down, it's nice to know that at least one death in Iraq wasn't ignored by the President. I'm guessing that he didn't attend Saddam's funeral, but then 3,052 Americans are dead in Iraq and the Commander in Chief hasn't attended any of those services either. He's just been too busy mapping "The Way Forward".
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