Bush: Iraq is costly but necessary

Yep, Iraq is costly alright and thanks to the Republican ChimpCo Presidency we now have a failing economy, a $10 Trillion dollar deficit and we're so in hock to China that we can plan on not being an economic super-power for many more years to come.

The only reason it was necessary was to benefit the present administration. In a very perverted way, it provided the illusion of legitimacy to the present, inept administration! How unfortunate for America, to have leaders that were more interested in their own image and agenda, than in the well being of our nation. To the outgoing administration, I say: Good riddance to bad rubbish!!!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.

Why isn't this guy and Cheney impeached yet?

The reason we have to stay is to prevent the country we freed from allying itself with one of our worst enemies, Iran. Maybe Dad knew what he was doing, eh Dubya?

Same old, same old; the President refuses to meet with Congress over funding of the war. And Congress will get weak-kneed and approve the funding with insignificant debate. They might as well go in to recess until the election.

Good ole Bush to continue to defend a war that is going no where and no end in sight. He talks about the cost if we didn't have this if we are attacked again. But I seem to remember that we went in there because of WMD. They didn't find any and it became a war on terror. Boy I can't wait till January when I can celebrate the day he is not in office anymore.

Yet not quite necessary enough to demand required service. Funny, if the the threat to our republic truly exists than all able bodied should be elligible to be drafted into service. If you don't support the draft, than you admit the threat is not real. FYI Just because you allow the draft doesn't mean it will actually be used so don't spit back your canned, "the best army is a volunteer army" b.s. Save that for your ignorant chickenhawk friends.

Gee, $108 BILLION - do ya think they could spend some of that money for the Hurricane Rita/Katrina victims to rebuild??

But Noooooo, I had to watch 15 minutes of American Idol raising $18 million (good for them, BTW).

I would say educating our children is 'necessary'. I would say ensuring every American has healthcare is 'necessary'. I would say protecting our ports and borders and nuclear sites is 'necessary'.

I'd like someone in the media to ask the president and Republican congressional leaders why we aren't spending the same amount of money on these other 'necessary' things. Make them say education, healthcare, and defense is not 'necessary'.

He right. The war is neccessary to cover his a%s. He and his corporate friend have made a ton of money off this continuing crimminal enterprise. The American people and their sons and daughter serving in the US military continue to pay the price. Bush and his corrupt crimminal friend live in splendor while honest hard working Americans continue to lose their jobs and homes at an alarming rate. Mission accomplished.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYI7JXGqd0o&NR=1

Can we please impeach him already?

As long as Bush doesn't have to do the fighting in an unprovoked war. He did all he could to not serve in Viet Nam.
Every conserative talk show host in the the country all waving their sabres sending their 18-year-old next door neighbor to spill their blood for them,

"THE ARCHITECT SPEAKS"

"WE LIVE IN A CULTURAL OF THE VISUAL"

IT BE BETTER IF IT WAS A "DICTATORSHIP" AS LONG AS I'M THE DICTATOR.

MAYBE IT'S A POLITICAL CALCULATION, BUT I THINK WE CAN YET PULL ANOTHER "EMERGENCY SPENDING BILLS"

ANOTHER "CHOOSE OR LOSE" AUGMENTATION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

BUT................................

"THE STAKES ARE HIGH"

WE ARE STILL TRYING TO WIN THE HEARTS AND SOULS IN IRAQ!

THE 107TH CONGRESS WITH IT'S UNPRECEDENTED
"BREATHTAKING ABUSE OF THE CONSTITUTION."

THE 108TH CONGRESS WITH IT'S UNPRECEDENTED "BREATHTAKING ABUSE OF THE CONSTITUTION"

"SUCCESS" "VICTORY" IS ON THE MARCH.

"SLAM DUNK" IS IN THE MIDST.

I'LL LET YOUR LOVED ONE COME HOME NEXT YEAR, FOR A YEAR. I'LL LET YOUR MOM, DAD, SON, DAUGHTER, FRIEND, NEIGHBOR, GET LEAVE, BUT MY STOP-LOSS POLICY IS MY POLICY, I'M THE DECEDER.

