Such Synergy!

Well golly gosh darn! In a shocking move, President Bush announced today that he will "endorse" the "plan" laid out by General David Petraeus, who, acting completely independently of the White House told Congress that the surge has been enough of a fantastic success to pave the way for a "very substantial withdrawal" of American forces from Iraq. So, congratulations America! You got the withdrawal you wanted! In related news, it must finally be September, because, as we know from Andrew Card, "From a marketing point of view, you don't introduce new products in August."

Of course, lawmakers were quick to rain on what might have been a beautiful parade. As the Washington Post notes, "Several Republicans joined Democrats in saying that Petraeus's proposal to draw down troops through the middle of next summer would result only in force levels equivalent to where they stood before the increase began, about 130,000 troops." Curse those nettlesome Congresspersons and their implacable subtraction skills!

Of course, there is big component to this story that goes unmentioned by the Post and, elsewhere, USA Today. As the L.A. Times correctly notes:

The "very substantial withdrawal" Petraeus outlined Monday would keep the buildup in place for as long as possible without extending the tours of soldiers beyond the current limit of 15 months: Taking into account those tour limits, which were increased to their current level earlier this year, those additional troops would have had to come home anyway by the end of August. In essence, Petraeus was arguing Monday for a continuation of the buildup until virtually no more Army and Marine units were available. [Emphasis ours.]

Now, of course, no one is suggesting that the past two days of testimony and the White House's announcement of a "substantial withdrawal" are merely carefully orchestrated political pageantry designed to improve the Republicans' electoral hopes.* Still, Bush doesn't seem to be endorsing a new plan that's been made possible by strategic gains in Iraq, which is what Petraeus is selling. Rather, as if signalling his approval of "a lengthy period of darkness as the sun dips below the horizon in the evening," he's doing little more than "endorsing" an outcome that reality makes impossible to avoid.

Of course, where this administration is concerned, this constitutes progress!

Bush to Endorse Petraeus Plan [Washington Post]
Bush to support troop pullback [USA Today]
Petraeus calls for gradual drawdown [L.A. Times]

*Just kidding! Of course people are suggesting that!

Comments

[JessWonderin]

11:54 PM on 09/12/2007

oh thank you Betrayus!!!! I feel so much safer now after your rousing endorsement that your efforts have made it safer in America - "Ass kissing little chickenshit" CentCom Chief Fallon, March 2007 - couldn't agree more .. .

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

09:12 PM on 09/12/2007

Why didn't one of the congresspersons ask about the bullshit way we now count casualities? If you're shot in the front of the head, it's one thing - if you're shot in the back of the head, it's another.

And then the general had the unmittigated gaul to say that no one had seen his report before it was presented to Congress, including the bush bastard?

How stupid do these people think we are? Un be fucking lievable.

[loslobo]

12:02 PM on 09/13/2007

They did and he said it was a lie. I'll check tape if you need to know who.

[alkamm]

08:24 PM on 09/12/2007

The failure of mainstream media to point out the countless talking points Petraeus's report shares with administration spokesmen is shameful.

Why do we have to rely on John Stewart to point out that most of the phrases Petraeus used in characterizing the Mess In Potamia have been worn thin by the spin of the Bushies?

The American people deserve a muck raking news media when there's this much muck to rake. They need to see that the same words parroted by Petraeus are those the administration uses when they do their shameful shaping of reality. The video is there, but the will to use it is weak. Maybe they are simply too lazy to do what a cable television comedy show does routinely with a much smaller budget.

If nothing else, exposure of the limited vocabulary of the Bush talking points might get some of them to thinking about widening their selection of words if not their vision.

With unfamiliar new words dictated by the pesky attentions of truly disinterested media analysts--perhaps by accident--this naughty little group of propagandists might accidentally speak the truth.

[PADDYWHACK]

06:57 PM on 09/12/2007

No one in the administration wants the scab lifted on Iraq and the true level of destruction known,the next administration may well be forced to follow suit,but I feel that by then the public will have shown their will at the ballot box.If not we will be there for years to cover it up.Destroying a society to liberate it is a strange idea,but these geniuses are Neonuts.The smoking pile of sh## left in place of the country of Iraq will be a tribute to us for many years

[SensibleAmerican]

04:16 PM on 09/12/2007

Bush's recent stop in Anbar Province and Petreaus' time spent with Ed Guillespe pretty much produced what is commonly known as the "Petreaus Report". I was quite amused watching the charade on C-SPAN and was rather surprised that no one 'called him' when Petreaus claimed that the report was entirely made by him! Ofcourse it was "made" by him! The question that was not asked was, "Was it influenced by anyone" and/or "was it vhetted before it was brought to the committees"?!

The White House apparently knew just 3 months into this war that they had bungled up big time! As is apparent now, it has all been about domestic politics. 2004 was to be won and the crucial mid-terms were in 2006. Also, this President never acknowledges his mistakes! He never makes them really!

By December 2006, this administration had pretty much run out of excuses to hang on in Iraq, including but not limited to "Elections", "standing up, standing down", "training their armed forces", "training their police" ... then came the "surge" to provide "breathing space so that the Iraqis can build a workable coalition"!

That has failed as well. So how do you keep kicking the can into the next Presidency? Lie again! The surge is working and troop reduction will start in Summer 2008! "Troop reduction"?! That was to happen as part of normal roation in anycase?! The extra troops that went in for the "surge" are the ones that will be withdrawn! Nothing will really change as nothing was supposed to change ...

They just need to run out the clock and keep enough Repugnants in their pockets to prevent a Congressional change of plans ...

[dadw5boys]

06:45 PM on 09/16/2007

What no charges of Plagerism against a General for stealing BUSH'S WAR PLAN and putting his name on it?