Another "turning point"; how many is that now?

[dajoki]

WP
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/22/AR2006052200115.html?nav=rss_politics

U.S. Turning To Supporting Role in Iraq, Bush Says
President Gives No Specifics on Drawdown

By Peter Baker and Bradley Graham
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, May 23, 2006; Page A12

CHICAGO, May 22 -- President Bush yesterday hailed the formation of a new Iraqi government as a "turning point" that will allow U.S. forces to take an "increasingly supporting role" against insurgents as Washington and London look for ways to disengage from the war.

Acknowledging the "unease" felt by many Americans, Bush said the war in Iraq has proved "more difficult" than expected and produced only incremental progress. But he said the first government formed under the new, democratic Iraqi constitution would take on more of the burden.

"We can expect the violence to continue, but something fundamental changed this weekend," Bush said in a speech to the National Restaurant Association. "The terrorists are now fighting a free and constitutional government. They're at war with the people of Iraq. And the Iraqi people are determined to defeat this enemy, and so are Iraq's new leaders and so is the United States of America."

Bush did not say when the shift to a supporting role would permit U.S. troops to come home, but British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a surprise visit to Baghdad yesterday and announced that he would fly to Washington to consult with the president Thursday and Friday about the next steps. The British have drawn down their forces by about 10 percent in the past two months, and officials have said they hope to make "good progress" toward a handover in the next year.

Bush has set a goal of turning most of Iraq over to Iraqi security forces by the end of the year, a target repeated yesterday by the newly installed prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki. But U.S. and British officials dismissed a London newspaper report that Bush and Blair plan to announce a specific drawdown of forces in Iraq.

[tuvor]

1. I think you're confusing this with the economy "turning a corner" in 2004.

"Turning point" and "turning a corner" are not the same thing.

Nuance, my friend. Nuance.

[dajoki]

4. No, he was...

muttering about a "turning point" in Iraq a few weeks ago. I posted it on here but I can't remember what it was(too many to try).

[tuvor]

11. Sorry, don't mind me.

Just being facetious. (I thought the part about bush being "nuanced" would give it away.)

:)

[dajoki]

12. I'm sorry, I didn't even see your bottom line.

:shrug:

[nytemare]

2. Enough turning points to get us facing the edge of the cliff again.

:D

[dajoki]

7. If we would have started...

in the right direction we wouldn't need all these "turning points".

[Scoody Boo]

8. All of this turning is making me dizzy!

If you turn enough corners, aren't you really going in a circle, more or less?

[dajoki]

13. That sounds about right!!

[nytemare]

14. But, is it a turning point, or should we "stay the course"?

Or, does staying the course get us to the turning point?

If we are at a turning point, that implies that staying the course was not really good, because we need a turning point.

:rofl:

[Scoody Boo]

15. Are only Right turns allowed at a turning point? (nt)

[nytemare]

27. Three left turns equal one right turn.

:D

[dajoki]

16. You're making me dizzy...

but I get it.:rofl:

[spindrifter]

3. Being at war with the Iraqi

people and the People of Iraq determined to defeat the "enemy" sounds amazingly like civil war, doesn't it?
The troop drawdown will be *'s effort to say "he" has accomplished something besides the tax-giveaway for his pals.

[dajoki]

6. That is exactly what it sounds like n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Its all excrement ..... er .... incremental.

[spindrifter]

9. Well, they are making an excremental effort--and it shows.

[babylonsister]

10. Dimson hailed the formation of a new gummint, again? Ha!

What are the numbers who have died today? Did the blivet see 'Baghdad E.R.' last night, or does he know who died today? Does he care?
And yes! The louses might be abandoning the ship! It's time! Bush and Blair, in concert, while the ship goes down.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2300532&mesg_id=2300532

[Justice]

17. so many it is a circle, or a pentagon, or a hexagon or some

closed loop - we are back where we started!

[w8liftinglady]

18. "operation circle jerk"-the latest mission

[dajoki]

24. Love it!!

:rofl:

[radfringe]

19. they've turned the corner so many times

they are back to square one -- containment

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2642112

[tirechewer]

20. It has been so many....

I have lost count. Not only are we turning, we're whirling like a bunch of dervishes on speed. ;)

When I was a little kid I used to get car sick if I looked out the window when my Dad was driving fast. That doesn't happen anymore, though. Now I just want to bloorf every time I take a good look at Bush and his Merry Men. Spinning doesn't hardly enter into it anymore. ;)

[Disturbed]

21. "They're at war with the people of Iraq."

Yes, the Bush Regime is at war with the people of Iraq.

[tirechewer]

28. I have noticed that......

But they are at another turning point now in the war. The parliament is all nicely finished and peace cannot be far behind. George Bush himself says so, and says so and says so.

Stay tuned. There will be yet another turning point soon. ;)

[BlueGirlRedState]

22. Where was * speaking in Chicago?

I heard some of this on CSPN radio and the people asking him questions were positively gushing over how much they support him and what a "great job" he's doing. One guy -- a chef who thanked him on behalf of all the chefs in the "booming economy" -- even asked if he could persuade his brother to run in 08.

It was nauseating -- I wondered where they got this collection of nitwits.

[Norquist Nemesis]

25. He was at the Nat'l Restaurant Association

annual meeting, IIRC. Over 70,000 in attendance.

I'm still waiting to see/hear Senator Durbin's response to Bush's speech and remarks. There was a whopping 3.23 seconds (with video!:wow:) on WGN this morning.

[dajoki]

26. the National Restaurant Association.

I guess they tried the "tough" audience route and it didn't work, so they're back to hand picking.

[riona]

23. n/t