Republican House Leader John Boehner refuses to take back comment blaming US military in Iraq for screwing up the war

Not so funny anymore when the Republicans are the ones blaming our troops in Iraq for Bush and Rumsfeld's fiasco.

Here is what Boehner's staff told Hotline:

Kevin Madden, Boehner's spokesman, sent this response: “Democrats are quickly squandering any and all credibility by even attempting to equate Mr. Boehner’s comments with criticism of anyone in the military. It’s an obvious and weak attempt to deflect criticism from Senator Kerry’s awful remarks delivered earlier this week, remarks Mr. Boehner was highly critical of. Mr. Boehner commends our military and our generals for doing a heroic job each and every day in their fight against terrorists in Iraq and around the globe. He thanks them every day for their bravery and will continue to do so.”

Now here is what Boehner actually said:

House Majority Leader John Boehner: Wolf, I understand that, but let's not blame what's happening in Iraq on Rumsfeld.

Wolf Blitzer: But he's in charge of the military.

House Majority Leader John Boehner: But the fact is the generals on the ground are in charge and he works closely with them and the president. [CNN, 11/1/06]

Then watch Boehner here, and tell me how Boehner is going to claim that he didn't blame the generals on the ground for Rumsfeld's mess. He said it directly. Now who's haggling over the definition of "is"?

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Final NYT/CBS poll before the election: Republicans are toast

Utter disaster.

Fifty percent of independent voters, a closely watched segment of the electorate in such polarized times, said they intended to vote for the Democratic candidate, versus 23 percent who said they would vote for a Republican.

Among registered voters, 33 percent said they planned to support Republicans, and 52 percent said they would vote for Democrats. As a rule, these kind of generic questions — while providing broad insights into the national mood — are often imprecise as a predictor of the outcome of hundreds of Congressional races, where local issues and personalities can shape the result.

A 19% difference. Wow. I saw Katie Couric on Larry King, she said that this is the worst showing for any party since 1980 when the poll was first taken.

Oh God, then read this:

Americans have some clear notions of how government might change if Democrats win control of Congress: Beyond a quicker exit from Iraq, respondents said they thought a Democratic Congress would be more likely to increase the minimum wage, hold down rapidly rising health and prescription drugs costs, improve the economy and — as Republicans have said frequently in these closing days of the campaign — raise taxes.

By a slight margin, more respondents said the threat of terrorism would increase under Republicans than those who said it would increase under Democrats.

And finally:

A substantial majority of Americans expect Democrats to reduce or end American military involvement in Iraq if they win control of Congress next Tuesday, and say Republicans would maintain or increase troop levels to try to win the war if they hold on to power on Capitol Hill, according to the final New York Times/CBS News poll before the midterm election.

The poll found that just 29 percent of Americans approve of the way President Bush is managing the war in Iraq, matching the lowest mark of his presidency. Nearly 70 percent of Americans said Mr. Bush did not have a plan to end the war, and an overwhelming 80 percent said Mr. Bush’s latest effort to rally public support for the conflict amounted to a change in language but not policy.

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CNN's Jack Cafferty: It's a disgrace that Bush has abandoned a captive American soldier in Iraq

Watch this. Then send it to a friend. The background on this story is here.

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Open thread

CNN video of Sullivan and Hitchens ripping Bush just posted in the post below.

And here's the latest look at the fundraising. After the next 24 to 48 hours, I think it's probably too late for any more donations to help. So let's at least get to $100k :-) Thanks guys.

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Andrew Sullivan on CNN

"This isn't an election anymore, it's an intervention." - Andrew Sullivan on CNN.

Brilliant interview with Andrew Sullivan and Christopher Hitchens. Both were quite stinging against Bush.

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Dean to Boehner: Apologize

UPDATE: CNN just reported on Howard Dean's and Harry Reid's demands that Boehner apologize. CNN contacted Boehner for a response but hasn't heard back yet. This should be fun.

Howard Dean just issued the following statement:

Dean: Boehner Owes Military An Apology

Washington, DC – Today during an interview on CNN, House Republican Leader John Boehner blamed the military for the problems with the Bush Administration’s failed Iraq policies. Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement calling on Boehner to apologize to the men and women in the armed services for his irresponsible election year rhetoric:

“After the Bush Administration’s numerous failures in Iraq, to blame our brave troops is just wrong. John Boehner should apologize immediately. Once again, Republican leadership is pointing fingers rather than taking responsibility for their failures. Our brave troops deserve better from Republican leaders like Don Rumsfeld, John Boehner and Dick Cheney.”

