Bush Moves To Push Petraeus From Spotlight

The Skinny: White House Wants U.S. General To Testify Privately On Success Of Troop Surge

(CBS)  The Skinny is Keach Hagey's take on the top news of the day and the best of the Internet.

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After months of asking Americans to suspend judgment on the troop surge until hearing a progress report from Gen. David Petraeus next month, the White House proposed keeping the general's report behind closed doors, the Washington Post reports.

White House officials suggested to Congress that they limit Petraeus' and Ambassador Ryan Crocker's appearance to a private congressional briefing, with the secretaries of state and defense delivering the official report to Congress.

Nice try, said Congress.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden (D-Del.) told the White House that Bush's plan was "unacceptable." The legislation demanding the report requires that Petraeus and Crocker "will be made available to testify in open and closed sessions before relevant committees of the Congress" before the delivery of the report. "Several Republicans have hinted that their support will depend on a credible presentation by Petraeus," the Post reports.

For their part, Petreaus and Crocker "appeared to be puzzled" by Bush's proposal. They have "said repeatedly that they plan to testify after delivering private assessments to Bush."

Power Sharing In Pakistan?

Worried about its wobbling buddy Gen. Pervez Musharraf's ability to hold onto power amid a deepening political crisis in Pakistan, the Bush administration has been "quietly prodding" him to share power with longtime rival Benazir Bhutto, the New York Times reports.

Musharraf, who clearly knows on which side his bread is buttered, met secretly with Bhutto -- the daughter of an assasinated prime minister who was elected to follow in his footsteps in 1996 -- in Abu Dhabi on July 27.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also "did discuss the idea of a power-sharing agreement" during the 2 a.m. phone call she placed to Musharraf last week warning him that declaring emergency powers would be a really dumb idea.

American officials say a first step to the deal could be a decision by Musharraf to allow open parliamentary elections next month, since Bhutto's party seems poised to win the largest share of the vote.

But there are many "ifs" in the equation, not least of which that members of both leaders' parties view power-share as a sell-out.

"We want to avoid a situation where we are seen as bailing out an unpopular military dictatorship," Bhutto told the Times.

It might be a little late for that much spin.

Si, Seniors! Retirees Make A Run For The Border

Hey Congress, you might want to hold off a minute on that wall. USA Today reports that a steadily growing number of Americans are moving across the border to nursing homes in Mexico, "where the sun is bright and the living is cheap."

Take the case of Richard Slater. For $550 a month, less than on tenth the going rate in his hometown of Las Vegas, he lives in his own cottage in a retirement community, "surrounded by purple bougainvilla and pomegranate trees," get 24-hour nursing care and three meals a day. He has satellite television, so he doesn't miss American news or programs, and has American neighbors. When he wants to go downtown, a cab ride is $3.

Sounds pleasant enough, if you like Mexican food. But here's the kicker: "For another $140 a year, he gets full medical coverage from the Mexican government, including all his medicine and insulin for diabetes."

It's enough to make you lightheaded and short of breath, no matter how old you are.



A NOTE TO READERS: The Skinny is available via e-mail. Click here and follow the directions to register to receive it in your inbox each weekday morning.

[michellem99-2009]

WHAT MEXICO WANTS AMERICANS WHO ARE SP NEEDS AND CANADA WON''T DO THE SAME AS MEXICO.

[j4401]

The Real Reason We''re In Iraq: An influential group of conservatives convinced President George W. Bush that it was in America''s best interests to conquer Iraq as a first step toward dominating the oil-producing nations in the Middle East. There was no "exit plan" because we never intended to exit. The plan was, and is, to build military bases in Iraq and stay there forever. Our leaders also see Iraq as a place to make money. So Bush & Co. have set up their friends to cash in on the rebuilding of Iraq.

[bobnjersey]

[For their part, Petreaus and Crocker "appeared to be puzzled" by Bush''s proposal.]

puzzled? and these were the best they could find?

they''re working for a supreme idiot that''s surrounded by radical ideologues ... what''s the matter w/ these people ... is the nose on their face obstucting the obvious?

resign ... and say you''re resigning cause you''re working for an idiot ... and you can''t do it anymore.

[bobnjersey]

[There was no "exit plan" because we never intended to exit. The plan was, and is, to build military bases in Iraq and stay there forever. ]
[Posted by j4401 at 12:08 PM : Aug 16, 2007]

shhh ... not too loud ... nobody is suppossed to know.

[marcodele]

Junior thinks he can just say "I''m invisible now!" and nobody can see his failures.

Keeping the truth about the war in Iraq a secret from Americans is no longer an option.

