Bush launches another Iraq inquiry

Desperate for news he wants to hear, Bush launches another Iraq investigation separate from the Iraq Study Group:

The White House's decision changes the dynamics of what happens next to U.S. policy deliberations. The administration will have its own working document as well as recommendations from an independent bipartisan commission to consider as it struggles to prevent further deterioration in Iraq. [WaPo]

Notice how the Washington Post piece advances the White House spin on this story. The decision will only change the dynamics of the debate on Iraq if anyone gives a damn what the president's hand-picked B-team has to say.

"The president has asked all his national security agencies to assess the situation in Iraq, review the options and recommend the best way forward. The ISG report will be duly considered, and we look forward to their recommendations, as the president has always said," a White House official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the new initiative has not been announced. "The president indicated Monday that he is interested in hearing interesting ideas both within his administration and from the Baker-Hamilton commission." [WaPo]

The Bush administration is counting on the press and the public to forget what happened the last time Bush told intelligence agencies to weigh in on the situation in Iraq. Slam dunk, anyone?

Comments

[cfrost]

Good luck George. You gambled and lost, fuckhead. Now let’s see if you can manage to be man enough to face that fact. Be thankful you’re not Japanese where you’d be expected to commit seppuku, asshole.

At this point His Excellency, Emperor George the Failed can consult any expert he wants and they won’t be able to come up with any better solution than to have Tinkerbelle sprinkle Iraq with victory dust.

[mudkitty]

He's cherry picking, only it's not cherry season.

[Dan]

If Bush's appointment of another Iraq policy review group will "change the dynamics of what happens next to U.S. policy deliberations", well, so will several congressional-commmittee investigations into WMD intel-fixing, private-contractor corruption, etc.

[1984 Was Not a Shopping List]

It is going to be an INTERESTING couple of years!

[Ole Blue]

Bush will continue to launch investigations until those investigations claim the same thing he claims.

[RickD]

Bush epistemology = finding somebody to tell you what you've already decided is true.

I hope he gets barbecued for this tactic. It should be eminently clear from his past history with WMD intel that Bush's insistence on covering his ears and refusing to listen to experts is his greatest character flaw.

Well that and being a cowardly, cold-hearted bastard.

[Count Zero]

Bush epistemology = finding somebody to tell you what you've already decided is true.

He's already told you he's THE DECIDER, sheesh!

[Cass]

I can imagine poor Jim Baker burying his head in his hands right about now. His job was already close to impossible: persuading Junior to come out of the bubble long enough to see that his Global Struggle Against Violent Extremists is heading due south. But George is probably far beyond the point at which he can find that sort of courage anymore.

[Martin K]

"His assessment of U.S. anti-terrorism efforts, with a core focus on Iraq, includes 16 top commanders meeting daily to brainstorm on questions such as "Where are we going? What are we trying to do? Are we going to get there this way?" according to a joint staff spokesperson."

In military language, that means that the top-commanders are panicking. They have no clear mission statement, no clear partners and no secure perimeters except Kabul, and that is shrinking. The US and Israel have started a war they are not winning. Hezbollahs victory was a greater momentum in the region than most commenters noticed. It proved that the arabs could beat the western military force. Now they all have morale. You fucked up in Fallujah, and in Kandahar. Now its time to pay the piper. Good luck, USA.

[RICHARD]

I THINK BUSHIS A PUPPET AND WHILE EVERYONE IS BLAMING HIM MANY OF THE POWERBROKERS BEHIMD THE SCENES ARE GETTING AWAY SCOTFREE.THE HARLOT MEDIA SEEMS TO BE PRAISING HIM BY CALLING HIM W. AND KARL ROVE AND HIS CRONIES I READ SOMEWHERE RUN THE CIA STAGED MEDIA.PEAOPLE SHOULD BOYCOTT ALL RICH AND POOR BUSH SUPPORTERS UNTIL SUCH A TIME THAT HIS BILLIONAIRE,MILLIONAIRE AND STUPIDMIDDLECLASS PHONEY SUPPORTERS OF BUSH ARE OSTRASISED IN SUCH A WAY THAT HE WIULL HAVE NO PLATFORMTO REACH ANYBODY.HOW CAN CONGRESS AND THE DEMICRATIC PHONIES KEEP TALKING LIP SERVICE WHILE LETTING THIS PSYCHO PRESIDENT STOMPON PEOPLES RIGHTS,ABUSE THE CONSTITUTION AND BASICALLY DO WHATEVER HE WANTS JUST BECAUSE HE IS THE PRESIDENT BY STEALING THE ELECTION AND THINKING HE IS EMPEROR AND SCREW THE US CITIZENS.I THINK HE IS GETTING AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE OF HIS RIGHT WING NUTS
AND I THINK THE PEOPLE NEED TO GET RID OF AND DO NOT BUY ANY PRODUCT FROM A COMPANY THAT SUPPORTS BUSH LIKE HIS RIGHT WING NUT CRONIES.

[RICHARD]

I THINK BUSHIS A PUPPET AND WHILE EVERYONE IS BLAMING HIM MANY OF THE POWERBROKERS BEHIMD THE SCENES ARE GETTING AWAY SCOTFREE.THE HARLOT MEDIA SEEMS TO BE PRAISING HIM BY CALLING HIM W. AND KARL ROVE AND HIS CRONIES I READ SOMEWHERE RUN THE CIA STAGED MEDIA.PEAOPLE SHOULD BOYCOTT ALL RICH AND POOR BUSH SUPPORTERS UNTIL SUCH A TIME THAT HIS BILLIONAIRE,MILLIONAIRE AND STUPIDMIDDLECLASS PHONEY SUPPORTERS OF BUSH ARE OSTRASISED IN SUCH A WAY THAT HE WIULL HAVE NO PLATFORMTO REACH ANYBODY.HOW CAN CONGRESS AND THE DEMICRATIC PHONIES KEEP TALKING LIP SERVICE WHILE LETTING THIS PSYCHO PRESIDENT STOMPON PEOPLES RIGHTS,ABUSE THE CONSTITUTION AND BASICALLY DO WHATEVER HE WANTS JUST BECAUSE HE IS THE PRESIDENT BY STEALING THE ELECTION AND THINKING HE IS EMPEROR AND SCREW THE US CITIZENS.I THINK HE IS GETTING AWAY WITH IT BECAUSE OF HIS RIGHT WING NUTS
AND I THINK THE PEOPLE NEED TO GET RID OF AND DO NOT BUY ANY PRODUCT FROM A COMPANY THAT SUPPORTS BUSH LIKE HIS RIGHT WING NUT CRONIES.