"I DECIDED TO GO INTO IRAQ"

AGAIN, I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE EASIER IF IT WAS A DICTATORSHIP, AS LONG AS I AM THE DICTATOR.

NANCY! MADAME SPEAKER!

"LONG LIVE NANCY PELOSI"

You Dummies.

The purpose behind going into Iraq to begin with can have no bearing on whether or not to stay until the place is secure. Even if it was a big mistake to go in.

Try to grasp this analogy in the midst of your half-witted America hatred :
If one screws up and through a stupid error starts his house on fire, is the wisest decision to let it burn to the ground because you shouldn't have let the fire happen to begin with? Or do you deal with the existing problem and secure it?

Gee, that's a tough one!

“We should be able to agree that this is a burden worth bearing, and we should be able to agree that our national interests require the success of our mission in Iraq,”

Im sorry Mr Decider but only your "strategery" and absolute incompetence could lead you to that conclusion. We have absolutely no business in Iraq, we never did and we never will.

I understand that Iraq was ruled by a ruthless dictator, but you know what? So are alot of other countries, and it is the not the place of the USA to go hopping from country to country toppling dictators and installing puppet democracy. If the people of Iraq were given a choice of Saddam or the absolute lawlessness and chaos that controlls their country now the decision would be easy.

This war has been a disaster on so many levels it is almost incomprehensible to any sane person. This war has CLEARLY been exposed as the war profiteering venture that it truely is. This war is factually corrupt and morally corrupt, and for a country that prides itself on "christian values" it is an embarassment and an albatross.

If the government invested $1Trillion over the last 5 years in developing self recharging electric motor technology instead of giving it out to defense and private contractors 4,000 of our sons & daughters (including my 26 year old cousin) would be alive today.

George Bush is a DIRECT descendant of the 14th president Franklin Pierce (look him up) these 2 presidents have done more to destroy our country and its good name than all others combined, and that is no coincidence.

PLEASE do not give us anymore quotes "W" just go back to the ranch in Crawford and stay there before you break anything else.

Basically the same thing that was said in the Viet Nam war ie. "The Domino effect".

Turns out that war was not "necessary" and the world did not collapse to Communism even though we lost that war.

This is just a 21'st century Viet Nam.
Thousands of lives. millions or should I say billions of dollars thrown away, and in the end for what purpose?

Much lost, nothing gained!

The ones that have prospered most during this administration are oil companies and defense contractors. November and January can't come soon enough.

I've never understood Bush's way of thinking. And now he keeps saying we aren't in a recession...when clearly we are. And the reason? This stupid war! Our government has spent so much money on rebuilding and attacking another nation, that now, when it comes to our nation, its broke. We can't even help our own people! COME ON!!!!!! Bush get your head out of your butt and realize what you have done to our country!

This biggest threat to our country is not Iran. It is our "Mission Accomplished" commander in chief.

Another lie told by Nancy Pelosi the war has caused our economy to go to a recession. No Queen Bee Pelosi the housing and credit crisis has caused a cycle of slowdown. Not panic all economies have cycles. Pelosi wouldn't know shes not in business her husband Paul is. That's the one she's sent federal money to-- to help Paul.
Typical liberal Democrat sending federal appropriations to her husbands business.
Harry Reid has been sending money and business to his sons. Jerry White, Springfield, IL

IN RESPONSE TO You Dummies.

The purpose behind going into Iraq to begin with can have no bearing on whether or not to stay until the place is secure. Even if it was a big mistake to go in.

Try to grasp this analogy in the midst of your half-witted America hatred :
If one screws up and through a stupid error starts his house on fire, is the wisest decision to let it burn to the ground because you shouldn't have let the fire happen to begin with? Or do you deal with the existing problem and secure it?

Gee, that's a tough one!
------------------------------------
Well guess what genius Iraq isn't OUR HOME, so that analogy is worthless just like your brain...where your worthless opinion resides.

