Bush Is Still In A Real Hole

[Dover]

Bush is still in a real hole

The US president is facing a financial nightmare of his own making, and needs all the good news he can get

Albert Scardino

Tuesday December 16, 2003

The Guardian

The Bush administration must take care not to spend High Value Target Number One all at once by letting a mob hang him this week. The president was too quick to declare Mission Accomplished on that aircraft carrier last spring; now he can say it's in the bag after all.

But Saddam is only one of the administration's aeroplanes, and the only one so far brought back to the carrier deck. There is still an entire squadron of foreign, domestic and economic policies lost in the clouds. If they don't come home safely, the Republicans might need a bit of Saddam to divert attention during the presidential campaign next autumn. Then they can hang him.

To hear the Republican image makers, the arrest of Saddam makes Bush's re-election next November inevitable. The discovery in the rat hole may indeed undermine the campaign of Howard Dean, who built his credibility and momentum on his early opposition to the war. But there are several other credible Democrats in the race. And there is plenty of time before the real campaign begins in September for the opposition to coalesce around a different candidate....>

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1107892,00.html

[dbt]

1. Irony Meter Goes Off The Scale

Patriotic, All-American dissent for the unelected bu$h to be found mostly in British papers.

:crazy:
dbt

[ClintonTyree]

2. Yes..............

the domestic media fawns over Shrub, but remember, that's their job. They're bought and paid for by the right wing and damn well better deliver those glowing reports for Bush, otherwise the freemarket and capitalistic systems go straight to hell. You get what you pay for, or at least that's the way it SHOULD work in politics, correct? :eyes:

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. background on Scardino

He's American, and joined the Guardian recently - http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/031007/80/eah64.html . His wife runs the company that owns the Financial Times. He used to work for David Dinkins, so presumably does know a certain amount about the Democratic Party - whether he's up to date with the latest feelings is another matter, of course.

[librechik]

20. It didn't used to be that way--the Pukes made war on the media

starting in 1975 because of Watergate/Nam. The liberal media made both those things happen, and so the RW went to work with billions of dollars, think tanks, corporate takeovers, and all the other not-so-public (assassinations come to mind) to destroy the left. It's no joke, it's no conspiracy. It's just reality.

We peacenik lefties have been in blissful denial of this coordinated attack for thirty years, liberally allowing them to "do their thing" and just smileyface. Now the coup is complete and we are truly screwed.

We used to send people down to worksites to get killed agitating for the rights of the people. We used to spend a lot more of our time sticking daisies into the barrels of National Guard Rifles. I don't see that sort of thing happening again, do you?

Once the RW got back in control, they didn't and don't intend to ever let it go. They're committed, and we allow them to be committed and allow ourselves to "whatever" and forget about organizing. "Survivor" is on. "Herding Cats."

We sent millions out in the streets to stop this war. It was like sending millions of crickets out into the night.

What can we do? I'm open to suggestions.

[Occulus]

22. We can... REVOLVE.

Figure it out.

[callous taoboy]

18. Eggs Ackley

.

[0007]

3. Perhaps the Iraqis can kill two brids with one stone?

1. Bring an end to the Saddam Hussein era.

2. Bring an end to the U.S. occupation by exposing the U.S. role in using Saddam Hussein as a puppet in 1980 and prove to the world that the devastation caused by Iraq's use of WMD on the Iranians were the results of chemicals and chemical warheads on its missiles supplied by the United States, and how to use such weapons and locating the targets.

In reality the U.S. has done as much harm to the Iraqis as Saddam. Both should go.

[Dover]

4. Interesting conclusion regarding Dean..

.....that somehow this Saddam arrest automatically renders Dean's campaign null and void. I don't think this journalist understands what motivates Dean's followers. It's not so much his anti-war stance (there are other anti-war candidates), but more his "outsider" status. So I doubt there will be much of a shift among those who are looking for a strong alternative to the status quo in Washington.......

It's not a secret that the "insiders" favor Kerry. It will be interesting to see if the media follows suit.

As for Bush's hole........well, I think he takes after his Daddy in that department, and will fall with the dollar. Blood and money are always killers......particularly in the hands of a Bushwhacker.

[Kolesar]

5. Dean's suppport is from anti-Bush people, not just anti-war

There have been surveys that show that many Dean backers are not opposed to the war (many, not most). So this Saddam capture should not hurt Dean's support badly.
edit:style!

