Bush: Iraq Study Group Agrees With Me

President Praises Report Recommendations That Support Administration, Ignores Criticisms

(CBS/AP)  President Bush spoke Saturday about parts of the Iraq Study Group report that mirror his policies — but he ignored the sections that criticize his administration's handling of the war.

In his weekly radio broadcast, Bush said the bipartisan group's report presented a straightforward picture of the "grave situation we face in Iraq." He said he was pleased the panel supported his goal of an Iraq that can govern, sustain and defend itself, even though that will take time. And he said he was glad the bipartisan panel did not suggest a hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

"The group declared that such a withdrawal would `almost certainly produce greater sectarian violence' and lead to `a significant power vacuum, greater human suffering, regional destabilization and a threat to the global economy,"' Bush said, quoting the report, which was issued Thursday.

"The report went on to say, `If we leave and Iraq descends into chaos, the long-range consequences could eventually require the United States to return,"' Bush noted.

The report, however, also said the situation in Iraq was "grave and deteriorating."

Bush is expected to settle on a new course for Iraq and present it to the nation in a speech before Christmas. He said he will consider the panel's 79 recommendations.

The president goes to the State Department for talks Monday, then meets in the Oval Office with independent experts on Iraq. On Tuesday, the president confers in a video conference with senior military commanders and Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq. On Wednesday, he meets with senior defense officials at the Pentagon.

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Listen to President Bush's radio address

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Democrats say the report vindicates their call for a change of course by the administration, but it's unclear how dramatic the changes the president is contemplating would be.

Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said the Iraq Study Group's report necessitates an immediate new direction in Iraq.

"Their report confirms what most of us have known for some time — President Bush's policy of stay the course is not working," Reyes said. "We need a new approach."

He said the Iraq Study Group recommends something that House and Senate Democrats have been advocating for months: To begin redeploying U.S. troops, the mission of the U.S. military must switch from combat to training and support.

"We must also demand more results from the Iraqi government, holding them accountable for their actions," Reyes said. "And we must launch a new diplomatic offensive to engage Iraq's neighbors and the international community in the process of stabilizing Iraq and that region. President Bush has not done this, but he must because our nation's security and the well-being of our 150,000 troops there depend on it."

Incoming Senate Democratic Whip Richard Durbin of Illinois, who was among congressional leaders who met with Bush at the White House on Friday, said the president indicated he was open to changing tactics.

"I think we all understand tactics need to be changed, but the Iraq Study Group went further than tactics," Durbin said. "The Iraq Study Group talked about the new direction in Iraq in terms of starting to bring American troops home, redeploying them to safer places, holding Iraq to new standards of responsibility and opening up a new line of diplomacy."

Durbin said Bush didn't endorse the Iraq Study Group at the meeting and said the president's statements left him questioning whether Bush will support the panel's conclusions.

[feelfree1]

Re: "President Bush said the bipartisan Iraq Study Group's report released this week "explicitly endorses the strategic goal we've set in Iraq,"

Really? The group endorses a humiliating and costly defeat?

[jpesot]

What part of "grave and deteriorating" does Bush not understand?

And bushrocks ... over here too huh?

We're still in Iraq becuase this idiot's administration is still in power. We're still in Iraq becuase a rubber stamp repub congress sat and watched.

Bush's SIT AND SPIN policy in Iraq ia a disaster. And the Buck stops with him, not with "traitors" as you suggest.

His war on Iraq was folly, pure and simple.

Oh look, Bush has decided to let the smartest one in the famil yo to speak
http://www.whitehouse.gov/barney/images/barney-20040908.jpg

[elgraz]

BUSH IS A BOZO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE ALL KNOW THAT.

HEY BUSHROCKS1, WHY DO YOU ALWAYS SEND THE SAME MESSAGE ? ARE YOU A PAID DEMOCRATIC CONSPIRATOR OR JUST A MEDIOCRE MORON ?

[elgraz]

BUSH MUST BE RELATED TO THE LATE PRESIDENT JOHNSON. THEY ARE BOTH FROM TEXAS AND BOTH AS STUPID AND STUBBORN AS THEY COME. BRING BACK BILL CLINTON, AT LEAST HE HAD SOME BRAINS !!! AND DUMP HILLARY THE WICKED WITCH OF THE NORTH. IF SHE THINKS SHE HAS A CHANCE FOR THE PRESIDENCY SHE MUST BE IN A STATE OF FANTASY ISLAND. I WOULD RATHER VOTE FOR MY ROTTWEILER.