A superb speech by the President. An independent, democratic (small d) Iraq is essential to stability in the Middle East. It was especially revealing to hear how much the Iraqis have taken over in terms of financing their recovery and security. Why is this news? And what a contrast to the grumpy Democrats. Especially as exemplified by Harry Reid. Must be tough to wake up every morning and put on your gloom and doom look.

Good god, this guy will never learn. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. It was your Saudi buddies and their kingdom that goes against every democratic principle. Why don't we build a democratic nation there?? That's right, the almighty golden calf of the U.S. dollar takes precedence over doing the right thing. I am baffled at how this guy was actually able attain the highest office in the land. It is seriously mindboggling.

hey-some guy...
I am ALL for rebuilding my own house after a fire, but the guy down the street?
Is that not HIS responsibility?
GET THE POINT, YOU DUMMY?

If we needed to come up with more money how about we eliminate the pork barrel spending and use it to fight the war. We could probably use the excess to fund social security also. The democrates have no room to complain about high costs. Weren't they the ones that couldn't wait to take control of the House so that they could stop all that unnecessary spending. Yea, right!

quote from Jerry White: "No Queen Bee Pelosi the housing and credit crisis has caused a cycle of slowdown."
No - the housing and credit crisis is a small percentage of our economy - it's also being used as a mask for the real problem - the billions spent on an illegal war that has left hundreds of thousands of innocents dead. IMPEACH!!

George W Bush is a complete Repulican failure on all counts.

If the war is so necessary why aren't the Bush and Cheney children walking point?

It seems bwanna is even more of a coward than a liar.

It seems that 16th Luke and Rev. Wright are on point.

Hey Huggy Bear:

It's not just the "democrates" complaining ... this made up war IS pork barrel spending you idiot. Where do you think all this tax payer money is being funneled to?? Blackwater, Haliburton and the other reconstructionists that are directly linked to those making the policy decisions! It's really like the bizzarro world ... how blind so many were and continue to be in this nation!

Good to see the Vacationer in Chief taking time away from his busy schedule to tell us to stick to the same course that's ruining our economy and killing our troops.

To "again?", who says "I am ALL for rebuilding my own house after a fire, but the guy down the street? Is that not HIS responsibility? GET THE POINT, YOU DUMMY?"

We can do without the name-calling. Are you still in gradeschool?

First of all, the analogy (though not the best) was not about rebuilding AFTER a fire, it was about stopping a fire from completely gutting your (or your neighbor's) house. This isn't a case where those unfortunate enough to be in (or near) the house can just sit back & survey the damage and decide when & how they might or might not go about rebuilding. If they delay, the situation will get worse.... much, MUCH worse.

The other issue is that the situation is the way it is because of decisions that were made by U.S. leaders. We can sit here in our comfy-chairs and throw around blame for the situation, but that doesn't make things better.

If we walk away from the fire, it will keep burning... and burn hotter, and hotter, and eventually it WILL burn us, even more than we are already burnt. Granted we are in a bad situation, but we cannot make foolish, partisan, isolationist decisions that will come back to haunt us later.

Not only are we the world's policemen, it seems we're now the world's firefighters as well!

He's right. The war is neccessary to cover his a%s. He and his corporate friends have made a ton of money off this continuing crimminal enterprise. The American people and their sons and daughter serving in the US military continue to pay the price. Bush and his corrupt crimminal friends live in splendor while honest hard working Americans continue to lose their jobs and homes at an alarming rate. Mission accomplished.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYI7JXGqd0o&NR=1

Posted by: Logic Prisoner | April 10, 2008 2:39 PM

No doubt! The Texas mafia is in full effect. Hey America, do you ever get the feeling you've been ripped off??? Bush and Cheney = Corporate rape of the United States tax payer.

If one screws up and through a stupid error starts his house on fire, is the wisest decision to let it burn to the ground because you shouldn't have let the fire happen to begin with? Or do you deal with the existing problem and secure it?

