How Low can Expectations in Iraq Go?

Forget the purple fingers and the self-congratulations about building a democracy from last January. Some on Team Bush are seriously lowering the bar on what they expect to happen in Iraq, according to the Washington Post:

The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of what can be achieved in Iraq, recognizing that the United States will have to settle for far less progress than originally envisioned during the transition due to end in four months, according to U.S. officials in Washington and Baghdad.

The United States no longer expects to see a model new democracy, a self-supporting oil industry or a society where the majority of people are free from serious security or economic challenges, U.S. officials say.

This is one of those times when U.S. officials should have to be on the record. Who is saying this? Of course, never one to face facts, Chimpy is still extolling his successes:

"Iraqis are taking control of their country, building a free nation that can govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself. And we're helping Iraqis succeed," President Bush said yesterday in his radio address.

Succeed? You decide. As I was reading the Post article, I kept coming across lines and paragraphs about the real situation in Iraq. It's ugly. These items all appear scattered throughout the piece. So, actually, here's what we have given Iraqis:

Many of Baghdad's 6 million people go without electricity for days in 120-degree heat.

Parents fearful of kidnapping are keeping children indoors.

Barbers post signs saying they do not shave men, after months of barbers being killed by religious extremists.

Ethnic or religious-based militias police the northern and southern portions of Iraq.

Analysts estimate that in the whole of Iraq, unemployment is 50 percent to 65 percent.

Killings of members of the Iraqi security force have tripled since January.

Iraq's ministry of health estimates bombings and other attacks have killed 4,000 civilians in Baghdad since Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari's interim government took office April 28.

Last week was the fourth-worst week of the whole war for U.S. military deaths in combat, and August already is the worst month for deaths of members of the National Guard and Reserve.

Attacks on U.S. convoys by insurgents using roadside bombs have doubled over the past year, Army Brig. Gen. Yves Fontaine said Friday.

Convoys ferrying food, fuel, water, arms and equipment from Kuwait, Jordan and Turkey are attacked about 30 times a week, Fontaine said.

But Iraq, ranked among world leaders behind Saudi Arabia in proven oil reserves, is incapable of producing enough refined fuel amid a car-buying boom that has put an estimated 1 million more vehicles on the road in the postwar period. Lines for subsidized cheap gas stretch for miles every day in Baghdad.

[I]nadequate training for Iraqi staff, regional rivalries restricting the power flow to Baghdad, inadequate fuel for electrical generators and attacks on the infrastructure have contributed to the worst summer of electrical shortages in the capital.

Water is also a "tough, tough" situation in a desert country, said a U.S. official in Baghdad familiar with reconstruction issues. Pumping stations depend on electricity, and engineers now say the system has hundreds of thousands of leaks.

Read the rest of this post...

Washington Post to co-sponsor pro-war bash

So, it's not just the Post's Editorial Board that is gung-ho for the war. E&P; reports on their sponsorship of Rummy's Warapalooza:

The Washington Post has no plans to withdraw its co-sponsorship of a controversial Sept. 11 memorial walk being organized by the Department of Defense, according to Publisher Bo Jones. But, he said the paper would pull out if the event turns out to be some kind of pro-war or political march.

"This was part of the memorial of the 9/11 victims and an effort for veterans past and present and that is it," Jones said about the "Freedom Walk" slated for Sept. 11. "This has nothing to do with politics or the war or support of any political position."

Still, Jones added that the paper would withdraw support, which consists of providing public service advertising space in the paper, if the event turns partisan. "If I turns out to be a political event, we would disassociate ourselves from it," he said.

The gathering will culminate in a concert by country star Clint Black, known for a pro-war song "Iraq and I Roll," which declares, "We can't ignore the devil, he'll keep coming back for more."

I guess it depends on what the definition of a political event is. Here's an idea for the Post management: have one of your intrepid political reporters do some investigative work and find out where the idea for the whole thing came from. Talk to some of your political reporters. You'll find out that EVERYTHING the Bush team does is political.

