Militarizing Border = Bush Crawling Under Desk & Screaming HELP!

[kpete]

............ am I wrong to think that the president simply couldn't square the circle between the corporate cheap-labor forces who fund his campaigns and the cultural conservatives who supply his voters? Growing out of that failure, this 'militarize the border' hokum is the policy announcement equalivent of crawling under his desk and screaming "Help!"

Shazam! Wonder twin powers ... anything. It's like a primal scream.

The White House is now saying the troops would only be temporary. But temporary until when? I guess just until there aren't any more illegals trying to come across the border from Latin America.

And why are soldiers -- national guard or regular army -- better at managing border patrol than, well, border patrol? In part this is like it was during Katrina -- the president's inability to get anything to work by the normal civilian means leads him to claim that the problem is that there's not a big enough role for the military. But perhaps the truth here is that bringing in the military is the only way his advisors can think of to create an illusion of decisiveness and power in his current state of political impotence.

Mocking this stunt gives it too much credit. I think Atrios is right when he says that this idea is so stupid that it's unlikely there's really even a plan to do it. Just a gimmick to help the president get through whatever new bad news is about to pop.

-- Josh Marshall
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/008456.php

[C_U_L8R]

1. The stink of desperation

is pathetic. I'd be surprised if even the
freeper's succumb this gigantic rightwing asskissing

[Debau2005]

2. Agreed...

This is another "shiny keys" moment courtesy of the * administration.

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. LOL! I love that!

"shiny keys" moment, perfect and that is exactly what it is.

[leveymg]

3. So, Dubya, there isn't enough stop-loss, so call up the Guard for this?

I'm sure this is going to make all those active duty and Guard in Iraq so much happier. Just stay there, in Falluja or wherever, until the White House declares the "immigration emergency" over. Brilliant.

Has Karl already left the building? Did Shrub think this one up, himself?

[Virginia Dare]

4. Once again, he retreats back to his "safe" place..

and panders to the extreme right-wing nut-jobs who are his base.

[madokie]

5. I like the last sentence, pretty much explains it

Thanks Kpete for being here for us, so much I would miss without your tireless efforts, you must be living on black coffee and white crosses, Heh, Heh. Seriously tho', Peace

[WinkyDink]

7. He may be dumb like a fox, no pun intended.

Militarize the CIA at the top.
Militarize a re-vamped FEMA.
Militarize avian-flu quarantines.
Militarize our Southern border.

If there is an uproar over the NG's being used as Border Patrol, that's okay, and maybe even preferred, by Bush; he'll just hire, with our tax money, Blackwater mercenaries, as in Iraq and New Orleans.
With "Shoot to kill" orders.

[blogslut]

8. The man is desperate

Maybe he'll start beating his ankles with a paperweight shaped like Idaho. ;)

[catmandu57]

9. Afghanistan, Iraq

possibly Iran, our southern border from texas to california, how many fronts does this idiot* think we can fight. Distraction Distraction Distraction.

[ninkasi]

10. Good point

You comment " The White House is now saying the troops would only be temporary. But temporary until when? I guess just until there aren't any more illegals trying to come across the border from Latin America. "

Temporary, like the tax cuts he wants to keep forever, even though they were supposed to be temporary? Like extending the Patriot Act? There were supposed to be more border patrol agents added, but that was slashed so that the rich could have their "temporary" tax cuts extended.

The National Guard has been badly abused by this incompetent man, and now he's going to make sure they suffer even more. Their families will suffer, too. Bush is so caught up in his egotistical view of himself as CIC, that as you point out, he always looks for a military solution to solve problems. This is not the way the NG should be treated, and it's bound to lead to bloodshed.

[Johonny]

11. I believe it will be temporary

Temporary like when China stops buying our debt and we can't afford stupid stuff like this.

Honestly I heard it was only until we trained enough Boarder Patrol to do the job. And we all know how fast Bush is at Training people to replace the troops...

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

12. It will be temporary until Halliburton takes it over n/t