Bye Junior. You give lame ducks a bad name.

[starleo146]

Would we be considered illegal???????Will we have to get a green card???????

[oakishpines]

i''ve an idea: the enemy plans to throw up non porn get sick tax world posts everywhere and to take all the market share and tax money and armor and weapones and alcohol and parades frome the small kids and civilians

let''s us do the dirty work and prepare for their not-*******



so a few folk around calling for dancing get sick tax world songs

most around calling for dancing get well feed world songs



one day it''s kill the jews, the next it''s kill the nazis, the next it''s fill prisons with whiteys and wars with christians and drybacks slaving twenty to a closet and capitalists in forclosure, the next it''s fill prisons with naked lazy kids and wars with ignorant profane kids and slave tired hungry kids twenty to a closet and lusty bored kids in forclosure

another day another ''let''s dance get sick tax world songs rallied around the sick beds drifting the tens millions spore bloom weed dragon trail fickle first aid lunch farm cottage studio trail groups''



'' ... oh, look what the mentally ill kid put on it''s front page ... ''



'' ... eternal storyboards swimming in oceans of eternal storyboards ... ''

[starleo146]

Posted by bobnjersey at 12:13 PM : Aug 16, 20

great post LOL

[clestes-2009]

Bush is breaking down. If he isn''t a babbling fool now, he will be. Bartlett left, Rove left, Gonzo useless, the only support he has is Cheney and Cheney has been a babbling fool from the beginning.

Does anyone want to hazard a guess why he wants the report keep secret????

Could it be that the report will show completely zero progress politically and very little militarily????

That my guess and I''ll but it is on the money.

Let''s just hope that the pair of fools don''t attack Iran. They are so desperate now that they are more dangerous than ever.

Next year cannot come soon enough.

[liberalme]

When is that jackass in the White House going to understand it is our RIGHT to know how well the troop surge (and everything else) is going.

The truth has never influenced Little George--he won''t hear of it, the slime ball.

The great "decider" and his "gang" are trying to make a palace out of the White House, and as things are going-some Dems are hoping for a place in Bushes'' court!

These people should have been in jail long ago--I''m sick of the whole thing.

[pepperp1]

For their part, Petreaus and Crocker "appeared to be puzzled" by Bush''s proposal. They have "said repeatedly that they plan to testify after delivering private assessments to Bush."


False fight for the media to distract from the content stay focused folks how many times do they need to cattle prod you, last time remeber they leak that no bench marks were met let the fight happen and then when it cam out most people thought the report was full of lies and it was but other were left off the hook with a prgress sound bit not 0 just almost zero. No zero poltical progress in fact digression SUnnie walked out, and now the bomibing of innconets at least 500 dead od yeah and the WH spin they are devil owrshipers what Aholes. Also vilonce down a bit but is the bad guys just go somewher else and kill.

[starleo146]

Posted by marcodele at 12:15 PM : Aug 16, 2007

Can this man do anything in the open? All this spying on Americans --Start a war under false pretense, don''t let us know the real reason OIL. Send a general to delay the congress a few more months.---Now keep the report quiet so the congress can fight to get it a few more months. What did the neocons elect any way.If anyone trust a *** solicitating bunch of liars and perverts we ought to be shot at sunrise.No more of this ever, let them do there pandering on their time and not ours at 170,000 dollars a year.How many troops gave their lives for this bungling idiot HOW MANY?

[starleo146]

This Pres. would use his mother to get his way. He is a spoiled brat and he will not stop all this *** till he leaves, meanwhile SIR we have troops dieing in Iraq for this country while you are playing games with the Congress and putting this congress in a quagmire. I know if you do not get your way you decide we can''t get anything we want. It reminds me of kindergarten. If I can''t have that toy you can''t have mine.Can you just leave with all these troops on your conscious all from your doing.STOP THE FUNDING IN SEPT.

[sgtrds]

Didn''t Gen. Petraeus realize when he took the job that he was just going to be the General to have to "retire" for Bush''s scre*w up? Just another in the long list of Generals that the Chimp "always listens too" right up until the time that they dare to tell him the truth.

[nyckate]

LOL - what Bush is doing is setting the sucker up to take the fall for Iraq!! When he talks about Iraq now it''s only about Petraeus'' Plan - not the Bush Iraq but Petraeus Iraq!

I also heard on someone''s political show that the Bush White House is going to be writing Petraeus Report to Bush -- this is the most effed up White House ever in the history of this nation.

[lochlan-2009]

This admin. just doesn''t stop squirming and lieing to cover their corruption. Obviously, they are going to tell him exactly what lies and how to say them to the American people, in the closed hearing.