The White House dupes the Post, again. Katharine Graham must be turning in her grave.

E&P; provided a sample of what the Post is paying to promote:

Clint Black's song, "Iraq and I Roll," which starts like this:

NOW YOU CAN COME ALONG
OR YOU CAN STAY BEHIND
OR YOU CAN GET OUT OF THE WAY
BUT OUR TROOPS TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE
FOR THE GOOD OLD U.S.A.

YOU CAN WAVE YOUR SIGNS IN PROTEST
AGAINST AMERICA TAKING STANDS
THE STANDS AMERICA'S TAKEN
ARE THE REASON THAT YOU CAN

No politics there. Read the rest of this post...

Open Thread

What now? Read the rest of this post...

Bush says he'd use force against Iran

Oh great...we don't even have enough armor for our troops in Iraq, and he's making noises about Iran. All that wood chopping he's doing down in Crawford must get his testosterone going:

President Bush said on Israeli television he could consider using force as a last resort to press Iran to give up its nuclear programme.

"All options are on the table," Bush, speaking at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, said in the interview broadcast on Saturday.

Asked if that included the use of force, Bush replied: "As I say, all options are on the table. The use of force is the last option for any president and you know, we've used force in the recent past to secure our country."

Um, has he been paying attention? Iraq is a disaster. Most Americans don't think the most recent use of force has made our country more secure.

This is almost scarily predictable. Starting down the path to attacking Iran --- in time for the 2006 election cycle. Next thing we'll start hearing is that Iran's nuclear agenda is directly related to "September the 11th." Read the rest of this post...

Deadly Deja Vu in Iraq: Troops still without armor

WTF? The NY Times just posted an article, "U.S. Struggling to Get Soldiers Improved Armor." That's right. Still struggling to get armor for the troops. We've heard this before and been told it's been taken care of....but it hasn't been. Soldiers in Iraq do not have the proper equipment:

For the second time since the Iraq war began, the Pentagon is struggling to replace body armor that is failing to protect American troops from the most lethal attacks by insurgents.

The ceramic plates in vests worn by most personnel cannot withstand certain munitions the insurgents use. But more than a year after military officials initiated an effort to replace the armor with thicker, more resistant plates, tens of thousands of soldiers are still without the stronger protection because of a string of delays in the Pentagon's procurement system.

The effort to replace the armor began in May 2004, just months after the Pentagon finished supplying troops with the original plates - a process also plagued by delays. The officials disclosed the new armor effort Wednesday after questioning by The New York Times, and acknowledged that it would take several more months or longer to complete.

Christ, no wonder Bush won't talk to Cindy Sheehan. The Commander in Chief continues to fail his troops. And how anyone with a son or daughter in Iraq can still support this clown is beyond me. Imagine the uproar in Congress if a Democratic President let troops stay in a war zone without the proper equipment. They'd be talking impeachment.

Bush has screwed up every single aspect of the Iraq war. And, as John said below, he just a god damn liar about Iraq. For all his screw ups, putting tens of thousands of soldiers in deadly danger because they don't have the body armor has to be among the worst. Read the rest of this post...

Saturday Afternoon Open Thread

Very hot and lazy day here in DC. Read the rest of this post...

Americablog: The Big Hits Of The Week

Here's a roundup of the biggest stories this week on Americablog. These are the postings that drew the most traffic and generated the most comments.


SUNDAY

Team Bush DID Let Bin Laden Escape Bora Bora -- Joe in DC

Pentagon harrasses, demotes and otherwise punishes black female whistleblower for taking on the white boys at Bush & Cheney, Inc., Halliburton, etc. -- John (temporarily) in Paris

Condi's Delusions -- Joe in DC

MONDAY

Bush reportedly will jail mom of US soldier killed in Iraq -- John (temporarily) in Paris)

The Cindy Sheehan protest gained major traction, of course. Other big hits included: One grieving mother is facing down Bush and The GOP attacks on Cindy Sheehan have begun, both from Joe in DC.