[leesa]

12. What does Saddam have to do with the war??

The war was started by Bush because he lied and told us that the Iraqi nation was prepared to attack us. Capturing Saddam, a long defanged leader, is essentially meaningless.

[Dhalgren]

17. I agree.

Saddam has no meaning and hasn't at any point along the way in regards to this illegal war. It just maddens me to hear people talk as if this "capture" was some kind of validation of the criminal interprise. Sure Saddam was (and is) a criminal - so what? Has Saddam killed more Iraqis than the US has over the past 15 years? Is Saddam a bigger criminal than Emperor George? This is a meaningless, production and Democrats should know better than to give lip service to this charade.

[Saudade]

16. Dean

"It's not so much his anti-war stance (there are other anti-war candidates), but more his "outsider" status."

In my opinion, anyone who thinks that Howard Dean is an "outsider" is deluded.

[midnight armadillo]

23. So?

In my opinion, anyone who thinks that Howard Dean is an "outsider" is deluded.

So what? Campaigns are run on myth and image making, not reality. Why do you think Bush has people convinced he's a moral and caring person??

What Dean and the other Dems need are better myths. They're there for the taking, but Dems like to appeal to reason and persuasion too much.

[Bhaisahab]

6. china: america right where we want them

speaking of bush being in a hole, thanks to his opposition to taiwan's referendum on independence, the chinese are gloating and taunting america:

- "We've finally got the Americans right where we want them," said a senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo member in response to President George W. Bush's expression of clear-cut opposition to Taipei's apparent efforts to change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait.

At least from Beijing's viewpoint, Bush's switch from "not supporting" to "opposing" Taiwan separatism -- as well as ancillary steps such as conducting plebiscites -- could be used to justify harsh steps, including military ones, the CCP leadership may take against the self-ruled island.

link: http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/12/15/willy.column/index.html

[begeegs]

7. Scaremongering a bit...

Although the dollar is sliding against the Euro and the Pound, I really don't see it reaching $2.50 for one pound, that is unless Bush is re-elected.

Regarding the points made about the media...I wouldn't say they are patriotic, but would say that they are informative, which you don't see in alot of news in the US, especially if you rely on the TV, which obviously no one here does.

Effectively brainwashing technique (everyone living in a Truman Show), so no one knows that we are hated until the next terrorist attack.

[joeunderdog]

8. Dont you mean "Bush is still a real A-hole?" n/t

[gasperc]

9. How does this "undermine" Dean?

where is the success? where is the WMD? Why is there still massive violence in Iraq? Why haven't we drawn down troops? Why aren't other countries lending help?

We got Saddam. and..........?

[conservdem]

11. and ...... it's great. Other countries are lending help. Hopefully the

violence in Iraq will diminiss and if there are WMD's we will now find them. If there are not WMD's it will more clearly show how hyped the info on them was.

As to Dean, I think Lieberman was right, if we had followed Deans thinking Saddam would still be in power and the Iraqis would have little chance for democracy.

[Stuckinthebush]

13. Right...

and tens of thousands of Iraqis would still be alive, children would have their limbs and parents, 500 American soldiers would be alive, billions of dollars would not have been spent, the standing of the US around the globe would be much better, the respect for America would be greater, the chances for mideast peace would be enhanced, America would not have broken international law by engaging in a war against the wishes of the international community, etc., etc., etc.

Your argument doesn't fly.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. Unbrilliant

The Professor

[Dhalgren]

15. The only "chance" Iraqis have for "democracy"

is if the US withdraws (and quickly) from Iraq. Saddam never had anything to do with this illegal war, except as an easy bogieman. WMD had nothing to do with this illegal war. Democracy had nothing to do with this illegal war (except to show the lack of it in the US). This illegal war is all about money, power, empire, and oil. Anyone who thinks otherwize has had the tee vee on too loud.

[Zero Gravitas]

19. in the bag?

I don't understand why so many are saying the because we got Saddam the mission is now really accomplished. Iraq is still a mess, and there is not a legitimate, peaceful, stable, independant. democratic, US-Friendly government in place there yet.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

21. kick

[Just Me]

24. This is a really good article!!!

[wabeewoman]

25. This is all you really need to know:

"To hear the Republican image makers, the arrest of Saddam makes Bush's re-election next November inevitable" Its politics trying to convince us of the inevitability of bush's (re)-election