Boehner Blames Military For Problems In Iraq.

House Majority Leader John Boehner: Wolf, I understand that, but let's not blame what's happening in Iraq on Rumsfeld.

Wolf Blitzer: But he's in charge of the military.

House Majority Leader John Boehner: But the fact is the generals on the ground are in charge and he works closely with them and the president. [CNN, 11/1/06]

Boehner Has Repeatedly Covered For Rumsfeld:

“BOEHNER: I think Donald Rumsfeld is the best thing that's happened to the Pentagon in 25 years. This - this Pentagon and our military needs a transformation. And I think Donald Rumsfeld is the only man in America who knows where the bodies are buried at the Pentagon, has enough experience to help transform that institution. Let's not take the problems in Iraq, the tough fight that we're in there and blame it on anyone.” [ABC, 10/29/06]

CNN quoted BOEHNER: “I personally like Don Rumsfeld. I think he's been the perfect person to be our defense secretary over the last five years. He knows more about the Pentagon, knows more about reforming the military than virtually anybody in the United States, and knows where the bodies are buried at the Pentagon and has a strong enough will to make the changes necessary to reform that operation. And that's where I am personally.” [CNN, 9/5/06]

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Harry Reid demands John Boehner apologize to the trooops

From Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid's office:

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid released the following statement on House Majority Leader John Boehner's decision to blame the troops for Republican failures in Iraq.

"John Boehner ought to be ashamed. He's blaming our troops for failures in Iraq. If he wants to cast blame, he can start by looking in the mirror because he and his Congressional Republican colleagues have rubberstamped the Bush Administration's failed policy for nearly four years. Our troops in Iraq have performed bravely. It's political leaders like Congressman Boehner and Donald Rumsfeld, who have failed. I expect President Bush and Congressional Republicans, who demanded John Kerry apologize, hold their own party's majority leader to a much higher standard. There's no spinning his disparaging comments. He made them. He needs to apologize."

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House Majority Leader John Boehner: Wolf, I understand that, but let's not blame what's happening in Iraq on Rumsfeld.

Wolf Blitzer: But he's in charge of the military.

House Majority Leader John Boehner: But the fact is the generals on the ground are in charge and he works closely with them and the president.

CNN, 11/1/06

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Republican House leader blames troops for Iraq mess

According to the #2 Republican in the US House, Congressman John Boehner, the Iraq mess is all the fault of the US troops on the ground in Iraq. Boehner only moments ago had the following to say about who is to blame for Iraq:

GOP HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER JOHN BOEHNER: Let's not blame what's happening in Iraq on Rumsfeld.

WOLF BLITZER: But he's in charge of the military.

BOEHNER: But the fact is, the generals on the ground are in charge, and he works closely with them and the president.

So US generals aren't as patriotic as other US service members in Iraq? They haven't made the same sacrifice? They aren't risking their lives? They're not just as much heroes as everyone else, doing the best they can in an impossible situation?

Do Republican candidates around the country agree that the Iraq mess is the fault of US troops in Iraq? Read the rest of this post...

Do GOP candidates agree with George Bush that Rumsfeld and Cheney are doing a heck of a job?

Since we're in the age of full disclosure, where every single candidate needs to opine on every single statement a politician from his own party says, it's time for the Republican candidates for the US Senate and House to come clean: Do they agree with George Bush that Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney have done a great job, and that we should be "pleased with the progress we're making" in Iraq?

Fair is fair.

We've had a media feeding frenzy the past 24 hours asking Democratic candidates around the country if they agree with one idiotic statement from a guy who isn't even on the ballot, simply because he's a fellow Democrat. So now it's time for the media to exercise a little fairness and ask Republican candidates to respond to an idiotic statement, and one that has far greater impact on the real world, from a fellow Republican who isn't on the ballot.

It's time to ask every single Republican candidate whether they agree with George Bush that Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney are doing a good job, and do they agree with Bush that "I'm pleased with the progress we're making" in Iraq? Read the rest of this post...

Dems still poised to win midterm elections

AFP

US voters appear set to wrest control of at least one chamber of Congress from ruling Republicans, though the election landscape remained unsettled, less than a week before a potentially watershed midterm vote.

Dissatisfaction with the conduct of the war in Iraq remains the driving force behind the expected landmark overthrow of the ruling party, according to a poll Wednesday.

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Bush gives Cheney and Rumsfeld 100% job security

Heckuva job, Dick and Rummy. Once again Bush proves that competence does not matter. No matter how badly you screw up in this administration, you have a job and are safe. This sounds like another crowd pleaser which will resonate well with the American public.

