Monday, April 30, 2007

A matter of recent history

Recently, I was watching the "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer" on CNN. He had on two Congressional Representatives: some Republican and Democrat Jane Harman from California. (I didn't catch his name.) Well, the Republican spewed out the standard political line on Iraq; that is, the current message that GW is stubbornly clinging to, (After changing his message often since the time he entered office in 2001.) You get the impression about the GOP members of Congress that they are flat out empty-headed in their approach to politics. GW speaks, and they prattle, endlessly.

So, here is a relevant something republished in the Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington. "I believe strongly that politicians in Washington shouldn't be telling generals how to do their job." This was from GW. What he proceeded to leave out is what books such as, "Cobra II," discusses at length, politicians in Washington did indeed tell generals how to do their jobs. As long as those politicians happened to be Don Rumsfeld and GW Bush. And a compliant Republican majority couldn't bestir itself to engage in real over sight. Which in the next quote, really is a Congressional perogative.

"The Congress shall have Power to...make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces." In "Cobra 11," there is plenty of detail about Rumsfeld's timelines, Rumsfeld's micromanaging the deploying of units and logistics whereby there were constant disruptions as to the actual deployment of troops and equipment prior to the invasion of Iraq. Indeed, Rumsfeld went so far as to pre-plan troop withdrawal even before the war began. What the generals complained about Rumsfeld in private, they waited until they retired to complain about publicly and before Congress. Otherwise, to find an active general speaking to a Republican Congress voluntarily about the real mess in Iraq, simply never happened.

Since the Congress changed hands, GW has constantly flipped out. I can imagine the real reason for his histrionics, he is actually facing the checks and balances he did not receive when the GOP were in power.

And one other reason, "You can't invite a guest of honor to come and be a political pinata." C-Span's political editor, Steve Scully, explaining why noncontroversial comedian Rich Little was emcee of this year's White House Correspondents Association dinner, where President Bush had received searing treatment last year from then-host Steven Colbert.

He can't stand dealing with people who disagree with him.

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