FCC Hires Far Right Activist: Infringement Of Free Speech To Follow -- Michael in New York

Cat bloggging, of course, swept the nation via Geez, Now I think the cat's in love with me -- John (temporarily) in Paris). It provided a brief respite from stories like

"Gloom Is Deeper In Baghdad Now...." -- Michael in New York

TUESDAY

Cindy Sheehan continued to dominate, via Cindy Sheehan Rocks -- Joe in DC and Update On Cindy Sheehan Stories Today -- John (temporarily) in Paris

"'Pro-family' group tells Bush to drop John Roberts because of gay snafu" -- John (temporarily) in Paris

"Thousands Gather In Ohio To Mourn Fallen Soldiers. Bush? MIA, As Always" -- Michael in New York

And Maureen Dowd's return from vacation is celebrated with "She's baaaack -- and her first column is about Cindy Sheehan" -- Joe in DC

WEDNESDAY

The Cindy Sheehan story continues to steamroll, with Joe in DC focusing in on "AP: Cindy Sheehan is gaining momentum" and "Right Wingers Step Up Attack On Cindy Sheehan"

"OppositeLand -- Was 9/11 Bush's Fault?" posits that a story blaming 9/11 on Clinton means new info will arise that paints Bush in a terrible light -- Rob in Baltimore

The military's messed-up priorities are examined in "You get fired for having an affair. And the punishment for torture is?" -- Joe in DC

"National Guard member 2 weeks away from finishing his 6 year commitment forced to go to Iraq for a year, against his will, and now he's dead" -- John (temporarily) in Paris

A Catholic Cardinal in Canada threatens to refuse baptism for the babies of gays and lesbians in "Catholic Church Sinks To New Low" -- Michael in New York.

THURSDAY

The Cindy Sheehan focus continues with Joe in DC sarcastically posting "Bush To Cindy Sheehan: Oh Yeah, Sorry" and John (temporarily) in Paris with "AUDIO: Cindy Sheehan Takes On Right Wing Slime Machine"

Jon Stewart's favorite commentator comes under fire in "Tucker Carlson accused of supporting terrorism on MSNBC" -- John (temporarily) in Paris

A personal angle brings home the pain behind "Jonesboro School Shooter Released From Jail" -- Joe in DC

And how best to fight terrorism is dissected in "'New York' Magazine: Of Course We Should Do Racial Profiling" -- Michael in New York


FRIDAY

Cindy Sheehan keeps in focus with "AP Profiles Casey Sheehan" from Joe in DC

A good debate on that NARAL Ad was stirred up with Michael in New York's "NARAL Pulls Anti-Roberts Ad" and Rob in Baltimore's "OP/ED: NARAL Should Not Have Pulled Ad"

A new Karl Rove angle is explored with "Did Rove violate federal false statements statute by lying to Bush about Plamegate?" from John (temporarily) in Paris building on Joe in DC's late-night Thursday posting "AP asks: What Did Rove Tell Bush?"

"Pentagon Afraid To Release Abuse Images" -- Michael in New York

And it's deja vu for dummies when "Kansas Attacks Evolution Again" -- Michael in New York Read the rest of this post...

Bush is a God Damn Liar

I am really sick and tired of having a liar run our country. It's one thing for him to simply be an incompetent moron, but quite another to get us into a war based on a lie and THEN continue to lie about the war after it's taken nearly 2,000 American lives.

We now know definitively that Iraq wasn't about the war on terror, and it most certainly wasn't about September 11. Sure, it's about the war on terror NOW - now that Bush's ineptitude has invited Al Qaeda into Iraq so that Iraq is now their primary training ground. Of course, it wasn't that way when we invaded. Oh no, Iraq was basically Al Qaeda free until Bush broke it.

It's high time the media held Bush accountable for continuing the very lies that got our nation into this war. The media shares culpability for buying Bush's lies, and reprinting them without question, in the lead up to the war and ever since. It's time they held this president - if you can even call him that - to account for being the liar he really is. Read the rest of this post...

