Bush/Cheney lies and the usual political deceptions continue....

[whistle]

...as George Bush's war policy. Should congress seriously allow Bush to invade Iran knowing this about the Bush administration and its foreign policy for the past 4 1/2 years?

<snip>
Bush's Optimism On Iraq Debated
Rosy View in Time Of Rising Violence Revives Criticism

By Jim VandeHei and Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, June 5, 2005; Page A01

President Bush's portrayal of a wilting insurgency in Iraq at a time of escalating violence and insecurity throughout the country is reviving the debate over the administration's Iraq strategy and the accuracy of its upbeat claims.

While Bush and Vice President Cheney offer optimistic assessments of the situation, a fresh wave of car bombings and other attacks killed 80 U.S. soldiers and more than 700 Iraqis last month alone and prompted Iraqi leaders to appeal to the administration for greater help. Privately, some administration officials have concluded the violence will not subside through this year.

The disconnect between Rose Garden optimism and Baghdad pessimism, according to government officials and independent analysts, stems not only from Bush's focus on tentative signs of long-term progress but also from the shrinking range of policy options available to him if he is wrong. Having set out on a course of trying to stand up a new constitutional, elected government with the security firepower to defend itself, Bush finds himself locked into a strategy that, even if it proves successful, foreshadows many more deadly months to come first, analysts said.

Military commanders in Iraq privately told a visiting congressional delegation last week that the United States is at least two years away from adequately training a viable Iraqi military but that it is no longer reasonable to consider augmenting U.S. troops already strained by the two-year operation, said Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.). "The idea that the insurgents are on the run and we are about to turn the corner, I did not hear that from anybody," Biden said in an interview.

<more>
<link> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/04/AR2005060401506.html?referrer=emailarticle

[indepat]

1. The disconnect between RG optimism and Baghdad pessimism = dichotomy

that is pervasive in almost every Administration claim and reality.

[Cyrano]

2. A thousand articles like this can be published, but Bush/Cheney

won't change course. When are the people of this country going to understand that they don't give a damn what we think? They're in power, (whether legally or otherwise is open to debate), and they know there's nothing we can do about it.

Hopefully, there are still enough sane Republicans in congress who realize they can lose next year because of their party's policies, arrogance, and just plain disregard for the Constitution.

For the time being however, the vast majority of people in this country (not to mention Iraq) are getting screwed beyond what, even Richard Nixon, would have thought to have been possible.

[Supersedeas]

3. Deception and self-deception on issues that form a triangle

- WMDS, Joe Wilson, Yellowcake, manipulation of intelligence, the SoTU, and threats to destroy the career of Valerie Plame -

- WMDS, John Bolton, manipulation of intelligence, threats to fire analyst and conspiracy to fire UN inspectors -

- Downing Street memo, manipulation of intelligence, Richard Clark's statement that * was personally focused on a 9/11 - Iraqi connection when there was none "Look again"


HOW CAN THE MEDIA NOT TIE THESE THREE STORIES TOGETHER????