Shorter David Brooks: OMG!! he talked 2 me for 110 minutes!!! i think he likes me!! :)
I'll leave it to others to wade through the all vomit-inducing vomit that is David Brooks' latest column (free version here). But I just want to pull out and chew over one chunk that caught my eye.
The column is about how Bush "loves leadership." As evidence of this, "When Bush is asked about military strategy, he talks about the leadership qualities of his top generals. Before, it was Generals Abizaid and Casey. Now, it’s Generals Petraeus and Odierno."
And before that? It was Tommy Franks, who actually planned and led the invasion of Iraq. Bush sure loved his leadership qualities at the time. Today, its convenient for him to feel differently.
At the news conference, Mr. Bush was asked why after failing to anticipate the ethnic divisions that would tear the country apart after the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime Americans should believe he has the vision for victory in Iraq. He responded by appearing to lay blame for mistakes in the war directly on one of his military commanders at the beginning of the war, General Tommy R. Franks, who led the invasion more than four years ago.“Those are all legitimate question that I’m sure historians will analyze,” Mr. Bush said, adding that he had asked at the outset of the war whether his military commanders needed more troops. “My primary question to General Franks was: Do you have what it takes to succeed, and do you have what it takes to succeed after you succeed in removing Saddam Hussein? And his answer was, 'Yeah.' ”
That's right, Bush respects leadership so much that whenever he fucks something up, he can find just the right leader to blame for it. And don't forget that at the same time Franks was making his assurances, another military leader, Gen. Eric Shinseki, was saying Franks was wrong that it would take "several hundred thousand soldiers" to secure postwar Iraq.
Bush had him fired. Yay, leadership!
Comments
That's it--I'm voting for Tolstoy.
Posted by: Jim Donahue/The Velvet Blog | July 17, 2007 1:46 PM
So Tolstoy's platform is pro-thin crust? That'll never play in Illinois. Won't somebody think of the deep dish?
Posted by: freetz | July 17, 2007 2:56 PM
Bush feels no need to compromise to head off opposition from
Capitol Hill and is confident that he can rebuild popular support. "I have the tools," he said.
Good to hear him being candid in speaking of GOP members of Congress.
Posted by: Vance | July 17, 2007 4:32 PM
big deal. daniel, tell me where i can read the new harry potter book online...
Posted by: slutwench | July 17, 2007 10:03 PM
slutwench: It's probably not worth the damage to your corneas. From what I know, it only exists as a series of vaguely legible photographed pages (at least until someone transcribes it, which come to think of it, will probably be finished by morning).
As for Bush, he's been bravely blaming his "commanders on the ground" (or alternately, "in the field") since circa the Kerry debates. I wish I could read Brooks' essay, but my eyes are still bleeding from the Kristol editorial, so I'd better hold off.
Posted by: dean @ t.a.m.s.y. | July 17, 2007 11:28 PM
Oh Harry Potter nerds, you're so predictable.
Posted by: dean @ t.a.m.s.y. | July 18, 2007 9:56 PM