My dh and I are wondering: Who got to Bush?

[Ilsa]

Who convinced * to tell Powell to lie prostrate at the UN?

We already know about the end-run Powell did to the generals behind Rumsfeld's back. But given that WA never bothered to listen to Powell before, why would he now?

I don't believe for a minute that he reads enough newspapers or follows the polls or has the ability to understand them.

Who convinced him we had to go to the UN? Who instructed Powell to be so conciliatory to France and Germany? Poppy?

[HereSince1628]

1. Maybe...

Alan Greenspan, after reading the IMF report?
:shrug:

[Robbien]

2. $87 billion is a very nasty number, even to a rich kid like Whistle Ass.nt

[Stephanie]

3. Maybe Popppy, yeah

Here's Maureen Dowd today:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/07/opinion/07DOWD.html

Some veterans of Bush 41 think that the neocons packaged their "inverted Trotskyism," as the writer John Judis dubbed their rabid desire to export their "idealistic concept of internationalism," so that it appealed to Bush 43's born-again sense of divine mission and to the desire of Mr. Bush, Rummy and Mr. Cheney to achieve immortality by transforming the Middle East and the military.

These realpolitik veterans of Bush 41 say that Bush père, an old-school internationalist who ceaselessly tried to charm allies as U.N. ambassador and in the White House, "agonized" over the bullying approach his son's administration used at the U.N. and around the globe.

Some of the father's old circle are thinking about forming a Republican group that would speak out against the neocons. "What's happening in Iraq is puzzling," said one Bush 41 official. "The president ran on no-nation-building. Now we're in this drifting, aimless empire that is not helping the road map to peace."

W. has always presented himself as the heir of Reagan, and dissed his father's presidency, using it as a template of what not to do.

But as he tries to dig himself out tonight, he may wish he had emulated the old man, at least when it comes to slicing the deficit and playing nice with the allies.

[Zhade]

10. Poppy?

He's as much a traitor and killer as his offspring. A little more patient, though, so maybe he's pissed that Junior's fucking the PNAC plan up...

[Ilsa]

4. Another thought: James Baker

He is even against the Prop 12, limiting awards to malpractice patients in Texas; he took the side of the lawyers, presumably because the prop is too broad.

But my dh recalls something he read that Baker wasn't too happy with the imperialist agenda.

Who else came to see WA at the ranch before he went back to DC?

[Ouabache]

6. Prince Abdullah of SA visited

but it was not with WA*. He visited Poppy and Cheney for 'private meetings', then scurried off to Russia to take a meeting and play some chess with Pooty-poot.

Of course for this next year we are going to see a lot of scurrying around of major players that just happens to bypass Junior*.

[maggrwaggr]

5. I have to ask -- what is a "dh?"

divorced husband?

[unblock]

11. dear hubby?

[FloridaPat]

7. Bush and his buddies can;t get control of the oil and sell off

the rest of Iraq unless there is a real government there. So those horrible freedom fighters - oops - I mean terrorists are messing up his plans. So he brings in the UN, they approve the puppet government, the puppet government decides to sell the utilities to Enron, the oil to BP and Exxon, and then decide to sell cheap oil to the US and Israel just to say thanks.

[Robin Hood]

8. Poll numbers bombing.

And I thought that Bush didn't pay attention to polls.

[unblock]

12. he doesn't

he has staffers for that. then they brief him.

[sandnsea]

9. Concilliatory?

I haven't heard anything concilliatory yet. I sure don't call telling somebody they have an obligation to fix something I brok concilliatory. I really hope it doesn't get spun that Bush is truly going to the UN. He's still hoping for a bail-out. I hope he doesn't get one.

No money for Bush until he turns over economic, humantiarian and governmental control of Iraq to the UN. That's the only way this mess will ever get straightened out.