Snowjob calls US troops stuck in the Iraqi heat defending legislators vacationing abroad, "imagery"

[bigtree]

Bush spokesman says his comment about Iraq lawmakers and Baghdad heat was 'a dumb line.'

Associated Press
July 18, 2007

WASHINGTON: President George W. Bush's press secretary on Wednesday backed off a comment that appeared to suggest the administration was resigned to Iraqi lawmakers taking August off based on the summer heat in Baghdad.

"I used a dumb line," Tony Snow told reporters.

"The fact is, we expect the Iraqi government to continue working at all times toward the goals of political accomodation and reconciliation. We made it clear. They know that it's important for us, and important for them, to get key pieces of legislation passed," Snow said.

Snow had agreed that Iraqi lawmakers had much work to do before a U.S. progress report is made in September, but said last Friday: "You know, it's 130 degrees (54 Celsius) in Baghdad in August."

The remark has drawn criticism since U.S. troops, many of them in heavy battle gear, do not have the luxury of taking a month-long vacation to escape the Baghdad heat.

He conceded that "it's clear a lot of Americans don't like the imagery" of U.S. forces working in the sweltering heat while Iraqi lawmakers are in recess.

"We understand the depth of people's dislike of the war and their anxiety about it," Snow said.


http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/18/america/NA-GEN-US-Iraq-Spokesman.php

[leftchick]

1. I don't like the image of bush in crawford every fucking august

on my dime!

[bigtree]

7. this is the image that irks me

[KT2000]

8. Aren't they going to attack?

Why is he going to Crawford when they say there is going to be another attack? This looks like 9/11 all over again.

[earthboundmisfit]

2. They may "understand", but they frankly don't give a fuck.

n/t

[MrPrax]

3. These guys...

Yeah if you mention that the Iraqi Government is on vacation then you are implying there actually is an Iraqi Government.

Anything to keep the illusion that there is a legitimate legal entity in that country that would make a signature on that oil law valid -- or at least valid to high-minded sense of law in the Bush administration.

Maybe they should have another election and use Muslim green instead of royal purple for their finger-lickin' good democracy franchise.

[bigtree]

4. cabal, regime

junta . . . vacationing to escape the summer heat while our soldiers fight their civil war

[MrPrax]

5. But the US can stop fighting anytime?

Why blame the Iraqis for a war the US started? In hindsight, we could have all ignored Saddam and his arsenal and then you wouldn't have to reply back with some pathetic excuse for imperialism.

Hate to break it to you, but the Iraqis are resisting continued US occupation; they don't want them there for fifty years, they don't want permanent bases and they don't want selecting governments or stealing their oil revenues.

Now how is that a civil war unless you bought hook line and sinker all the other nonsense?

[bigtree]

6. It's an armed struggle for power and influence from several fronts

call it what you want. I've already said in as many ways as I could that we shouldn't be there. Fact is, though, our soldiers are fighting on one side of a multi-fronted civil war in Iraq. Bush sparked and fostered that struggle for power with the invasion and occupation and left our soldiers in the middle of it, hunkered down in the green zone defending the Maliki regime.

But, I really don't know why you're debating me about all of this. You can't find a dime's worth of difference between our view unless you want to spend your time throwing around semantics. Your argument is with the ones who put them there and are preventing them from leaving, not me.

[radfringe]

9. about waiting for the "september report"

there are 12 days left in July. For the month of august - bush will be on vacation, congress will be in recess, and the Iraqi government will get out the kitchen because they can't take the heat...

we know one of the big problems in Iraq is a failure to reach a political/diplomatic solution which would enable the Iraqis to take control of their own country.

I seriously doubt there will be any breakthroughs in the remaining 12 days of July, and with August down the tubes due to vacations we can expect nothing to be accomplished by September except filling more body bags

so sometime in September a "progress report" is distributed, then it will take a week or so to "read" the report, followed by a week or so of "needing time to study the report", followed by a couple of weeks of spinning, followed by pleas of needing more time because the Iraqi govt. has only been back from vacation for a few weeks

this puts any serious consideration of what action to take into late October/early November

and by the time anything gets close to being debated in the House/Senate it will time for Thanksgiving/Christmas breaks...

[bigtree]

10. I think with the action this month, the opposition will be accelerated

the defense bill will be brought back up for debate after Labor Day. I expect 'something' to happen then, but I won't underestimate Bush and his republicans' capacity for obstruction.