[elgraz]

HEY BUSHROCKS, GET THE ROCKS OUT OF YOUR STUPID HEAD.

[elgraz]

HEY FELLOW COMMENTATORS, ANY COMMENTS ON THE LUNATIC "BUSHROCKS1" ?

[ddkem]

Stay the course, Mr. President.

This board is SO ultra-left, bleeding-heart Pelosian - it's sickening! You scream your anti-war venom with absolutely NO FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVE, except total withdrawl which is NOT the solution. Liberals/Democrats are pond scum.

[feelfree1]

DDKem,

This board is open to everyone. I think the reason that you don't see much here from the Bush League dead-enders, is that your puppet-Fuhrer has been exposed as a stark naked joke, and an abject failure.

If it seems to you like the screechings of the ever-shrinking cadre of Bush apologists are growing ever fainter and increasingly irrelevant, it's because that is what is happening!

Even the neo-con rats are jumping ship, at this point!

Are you with us, or are you with the terrorists?

[mdtrager]

The War:
The What Where How And the Who, sir are not for
us to know? The Why of the problem, and a Clear
speech, to afford understanding of what is for
some who put Faith in the Words, of a leader, are
to be In Question, and this alone must for the
Nation's Health both Physcial and Mental, have
No Exception. We Need to Hear with ear's and
see with Eye's a Change, that Lives up to our
Word. Our Word is the Question, at hand now. I
Question, my owen me, Michael Trager, Question
this above all. Can not we all Question, our
own and correct our-self.
Yours Truly,
Michael Trager

[feelfree1]

DDKem,

Re: "You scream your anti-war venom with absolutely NO FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVE"

Here you go:

A four point plan for resolving the U.S. created Iraq Afghanistan debacles:

1)Jail the Bush-puppet, along with Cheney, Rumsfeld, Feith, Wurmser, Gonzales, Baker, Perle, Ashcroft, Frum, Armitage, Rice, Kristol, Tenet, Abizaid, Murdock, Khalilzad, Myers, Poindexter, Kagan, Wolfowitz, and all of the other people who have so badly disgraced our country with an illegal war of aggression, and have so severely undermined our Constitution, while they await war-crimes proceedings.

2)Compel any politician who cooperated with the criminal Bush League, to step down in disgrace (by way of torch-bearing angry mob, if necessary).

3)Apologize to the world for our grave mistakes, and beg the U.N. members to help us provide security forces and observers in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the U.S. while we withdraw all of our troops, and hold fresh and legitimate elections in all three countries.

4)Liquidate the assets of war profiteering corporations like Halliburton, Bechtel, Exxon-Mobile, Blackwater, Chevron-Texaco, Wackenhut, the Lincoln Group, the Carlysle Group, FOX, General Electric, and Lockheed-Martin, and use the proceeds to create a reparations fund for the victims of the Project for a New American Century plan for global fascism. The potential recipients would include victims in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the U.S.

[feelfree1]

The Bush-tool does not look so good in that photo.^^

I wonder if he's back on the sauce?

[agnim]

"Bush: Iraq Study Group Agrees With Me"

Agree to "STAY THE COURSE", right? LOL

This wild creature has blinders on; he cannot voluntarily change 'course'.
He has to be made to change 'course'.

[nsri1982]

Hey "BushRocks" stop posting that ill written and annoying essay. Think for yourself!!!!

[elgraz]

ADIOS LOS STUPIDOS ON CBS.........YOU ARE ALL WASTING YOUR PRECIOUS TIME COMMENTING ON THIS WEB SITE; YOU JUST CONTINUE TO MAKE THE CBS MANAGEMENT RICHER AND OF COURSE KATIE COURIC THE FAILURE MORE INSECURE NOT THAT SHE WOULD KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING ANYWAY. GET A LIFE PEOPLE AND AND GET OFF YOURPOSTERIOR OR IS THAT THE TERM ***.

[liptonlight]

Ms. Pelosi: Please PUT impeachment BACK on the table. And let's impeach Cheney first.

[liptonlight]

Pelosi: Put Impeachment back on the table

And impeach Cheney first.

