CNN: Bush Is ‘Very Seriously’ Considering Sending More Troops To Iraq

[rodeodance]

http://thinkprogress.org/?tag=Iraq

CNN: Bush Is ‘Very Seriously’ Considering Sending More Troops To Iraq »

CNN’s John King reported this afternoon that President Bush is planning a “substantial policy shift” on Iraq and is “very seriously considering…agreeing with Sen. John McCain and increasing U.S. troop levels in the short-term.”

King said the White House has postponed the announcement of the policy shift to January because Bush “has asked for more advice about” how he could send 20,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq, and administration officials “need more time to put all that on the table.”

King said the White House sees a political benefit to delaying the announcement. “If you are going to disagree with the Iraq Study Group and not accept its major recommendations, then let some time go by, let the American people forget about that a little bit” and “buy some time for critics” to attack the ISG.

Watch it:

[Poll_Blind]

1. Like a gambler on a losing streak... n/t

PB

[TheCowsCameHome]

5. Yup. "Just one more lottery ticket and I'll be a big winner - I just know it"

Sound familiar?

[Poll_Blind]

Oh yeah, and those tickets are human lives. Ugh! n/t

PB

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. That means nothing to the warmongers. They have no personal stake in it.

It's the other guy's kid that pays the tab.

[kenny blankenship]

2. I very seriously anticipate your impeachment if you do

[silverojo]

14. ROTFL!

That's a perfect comeback! Bush has the true alcoholic's philosophy...if your life's already been ruined by booze, DRINK MORE!

Idiot....

[JuniperLea]

3. He's going to lallygag around until it's too late

And we will be repeating the mass Exodus we saw in Viet Nam.


“need more time to put all that on the table.”

[unblock]

4. why not bomb cambodia while you're at it?

[aquart]

6. If the Dem House refuses him

The Republicans can run on the lie that we lost because of Democratic cowardice.

This would be clever...evil, but clever...except for one tiny thing: WE AIN'T GOT THE SOLDIERS AND THE GENERALS HAVE ALREADY SAID SO.

To put together 20,000 soldiers, he has to pull them from Afghanistan, Korea, and the guys who just went home.

And if it works, McCain gets the credit, not George.

But it won't work.

[MannyGoldstein]

8. They Won't

You'll see, the Brave Congressional Dems will just send other people's kids off to war.

[aquart]

11. Thank you for your concern.

[More Than A Feeling]

7. If Bush actually managed to accomplish that, it would utterly discredit

McCain, once it failed.

[Bjorn Against]

16. John McCain is already discredited to those of us who pay any attention at all

And you are certainly right, if Bush does this McCain will be hated by the general public as well for encouraging him to do such a thing.

[Sugarcoated]

17. That was my thought when I heard this

If they actually send more forces chances are, unfortunately at this point in the conflict, my gut feeling is it's not going to make much difference and that'll take care of McCain's dwindling credibility.

[Mojambo]

10. The cost of not impeaching is going to get steeper.

We can't wait around, even if it benefits the Democrats politically.

[rodeodance]

12. Bush Turns To Expert Advisers Who..Advocate Escalation In Iraq »

http://thinkprogress.org/?tag=Iraq

Bush Turns To Expert Advisers Who Slam Phased Withdrawal, Advocate Escalation In Iraq »

Yesterday, President Bush solicited the advice of five outside advisers on how to change course in Iraq. The group included Johns Hopkins Professor Eliot Cohen; Jack Keane, a retired army chief of staff; Stephen Biddle, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; Ret. Gen. Barry McCaffrey; and Ret. Gen. Wayne Downing.

The Washington Post reported the advisers “shared the White House’s skeptical view of the recommendations made last week by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group” and “disagreed in particular with the study group’s plans to reduce the number of U.S. combat troops in Iraq.” Below is a more detailed analysis of their positions:
ELIOT COHEN

cohen1.jpg – Critical of ISG Report: “I thought both the process was flawed, and the substance was flawed.”
– In Favor of Escalation: “I would in terms of broad strategy, we are clearly at a crossroads…and, honestly, I’d rather win than control the narrative at the moment. …, I suspect we’re probably talking about 20,000 or 30,000, something along those lines, a much more substantial kind of increase.”
JACK KEANE

keane1.jpg – Critical of ISG Report: Gave the ISG report an “F” and said of the report, “I think it is wholly inadequate. It’s a cover story to accept defeat.”
– In Favor of Escalation: “Keane is one of more than 150 experts the study group has interviewed, and he recommends that 40,000 additional U.S. troops be sent to secure Baghdad.”

[rodeodance]

13. the other three are also included in the above

[champt10]

15. Yup

Heard this story this morning. Yet, he is delaying his message until January