Gee, that's a tough one!

Posted by: some guy | April 10, 2008 2:50 PM

Bush and McCain would keep running through the burning house wearing clothing soaked in gasoline in hopes that would put out the fire.

Mark
The problem with your analogy is in our current situation the house owner aka Bush was first in denial there’s a fire but now tries to solve it by throwing more gas aka tax payers money instead of calling the fire department aka exit strategy.

I'll admit I'm on the far left of the political spectrum but I'm not irrational to the point of thinking we need to pull out ASAP. My beef is the current party needs to admit there mistakes in the past, get over it, be willing to work a compromise with the democrats, have goal and deadline and not a infinite occupation plan that drives our federal debt any deeper. It would be disastrous for us to leave right away because there HAS been progress however this is much too slow for the amount of money that has poured in and the lack of accountability there’s been during this administration of the funds that’s been disperse. There has been many mistakes leading up to this point and most of it due to partisanship, and so I definitely agree we need to end that and work together but we need a realistic timeline and not an open ended money hungry war with no end with an infinite body count. It is truly sad how much of a burden the tax payers have had to hold after being promised the war would be self funding from Iraqi oil, Iraqi government and help from the UN.

if you are trying to put out your neighbors house that you yourself set on fire and now, as you try to put it out, the neighbors 3 young sons are in the house playing with torches and setting fire to the places you just put out, then it is obvious the homes inhabitants don't care about their home and will drag you into hell along with them in the conglagration.... Get out of the house now before it burns down on top of you.

I thought the purpose of invading Iraq was to prevent another 9-11 in the U.S.

The Democrats are right,bring the troops home!

That way the terrorists will come here and kill us on main street U.S.A.

Then the brilliant know-it-all Democrats can figure out how much that costs.

Actually, I think the best analogy would be: If you started your friend's house on fire and tried for a little while to help him put it out, would you say, "Well, I have to be at work in 15 minutes, so good luck with the whole fire thing. I'm out."

I was against going into Iraq from the beginning, and it's clear the entire thing is a disaster. But mistake or not, we ruined an entire country, and we owe that country's people our best effort to make sure that they have something reasonable to deal with after we leave. Besides, if we leave Iraq without a stable government, we'll be back there in 5 years anyway. At least now we are making progress. The "new strategy" has only been in place for a year. Let it work.

Just to give you a perspective from european opinion I think the recession will probably be the least of your worries. Your country has damaged it's reputation around the world for decades to come. The effects of this might not become apparent right away but when China and India become superpowers you will notice the change from other countries when it comes to trading.

Consider the sympathy and support you received for the war in Afghanistan after 9/11 to the complete discust now felt around the world towards america.

Consider the sympathy and support you received for the war in Afghanistan after 9/11 to the complete discust now felt around the world towards america.

Posted by: Alexia | April 10, 2008 7:38 PM

Don't let the brain dead supporters of the Bush administration here in The Swamp fool you, we are painfully aware of the damage!!!

Thanks for your perspective. What a pity our resident republitards won't remotely understand. Then again they have larger concerns, like walking on two legs and caring for their bruised knuckles.

This whole "burning house" analogy is wrong. I dont care what you say or how you spin it WE INVADED A SOVERIGN COUNTRY WITH ZERO PROVOCATION. That is how Hitler operated, that is NOT how a country that CLAIMS to be a beacon for freedom, liberty, and the rule of law operates.

The argument of WMD, human rights violations, and intent can be applied to ANY country not currently in NATO / NAFTA / EU. N.Korea building nukes and starving millions of its people? Iran building nuclear technology and being a bellicose islamic caliphate ? Do i even need to mention Russia, China, and other Eastern military powers that have HUGE stockpiles of WMD and terrible track records of making thousands of their citizens dissappear ? Are we going to invade these countries after we are done in Iraq? I mean after all the far east would be MUCH more stable with a democratic China right?

