Bush & McCain Conspire--More Troops Will Be the Plan.

[Pragmatic Pilgrim]

Did you notice that when Bush was stammering about all he'd learned while trying to formulate the "Iraq Plan" that he should've had 4 years ago, the one proposal he described favorably was to send more troops for a "blitzkreig" over there?

Okay, and did you notice that McCain is in Iraq doing interviews in which he advocates sending more troops?

Also, have you noticed how the Right Wing stink-tanks have been hitting the talk-show circuit promoting more troops for Iraq? (A guy from the American Enterprise Institute was on NPR just today, making that pitch.)

You may also have noted that McCain and the stink-tank spokesmen seem to agree on the number of additional troops, too. It's usually around 40,000, made up of 20,000 new soldiers and 20,000 created by extending duty-tours for existing troops.

And finally, did you see any possible connection between McCain's sudden jaunt to Baghdad and Bush's postponement of his "Iraq Plan"?

Smells like another conspiracy between those two to set McCain up for '08.

There have been many previous steps in that plot. You may remember when, not long ago, McCain held a private meeting with Bush, ostensibly to challenge Bush on the Military Commission Act. McCain came out of the meeting waving one or two very minor changes. But it let him pose, once again, as "the man who speaks truth to power." I'm sure that whole drama was a setup. It cost Bush nothing, and boosted McCain's "independent maverick" creds. They probably spent the whole meeting laughing about their scheme.

Well, I think we're seeing another step in building the McCain Myth. Bush will order more troops into Iraq...McCain will be credited with having come up with the "wisest proposal"...and Bush will have boosted Republican chances in '08 while giving the finger to his Daddy's ISG and their 79 Points of Light.

The fact that sending more troops flies directly against public opinion makes it an even more effective image-builder for McCain, cuz he can pontificate about doing "what's right for the nation rather than following the polls."

And the truth is, such a plan might actually be marketable to the public. Sending more troops isn't the worst possible idea--albeit 3 years late, as the ground commanders may remind Bush--since it might let the military tackle ALL the trouble-spots simultaneously. Up to now, it's been like laying wall-to-wall carpeting--when you stomp it flat in one corner, it pops up in another. More boots on the ground might let them stomp the whole place flat at once.

The trouble is, it's a big gamble--sorta like Johnson's carpet-bombing "solution" for Vietnam. And if it fails--as the carpet-bombing campaign did--it could fail big! We could easily find ourselves in a totally ignominious retreat, airlifting the last of our guys out of Baghdad under fire...just like our humiliating stampede from Vietnam.

But anyhow, if--as I expect--Bush decides to roll the dice on a temporary escalation, it will be only partly due to his dry-drunk's infantile stubbornness and petulance. It will also be played so it adds luster to McCain's stature for his presidential run.

At least that's my reading of all the signals I've been seeing lately. Does it sound like it makes sense to you?

[NMDemDist2]

1. next step, cheney steps down and McCain steps up

the good news on that one is AZ has a Democratic Governor :bounce:

[Pragmatic Pilgrim]

5. Heck, I was expecting that before '04!

I'm sure they'd love to pull it off if they could.

[rurallib]

2. "they" will wait it out - they have all the time in the world

Who is this "they" I speak of anyway? I get more confused evryday about who we are fighting. The enemy I guess.

[iamjoy]

3. The Other Part Of It...

It's a win-win for McCain.

Genrals are calling for more troops. There is an infinetesimal chance we can patch things up temporarily with enough troops - at least that's Dubya's current thinking.

But McCain is smarter than that. He knows the chances of getting more troops with a Democratic Congress is unlikely. Therefore, in 2008 when Iraq is (still) a disaster, he can blame the Democrats and look like the Man With The Plan.

Or, is my idea crazy?

[Pragmatic Pilgrim]

7. You got it right--it's a win/win for McCain.

I was gonna get into that in my post, but it was already too long.

Bush doubtless feels he's found the answer to all his woes. If the Dems resist sending more troops, he can blame 'em when the war drags on. If they support sending more troops and it fails, they can't complain. And it lets him be The Decider while kicking Baker in the cojones.

[Webster Green]

4. McCain is toast, just like the chimp..

I really hope McCain runs in '08 based on his support for the chimp's follies.

[mediaman007]

6. Please...have them tell us what it will look like when we are done...

then we will know if we are getting close, or if we are throwing our army into a meat grinder and our money into a black hole.

As long as Bush*/Cheney/McLain can talk in generalities we will be in Iraq forever. We deserve to hear the desired outcome.

If they can't answer the question, bring the troops home.

[Ouabache]

8. And Jeb will be McCain's vp running mate

mark my words.

[Pragmatic Pilgrim]

9. Jeez, isn't ANYBODY surprised about this conclusion?

I'm surprised by the lack of surprise! Was I the last Lib in America to see it coming?

I hadn't found any posts on the board predicting Bush would push a "more troops" plan. Nor had I seen anyone pondering McCain's visit to Iraq and how it coincided with Bush's uncharacteristic decision to postpone being The Decider.

So natch, I thought this would draw some fire, instead of all this boring, unruffled agreement!