[feelfree1]

liptonlight,

Re: "Pelosi: Put Impeachment back on the table

And impeach Cheney first."

Great idea, and good strategy!

[gslinger3]

To all you Liberal left wing radical hippie pot smoking, Bush Hating, Striesand loving, war hating, abortion loving, God hating, Terrorist Loving Kooooks....................................

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

[elgraz]

UP YOURS BUSHROCKS1 OR IS IT BUSHLESSROCKSNIL ?

[elgraz]

I LOVE YOU ALL PEOPLE..........AS SALIERI SAID IN AMADEUS "ALL IS MEDIOCRITY" AND YOU ALL SURE FIT THE BILL.............SEE YOU ALL IN THE NEXT IF THERE IS ONE.

[mrthornman]

What will it take to reach this moron?

[gslinger3]

To all you Liberal left wing radical hippie pot smoking, Bush Hating, Striesand loving, war hating, abortion loving, God hating, Terrorist Loving Kooooks.................................
...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

[lukebize]

ddkem wrote:

"You scream your anti-war venom with absolutely NO FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVE"

Um, how about "peace"?

BTW, that screaming you hear is the U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians and children who have had limbs, organs and other appendages blown clear off. The injured scream much louder than any protesters. When Saddam was doing it, we weren't.

The dead ones can't scream.

"Liberals/Democrats are pond scum."

Yeah, you have a nice day, too. Don't forget to take your meds on time.

[bellal-2009]

I think we're heading back to the days of protectionism, isolationism and self sufficiency. Hallelujah. Send the mulit-national companies else where to rape and pillage, we can always buy the stock (SS privatization, anyone). We can be a land of small bussinesses, mom and pop stores, it's fine with me.

[bellal-2009]

Make that a country of small businesses with fortified borders and a huge military.

[roger_inkart]

Ah yes, if Bush says it's true it must be true.

New polls put the president's approval rating at 30%. It's hard to believe nearly 1/3 of the nation can still be behind this buffoon.

[roger_inkart]

"Democrats are pond scum."

Then Republicans are oil slicks.

[grazinggoat]

FeelFree1

in the frist clause of your posted Recommenadtions/Plan you should add Bushrots1 with them. He will be a Prozac for some and Viagra for some others.

[sjc_1]

Nothing like creating your own reality to have a nice day :)

[scouser345-2009]

Tepidaccount - Sorry you're having a bad day. Many of us libs warned of the disasterous consequences of war before it began and we have been proven 100% correct. Now you are angry because we don't have a solution to civil war/ quagmire that daddy's little warmonger created.I recommend the "fair and balanced" news channel for you my friend, It will help lower your blood pressure, and god forbid, you won't have to hear voices actually holding Bush to accountability.

[arthurcl1]

Bush as an Ostrich still with his head in the ground stating "The Iraq Study Group Agrees with me? He just doesn't want to listen to anyone about what to do!
But look at what Bush has done for us, like spending billions on a failed policy in Irag. Going over the UN to go it alone! Recently millions of dollars of our taxpayer money for weapons for their armed forces was ripped off from under our noses? They will probably be used against our troops with their Kamakaize tactics! No reconstruction going on for the people, civil war, and the Cleric is back to controlling Sadar City? They told us to get out and leave behind one of our solders they kidnapped! Last month alone another 100 brave men lost their lives! Our National Debt is at 6 TRILLION! Left for our grandchildren to try to pay? What a mess Bush has us in. It's another Vietnam. Bush has No Exit Strategy thanks for Cheyne and Rumsfield! We will never be able to get out of there thanks to these guys!

[scouser345-2009]

Sorry tepidaccount, my letter was aimed at DDkem

[rsoxfan1123]

"At the same time, the Pentagon, the State Department, and the National Security Council are finishing work on their own reviews of our strategy in Iraq"
sounds to me like Bush plans to cherry pick through these just like he picked through the WMD intelligence until he created his own truth.

[feelfree1]

arthurcl1,

Our national debt is approaching 9 trillion $s, but your points are well taken.

www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

[scouser345-2009]

Bush has created his own little reality.Reminds me somewhat of Hitler's last days in Berlin bunker. Onward to victory right Georgie boy.

[j-whitman]

Isn't there a mental hospital somewhere that's looking for Bush ?? -- He had to escape from one somewhere..

[olebd]

He should spend more time at the ranch like in the early days. That's where he and Barney get their best idears.

