GOP: "Deck Chairs 'R' Us"

By: Teddy
Published On: 10/23/2006 7:14:13 PM

Staying the Course has become a toxic phrase for the Republicans, from Bush to Allen and right on down the GOP food chain. While Democrats chortle, we see Bush meeting with his military commanders to consider a change in Tactics (not, you will note, a change in Strategy), and we see George Allen quickly discovering that he agrees with VirginiaGs senior Senator that perhaps a little adjustment is needed in how we deal with the Boys of Baghdad.  Hey, dudes, back pedaling is hard to do, ainGt it?  Well, maybe not all

that hard when your Commander-in-Chief suddenly says on national Television that GǣIt never was Stay the Course.Gǥ Apparently Karl Rove believes Americans have very very short memories, and he expects the Republican faithful, like good little apparachniks in Communist parties, to smartly wheel about and grovel at the foot of the new Party LineG which, naturally, is not exactly called Cut and Run but more like, say, Change in Tactics.  Sadly, he may be right, but it will be amusing to watch the contortions

That scraping sound you hear is the Republicans re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic of their failed Iraq policies.

Beware!  This is a phony effort to make Republicans look as though they are flexible after all. It is being done solely for electoral purposes.  Remember, the Baker Task Force on Iraq is specifically charged not to report until after the elections.  The Democrats should not buy into changing the discourse from the many failures of BushGs leadership to how much the Republicans are changing to modify their biggest disaster of all,  Iraq.  The claimed modification is  window dressing, much hoorah signifying nothing--- it is an illusionary flipflop, not deserving to be dignified by the term flipflop.  What we have here is a Rovian tactic expedient for the election, which will not result in any real change. Are we gullible enough to believe that the great minds which devised the debacle can really be the ones to get us out of the horrible mess?  Bush himself says he is NOT changing his strategy, only his tactics, if that (how insulting it is that at long last he listens to his commanders--- with a photo op conference).

The GOPGs new party line of Change in Tactics (or whatever clever phrase they invent for this new tapdance) is specifically designed to divert attention from their total incompetence and the fact they have caused approximately 2,800 deaths of our children (not theirs, remember).  To me, not only is this re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, it is a colossal betrayal once again of the military: finally pretending now to listen to on-the-ground commanders, but still not giving them the support in materiel or troops, using them as political props (again), and, in all likelihood, setting them up to be scapegoats for future problems (Bush: GǣI listened to my commanders, I am not accountable for... whateverGǥ).

The overriding issue here in this election is the utter disaster of Republican leadership at home and overseas. If the Republicans retain control Americans can only expect things to get worse as Bush and his allies like Allen continue down the godawful road to endless war, fear, and eventually the destruction of our American experiment in self-government.  I say again: a great leader does not take a free people to war by telling them to be afraid. If Americans vote Republican in November, they are voting for Fear and they will live with fear, and bequeath that fear to their children, along with a Forever War. Those deck chairs look the same, no matter how you arrange them.

Comments



Don't accept republican frame (Teddy - 10/23/2006 7:32:07 PM)
If Democrats, including bloggers, fall for the new Republican framing, and are trapped into talking about flip flops and how much the Republicans are stealing Democratic ideas, or welcoming the new GOP flexibility as a justification for everything the loyal opposition has been saying--- the Democrats lose, the Republicans win. Don't be complicit in changing the dialog from Republican screwups.


NEWS HEADLINE: “President Drops ‘Stay the Course’” (David Campbell - 10/24/2006 8:06:59 AM)
President Bush abandoned his own foreign policy yesterday, leaving Congressional supporters Sen. Allen and Rep. Drake adrift without one.  The policy had been steadily sinking in the polls and was no longer a viable marketing tool.  Asked if there would be a “change in course,” an anonymous administration spokesman replied “not really.”

Meanwhile, presidential advisor James Baker is putting the finishing touches on a new policy, originally designed by Democrats Rep. John Murtha and James Webb.  The new model will not be rolled out until after the election.

In related news, the Pentagon announced a contest to come up with a new slogan.  The winners will receive no-bid cost-plus contracts.  The losers get an all-expense paid trip to Iraq for an indeterminate length of time.



Not a joke (Teddy - 10/24/2006 11:29:09 AM)
Really funny comment, thanks... do you suppose the losers will even receive kevlar vests, which are in such short supply? The awful thing is, I keep hearing Bush's smirky little voice over and over on the radio running on about having a time line (!) for Iraqis to take over security and put down the militias. Do you suppose this means They Stand Up and We Stand Down at last.

And the Press Secretary says this is not a change in course, oh dear, No. It's normal modification of tactics as we respond to the enemy's response to our response to the enemy's response to our response to...

I expect there are still gullible voters out there who will ooohh and aahh over Bush's great leadership, and swallow all this whole.