Bush credited Rumsfeld with overseeing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while overhauling the military. "I'm pleased with the progress we're making," the president said. He replied in the affirmative if he wanted Rumsfeld and Cheney to stay with him until the end.

Who else could look at the Iraq fiasco and give such strong support to these guys? Who else actually sees the progress that Bush sees? Get this guy a doctor because he is having hallucinations. Read the rest of this post...

New scandal embroils GOP Rep. Jim Gibbons (NV) as he runs for governor

From TPMmuckraker:

Yes, he's accused of sexual assault. And yes, he had an illegal domestic worker he hid in his basement. But now, we learn that Gibbons granted exceptional favors to a campaign backer and "friend" from whom he received gifts and campaign donations, according to a lengthy and circuitous investigative piece in the Wall Street Journal.

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DCCC: It is about Iraq

The DCCC's latest ad will run nationally. This election is all about Iraq:
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Hey Media: Can one of you ask Bush -- or any Republican -- why they let Al-Sadr stop the US from searching for the missing US soldier?

Yesterday, the Iraqi government, in an unprecedented power play, shoved aside US troops who are looking for a missing soldier. Bush, who is apparently powerless to do anything positive or proactive in Iraq, let that happen. Think about this -- Al Sadr just one-upped the leader of the free world who has 140,000 troops in his country.

Yet, today, the cable networks are agog over John Kerry. Meanwhile, they're overlooking the entire failed Iraq policy. In just the past 24 hours we learned:

104 105 troops were killed in October;

the US Central Command thinks Iraq is heading toward chaos; and

we now know that Al-Sadr, who really, really hates us, rules Iraq and won't even let our forces search for a missing U.S. soldier.

Who is running the US war effort? Saturday, Bush did an hour long conference call with al-Maliki, the Iraqi Prime Minister. Tony Snow told us, "There are no strains in the relationship." Really? This is what Bush gets with no strains?

Why isn't the media asking about the missing soldier? From what CNN showed of Tony Snow's today's briefing, no one there asked. In fact, at 1:05 pm, CNN's Ed Henry gave report from the White House about the Kerry story. Maybe the Iraq situation is too complicated for some of these talking heads. Iraq really is a quagmire and a lot of people are dying. The situation is getting worse every day. A media frenzy about a stupid comment doesn't change that. Read the rest of this post...

Tribes in Iraq begin to splinter

If religious and ethnic identities are the organs of Iraq, then tribes are its DNA. Previously, there were some encouraging signs that tribes might help push back against fundamentalist movements. More recent reporting indicates the tribes, too, are racked with sectarian divisions (h/t Juan Cole):

Both Arab and Kurdish tribes still wield influence in the country and many thought they could play a decisive role in halting the current bloodshed . . . Affiliation particularly among Arab tribal hierarchy has little to do with sectarian divisions as many major tribes have both Shiite and Sunni members. But the ferocity of the present strife and its heavy toll in casualties is setting them apart . . . There are reports that the tribes have divided themselves on sectarian grounds and have began fighting each other, using rocket propelled grenades and mortars.

In three years, I've never seen an article on U.S. efforts to reach out to tribes, to engage tribal leaders in an attempt to head off or even reduce sectarian conflict. Perhaps it's happening, but I haven't seen it. And now one of the last remaining integrated elements of the society is falling apart.

And with the tribes -- as with sectarian groups -- once it starts, it's hard to stop:

A written document that forbids inter-tribe fighting was signed last week to halt fighting and sectarian killings for 20 days as a prelude for reconciliation. Only two days later, sectarian killings resumed with at least nine more people killed and 12 injured.

Iraq isn't getting better, our troops aren't getting safer, and our national security isn't getting stronger. Our continued massive presence is exacerbating the problems, not helping them. Our troops are doing the best they can, but national leadership has failed them. Read the rest of this post...

Bush admin. says no sex for 20-somethings. Does the policy apply to the Bush family and Bush staff? What about soldiers?

The Bush administration wants to stop sex between unmarried adults in their 20s. Not kidding. The American government wants to regulate sex between consenting adults:

If you're single and in your 20s, the federal government wants you to steer clear of sex.

That's the new guidance for states under the Department of Health and Human Services' $50 million Abstinence Education Program. HHS officials say it's not a requirement — just another option for states to combat what they call an alarming rise in out-of-wedlock births.

So here's the question: Do they practice what they preach over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW? Is there a sexual abstinence policy for the 20 somethings in the Bush family? What about the Bush staff? Unmarried means no sex for gays, obviously.