Bush uses Radio Address to talk to Cindy Sheehan

What a wuss. Can't meet the woman face to face, so he uses his bully pulpit to talk to her. First, he had to include his old lie that Iraq was tied to "September the 11th":

The recent violence in Iraq is a grim reminder of the brutal nature of the enemy we face in the war on terror. Our mission in Iraq is tough because the enemy understands the stakes. The terrorists know that a free Iraq in the heart of the Middle East will be a crippling blow to their hateful ideology. And that is why our work in Iraq is a vital part of the war on terror we're waging around the world.

This war on terror arrived on our shores on September the 11th, 2001.

Almost unbelievable that he can still get away with linking Iraq and 9/11....and it shows that the White House is grasping when they haul out that argument.

Then, Bush has to obliquely refer to those who have suffered losses in Iraq.

In recent days, we have seen again that the path to victory in the war on terror will include difficult moments. Our nation grieves the death of every man and woman we lose in combat, and our hearts go out to the loved ones who mourn them. Yet, even in our grief, we can be confident in the future, because the darkness of tyranny is no match for the shining power of freedom.

The terrorists cannot defeat us on the battlefield. The only way they can win is if we lose our nerve. That will not happen on my watch.

You have the nerve to invade Iraq causing the deaths of other people's kids. But you don't have the nerve to drive down the road to talk to Cindy Sheehan. You are one tough cowboy, George Bush. Read the rest of this post...

Kentucky's GOP Culture of Corruption

The Kentucky Republicans are out of control, too. And the rot is reaching right to the top -- which should come as no surprise. Governor Ernie Fletcher spent five years as part of the DeLay GOP team in Congress, so he got some good training on how to be a corrupt politician:

Gov. Ernie Fletcher has been subpoenaed to appear before a special grand jury investigating his administration's hiring practices, the attorney general's office confirmed Friday.

Nine current or former members of Fletcher's administration have been indicted on misdemeanor charges alleging violations of the state's Merit System personnel law.

The indictments allege that they routinely plotted to circumvent the law requiring that state personnel decisions, including who gets hired for state jobs, fired or promoted, be made on the candidates' merits rather than on their political influence or support.

Now why should Ernie Fletcher and his staff have to follow all those pesky laws? They won. That's all that should matter. It's worked for Tom DeLay and the Ohio GOP all these years. Read the rest of this post...

Front Page of Wash. Post for Cindy Sheehan

Wash. Post has Cindy's story on the front page above the fold:

Cindy Sheehan vaulted into national consciousness this month on the power of her story as the grieving mother of a fallen soldier.

But what began as a solitary campaign to force a meeting with President Bush by setting up camp along the road to his ranch has quickly taken on the full trappings of a political campaign. Sheehan is working with a political consultant and a team of public relations professionals, and now she is featured in a television ad.

The Post goes in to great detail about the operation supporting Cindy. No wonder Team Bush is freaking out. And isn't it amazing how Bush and the entire right wing media machine are just scared out of their minds by the powerful story of one grieving woman?

Since the MSM, thinks it's important to delve in to the team supporting Cindy, I want to see the story about the campaign to discredit her. How are the White House and RNC conspiring against Cindy? And, a key question: for once, will the the MSM cover the story without being swayed by the White House smear machine?

Also, this morning NBC had the video of Bush whizzing past Cindy in his motorcade to the big GOP fundraiser. That's the kind of press coverage that is going to send Rove and Mehlman into overdrive. Read the rest of this post...

A little bit of Paris to start your weekend

I had a great walk yesterday around our neighborhood, cut through the Luxembourg Gardens, and wanted to share a few photos of the walk. I think they're good "start of the weekened" photos.



The men playing petanque (baci ball?) in the Jardin de Luxembourg.



The sun shining in to St. Sulpice, the church apparently of The Da Vinci Code.



And two men enjoying the paper in the Jardin de L. Read the rest of this post...

Good morning Paris, open thread

Another gorgeous day here, 73 degrees, and a balmy 95 expected in DC. I don't think I'd have survived in DC with all this hot weather, just kills me. Read the rest of this post...