I’ll see your two “Nuculars," and raise you 22 “Freedoms”











If its prime time, and it’s a Presidential speech post 9/11, you can bet your bottom dollar it will be uttered in front of a military audience. Expect a handful of 9/11 references, a lot of mentions of how “hard” the “work” is, and so much “free” stuff that you’ll think you’re at a 1970’s era supermarket Grand Opening.

Well, that’s what you got in Fayeteville last evening. The War President himself set a personal best in last night’s 30 minute re-hash montage of his previous speeches, cranking out 22 “Freedoms” 5 references to September 11, 2 “Nuculars” and one “killers”

At one point he told us that “Today Iraq has more than 160,000 security forces trained and equipped for a variety of missions.” Later he backtracked, noting “Iraqi security forces are at different levels of readiness. Some are capable of taking on the terrorists and insurgents by themselves. A large number can plan and execute anti-terrorist operations with coalition support. The rest are forming and not yet ready to participate fully in security operations.” Somehow, we were left wondering whether he’d left the word “potty” out between the words “forces” and “trained” in the earlier statement about Iraqi forces.

Its as if the Prez has decided not to wait until later, but to go ahead and contradict himself right away, during the same speech.. Another fine example happens in the same paragraph.

“Some Americans ask me, if completing the mission is so important, why don't you send more troops? If our commanders on the ground say we need more troops, I will send them. But our commanders tell me they have the number of troops they need to do their job (so we don’t need more). Sending more Americans would undermine our strategy of encouraging Iraqis to take the lead in this fight (sending more would undermine Iraqi morale – apparently much more so than ongoing car-bombings and ambushes do) . And sending more Americans would suggest that we intend to stay forever, when we are, in fact, working for the day when Iraq can defend itself and we can leave (those KBR constructed permanent bases now being built in Iraq are just a ruse then how clever!!). As we determine the right force level, (WHAT? You just said we don’t need more, now you’re not sure?!?) our troops can know that I will continue to be guided by the advice that matters: the sober judgment of our military leaders.


Following up the “no thanks we don’t need anymore was this one: “And to those watching tonight who are considering a military career, there is no higher calling than service in our Armed Forces.” As in “we don’t need you in a Iraq (really) but please sign up. Now.

Nowhere in the speech did he mention the human cost of the Iraq money pit, or the fact that, beyond the deaths – the rising death toll of U.S. Servicemen and women, the over ten thousand who have been seriously wounded or the economic cost of this enterprise which is approaching one billion dollars a week. But he did make a plug for private funding of the effort: “The Department of Defense has set up a website -- AmericaSupportsYou.mil. You can go there to learn about private efforts in your own community.” Yes, support the troops directly, because, well, we’re not gonna do it out of the federal coffers. We’ve gotta pay Halliburton and friends.

Frankly, he played to his base, a group steadily declining in number and fast approaching that core element, a group which would vote for a real shrub so long as it had “R” after its name – or had at least one that had accepted a personal savior, preferably live on a “700 Club” broadcast. For those in the opposition party, those among the independents who have noticeably deserted the Bush-Cheney camp and for those in the GOP who are, finally, vocally breaking with Curious George over this elective war, nothing came out of tonight’s effort to stem the rising tide of dissent, and quell the growing skepticism that everything about this Iraq escapade has been a complete disaster. All he could offer was more of the same. Tonight, on the truthout web-site, William Rivers Pitt made a modest proposal for how to best deal with the President’s precious monologue on Iraq.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/062805X.shtml

“Tonight should be interesting. If I were still in college, I'd propose creating a drinking game based on this speech. Drink a beer after every lie. Drink a beer every time Bush says "freedom," or talks about September 11 as if those attacks had anything to do with Iraq. Drink two beers after every wildly unrealistic assessment that has no basis in fact. Drink a beer and a shot every time he says "Nukular." Two beers, a shot and a kick to the head every time he thanks the troops around him for the sacrifices "we" know must be made. Anyone still standing after ten minutes wins a Kewpie doll.”

William Rivers Pitt is no doubt responsible for some monstrous hangovers today.