GOP senator says Iraq is near chaos (L. Graham)

[rodeodance]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061023/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_i...

GOP senator says Iraq is near chaos

By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer 31 minutes ago

WASHINGTON -............

Just two weeks before the Nov. 7 elections that will determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress, the White House tried to calm political anxieties about deteriorating security in Iraq. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers are calling on President Bush to change his war plan.

"We're on the verge of chaos, and the current plan is not working," Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., said in an Associated Press interview. U.S. and Iraqi officials should be held accountable for the lack of progress, said Graham, a Republican who is a frequent critic of the administration's policies.

Asked who in particular should be held accountable — Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, perhaps, or the generals leading the war — Graham said: "All of them. It's their job to come up with a game plan" to end the violence.

Bush, in a CNBC interview, said, "Well, I've been talking about a change in tactics ever since I — ever since we went in, because the role of the commander in chief is to say to our generals, `You adjust to the enemy on the battlefield.'"

[rodeodance]

1. "He stopped using it," Snow said (stay the course)

"In that sense there are new things going on. But are there dramatic shifts in policy? The answer is no," Snow said.

"There is still a very large to-do list before Iraq is in a position to sustain, govern and defend itself," he said.

"Are we issuing ultimatums? No."

He acknowledged, however, that Bush no longer is saying that the United States will "stay the course" in Iraq.

"He stopped using it," Snow said of that phrase, adding that it left the impression that the administration was not adjusting its strategy to realities in Baghdad........

[dchill]

6. How can he "stay the course"...

when he's never had a course to stay? I personally think he's stopped saying it because he's now stuck on "cut and run".

[MichiganVote]

2. Stay the chaos...er...course????

[swag]

3. Funny, this.

Asked who in particular should be held accountable — Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, perhaps, or the generals leading the war — Graham said: "All of them. It's their job to come up with a game plan" to end the violence.

As Atrios and commenters at Thinkprogress have pointed out, the Commander in Chief's name is George. He's the Decider.

[Doctor_J]

18. "And of course, Bill Clinton"

he left that off?

[democrank]

4. Welcome to reality, Senator Graham.

Many in the Democratic Party base have been saying "the current plan is not working" for a couple of years.

[babylonsister]

5. Pretty scathing coming from him. nt

[stepnw1f]

7. Gee... Really? Took Ya Long Enough

Once again... the Left was right and is RIGHT!

[loves_dulcinea]

8. speaking as one of the few blue s carolinians,

i've got to say that even my staunchest republican friends think of him as a drama queen.
we just see it as grandstanding for the media so that we (his constituents) will see him as an active politician,
rather than,

someone who once got into trouble for accesssing gay porn on company time.

[LeahMira]

14. The rest of the people,

those who aren't from your state, don't necessarily know that, and only count him as one more Republican who sees the light.

[Jawja]

16. Yes.

Like he did a grandstand on torture and military tribunals only to buckle under to the so-called "compromise."

[civildisoBDence]

23. Graham has been consistent in criticizing DUHbya's war

He's a JAG officer and a straight shooter as far as I'm concerned.

Well, not exactly straight--but it's significant that SC would elect a gay Senator (who's not crooked.)

Newsprism

[bluestateguy]

9. while this is obviously too little too late from him

It is interesting that we don't hear from Republican members of Congress anymore about how rosy everything is in Iraq today. They don't even try to fool people with that nonsense anymore. That kind of talk has tapered off in recent weeks.

[mcscajun]

10. "Near Chaos"??? How about it's practically on the other side of it

it's so damned NEAR.

Sheesh. Graham's as thick as a brick.

[truthisfreedom]

11. Iraq DEFINES chaos.

these republicans simply will not say the real truth.

CIVIL WAR. mayhem. unlivable conditions. madness... all caused by gw bush and his wild-eyed gang of thugs.

[bemildred]

12. Graham is a near fuckwit. nt

[susanna]

13. What is UP with Lindsey?

He's starting to worry me.

I like to know who the other side is, and in the past he has been amazingly consistent. Now, he's starting to vacillate way too much for my comfort. Anyone know why he (might have) starting thinking again? Is his seat up for the next election?

[Eurobabe]

15. Already IS CHAOS!! * can't admit it - VIETNAM!!!!

n/t

[Magleetis]

17. I have a feeling

That all this meeting with generals BS is just buying time so that the Repub spin machine can come up with new language about the war. Look for new and improved catch phrases in the coming weeks. The stream of BS continues. When will it end?

[dos pelos]

25. It ends when the American public wakens from its anesthesia

Wakens from the anesthesia of television,drugs(legal and otherwise),narrow immediate self interest,stupidity(innate and induced)punctuated by government induced fear.

[confludemocrat]

19. Who's responsible he's asked, Rummy or the generals? Symptom of severe

dysfunctionality of the scumbags who make up the press these days that the question was formulated in that way. Rumsfeld, PERHAPS? WTF, or the generals? Intelligence Test Here: who was left out of this question besides all else that is wrong with the question based the retarded attitude of the reporter.

[karlrschneider]

20. Isn't that similar to "a little pregnant"?

[Barrett808]

21. It's like: "Withdrawal will result in catastrophe"

Guess what? We've been at "catastrophe" for three years now.

[dos pelos]

26. It was supposed to be an effective resource grab.....

But its gone all wrong.They got the domestic PR down pretty good.They have(had?)an efficient workable military to use.The international diplomacy/PR was weaker,but they put on a reasonable show.They totally screwed up their prize once they initially conquered it and had it in hand.It has slipped away.Their corporate sponsors/owners must be pissed.Maybe they'll abandon the republicans,theyre fuck ups,and the big boys will back their farm team,the Democrats this time around.

[noise]

22. Nobody is stopping Bush from resigning in disgrace

Who should be held accountable?

The CIVILIAN chain of command that BETRAYED the military. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Bremer.

And the rubberstamp Republican controlled Congress that supported these corrupt officials at the expense of soldiers in harms way.

[newyawker99]

24. Hi noise!!

Welcome to DU!!

[MGD]

27. "You adjust to the enemy on the battlefield." George Bush

Bullshit. You make the enemy adjust to you.

[onager]

28. Right George. Just like that other George did...

Custer.



Yep, he adjusted to the Sioux on the battlefield pretty well.

Jebus H. Christ on a trailer hitch. If you're "adjusting to the enemy on the battlefield," you're probably headed for a serious ass-kicking. That means you had no plan in advance. Or in military-speak, no strategy. Er...strategery, that is.

What a shock! According to the Lib'rul Media, Bush has a fully competent military adviser supervising him--Dick Cheney.

Despite the slight handicap of no military service due to his 5 deferments, the press keeps telling me all about the shelves full of military history books in Cheney's library.



(as if you needed a "sarcasm" smiley...)