[myidoncbs]

All rational people have concluded that the situation in Iraq is a mess that can not be fixed by the US military. Although Petraeus is bound to find some tiny signs of improvement in some isolated areas, the magnitude of failure of Bush''s war of terror can not be completely hidden. So, what choice does the little dictator have? He must try to bury the report that he''s been openly promoting for so long. If that doesn''t work, next he''ll be telling us about how Petraeus'' report is just "sour grapes from a disgruntled ex-general".

[aldewitt-2009]

Funny that the Right Wing Spin Machine is ginning up the poll numbers that say that people are hopeful about the Surge. Of course they are. They want something -- ANYTHING -- to work in this mess. But it won''t.

There is no doubt that all we are doing is delaying the inevitable slide into civil war by making out guys the primary targets over there. Frankly, there is not one Iraqi life that is more valuable than one of our soldiers over there, and I think we need to get out of there while we can. If it all goes down the tubes, it''s Bush''s fault. All Bush is doing is trying to wait until he is out of office so he doesn''t look like the complete chump he is.

[starleo146]

Can you imagine what is going through this General''s mind sending these troops into the worst parts of Baghdad and sourounding areas which large casualties can occur and this Pres. was just using him to stall the Congress.Bush, Cheney ,And Rumsfeld bungled this war from the beginning and there is no FIX to it.He will stay till Jan. 20, 2008 and he will keep writing executive orders to make d*a*m*n sure he does. Can the next Pres. straighten all this out I doubt it he got us too deep and do not be surprised to see him hit Iran before he leaves.

[starleo146]

Posted by aldewitt at 01:20 PM : Aug 16, 2007

You know that was a heartfelt post, and if we all go back and read our writings they are all sad, we feel for these troops what they have been put through, the wringer, believe me, and have won several times over, but Bush just wants to stay, and he needs these guys to do it, the bungling, stubborn, thickheaded, stupid, stupid man I am ashamed of him.

[actornaught]

Its already out that the long-awaited, sweaty-browed promised report for september is in reality NOT going to happen. Instead, Petraeus will ''meet'' in private with w, and then w will say what he feels like.

Nothing to be worried about... if your IQ is under 50...

[starleo146]

Posted by avoice at 01:13 PM : Aug 16, 2007

Tell me more--- Who is Jack Keane and Frederick Kagan sorry for my ignorance but would like to understand your post more. Thanks

[teeus]

MichelleM99....oakishpines....

TOTALLY weird getting a window into the unmedicated world.

Thanks for the sample of tin-foil-hat-conversation.

[pepperp1]

Political stunt red meat for partisans and pundits a false argument to detract from discussing the actual issue.

The surge per the Bush and AEI rationale was to tamp down violence so the Iraqi Government would have space to forge a Political Solution and a State Department to diplomatic solution with Iraqi neighbors, oil and power sharing.

Progress: 0 zero progress, no oil sharing, and no power sharing, in fact the Sunnis walked out. Violence down where soldiers surge no corresponding political up tick. US State Department Rice held one session with Iran no progress in fact proxy conflict within the country may be ramping up with Iran and Saudis.

[drummer94]

So, where are all the right-wing trolls today. Think they finally see that shrub is so ignorant/arrogant that, not only does he bushit the American people, he thinks he can bull, an ambassador and a top general who has to send the troops into harms way. The people, through their elected representatives, want, nay, have the right to know. You guys think your "puzzled?" How the he11 do ya think we feel? Don''t let loony-toon get away with one more dam thing.

[seven-pesos]

never a war the south couldn''t lose.

jefferson davis lost his,
johnson lost his
bush will lose his.

the south has lost every war they started.

idiot southern creeps are only good for sunday afternoon parades

in their tight-butt uniforms.

ha,ha,ha.

war, division, arrogance, phony christian creeps, crooked republican snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south!

[kbrules45]

Quite smart! The Mexican government has develop a brilliant counter-plan against the widely controversial debate on US Immigration Policy. With this system in place their tend to put US government in a "Backstep", if more US citizen cross the border to soak in a well thought-out persuasive retirement plan. Let us just wait patiently and see if this system would work(mexico plan) and The US answer!

[liberalme]

No one wins a war--everyone loses--it takes a bigger man to walk away from a fight than to stay there.

[citizenusa-2009]

Is there any limit to the audacity one person can have? If Patraeus was going to be singing little George''s tune, he''d be front and center on every news station in the world. Since Patraeus has apparantly chosen to tell the truth, lil Bush wants to censor him! This administration needs to be STOPPED NOW! Our troops and the people of Iraq have already spilled too much blood on the orders of someone who is (at the very least) smug, greedy and INCOMPETENT! Don''t wait for the elections, IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY NOW!!!!

