White House Downplays Bush Remark on Iraq Troop Pullout

[sabra]

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=1638447&C=mideast

White House Downplays Bush Remark on Iraq Troop Pullout


The White House downplayed March 22 President George W. Bush’s suggestion that U.S. troops would still be in Iraq when his term ends in January 2009.

Bush answered a question at a news conference March 21 by saying the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq would be made “by future presidents and future governments of Iraq.”
He refused, meanwhile, to specify a date after which U.S. troops would no longer be on Iraqi soil.

Despite his refusal to set a deadline, Bush’s reference to “future presidents” seemed the clearest indication of his thoughts about the duration of the U.S. deployment in Iraq.

”The question was ... when will there be zero or no American troops in Iraq,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. “So he was referring to that specific question.”

[gratuitous]

1. Another thoughtless comment by Chimpy, another "clarification"

Howard Dean rallies a room full of supporters and ends it with a victory holler, and the major media can't forget it. Bush basically commits the country to endless war without an exit strategy, a benchmark for victory, or a way to pay for it, and nobody on the networks or the cables can seem to remember it.

[scorpiogirl]

2. Bullshit!

He meant what he said. He is leaving this mess for someone else to clean up as usual. He has zero motivation to get them out. They and others are making too much money to see it end. Assholes!

[Botany]

3. How quick was that.

Bumper Sticker

Want more Iraq? Vote Republican

That statement will have the boy king @ 29 to 31 % in the next poll.

[rurallib]

6. Great bumper sticker idea.

[underpants]

11. They were running out of the room to get this out

Gillespie was on CNN yesterday brushing this off as "over reported" I have heard it on every news cast since.

Sorry folks he said it. No taking it back now.

[napi21]

4. No doubt they were ALL screaming at their TV's when he said that!

I knew that as soon as I heard him utter those words!

That's why they were back to controlled crowds the very next day!

Can't let he stray off leash, cause he manages to get hoof-in-mouth every time!!!!

[wisteria]

5. Oh, so he is clueless and really doesn't know what is going on.

Or, did he screw up a PR election eve move set for later in the year when again, it will be mentioned that some of our troops will be coming home soon?

[LizW]

7. Oh, sure, Scottie

What a load. Bush knows exactly what he's saying. The Repugs intend to keep flogging Iraq and terra, terra, terra until they drop dead or there's not one dime left to spend. They want to make "Dems want to cut and run" THE mantra of the next two election cycles.

There's no incentive for Bush to bring any soldiers home. He can leave them over there until they rot. The death and destruction in Iraq is not going to hurt the Repugs because the lapdog press is not going to show us any of it. And if Americans who know something flood into the streets, the press is not going to show that, either. Instead, we'll be seeing hours of coverage of suspicious packages, and hearing about terra, terra, terra, and how the Repugs are so strong on defense.

They will not stop with this plan until this country comes crashing to the very ground, because they are getting immensely rich while in power. It's working great for them.

[bigtree]

8. they don't want to muck up their subliminal campaign

to convince voters they intend to pull out of Iraq to deal with the midterm elections pressure that's coming.

[Arkansas Granny]

9. I get so sick of hearing how "the President means what he says

and says what he means" then they have to trot someone out and explain to you what he really meant when he said something. Just imagine how refreshing the truth would be.

:eyes:

[warrens]

10. So he was saying we're staying in there til he leaves office

A differentiation without a difference. It's not like we can leave 20,000 troops there to guard oil lines or something; they'd be cut to pieces.

BTW, the Onion has a great piece this week about Rummy spinning the success of the war. "People said the Iraqis would never fight for their country. We proved them wrong. Said they'd never pick up a gun; heck, they're picking em up faster than we can count them." One of their best ever.