White House On Iraq: 'We've Thrown Out The Rose-Colored Glasses'

Earlier today, Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto made a startling admission, suggesting that, at some point in the past, the White House regarded the events in Iraq with undue optimism:

Q Also, how does this latest violence in Iraq and the latest uncertainty about what's going on color the Petraeus-Crocker testimony this time around? It obviously has changed the equation. I mean, weeks ago it looked like the surge was -- you know, had this pretty rosy cast, and now with all this renewed violence, I think it has changed the dynamics. So how has this changed the equation?

MR. FRATTO: Well, I think we've thrown out all of the rose-colored glasses in how we look at Iraq, and try to look at it through clear lenses as to what is actually going on in the country. And what is happening there, I think what we are all seeing is that the Iraqi political leadership is trying to take hold of the security for their country. They took a very bold, aggressive action in Basra. It wasn't a overall success, but it -- but we learned a lot about what the capabilities of the Iraqi army are, and we learned a lot -- and maybe this is even the most important thing -- of what the capabilities and intentions of the Iraqi leadership are to go after criminal elements and illegal militias in their country, and to evenly enforce the rule of law across the country.

Oh, for a press corps with the intellectual rigor of the good folks at ThinkProgress, who astutely wondered, "When exactly did the White House throw away its rose-colored glasses?"

I'd suggest we flash back to March 5, 2008, the day President Bush endorsed GOP nominee John McCain, and subject the video of their joint appearance to greater scrutiny. Because based upon the remarks of John McCain and his surrogates, it appears as though he passed those rose-colored glasses on to his would-be successor.

We know that Bush had the glasses just before the endorsement announcement. Remember? He was tap dancing.

Comments

[HatingTheGame]

"'We've Thrown Out The Rose-Colored Glasses'"

And, we've traded them in for these really cool pair of Beer Goggles...

Snicker snicker... snort snort...shrug shrug

[Boboday555]

6 Years into the Iraq Oil War and the Bush regime has FINALLY decided to look at the whole thing as it is and not as they want it to be.
Can someone explain to me why these blood thirsty Evangelicals aren't in prison yet?

[javaman]

they replace the rose colored ones with a set that is pinkish red.

[GrandpaMcCain]

Good one.

[Hillrick]

I'm not sure if it was rose colored glasses or just the shovel they used to scoop their message onto us. that was thrown out.

[GrandpaMcCain]

Oh, yeah. We believe that.

[faith]

No excuses Mr. Fratto. I am tired of hearing republicans,and white house administration provide excuse. Any excuse. Issues of past weaknesses, issues of lack of intel ,simply do not provide any reason why this administration should be excused from its war crimes, from its twisting of the facts, and the unbelievable harm that spews forth from America's domestic and national policies. From Katrina victims being provided with poisonous formaldehyde trailers to live in, to our military being provided with ancient or inadequate protection and armor and woefully inadequate vehicles. Allowing businesses to hold no bid contracts for six years and during that time accost, rape, or hold captive employees as alleged, well, it is all just beyond belief.
At some point people must be held accountable for their acts. Saying I am sorry, saying I didn't know, is really not enough. It is not justice. It might be justice for a 4 year old, but certainly not for grown people who have accesss to some of the best minds in the world. We are not defending America and our right to live as a democracy by spending years in the middle east. Instead, we are merely providing fodder for the militants and inciting great hate against our nation for years to come. I am especially saddened by the age group of leaders, many of whom recall the Viet Nam era and know the tragic costs of that "mere containment" as the pentagon so euphemistically said it.

[Relay]

It’s more like blinders!-!
The Bush administration was “bent” on war, truth be known, spent the first year in office planning to pick a fight with anybody. 9/11 was just what the Bush administration needed to start a new crusade.
President Bush Sr. was defending Kuwait; Sr. helped Kuwait kick Saddam ass out of Kuwait, secured the boarders and then got out.
Freeing the Iraq people from the rule of Saddam Hussein was commendable but not necessary, after five years in Iraq, 4000 dead we are seen as the invaders. Osama Benladin the criminal is still at large, at the cost of $2 – 3.5 trillion we could have went door to door to every house in the world to append him. I blame our inapt Congress for going along with this invasion, what are they afraid of! Getting reelected or losing their pork?
And the ones who stood up and voted against the war in Iraq, why didn’t they advocate louder from day one about the disadvantages and consequences of our actions for invading Iraq? Five years after the fact; on the eve of election, on nation TV pointing the finger at who to blame. OH, “I quietly opposed that we invaded Iraq at the time,” but I voted for the war and all of the billion in plus ups that included all my pork. I got mine pull up the ladder.

[sugarmoes]

bullshit... 4000 on your heads...

too bad you CHOSE to wear them in the first place.

war criminals.

[skepticalindenver]

Hillary must be dumpster diving at the white house. She seems to have found the magic rose colored glasses that they say they threw out.

[bob5701]

It took over 5 years , that was some good shit they took.

[realpolitic]

Bush and company can never throw off the rose-colored glasses. Bush must always be shielded from the truth. He lives his life as a recovering alcoholic who can not face reality. His minions protected him from dissent going into the war and protected hm from bad news all along. His appointees would rather ruin their honor, like Mukasey who will not say waterboarding is torture, than expose Bush to the truth. It is the first administration in denial. Bush is the recoverer-in-chief and can face no harsh consequences of his wreckless actions. He repeatedly is told he is another Truman, Eisenhower, or Lincoln. He is not even his father.

[LivingStardust]

Taken them off, eh? Then Bush and Cheney are awake to the fact that a large percentage of America wants them tried for war crimes? Awake to the fact that everyone not sleeping knows they are in bed with those who really attacked us, the Saudis? Aware that they will be punished one way or another for daring to take a piss on the Constitution?

The day Bush realizes what his true legacy is will be the day he is crying like a little girl on the stand at The Hague. Then you can talk to be about removing the rose colored glasses. Until then, SHUT THE HELL UP.

[BrickSykes]

Rose Coloured Glasses?

Apparently no one in the upper levels of the Bush/Cheney White House know anything about any "Rose Coloured Glasses", and, if they did, why would it matter? Cheney is already DEAD isn't he? Plastic, battery powered ticker and all...and, Chimpy just doesn't believe that "History" even exists, right? I mean, since we're all gonna be DEAD anyway, why does the notion of "History" even enter the conversation?

Most Americans on the street know that our "Iraq Adventure" was doomed from the beginning, while Wolfy and Cheney told us it would be over in six weeks and cost Ten Billion Dollars, MAX!

Most Americans would call that "Delusiona­l"....whil­e they just felt they picked up the wrong pair of glasses that day. Gheeeesh..­..........­!!!

Brick

[realpolitic]

Bush believes he can re-write history as he sees fit. He believes his minions will protect him in the history books.

[sugarmoes]

it was only doomed for good regular folk. for bush and his partners in war crimes... it's been unbelievably successful.

[MadJeffersonian]

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, do no evil.

Mission Accomplished.

[realpolitic]

Ask for a trillion dollars more to fund the war.

[Grannysue]

Yea, now were just shuting our eyes all together, and our ears.