[au_fait]

You have to be kidding me, almost everyone here is whining about how we are doing in the war and that we are still there. Although complain adn whine when we have to take actions against another nation and peopel die. When will Congress learn that wars are not clean and quick, people will die and you cannot treat those with whom you have engaged as children. A pop on the hand does nothing, the race we have chosen to fight understands what it takes to win, DEATH and CASUALTIES. When are you babies going to learn we have to inflict the same and not need to answer for every action that is taken. It is WAR! If we were to pull out now, all gains would be lost. While it is not our job to police the world, we jumped into this. If our troops were allowed to do what is necessary we could end this war.

[liberalme]

AU-FAIT

What gains have we won??? Are you kidding me?? Neither we or Iraq have gained anything but death--Bush sent everyone in the opposite direction to get Bin Laden, we''re in Iraq to do what Big Bushy couldn''t do.

Mission NOT accomplished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[citizenusa-2009]

What gains have we won??? Are you kidding me?? Neither we or Iraq have gained anything but death--Bush sent everyone in the opposite direction to get Bin Laden, we''''re in Iraq to do what Big Bushy couldn''''t do.

Mission NOT accomplished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

You are absolutely right. The only gain has been in Bush''s and Cheney''s pockets (let''s not forget their oil rich friends). Those two (among other''s in this corrupt administration) need to be tried for war crimes. THEN, it will be MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

[sgtrds]

It is WAR! If we were to pull out now, all gains would be lost. While it is not our job to police the world, we jumped into this. If our troops were allowed to do what is necessary we could end this war.

Posted by au_fait at 02:33 PM : Aug 16, 2007

So...when do you ship out? Or your kids? Really want to go and die in Bush''s war of choice? For the profit of Bush''s friends?

You sound like George Carlin talking about Vietnam "Pull out? Doesn''t sound manly to me! I say let''s leave it in there and get the job done!"

[sgtrds]

So, where are all the right-wing trolls today.

Posted by drummer94 at 02:08 PM : Aug 16, 2007

They were here, but it''s feeding time at the RNC propaganda headquarters (Rove''s basement) so they''re all at the pig trough fighting for their fair share of the slop.

[citizenusa-2009]

SgtRDS - LOL! Well said!

[seven-pesos]

southerners are looking for another prez like george bush, jr.

the south is mighty proud of all the christian work and leadership bush has provided.

hooray for bush, stars & bars and jefferson davis.

[red164]

They were here, but it''''s feeding time at the RNC propaganda headquarters (Rove''''s basement) so they''''re all at the pig trough fighting for their fair share of the slop.

Posted by SgtRDS at 03:04 PM : Aug 16, 2007

Isn''t that the same hall you and the DNC share?

[bobnjersey]

[Is there any limit to the audacity one person can have? ... IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY NOW!!!! ]
[Posted by CitizenUSA at 02:32 PM : Aug 16, 2007]

no. they''ve been conditioned that they can do whatever they want and nobody can stop them ... or at least ... nobody is willing to.

somebody should stop them ... cause they''re not going to on their own.

[red164]

Peter Dale Scott
GNN
Thursday, August 16, 2007

Terror, oil and the "shadow government"

In this exclusive excerpt from his powerful new book, The Road to 9/11: Wealth, Empire, and the Future of America (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press), UC Berkeley professor emeritus Peter Dale Scott

Meanwhile, the BBC heard from State Department insiders that planning for regime change in Iraq %u201Cbegan %u2018within weeks%u2019 of Bush%u2019s first taking office in 2001, long before the September 11th attack on the U.S.%u201D45 The administration%u2019s concern for controlling oil in the Middle East intermingled with strategic concerns in the area, especially with increasing uncertainty about the future of U.S. bases in Saudi Arabia. The White House was also impressed by the report of an AEI-based discussion group, commissioned by Paul Wolfowitz, that a strategy to deal with Middle East terrorism would require two generations of conflict, in which %u2018Iran is more important. . . . But Saddam Hussein was . . . weaker, more vulnerable.%u2019%u201D46

Exclusive excerpt: The Road to 9/11: Wealth, Empire, and the Future of America




These people don''t know what there talking about right rands more conspiracy stuff.