Muqtada Al-Sadr, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Jalal Islami, etc, etc, etc these are problems that the US created. As bad as it sounds we need to pull out and let the Jordanians, Saudis, and patriot Iraqis deal with the reconstruction of their country, increasing Iranian influence, and the other problems that the US invasion has created. They live there, they know best how to deal with the issues that they face.

This is a war to secure the 2nd llargest oil field in the world. However a civilization that can travel to other planets has the technical capability to create a non fossil fuel burning engine, so no Mr Decider this war serves no interests other than big oil and companies like Haliburton.

"A superb speech by the President. An independent, democratic (small d) Iraq is essential to stability in the Middle East. It was especially revealing to hear how much the Iraqis have taken over in terms of financing their recovery and security. Why is this news? And what a contrast to the grumpy Democrats. Especially as exemplified by Harry Reid. Must be tough to wake up every morning and put on your gloom and doom look."

Posted by: Danforth | April 10, 2008 3:47 PM

Danforth, I have some beach front property to sell you in Arizona...
You are one of the few people left on the planet that actually believes bush. His own party doesn't even believe him! Are you aware that the middle east WAS stable before we invaded Iraq. Are you also aware that the taliban was confined to a small area in Afghanistan. Are you also aware that Saddam, bad guy that he was, didn't have a terrorist problem in Iraq because he was an iron fisted dictator. Are you also aware that Iraq will never be a democratic country because they don't want our style of government.
Danforth, ARE YOU AWARE?

"A superb speech by the President. An independent, democratic (small d) Iraq is essential to stability in the Middle East. It was especially revealing to hear how much the Iraqis have taken over in terms of financing their recovery and security. Why is this news? And what a contrast to the grumpy Democrats. Especially as exemplified by Harry Reid. Must be tough to wake up every morning and put on your gloom and doom look."

Posted by: Danforth | April 10, 2008 3:47 PM

Danforth, I have some beach front property to sell you in Arizona...
You are one of the few people left on the planet that actually believes bush. His own party doesn't even believe him! Are you aware that the middle east WAS stable before we invaded Iraq. Are you also aware that the taliban was confined to a small area in Afghanistan. Are you also aware that Saddam, bad guy that he was, didn't have a terrorist problem in Iraq because he was an iron fisted dictator. Are you also aware that Iraq will never be a democratic country because they don't want our style of government.
Danforth, ARE YOU AWARE

And to comment to Alexia. I hope everyone on the blog reads your comment because it is so true. Think about it people The damage that Bush has done to this country will take decades to repair...if repair is even possible. Thanks georgie.

Bush is an immature egomaniac. He continues to attempt to suck success out of the marrow of the bones of American soldiers for his own pathetic legacy. He also contiinues feathering his and Cheney's nest while keeping the full court press on the muder of Iraq civilians and US troops. There is no turnaround in Iraq. The British can't leave as they planned due to escalating violence there. A real chimp could not have screwed up an invasion/occupation more. The only explanation is that it was all by design. What were the odds of so many things going wrong? Yes, the much higher number of casualties than we were promised, a hughly higher financial cost, the horribly long duration--5+ years, the broken promise that Iraqi oil would pay for The Big Lie, oil now up to $4.00 a gallon, the high number of insurgents now incubating in Iraq, the low motivation on the part of the Iraq population to govern themselves (or, their hands being tied so they can't) , the lack of protection for US troops from the start, no exit strategy from Iraq ever offered, no plan to keep our last soldier safe while evacuating, and the number of mission changes as evidenced by the much greater number of American men and women killed--thousands--AFTER Bush did his is pseudo-macho "mission accomplished" spew. Really, what were the odds? Who held the remote the other day--Bush or Cheney--for the prods stuck up Petraeus' and Crocker's behinds during the hearings? The men sounded repetitive, robotic and inhumane. They both appeared to be in a trance. No wonder it was the American troops in Iraq who first gave Petraeus the name "Betrayus". For an ambassador, Crocker is a waste and a piece of crap. Where is the statesmanship for the much lied about political solution in Iraq? He is a failure.