[elgraz]

HEY BUSHROCKS1 YOU'RE BACK. I HEAR THAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS AT BELLEVUE........YOU KNOW..........THE NYC NUTHOUSE. MANY YEARS AGO, I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN $25 FOR TURNING YOU IN.

[elgraz]

GEORGIE GIRL SUITS HIM VERY WELL.

"When the narcissistic defense is operating in an interpersonal or group setting, the grandiose part does not show its face in public. In public it presents a front of patience, congeniality, and confident reasonableness. However, beneath the surface it is supremely smug and superior. It is confident it can deceive the "fools" or their objective it is committed to blocking, while maintaining its own control and dominance over either the rules, and/or the flow of events."

"It is critical to understand that the narcissistic defense is addicted to power and control. It, the defense, and they, the people who are controlled and possessed by the defense, must have power. The addict in the private sector gains power by instantaneously gratifying his needs through drugs, alcohol, ***, or gambling. The addict, or the person or group dominated by the narcissist, gains and holds power by dominating and controlling the flow of information, the rules, and the processes for participating in life."

"One of the best places to spot narcissism, unfortunately, is at the top of a company or a public organization. The narcissism can be detected by being sensitive to resistance from the top. The top, or the person or persons at the top, will resist efforts toward change in process or structure."

Source: "The Impact of Narcissism on Leadership and Sustainability," Bruce Gregory, Ph.D. ) 1999

[gladys_over]

bushrocks1,

Give it a rest already.

Your attempts to shut down these forums by spamming, are in clear violation of the law. People go to prison for Internet vandalism.

Would I send you to prison for it ?

Absolutely.

[j-whitman]

Wouldn't it be great to have a President that actually did something good for our country for a change,, Instead of hurting our country every chance he gets ??

[fascistusa]

Lord Bush will kindly present the Peasantry with an audiance.

The Lord has carefully listened to his Counselors. Bring in the Court Jesters.

With his Decree as King, Lord Bush has DECIDED (y'know.. the Decider) to continue his Holy War in the name of ABUSHica.

[randalds]

He wouldn't know the truth if it bit him in the backside. What a dense moron.

[kwlambi]

Oh Henry said most of the same exact stuff 3 weeks ago. this is not new news. sometimes i wish there were WMD there,... this war isnt any different than Vietnam, un winnable W, get over it. How many Gis you gonna kill in this smelly place? 10k enough?

[agnim]

"Bush: Iraq Study Group Agrees With Me"

Agrees to "STAY THE COURSE", right? LOL

This wild creature has blinders on; he cannot voluntarily change 'course'.
He has to be made to change 'course'.

[verticalharm]

I just find it so queer that a Pentagon is running the State Dept.
December 9th - a good day.
I hope every one enjoys "his own little reality."
-a court jester

[vincan-2009]

I haven't and will never believe anything that George Bush says. He has proven to be a liar time and time again. He is the great decider who is a psychopath and cares not one bit for anyone but himself. He has never displayed concern for the troops in Iraq or Afganistan. There has been no soul searching over the lives lost day after day. But I do hope all you Bush lovers will join the military fight that you still believe so strongly in. Now the military is having to bribe with large sums of money, use lower and lower standards for joining, and lie to get more innocents to join the Army to go immediately to war in Iraq and the constant threat of death and maiming. So consider joining for Bush!!!!!

[samthetvcat]

Towards the end of this article I was bracing myself for Bushrocks1's daily postings and there it was (lol).

You know what, in trying to maintain a focus on the big picture I do think Bush was accurate in his judgment of terrorism being largely the product of frustration and resentment borne out of the emergence of this divide between the haves and have-nots in the world. And therefore, I have to admit that I actually think it wasn't a bad idea of his to suggest bridging that divide as a way to combat terrorism. I just don't think his my-way-or-the-highway/stay-the-course/outcast-all-critics/let-Haliburton-profit form of implementation made net and lasting gains ever possible.

So do I respect and admire Bush's resolve? While I respect and admire resolve, me thinks this is not resolve we've been seeing from Bush but rather obstinacy. And the majority of the American public expressed that sentiment with the casting of their votes in the mid-term election.

And so . . . Republicans lose control of Congress, Rummy got kicked to the curb, stay the course is no longer the course. Why? . . . I'm waiting.

(lol ;) )