[starleo146]

Posted by au_fait at 02:33 PM : Aug 16, 2007

WHAT GAINS?????Please tell me what gains. We have not gained anything we lost more than we will ever have gained from this miserable fiasco and if you see a gain please tell us all for I feel you are living under an illusion. Do you think any of us want to say this you are wrong, but this is not anything we can fix any more, The White House has handled all this without the proper authorities all there secret control and it is there burden to fix it, but they will not, so here we are. No war has ever been fought like this the people we are fighting have no uniforms we don''t know who the enemy is over there the cowards plant IED''s and our government can''t get a patrol humvee(MRAP) that can withstand that to help the troops, we have almost 250 troops so far committing suicide no troop was meant to see there buddy''s leggs get blown off or there brains blown up, what are we doing about that, nothing, nothing you go fight and say we made gains better yet take Bush and Cheney with you. I am more upset how he treats our troops more than anything.

[bobnjersey]

[It is WAR! If we were to pull out now, all gains would be lost. While it is not our job to police the world, we jumped into this. If our troops were allowed to do what is necessary we could end this war.
[Posted by au_fait at 02:33 PM : Aug 16, 2007]

was war declared?

i thought the ''mission was accomplished'' way back when.

it''s an occupation of a country that we have no business being in ... and that presence is the single largest contributor to the rising level of terrorism and hatred against the united states and it''s interests.

these unilateral actions are the biggest foreign policy disaster in our history ... and it''s fueling a new arms race in the region and elsewhere.

this presidency has been a complete failure ... and all those who stand by defending this *** are as responsible for it as the idiots who perpetrated it.

[seven-pesos]

it will be another hundred years before the south becomes part of america.

meanwhile, don''t elect anymore of those idiot southern christian faith professing creeps.

don''t vote for a southerner.
don''t vote for a christian.
don''t vote for a republican.

america will be just fine.

ha,ha,ha.

war, hate, christian creeps, republican snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south.

[starleo146]

Posted by au_fait at 02:33 PM : Aug 16, 2007
+ report abuse

One other thing you said," this is war we should not be responsible for every action, well let me ask you this why are our guys going to prison for shooting they thought were the bad guys and no one over there are punished for shooting our guys. It must be pure H*E*L*L over there. I have a grandson who just joined the Marines and even though I am proud of my sweetheart I live in fear if he goes to Iraq he will not be the same sweet boy he is today he will have seen things young minds like his cannot believe and he will be changed.

[citizenusa-2009]

After the election, Little George is going to need a vacation and his dear daughter is going to need a honeymoon spot. I have a suggestion; why not Bagdad? The weather''s good,it''s exotic, you can sleep to the hum of your beloved oil wells, Halliburton will provide the catering, the cost of living is very very low, and you won''t have to learn a foreign language because most of the area is inhabited by Americans!! What do you say George?..think of it as an "adventure"! (Isn''t that how you sold it to our troops?)

[seven-pesos]

yeah, bush is responsible for much death and destruction.

another southerner, lyndon johnson, wasted many lives for a dishonorable war.

another southerner, jefferson davis, is responsible for much american blood and treasure lost.

all southerners, all christians, all snakes...

slave state losers.

if you want to win a war... don''t send a southerner to do the job!

ha,ha,ha.

war, hate arrogance, christian creeps, republican snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south.

[starleo146]

So, where are all the right-wing trolls today.

Posted by drummer94 at 02:08 PM : Aug 16, 2007

They were here, but it''''s feeding time at the RNC propaganda headquarters (Rove''''s basement) so they''''re all at the pig trough fighting for their fair share of the slop.
Posted by SgtRDS at 03:04 PM : Aug 16, 2007

What would I do without you my friend thanks enjoyed your posts.

[citizenusa-2009]

starleo, I am sorry to hear your grandson joined. I''m curious. Why did he join now? Why not wait until this dangerous administration is history? My prayers will be with him. (Perhaps a miracle will happen and the Dems will have the power to stop this "occupation" before the election (or impeachment) whichever comes first).

[seven-pesos]

the republican party loves the south...

southerners are so easy to fool.

a little flag waving here, a little bible thumping there.

those ignorant southerners fall right in line, boy!

rednecks and reborns...

bush''s kind of people.

war, hate, arrogance, christian creeps, republican snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south!

[starleo146]

Posted by CitizenUSA at 02:32 PM : Aug 16, 2007
+ report abuse

You certainly hit the nail on the head that is what Bush is doing. This Patraeus seems to me to speak his mind and I believe he will go to Congress and tell it like it is if Bush doesn''t muzzle him

[citizenusa-2009]

I''m not much of a history buff, but I thought our Constitution ensured "checks and balances". How then, did one man "the Decider" (embarrassing), amass so much power without being pulled back? How did this happen? Can it happen again? If so, shouldn''t we as citizens demand an amendment to the Constitution that limits the amount of unfettered power our president can wield?