Molly Ivins: The Peace President

[Dudley_DUright]

<snip>

Total number of Americans killed so far is 901, but the new line is: What War? We turned it over to the Iraqis, see? Presto, it disappears, just like magic. It's their problem now. Doesn't have anything to do with us. Bush is out campaigning by calling himself "the peace president." Honest. "He repeated the words 'peace' or 'peaceful' many times, as he had done increasingly in his recent appearances," reported The New York Times from Iowa this week

Watch the media compliantly take up this line. Truly fascinating. We're also getting a new round of "9-11 was all Clinton's fault anyway." I don't think this one will work for the R's. It's kind of pitiful, after four years, to still go around saying, "It's all Clinton's fault."

Their first week in office, the Bushies claimed the Clintonites had taken the W's off White House computers, glued the drawers together and committed other vandalism -- all of which turned out to be a big fat lie. Why that didn't tip the media off about what kind of people they were dealing with is unclear to me.

Tell you what's not Clinton's fault, and that's the shape this country is going to be in by the time we get rid of this administration. In addition to the fiasco in Iraq, Bush's larger contributions to misgovernment include blinding a fiscal irresponsibility that has put this country deep in debt for years to come.

more...

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=17337

[RoyGBiv]

1. The Piece President

I'll take a piece of Iraq, a piece of Afghanistan, a piece of Syria, a piece of ...

Just the oily pieces, please.

--

Sorry, had a moment.

'Tis a good article. I love Ivins. I've been a fan ever since she told me what "Bless her little heart" really means. :-)

[Th1onein]

2. I love Ivins. Just absolutely love her.

eom

[ClintonTyree]

3. If that isn't................

the biggest 'flip-flop' on record, I don't know what is. Why just a few weeks ago he was campaigning as the 'War President'. I don't think even the American people are stupid enough to swallow that, they're stupid, but not THAT stupid!

[InformedSource]

12. I fear you underestimate the stupidity of the 1/2 who love Bush n/t

[soupkitchen]

4. Well, at least he didn't start calling himself the "smart" President

[nosmokes]

5. thanks double d

this column is another one of her gems.

another excerpt:
Which brings us to the second talking point last week. Iraq never happened. I swear to you, this war and its disastrous aftermath never happened is the new official line. Down the memory hole. Never happened. You dreamed the whole thing. Iraq is now like Ken Lay and Chalabi. They never heard of it. Only met it once. Besides, Iraq contributed to their opponents.

[Cocoa]

6. "watch the media compliantly take up this claim"

Here's an example:

In Iraq, the transfer of sovereignty has led to some reduction in American casualties.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/21/politics/campaign/21r...

[Cocoa]

7. on the other hand, NPR belatedly gets it right

better if they would have confronted Rummy when he spouted the lie, but at least they got it right later:

http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=3602021

In a recent interview with NPR, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the situation in Iraq "continues to calm down." But a recent report from The Boston Globe shows the rate of American casualties in Iraq actually rose in July, after the transfer of sovereignty. NPR's Steve Inskeep <http://www.npr.org/about/people/bios/sinskeep.html> discusses the situation in Iraq with Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institute.

[struggle4progress]

8. link doesn't work

[Cocoa]

9. oops...

here...

[Miss Authoritiva]

10. This has just ruined all my mathematical calculations!

I've been trying to determine the precise usage ratio of the words "safer" and "danger(ous)" and "war" and "terror" and "thug" and "madman" in Bush speeches and now he's gone off and declared himself the peace president.

And if I'm thrown off by this sudden market repositioning, imagine how his speechwriters must feel.

[Disturbed]

11. The Pretender

This is how he really feels about Amerika.

[Odd Little Man]

13. The line I'm waiting for:

"I'm not a Warrior, I'm a Peacer"