Preventing sex between adults. That's what the theocrats in the Bush administration are worried about. Is Bush going to tell the soldiers in their 20s serving in Iraq and Afghanistan that they can't have sex? Are they fighting to prevent a theocracies in Iraq and Afghanistan so they can come back to one in America? Read the rest of this post...

Why is George Bush appearing on the radio show of an intolerant bigot?

George Bush has cleared his schedule in order to appear on radio shock-jock Rush Limbaugh's radio show. This reward comes just a week after Limbaugh physically and verbally mocked people Parkinson's on his radio show - watch this video of Limbaugh making fun of the movements of people who have Parkison's.



Limbaugh, you'll recall, was arrested recently on the suspicion of bringing illegal drugs into the United States. As if that weren't enough to keep a "family values" president away, just last week Limbaugh mocked Michael J. Fox and people with Parkinson's disease on his radio show, even going so far as to imitate the symptoms of people with Parkinson's in order to belittle them. Limbaugh later said he would apologize if anyone could prove that Fox, a suffer of Parkinson's, wasn't faking his symptoms. But then, even later, Limbaugh said he had nothing to apologize for.

Will George Bush and the Republican party ever hold anyone accountable for any of their actions?

Just to remind you of exactly what Limbaugh did, here are two videos. The first is the Michael J. Fox ad that so enraged Limbaugh that the felt the need to mock people with Parkinson's disease.


The second video is CNN's report on the controversy, including the audio of Limbaugh mocking people with Parkinson's.



Does the media plan on asking Bush why he is condoning Limbaugh's actions vis-a-vis Fox, but also vis-a-vis Limbaugh's drug arrest? Read the rest of this post...

Bush rallying Democrats. GOP strategist says "He should stay away"

Bush is on the campaign trail, whipping himself in to a cheerleading frenzy. The plan is for Bush to rile up his base. According to today's Washington Post, he's also energizing the Democratic base. One reason is that he can't stop talking about Iraq -- his biggest failure.

One GOP strategist, speaking candidly about the president on the condition of anonymity, offered this assessment: "I'd say he's at least 50 percent of the problem." In strongly Republican areas, he said, the president can still rally the party's base, but in more marginal districts, Bush is a drag on GOP candidates. "He's the problem," the strategist said. "He should stay away."

The Republicans are having a hard time finding places to send the President where he won't be too much of a liability. The Post notes that Bush isn't showing up in television ads for GOP candidates. Bush is a fixture in Democratic ads:

That hardly means Bush has been absent from television screens this fall. Democrats by the dozens have featured him in their ads, trying to tie their opponents to the president and his policies. Bill Burton, a DCCC spokesman, said that, as of the beginning of this week, Democratic candidates and the DCCC have run more than 90 ads in 34 districts featuring the president and the Democrats' opponent.

This is where we are 6 days out. Bush is a disaster for his own party. Iraq is a policy disaster and it is the dominant issue.

Which makes me wonder why the punditry still thinks Karl Rove is a political wizard. They seem to quiver every time he predicts a GOP victory. It's his job to say that. Rove plays mind games with the media. They've fallen for his psyche games for years now. Josh Marshall wrote a great post about this on Monday. Let's keep this in perspective. Rove is the political mastermind behind Bush's abysmal standing. Even Republicans want their President to stay away. So what exactly is it about Rove that we are supposed to fear this year? The 37% approval rating speaks for itself. Read the rest of this post...

Wednesday Morning Open Thread

So yesterday, the Iraqi Prime Minister and Moktada al-Sadr completely rolled George Bush. They forced U.S. troops to end the roadblocks in Baghdad set up to find a missing U.S. soldier. Does the President even know? Or is he too busy whipping around the country campaigning on his Iraq record? Where's the Republican outrage? This is what happens when the only plan Bush has for Iraq is the campaign slogan "Stay the Course."

Six more days til we change the course.

Updates please. Read the rest of this post...

Air Force needs more money to bring home "growing numbers" of dead and wounded troops

The Air Force is seeking a huge "emergency" budget increase -- $50 billion. One reason:

Another source familiar with the Air Force plans said the extra funds would help pay to transport growing numbers of U.S. soldiers being killed and wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are other reasons. The process is out of control. The Bush administration has no idea what it's doing in Iraq and Afghanistan. They're going to ram through a huge "emergency" military budget during the lame duck session of Congress in November -- when the GOP is in its last throes -- in order to avoid oversight and scrutiny. Read the rest of this post...

Open thread

We seemed to have lost the art of the open thread with so much GOP assault going on. Read the rest of this post...