Bush says "I'm the decision-maker" on Iraq

[Joanne98]

By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush rebuffed congressional criticism of his Iraq plan on Friday by insisting "I'm the decision-maker" and warned Iranians would be stopped if they attacked U.S. or Iraqi forces inside Iraq.

With Americans overwhelmingly opposing Bush's strategy to send 21,500 more U.S. troops to Iraq, U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates told reporters that military officials were trying to get past logistical constraints to accelerate the deployment of new troops to Iraq.

Gates criticized congressional efforts to formally oppose the plan.
"It's pretty clear that a resolution that in effect says that the general going out to take command of the arena shouldn't have the resources he thinks he needs to be successful certainly emboldens the enemy," Gates said.

Bush spoke to reporters as he met Army Lt. Gen. David Petraeus in the Oval Office shortly after the general was confirmed by the Senate 81-0 to lead U.S. forces in Iraq.

Petraeus will carry out a plan that has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers who worry Bush is deepening U.S. involvement in Iraq at a time when Americans are weary of a nearly 4-year-old war that shows no sign of winding down.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2007-01-26T215349Z_01_N26354196_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ-USA.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsLanding-C1-Headline-7

[Joanne98]

1. "The Decider" song....

http://decider.cf.huffingtonpost.com/decider.mp3

[Little Wing]

3. first thing that came to my mind, too

This guy needs throwing into a wet ditch

[Joanne98]

4. I love that song. It sooooo "catches" his personality.

:)

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

2. Impeach, Impeach, Impeach

There is no other way to get his attention. Even if it never gets to the voting stage, it will ceratinly keep him occupied.
Say it with me now! :) Impeach, Impeach, Impeach. I've written my Senators and Representative. Have you?

[Joanne98]

5. Impeach, impeach,... YES I have written. They don't LISTEN!

[orpupilofnature57]

6. I agree they need to be sued by the American people,Impeach or....

....Your part of the Problem * , along with his Enablers and the other hopefully ousted.

[Joanne98]

10. I'm for SUED! All they care about is money anyway!

[hashibabba]

9. Yep, I've written. And it may not seem like they're listening, but

just keep writing those letters and making those phone calls. It will eventually have to make a difference. They don't want to tick us off too much before November 2008!

LOVE THE SONG!

[Quetzal]

7. Then he must deal with the criticism of his choices

since he is the so called "decider" on everything.

[damntexdem]

8. He need not have said this:

we already knew who to blame.

[blitzen]

11. Make up your mind, Bush! "Decider" or "Decision-maker"?

[President Kerry]

12. the Decisioner has some more deciding to do...

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[fNord]

14. love the song though n/t

:bounce:

[sakabatou]

15. And the People are the decider or your fate

[superconnected]

16. No you are the horses ass who needs to be impeached and tried.

Along with chenny, rumsfeld and sleeza.

[saigon68]

25. You mean this pretty Princess?

[kskiska]

17. WP: Bush Defies Lawmakers To Solve Iraq

Gates Says Doubts Bolster Enemy

Saturday, January 27, 2007; A01

Declaring "I'm the decision maker," President Bush yesterday challenged congressional efforts to formally condemn his Iraq plan, while Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates warned that a proposed Senate resolution criticizing the deployment of additional troops would embolden the enemy.

"Any indication of flagging will in the United States gives encouragement to those folks," Gates told reporters at the Pentagon. "I'm sure that that's not the intent behind the resolutions, but I think it may be the effect."

(snip)

Bush later met with House Republicans at a retreat on Maryland's Eastern Shore and, according to two Republicans present, mocked the Senate by telling the House members that he found it "ironic" that senators would oppose his plan to dispatch 21,500 more troops to Iraq but praise and unanimously confirm Petraeus, who helped design it.

(snip)

Yesterday's administration comments were part of a White House campaign to try to keep Republican lawmakers from signing on to any resolution that criticizes the president's new strategy in Iraq. By keeping down the number of Republican defections, the administration hopes to make any vote appear highly partisan and to buy Bush's new plan more time.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/26/AR2007012600653.html

[quiet.american]

18. The WP headline is a travesty. n/t

[Erika]

19. The American public has turned against this war and W

Those GOP lawmakers who continue rubberstamping the idiot's war plans will suffer in 2008. Much more than they did in 2006.

Fine by me.

[MannyGoldstein]

20. Magic 8 Ball Says...

"Impeachment"

[HuckleB]

21. Another adolescent tantrum by Bush?

I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

Gates, however, should be ashamed at what he has allowed himself to become.

[kiwilover]

22. cheney's the boss not the Chimp n/t.

[radfringe]

23. the more he says it - the smaller he looks

"I'm the boss of you" might have been a more appropriate way for this child to say it

When a leader has to remind you that he/she is the leader - they are no longer a leader

[oblivious]

24. Isn't he just the world's biggest loser?

[mitchum]

26. He is a DICTATOR who must be removed from office

[Merrill]

27. Revolt of The Generals

Lieut. Gen. Odom calls the Iraq War "the worst strategic mistake in the history of the USA"

Rumsfeld publicly humiliated all who dissented, beginning with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki, who was virtually dismissed the day he honestly gave his views to Congress. Rumsfeld's deputy, neoconservative ideologue Paul Wolfowitz, listened respectfully before rejecting the generals' advice. As the Iraqi insurgency grew, the generals found Rumsfeld "completely unable and unwilling to understand the collapse of security in Iraq," says Maj. Gen. Eaton. The severely understrength US forces have never been able to provide adequate security. Once Iraqi civilians lost their trust and confidence in America's protection, the war was lost politically. As General Newbold says: "Our opposition to Rumsfeld is all about his accountability for getting Iraq wrong from day one.


"Revolt of the Generals"
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20061016/whalen

The author is a conservative republican. No matter which side of the fence you're on this is a worthwhile read.

[Cass]

28. I saw Hagel on the news yesterday saying that he's never heard a president say

that he won't listen to Congress. He seemed pretty POed about it. His demeanor and tone during the interview was indicative of just how disturbed and angry he is about Bush's behavior.

What we have on our hands with Bush is a leader who believes himself to be a dictator.

[sakabatou]

29. He sounds like a whiny brat

[Lisa]

30. so that's why the place is in such a mess!

(well gee, Georgie -- you've got to expect people to say stuff like that, if you're going to strut around as "the decider")

[cliss]

31. For the 1st time in 4 years,

I have hope. The situation is becoming more and more like Viet Nam.

Compare to Viet Nam

It was a lost cause
We were there for 10 years
We lost 57,000 US troops
We went from a net creditor to the rest of the world to a net debtor
We were hated around the world
After 10 years, we were almost in a civil war here; there were demonstrations, this country was in a siege-like state


Iraq
We've been there 4 years
We've lost over 3,000+ US troops
We are bankrupt
We are definitely hated around the world
BEFORE this war, there were demonstrations, there have been protests every step of the way, public opinion is galvanizing.

I'm a lot more hopeful this time around.

[Cha]

32. No, bush is fucking not.

Who the fuck supposedly elected the monkeyass? The people. he works for us. Somebody get word to the little, mass homicidal, megalomaniac or impeach his murdering, sociopathic, ass.